Am I too old for Kendo?

[Chopstix]

Sorry it's such a dumb question - yet it seems to me that alot of people here do appear to have started young. I'm 27 and I'm seriously considering Kendo right now. I have 1.5 years of Aikido which I hope would assist me in learning.

The other thing is...I wear glasses - is that going to be an issue when wearing the headgear (men)?

Thanks for your replies :)

And may I say a big g'day to fellow Aussies :D

[xvikingx]

You're only too old if you think you are. There are people who start in their 40's.
About glasses: It hurts real bad to wear with your men (the helmet) but I have seen some people put up with it. I thought I would never wear contacts but kendo proved me wrong.

[Neil Gendzwill]

27 is a fine age to start, so long as you realize world champion is probably not in the cards for you. But for your own enjoyment, it's great. I've seen people start in their 40s and achieve 5 and 6 dan.

Regarding glasses - normal glasses don't fit, contacts are the usual solution. If you're not comfy with contacts, there are special glasses available which fit inside the men. See here (http://kendoshop.com/eshop/index.php?mode=subdetail&num=190&flag=catedetail) or here (http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Pads/pads.html) (scroll to bottom).

[Eldritch Knight]

I wear glasses too, but I take them off whenever I put on my men. For me, at least, the distances are close enough that the fuzzy vision is not a problem.

[Chopstix]

Thanks fellas for the excellent response. I shall look into contacts then.

[Paul Kerr]

Too old? Heck no! I didn't start kendo until I was 40. I'm never gonna be world class, but that's not my goal.

[Octaviuz]

I think I may present an actual hopeless case to all you postive respondents to the first questioner.
I'm 26, unathletic, overweight and very out of shape. Oh and I'm living in Korea so the teacher doesn't speak english. Unlike the origlnal poster I have no background at all in the martial arts. My first class is coming up.
In summary, me: idiot or moron?

[Kent Enfield]

I'm 27 and I'm seriously considering Kendo right now.I started at 27. Like Neil wrote, I'm never going to be a world champion. Heck, I'm probably never going to be a local champion. But I enjoy myself. Isn't that pretty much the only reason an adult should do kendo?

I have 1.5 years of Aikido which I hope would assist me in learning.Hey, I did aikido for four years before I started kendo. It helps in some ways; it hinders in others. I think it helped more though.

The other thing is...I wear glasses - is that going to be an issue when wearing the headgear (men)?I wear glasses too. I have pretty strong astygmatism with some mild, but growing, myopia. Anyway, I simply don't wear them in my men. I don't see that well, but I can still tell where my opponent and possible targets are. Sure it puts me at a disadvantage, but I've never found myself thinking, "If only I could see better." Now, depending on your vision, simply going without may not be an option, so, as Neil also wrote, contacts or the men-insert frames are an option. Personally, I've been thinking about getting some of those safety sports goggle things, the ones that are all rounded and look really goofy, as I could use them for some other activities as well, and the notion of sticking my finger in my eyes gives me the willies.

[xvikingx]

In summary, me: idiot or moron?
Neither, I'd say brave. I have seen some rather rotund kendoka (to say the least) so don't be too self-conscience about your weight. Good luck.

[Danny Boy]

John Howell (the president of British Kendo Association) started kendo at the age of 40+. He is now 7th dan.
i.e. you're never too old to start kendo.

[Paul Kerr]

John Howell (the president of British Kendo Association) started kendo at the age of 40+. He is now 7th dan.


You have no idea how heartening that is Danny Boy :smiley:

[Inouye02]

27 is a fine age to start, so long as you realize world champion is probably not in the cards for you. But for your own enjoyment, it's great. I've seen people start in their 40s and achieve 5 and 6 dan.

Regarding glasses - normal glasses don't fit, contacts are the usual solution. If you're not comfy with contacts, there are special glasses available which fit inside the men. See here (http://kendoshop.com/eshop/index.php?mode=subdetail&num=190&flag=catedetail) or here (http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Pads/pads.html) (scroll to bottom).

i wear glasses under my men , i don't have a problem with them actually i dont notice them until i take a break and they fog up ,

we have a sensei who started kendo at age 50, he's a 7dan now, he's 84 and still can swing his shinai with ease , so i guess your never to old to start ...

[Koori]

I look at it this way, you are never too old to do anything.

