Kendo and the brain

[munenmuso]

Stupid question of the day:

Is it true that if you are more intelligent, chances are you will likely to succeed or play better kendo than most individuals, whereas kendo being a strategy sport requires more brain than brawl. Is there a connection to that?

[kendokamax]

kendo is not really that different than other sports....
and as in anything in life you need a certain level of Intelligence to succeed right?

Personaly, I think kendo needs more chance and perseverance than anything else. Since I know i'm not the most intelligent and talented person out there (even thought I dont think i'm stupid neither) I need to work hard (ya right....) and like it more than anyone else. That's my philosophy for trying to achieve sucess in kendo.

Also trying to be open minded helps I think.

[Atama]

I've train with people who aren't exactly the quikest bunnies in the field, but the kendo has been devastating.

[JSchmidt]

Intelligence is the wrong word. A high IQ won't make you a good kendo-player, if you can't convert your analysis into action.

Jakob

[Steve]

There is a comment that Bruce Lee once made, and i think it applies here.

"There are no natural martial artists. All skills in martial arts must be learned through diligent practice, and the desire of the student to learn them."

If intellect played a part in determining skill, them it would be possible for some type of super-genius to watch a kendo match, pick up a shinai for the first time, and win the next All Japan Competiton. Not very likely.

IMO, its just effort and time put into your practices.

[munenmuso]

Originally posted by Steve
There is a comment that Bruce Lee once made, and i think it applies here.

"There are no natural martial artists. All skills in martial arts must be learned through diligent practice, and the desire of the student to learn them."

If intellect played a part in determining skill, them it would be possible for some type of super-genius to watch a kendo match, pick up a shinai for the first time, and win the next All Japan Competiton. Not very likely.

IMO, its just effort and time put into your practices.

Well, I'm not implying that even Einstein or a rocket scientist on the bleachers after watching a kendo practice, by sheer intellect and observation can win the next AJKChampionship. Kendo, after aquiring through rigorous practice and perseverance, is a skill that is usually aquired by means of repetition. But what makes the difference after that, is how the intellect or intelligence can manipulate that skill in another level separating that skill from the mediocre.

[2muchryt]

i don't know,,,,
isn't "the mind" and "thinking" the arch enemy of kendo?
shouldn't we be going for "no mind" kendo? you know; "mu-shin"?
i can just see Einstein deep in thought as he gets whacked in the head :)

of course, then again, there is strategy.
i don't know,,,,,

[munenmuso]

Well, the "no mind" thing is referred I think to one's state of mind where you can act on thing's unconciously without effort but it never implies that you should act as brainless. This is achieved through day to day practice or when things done repeatedly over a long period of time that such particular act needs no thoughts or conciousness to achieve. Take for example a typist, an experienced one can type words faster than anyone else with less error and more accuracy because he already mastered where the characters are located so he doesn't have to be concious on where his fingers will land next. So there is no effort. But he still needs to think of the next words, sencentes, paragraphs or thoughts that he will type so the "no mind" thing is only reserved on the skill but not on the thoughts that requires concious efforts like strategy or reasoning. Same goes with kendo. The "no mind" indicates mastery but one should be concious to apply or manipulate strategy. So strategy requires brains also, isn't it?

[nodachi]

There may be something to smart people being a little better at Kendo. Story of the most recent Hachidan test in Japan told to me by fellow club member here.

Enter a Japanese High School gym teacher and a Japanese High School Math teacher... who passes...... (and a few extra periods for more suspense).....

The math teacher got his hachidan and the gym teacher did not. Granted this doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it was a mildly interesting story. Brawn isn't everything, ne?