Warming Up

[nodachi]

What types of things do you do to warm up?

I have always had bad flexibility so I am used to my other sports where we stretch alot. At my Kendo practices, we don't seem to do alot of stretching for warm ups (or at least not as long as my other sport experiences). What sorts of things do you do to warm up and become flexible in the right way to help improve your Kendo?

[alexpollijr]

Well, I don't think kendo requires a lot of streching. Down here we do about five minutes or so of streching exercises for the ankles, wrists, arms and legs. Then we go for 300 hundred suburi of various flavors. Then kirikaeshi and kihon for about an hour

[nodachi]

One reason I ask is that as I said my flexibility blows and because of it I have back issues. I do make an effort to be aware of my back and stand up straight and not slouch, so I don't think it is my posture so much as other things, but I do find that my back feels great when I stretch more and not so great when I do not stretch enough, and so the warm up makes a big difference for me.

Pardon the ugly sentence, it is late.

[munenmuso]

Try this.

Sit on a seiza posture.Then lie on your back while at it.Stay at this position for five minutes. We do this to stretch the leg muscles.

Hope this works.

[Will]

I make sure my achilles are completely stretched before practice because it's one of the most common and serious type of injuries. If you have to do extra stretching before coming to practice, I would suggest doing the same stretching your class might do except extended over a longer period of time before class.

Also, you could stretch the same way you stretched prior to the other sports you have done. You know what your body needs so you could customize your own routine to suit your needs. There is no shame in stretching at the class, and if you don't have time/space todo it before, do it at home before you come to class or wherever you are.

My dojo also has realized that a light stretch after the practice dues your body wonders. It feels great having the muscles you have just worked out stretched. Maybe you should try that and it could comfort your back pain.

[David J]

And dont forget what everyone seems to - dont stretch cold muscles! Well, you can, but you must be very careful about it, plus you'll get far more benefit by warming up a little (say just a little jog or something) before you stretch. Stretching after keiko is good also, but I always find the Hoegaarden is calling me by then ;)

<rei>

Dave

[Kendoboy]

try laying on your stomach on the floor, then using your arms to push your upper body up as far as your arms go. After you've done this, hug your knees to your chest. It's a good way to stretch your back out.

[Nishi]

Deep streching relaxes the muscles, and i beleive it helps you relax when practising....stretch the body and settle the mind.

[KENSHIN]

the key thing to warming up, well...is basically that, get your body warm. What i always do when i arrive at the dojo, is to jog in the dojo. get those musles warmed up, before i do any kind of stretching, now many people will sometimes ignore the running part, and will go straight into stretching, wrong move, anyhoo, after having stretched you then start your practice, now when practice is over, this is where everybody makes the mistake, the mentality is ok its all over, now lets hed down to the pub and throw back a few pints, (thinking that that will compensate for end practice stretching in someway) wrong again, you must then go for a small jog again, and then do your stretching as what you did at the start of practice. the reason why this is really important, is that you are very likely to pull a musle after having finished practice, now you don't want to do that now do you? ;)

[wutian]

wouldnt kenshin be the 14th successor of the Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu, being that hiko was the 13th. alil' off subject sorry.

[KENSHIN]

Originally posted by wutian
wouldnt kenshin be the 14th successor of the Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu, being that hiko was the 13th. alil' off subject sorry.

lol....well actually I was thaught under "The Rurouni Kenshin" and he then taught me and decided to name me after him, as we were so similar in skill and in appearance. So therefore making me the 15th successor...do you understand now? wow that sounds strange writing all that, I think thats enough roleplaying for oneday. :D

[dorkusxmaximus]

It's always mandatory for me to stretch out my arms before kendo practice because I don't want to strain anything. can't risk it.