I have not been studying kendo all that long, since June of 2003. I'm not a stick figure, but I am not overly large. Have been getting smaller since starting kendo. And I am "almost" 30. Granted we have students in our dojo that are about 1/2 or 1/3 my age and I can for the most part keep up.
It's all in conditioning yourself. For me I have asthma and the cardiovascular workout of kendo is sometimes difficult in the summer time with high humidity, but my sensei's know that I have that problem and if I start to look a bit on the pale side and I am taking too short of breaths they stop and ask me if I'm ok. They also know that I am very stubborn and will only stop when I am practically dead. Some call it foolish, I call it dedication to something that I not only enjoy but love. My instructors and fellow kendoka are my family and I like to spend as much time with them that I can.
I don't study kendo to be a champion, I do it for personal dicipline..

-sorry about the life story, but I wanted to point out that age is a frame of mind and you are never going to know if you can do something if you don't just jump in with both feet and get into it.

As for the glasses, I invested in contacts and I can see better with them, less glare and they don't slide down your nose when you are sweating.

Good luck in your kendo

-Koori

[Kiki]

Too old? Heck no! I didn't start kendo until I was 40. I'm never gonna be world class, but that's not my goal.

Ditto!

I wear contact because I am blind and the few times I had to wear my glasses were not good experiences.

Amazingly I have placed in every individual tournament since I began competing. Ya just never know. However now that I am shodan surely my butt will be handed to me for years to come. I am looking forward to the education.


I'm 26, unathletic, overweight and very out of shape.

Believe me you're not the first to start kendo in this condition. Go for it.

Encouraging about Mr. John Howell.

[m_french]

we have a sensei who started kendo at age 50, he's a 7dan now, he's 84 and still can swing his shinai with ease , ...
....and hard too!!!

Hey I started Kendo when I was 37....the bad news is I suck, the good news is there are plenty who suck more! If you want to do it, do it. Kendo is alot of fun (hard at times) and the people are cool. And the weight thing will take care of itself. I lost 35 pounds this year in part because I didn't want to be so damn slow in kendo (in part because I was just plain fat). I think I read that kurukuru lost 80....damn thats almost a whole human...never knew that he had 80 to loose, but damn impresive cause the dude was already at light speed.

The point to all this jabir is that your never too old....look at Hongsermeier :beard: :laugh:

[Old Warrior]

Of course, I started at 54, which is a much younger age. But then, I've been sitting behind a desk for 30 years so I am, most likely in better shape. And, of course, my last motorcycle accident that decimated my left knee, just makes it more flexible and easier to use. You may have a few more hurdles than me to overcome - but if you perservere you'll do fine.

[Chopstix]

Well I started my first training - I had tons of fun :) Sano Sensei (from UNSW) is an excellent teacher! So is Yano sensei from my dojo. And I met a forum member there too! It's alllllll good! :)

[misterkurukuru]

I started at age nine...i wish i started at five or six cause a lot of my peers started at that age. anyways what do you want to accomplish??? what the heck are your goals?? Do you want to do nice kendo? do you want to become a sensei?? do you want to become world champ?? whats up?????

[Chopstix]

I started at age nine...i wish i started at five or six cause a lot of my peers started at that age. anyways what do you want to accomplish??? what the heck are your goals?? Do you want to do nice kendo? do you want to become a sensei?? do you want to become world champ?? whats up?????
I want to self-improve....to control the mind.

[m_french]

....to control the mind.
Ever considered Jedi school?

"Train not hard control the mind you won't"....Yoda

[Chopstix]

lol! :D Now you made me think of those dodgy bedtime star wars line:

"When 900 years old you get, Viagra you need too, hmmmmm?"

[Mike]

I just started kendo this week, at 30, and my ambitions isn't to become a world champ but just do get some exercise and have a good time. :smiley:

[twotoedgiraffe]

Pleeeazee.....27 years old and thinking you're too young. Although I wish I had started at the age of 5, I'm glad I did start it when I was 30. We've got a guy who just started kendo a few months ago at the dojo. He's 72 years old. Let's see, at 30 I quit smoking the two packs a day cold turkey, quit drinking all that booze every night and weekend, stopped with that nasty McD's and other places. Then lost about 45 pounds after I started kendo, but part of it was coz I also picked up running shortly after starting kendo to increase my stamina. It wasn't a run at first...more like duck waddle, but gradually became a small trot, now it's about 5 miles a day, 5 days/week. I'd say get some contacts. Glasses are a nuisance for me in kendo. My senseis all wear glasses, but only one keeps it on under the men.