New to Kendo and looking for a dojo

[Sanctum1972]

Hello,

For starters, I live in a small college town in Vermont, coming from Ohio originally and work as a freelance illustrator/designer. I used to take minna jiu jitsu years ago back in the late 1980s and early 90s and stopped since then due to going to art school at the time. Over the years, I thought of returning to the martial arts to center myself but this has been almost impossible due to budget constraints and time.

Now, I decided to give Kendo a try because the idea of using the shinai is similar to using the brush strokes. To me, it's an art form and a way for me to keep in shape and sort out the internalized chaos into order. The only dojo I know of is in Burlington, Vermont in Champlain College and I don't have that much information yet as it was the only lead as it is at least 35 miles apart from where I'm at.

The only issue I have is that I'm deaf even though I don't sign at all, being raised in an audist environment (that is, not using sign language despite the fact I know some of it). It was'nt a problem for me taking Jiu Jitsu and it helped increase my awareness and watch my back for those who think my ears will fail me in the streets better think twice about it.

So truly, I ask if there were other deaf kendokas/students in Kendo that have taken it and if anyone else knows of another dojo in Vermont.

Thank you,

-Adam

[sirius1906]

Hi, Adam! Welcome to the forum. The All US Kendo Federation (AUSKF) website lists only one dojo in Burlington, probably the one you mention. 35 miles isn't a long distance, really. Some of us travels far greater distance to practice. It used to be 170 for me. :) Well, good luck on your quest to kendo.

[Sanctum1972]

Hi, Adam! Welcome to the forum. The All US Kendo Federation (AUSKF) website lists only one dojo in Burlington, probably the one you mention. 35 miles isn't a long distance, really. Some of us travels far greater distance to practice. It used to be 170 for me. :) Well, good luck on your quest to kendo.

Thanks for the assistance and appreciate it. Yes, Burlington would be that town which is what you may be looking at on the list.

[turboyoshi]

So truly, I ask if there were other deaf kendokas/students in Kendo that have taken it and if anyone else knows of another dojo in Vermont.


Although not completely deaf, I have severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears. I also don't sign and don't even know how to. I get by well enough I think and in kendo, it's not really a big problem. It requires a little extra alertness as you already know. Go for it, you'll do fine.

I have about a 30 mi drive and only 1x/week so I don't think it's bad at all. Contact the dojo and see if they know of others in your area that might not have made it onto the AUSKF site yet.

Once you get into it, I think you'll enjoy it enough that the drive won't seem an issue.

regards,
sean

[Sanctum1972]

Sean,

Thanks for the encouragement. The severe/profound loss in my ears are exactly what I have, although I sleep too well when I take off the hearing aid.

But you are right in that it does take more concentration to focus with our eyes with heightened awareness once we get used to the motions of the art itself.

I'm still waiting to get more information on the class before I walk into it so I know what I'm getting into.

Thanks!

Adam


Although not completely deaf, I have severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears. I also don't sign and don't even know how to. I get by well enough I think and in kendo, it's not really a big problem. It requires a little extra alertness as you already know. Go for it, you'll do fine.

I have about a 30 mi drive and only 1x/week so I don't think it's bad at all. Contact the dojo and see if they know of others in your area that might not have made it onto the AUSKF site yet.

Once you get into it, I think you'll enjoy it enough that the drive won't seem an issue.

regards,
sean

[Marek]

I hope you enjoy practicing kendo :)


It used to be 170 for me. :)
for me its 4/5 minutes on the bike

[Maku-san]

Hi, Adam!

I, too, am deaf and just started in Kendo! I have a Cochlear Implant. Let's share our experiences here!

Mark

[Neil Gendzwill]

Mark, I've seen those implants. They look like they might not fit well under the men. Can they be removed or padded up somehow? How do you deal with them with other helmets, like for a motorcycle?

[Maku-san]

Mark, I've seen those implants. They look like they might not fit well under the men. Can they be removed or padded up somehow? How do you deal with them with other helmets, like for a motorcycle?

