A full life to kendo?

[Caleb]

When I read and hear about high dan level practitioners that devote all their time to kendo, and dont do it as a hobby, I wonder how they started to do just kendo, or if thats what they really do? How can you practice day in and day out without a job, or some sorce of survival needs? What if you dont own a dojo? How can you devote your life to kendo, or at least how can you start? If anybody could answer any of these I would appreciate it.

[AlexM]

Nobody can do what you describe in the West. If you devote all your waking moments to kendo and and you're anything other than a Japanese national you're wasting your life (and even then you'd best be a pro.). Normally, one expects to concentrate on more than just one thing in life anyway, and the biggest thing would probably be a job (outside of family).

Japanese cops (if they're good enough) are essentially kendo professionals: They're paid to practice and instruct (with occasional police duties thrown in there for good measure). Same could be said of Phys. Ed. teachers in Japan (those that practice kendo of course). I don't know if any other kendo "pros." exist in Japan (probably, but those are the two major groups I can think of).

These are people that SHOULD make it to 8th dan: kendo is their job. Regular schmoes such as yours truly could probably expect to make it with difficulty to about a 6th dan as a final grade (about 2-3 practices a week with occasional tourneys, seminars and trips to Japan). You don't have to devote your life to kendo to get into those high grades (although they've tightened up grading standards in recent years). There are plenty of doctors, vets, lawyers and other professionals that are high graded and good at kendo, despite having demanding jobs. The grades aren't that important anyway.

I'm sure those living in Japan can give more detailed answers on the type of people that can afford to practice all the time.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I don't know if any other kendo "pros." exist in Japan (probably, but those are the two major groups I can think of).

College team coaches, high school teachers (I guess that's what you meant by phys ed teachers), instructors at colleges (you can get a phys ed degree with a kendo specialty, I presume the profs are pros).

[Eldritch Knight]

I'm not so convinced about the phys ed. teachers. The teacher who taught us kendo in my PE class was only a shoudan. We were only required to do basics, and so he sufficed (the real kendo sensei was vice-principal).

[kendokamax]

I'm not so convinced about the phys ed. teachers. The teacher who taught us kendo in my PE class was only a shoudan. We were only required to do basics, and so he sufficed (the real kendo sensei was vice-principal).

even if he is a shodan if he gets money only by teaching kendo isnt that being a profesion?

but hum might not be such a good teacher

[Neil Gendzwill]

I'm not so convinced about the phys ed. teachers. The teacher who taught us kendo in my PE class was only a shoudan. We were only required to do basics, and so he sufficed (the real kendo sensei was vice-principal).
My understanding is that if you attend a high school with a strong kendo tradition, the coach will be a pro. I'm open to correction if I'm wrong on this.

[Yowai]

Eldritch: Are you talking about a Japanese high school? A shodan (a 16 year old?) as a high school kendo coach is an impossibility, even in the most remote enaka areas. Most coaches are 6-8 dan.

[slidercrank]

Eldritch: Are you talking about a Japanese high school? A shodan (a 16 year old?) as a high school kendo coach is an impossibility, even in the most remote enaka areas. Most coaches are 6-8 dan.
Not as impossible as you think. There are Japanese schools that don't have a proper kendo sensei. They might have a nominal sensei from the school staff to watch over the practice, but he only advises from the sideline and doesn't keiko himself. Yudansha students have to run the practices themselves. There are also schools where the kendo sensei are lowly ranked (below 3 dan) and sometimes the better students can regularly beat the sensei.

Granted, I am not talking about a big high school in Tokyo-To. But these situations do occur.

[gszab]

If only Here in Europe would be a demand for proffesional kendo teachers. I think there are many guys who would like to be proff kendoka.

[Nanbanjin]

Eldritch: Are you talking about a Japanese high school? A shodan (a 16 year old?) as a high school kendo coach is an impossibility, even in the most remote enaka areas. Most coaches are 6-8 dan.
I've met a few Japanese people who had to coach themselves or had lower dan coaches at high school. Maybe your upbringing was upper class and you weren't exposed to this kind of thing.

[Yowai]

I am not familiar with the activities that occur in the remote mountainous areas.

My parent's house had a lawn and a pond. They weren't big, but more importantly, we had them. The pond was more akin to a dent in a ground but that description does not need to be mentioned in a normal conversation. I have heard that we are a descendant of a very rich noble family and have family treasures, but what Japanese will not claim to be, very improbably, a descendant of an important person?

[Dan Shea]

When I read and hear about high dan level practitioners that devote all their time to kendo, and dont do it as a hobby, I wonder how they started to do just kendo, or if thats what they really do? How can you practice day in and day out without a job, or some sorce of survival needs? What if you dont own a dojo? How can you devote your life to kendo, or at least how can you start? If anybody could answer any of these I would appreciate it.
Hi Caleb,

My honest answer would be that many people do not fully devote all of their time to kendo until after they retire. Unless you are a professional, or own a dojo where you instruct kendo for a living, more likely than not you are devoting a good portion of time to kendo in addition to other things and then when the opportunity avails itself (read: retirement) you progress into an even deeper devotion to the way.

I do not think you just wake up one day and say, "I think I'll devote all my time to <fill in hobby/sport/art here>." It is more likely a slow and gradual progression from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced, to the continual pursuit of mastery. At that time more likely than not you are devoting plenty of time to the art but also deeply involved with teaching and other kendo related activity.

Just my 0.02 cents USD.

Have a nice day,

[Caleb]

Thanks for all your statements. When you start kendo and you hear about masters of the art that do nothing but kendo, I was kind of confused on how they got their.
Thanks

[ALI G]

The pond was more akin to a dent in a ground but that description does not need to be mentioned in a normal conversation

R U Surez dat da pond iznt juzt warez yo mama stepz outz in da yahd andz da rain waterz flowedz in?