How often X How long

[Vagabond]

In my short kendo experience, I trainned almost everyday, like 6 times a week, for one year, and had to stop untill now. The reason because I had to stop was that I moved to a state where there are no kendo clubs. That was 4 years ago.

More or less 1 year after my break, one dojo friend came for a short visit, and brought two bogu sets with him. He started kendo with me, but just praticed one or two times a week.

In the mean time, I continued doing solo suburi practice, everyday.

Before my break, my kendo was a lot better than his, but I was surprized when I realized that after one year, his kendo were much better then mine, even with my solo trainning.

Why the "How Long" is more important that the "How often"?
Is the solo trainning a good replacement? For how long?

[hamish]

Suburi can help one aspect of your kendo, but kendo is about fencing another person, and there's not much solo training can do to help that.

The main deciding factor is the time spent in the men, and solo training is definitely not a replacement for that, merely a supplement. If you had a hit dummy and were using that, it would be a bit more helpful, but I'm not surprised at the difference between the two of you after such a time span.

Have you thought of starting a club? Maybe getting your old sensei to come out every few months or so to keep you on the right track?

Hamish

[alexpollijr]

In my opinion, fellow countryman, there is no such things as 'solo training'. Suburi and jogeburi are exercises, they're not kendo. Kendo is the fight between two opponents.

Therefore, you might have kept and even improved your muscle frame with the exercises. But your technique in general has either stalled or decreased, due to the lack of the learning experience, unfortunately.

If one day you come to Porto Alegre, please drop by for keiko.

Cheers.


PS> stick to kendo man, don't fall into that "shinai kenjutsu" trend.;)

[qpuppy]

hmmm.... i also think that being away for a while can actually slow down your reflexes..... I notice reflexes is very important in kendo. Another thing is, able to see when the attack coming is a major part, and doing something/reacting in such a short time comes down to practice..... basically this seperates the different levels of kendo..

Somehow.... I also believe that some people have a talent for kendo... that is why i find that some people can improve so quickly..... Kendo is all about self learning... sensei are only there to guide you... so... there might be something there... =|

ganbatte kudasai.... :)

[saki_wooah]

I think learning Kendo is not a thing you cannot do alone, because it is mostly watching other people doing techniques and add them to your inventory of waza so you can make you own fighting style. Even watching short videos about kendo isn't enough. You can learn how to do them, but you can't practice them on a real person (doing it on a dummy who won't react will not show you how a kendoka would counter-attack in a real situation). So maybe you know the basics of the waza you want to do, but you can't develop it so it fits into your strategy of winning.
(hm, my text makes no sense, It,s hard to understand my sentences...)

[qpuppy]

I think, someitmes its not about "body"..... its about your mind, spirit. When you missing training for awhile, you will find your mind and spirit is not as high used to be. This normally takes alot longer than body get back to what it used to be. Sometimes, takes twice amount of time.

[Vagabond]

Thank you fou all your aswers. They all were very informative and important to me.

Hamish, Probaly I'll move soon to a state were there are kendo clubs, so hopefully I won't need to start a club. I thought starting a club when I came to this place, but as I was in college and I had not time (and money). But I'll graduate this year and come back to civilization.

Alexpollijr, Thank you for the invitation. If I go Porto Alegre, be sure I'll contact you. Ah, and congratulations for the 200th post!!!

Marcelo

[Kendoboy]

Maybe try some meditation. If you do that then try to imagine an opponent in front of you you could do "pretend" keiko. or if you have 2 shinai, get a friend to take a few swings at you, and you can block and counter without hitting them (unless they're not too good a friend ;-P

I dunno, maybe it'll help, maybe not.

[Charlie]

Yeah, guys, but get this. Recently we had a guest in our dojo, who had practised since he was a child in Japan - but hadn't picked up a shinai in the last ten years or so.

And he was awesome. Even after a ten year break. We thought about this, he and I, and think it's mostly because his basics were so strong, that his skill survived a ten-year hiatus.

Course, this was in the States, but even against other Japanese players, he was still very good.