It's possible that my processor might rub up against the men. The headpiece will be ok under the head wrap (sorry, I'm not really up in my kendo terminology :emb:). I haven't used a motorcycle helmet or any kind of helmet, but I've used a hard hat with no problems whatsoever. Worse comes to worse, I can remove the processor and just go with absolutely no hearing. :eek:

Another possibility is to order my men slightly bigger. :) I'm so newbie that I'm practicing in sweats... I'm a few months away from bogu... :smiley:

If Adam uses his hearing aids under his men, that's confirmation that my processor will be able to fit. :)

Thanks for the insight, Neil! I appreciate it! It wasn't something that I thought of...:wink:

[sirius1906]

Maybe it's worth to invest a custom fit men. I can't imagine it'd be too hard to make. It's just the padding on the inside, right?

[Maku-san]

Maybe it's worth to invest a custom fit men. I can't imagine it'd be too hard to make. It's just the padding on the inside, right?

That's right, Sirius! I was talking to a fellow kendoka (I'm hoping I'm using the right terminology..:redface:) who has been in the dojo for quite some time and he said that yes, modifications can be made to accomodate a hearing aid-type (a.k.a. "Behind The Ear" or BTE) cochlear processor via the use of padding. Barring that, I can probably "McGyver" a fix that will stay put during usage. :wink:

[JCM]

If i could add my two cents, being a biker I instantly though of motorcycle helmets, there is a "gap" in most helmts to fit the ears, with the padding around it.

I guess you could buy a set of cheek pads (http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/502/28097) and try to fit them around (or behind) where your ears go in the men. The padding as impact absorbing as it gets, top quality material. they are large (about 6 inches long for the ones in the link), so plenty of room to modify them

I am afraid I have no spare used ones at the moment, otherwise I would post a pair to you to see if it worked

I hope this is helpful :)

[Maku-san]

JCM: Aha! You've given me a great idea! When the time comes, I will definitely look into those cheek pads! Thank you very much! :)

[JCM]

JCM: Aha! You've given me a great idea! When the time comes, I will definitely look into those cheek pads! Thank you very much! :)


Just an idea, I hope it works :).

The ones shown in the picture would have enough room to cut out a bit to fit the ear inside, I guess leaving the longer part behind it. You can fix them with velcro, they come with stubs as well, so if you find the right size, you can put those on the men

[bobdonny]

JCM, i was always taught that a blow to the ear area was very dangerous in Kendo as the men forms a near vacum with your ear and the change in pressure can severly damage your ear/drum etc.

I wonder if this would help or worsen this?

[JCM]

Actually, they are anything but airtight (Imaging putting a spoongy foam to your aer), the intention would be fit them around the ear, if anything, I think they would save you from that vacuum. This works on bike helmets, were the impacts tend to be more severe than a men cut, so they are made to absorb enrgy without creating a vacuum. Anyway, the intention is to soften potential blows to the hearing aid.

[turboyoshi]

JCM, i was always taught that a blow to the ear area was very dangerous in Kendo as the men forms a near vacum with your ear and the change in pressure can severly damage your ear/drum etc.

I wonder if this would help or worsen this?

I don't think it would make things worse because the shape of the pad looks like it would help distort the vacuum effect rather than enhancing it.

Another thing I do, is after tying on the men, I pull the ear flaps out a bit to give me more space around there.

Maaku-san, you should check with your sensei and see what he recommends. He'll likely be more aware of whether any modifications you make to your men yourself would increase your risk of injury.

Although I don't have hearing aids now, when I wore them, I wore the ITE type but at $2000 a piece, I don't think I'd wear them during kendo. I'd be too afraid of breaking one.

sean

[JCM]

Although I don't have hearing aids now, when I wore them, I wore the ITE type but at $2000 a piece, I don't think I'd wear them during kendo. I'd be too afraid of breaking one.

sean

I hear you, someone I used to work with left them on his sitting room table. You would think is the last thing your dog is gonna want to eat, you would think wrong.

[Wesley Myers]

I don't think you have too much to worry about (not being able to hear). When the Men is on it is hard to hear and with other noise in the practice area you can't often hear what is being said anyway. At least that's the way it is with me. However, the instructor's always demonstrate what they want you to do so pay close attention. Sometimes when there is just a verbal command I have to wait and watch what everyone else is doing to know what I am supposed to do. (it must be all the years of riding in packs of Harleys with straight pipes - some voices I have trouble hearing when there is background noise - earplugs give me ear aches on the bike so I don't use them and we don't run full face helmets)

So, in short, don't worry. Just give it a try - I would caution against wearing hearing devices under a Men but, like those previously said, maybe something could be custom made.

Make sure you tell all the instructors (and the students too, so they know). I have found everyone to be very kind, generous and understanding and more than willing to go out of their way to help.

[Maku-san]

I don't think you have too much to worry about (not being able to hear). When the Men is on it is hard to hear and with other noise in the practice area you can't often hear what is being said anyway. At least that's the way it is with me. However, the instructor's always demonstrate what they want you to do so pay close attention. Sometimes when there is just a verbal command I have to wait and watch what everyone else is doing to know what I am supposed to do. (it must be all the years of riding in packs of Harleys with straight pipes - some voices I have trouble hearing when there is background noise - earplugs give me ear aches on the bike so I don't use them and we don't run full face helmets)

So, in short, don't worry. Just give it a try - I would caution against wearing hearing devices under a Men but, like those previously said, maybe something could be custom made.

Make sure you tell all the instructors (and the students too, so they know). I have found everyone to be very kind, generous and understanding and more than willing to go out of their way to help.

Well said, Wesley, and thanks for the great advice! I've already informed my sensei and my fellow students as to my hearing loss and they've all been VERY accomodating and understanding. I'm also fortunate in being the ONLY newbie there right now, so I have one-on-one training with my sensei outside the dojo before we join the group exercises (the no-bogu ones, though... :laugh:)

Mark

[Sanctum1972]

Hi, Adam!

I, too, am deaf and just started in Kendo! I have a Cochlear Implant. Let's share our experiences here!

Mark

Maaku-san,

I don't wear a cochlear implant because I've reached past the age of having that and only prefer the 'old school' analog BTE hearing aids which is only on the left side and the right side is pretty much gone.

It's not so bad, really, just to have that because if I wanted to listen to the iPod, the over the ear headphones work well for me so I believe the head gear used for Kendo should be alright.

Mostly I follow visual cues as I used to when taking Minna Jiu Jitsu 15 years ago.

-A

[Sanctum1972]

Also, I'm very surprised to see some deaf/hard of hearing taking Kendo as previously thought that the headgear or lack of following the action would have been a challenge. However, this is good news for me because the sensei invited me to go check out the Kendo demonstration next Saturday 30 miles uptown.

[Maku-san]

Also, I'm very surprised to see some deaf/hard of hearing taking Kendo as previously thought that the headgear or lack of following the action would have been a challenge. However, this is good news for me because the sensei invited me to go check out the Kendo demonstration next Saturday 30 miles uptown.

It's a challenge, alright, Adam. But it's going to take a few pioneers to populate the homestead, so to speak. :smiley:

I have a deaf friend who wears HA's and does Aikido and Strongman competitions (flipping tractor tires, etc.) Now, Aikido's fine if you can tumble and do all that, but I'm not a tumbler, never have been, and so Kendo is more my liking.

I have also been blessed with patient & understanding fellow students and sensei. It also helps to "JOIN IN" and not just "SHOW UP" (in other words -- help out in the dojo, lend a helping hand every time, etc.). Once they see you're sincere and willing to learn and put in the BST (blood, sweat & tears) in practice, they'll overlook the deafness and see the person and will be more than happy to help develop some method of communication that WORKS. My sensei always comes to my side and tells me what to do then goes back into position and we do the kamae or footwork exercise or whatever. And (I consider this the most IMPORTANT facet), after practice, he makes himself available for questions, constructive advice ("criticism" is such a harsh term... *LOL*), and home practice assignments ("work on your shinai holding", "work on your kamae", "practice sonkyu in front of a mirror"). Already, I'm hooked, and it's only been 3 practices at the dojo.

Like you, my sensei has invited me to check out the iaido class downtown. He said it'd be a great learning opportunity and that it perfectly dovetails my kendo class. I can hardly wait! :laugh:

[Sanctum1972]

I had to do some tumbling when taking Jiu Jitsu so it was'nt that bad as long as you know how to balance yourself and prevent the HA from falling out.

I have'nt joined in the Kendo club yet and have'nt met any of them until I see the demonstration first. I've been told that Iaido will also be included in the demo as well so that should be interesting.

Since it's this Saturday, the weather is kind of making me nervous that if it goes real bad, it's not worth a drive until until it warms up. Otherwise, I'm going to give it a shot.

-Adam


It's a challenge, alright, Adam. But it's going to take a few pioneers to populate the homestead, so to speak. :smiley:

I have a deaf friend who wears HA's and does Aikido and Strongman competitions (flipping tractor tires, etc.) Now, Aikido's fine if you can tumble and do all that, but I'm not a tumbler, never have been, and so Kendo is more my liking.

I have also been blessed with patient & understanding fellow students and sensei. It also helps to "JOIN IN" and not just "SHOW UP" (in other words -- help out in the dojo, lend a helping hand every time, etc.). Once they see you're sincere and willing to learn and put in the BST (blood, sweat & tears) in practice, they'll overlook the deafness and see the person and will be more than happy to help develop some method of communication that WORKS. My sensei always comes to my side and tells me what to do then goes back into position and we do the kamae or footwork exercise or whatever. And (I consider this the most IMPORTANT facet), after practice, he makes himself available for questions, constructive advice ("criticism" is such a harsh term... *LOL*), and home practice assignments ("work on your shinai holding", "work on your kamae", "practice sonkyu in front of a mirror"). Already, I'm hooked, and it's only been 3 practices at the dojo.

Like you, my sensei has invited me to check out the iaido class downtown. He said it'd be a great learning opportunity and that it perfectly dovetails my kendo class. I can hardly wait! :laugh:

[Maku-san]

I had to do some tumbling when taking Jiu Jitsu so it was'nt that bad as long as you know how to balance yourself and prevent the HA from falling out.
-Adam

Well, I'm not a tumbler, period. Never did like the feeling of my legs going over my head, at least intentionally. :laugh: Still, you have an advantage with HA because of its smallness and secureness in the ear canal (or over the ear with an ear mold). With a CI, that processor's as big as those old '60's power aids that totally bracket the earlobe.

Mark :cool:

[Maku-san]

Whooo! Just had my first iaijutsu class and I am knocked out!!! :ko: Not tired, per se, but my brain's so frazzled. I'm trying to keep my kendo and iaido separate so's not to pi**-off my senseis by doing something stupid! :emb:

The first kata had me so directionally impaired ("Left leg!" was probably the most popular phrase that night by sensei! :emb:) I was reduced to a blubbering idiot.

Maybe I should just stick with kendo first, eh?:confused:

[mononokifool]

Whooo! Just had my first iaijutsu class and I am knocked out!!! :ko: Not tired, per se, but my brain's so frazzled. I'm trying to keep my kendo and iaido separate so's not to pi**-off my senseis by doing something stupid! :emb:

The first kata had me so directionally impaired ("Left leg!" was probably the most popular phrase that night by sensei! :emb:) I was reduced to a blubbering idiot.

Maybe I should just stick with kendo first, eh?:confused:
Dont be discouraged. Iai takes a lot longer to get the most basic of basics down. Also your kendo will greatly improve with iai.

[Sanctum1972]

I tried driving up 35 miles to the college where Kendo is apparently being held at this past weekend and turns out that a college ID is required. What's not cool is that I ain't a student and the fact I'm wayyyy outta college.

What's discouraging is that it's the only "dojo" here in Vermont.

-A

[Maku-san]

I tried driving up 35 miles to the college where Kendo is apparently being held at this past weekend and turns out that a college ID is required. What's not cool is that I ain't a student and the fact I'm wayyyy outta college.

What's discouraging is that it's the only "dojo" here in Vermont.

-A

Wow, bummers, Adam! :((

Try Googling and expanding your search area. You may have to go a bit further, but at least you'll have a dojo to go to that doesn't have requirements like a college does!

Ganbare!

Mark :cool:

[Sanctum1972]

Wow, bummers, Adam! :((

Try Googling and expanding your search area. You may have to go a bit further, but at least you'll have a dojo to go to that doesn't have requirements like a college does!

Ganbare!

Mark :cool:

I wish it were that easy but I'm a very busy man and don't have time for such lengthy travelling and waste gas. I wanted it to be in Burlington or closer. And I'm really ticked because they require a college ID and I'm only 36 years old. I don't even know if they actually allow the public to take that class at all because it may be restricted to students only.

I really do not want to take Jiu Jitsu all over again just to get back into the martial arts. There was one dojo that teaches Muay Thai but when I emailed the sensei, he never answered back. Such unprofessionalism.