SUN glorious Sun!!

[Sinta]

The sun is out! Arg, let me just gripe of how it feels to be stuck in an office when the sun has finally arrived after disappearing to winter since October last year . There's nothing I'd rather do right now than grab my shinaii and practice beneath the sunlight. It's warm too 19° Finally! Of course I'll get strange looks from other people, thinking me nuts or something. So this brings me to a question. Do any of you train at home? If yeah, where? A special room just for your kendo obsession or just the garden?


....sun *sniffle*

[Marine_Boy]

Although there is no sun outside here, I am sat next to machine that creates the effect of sunlight degredation on small components. Unfortunately I am not allowed to open it.

I train in my front room as it is big and high enough to swing a jo staff around. But when no one is watching, I practice my footwork when I'm just walking around outside or I practice crossing traffic lights starting with the kendo foot stomp!

My aikido sensei once told me that when he was a lot younger, he was practicing in a park with his katana (or was it a boken) when he was stopped by a passing policeman.

Sad aren't I.

Stan

[emitbrownne]

Both my local Gym and the Gym at work allow me to practice in full armour. I do get interrupted quite a few times by inquisitive people, but on the whole I get to do a lot of sweaty suburi, and they let me practice on the puchbags.... Which is quite handy considering they have a SLAMMAN.

I have been accused of being from the ministry of silly walks once, when I was caught practicing my footwork whilst walking through my office :p

I have never practiced outside though... Its always been in a Dojo or dance studio....

[Marine_Boy]

emitbrownne

You should give it a try outside! There's even more of an incentive to cross the road quickly when the traffic is speeding towards you!

But I haven't caught anyone looking at me funny yet.

Stan

[emitbrownne]

Are there not Laws in Great Britain preventing us from practicing outside?
I have some friends who do re-enactments of famous battle, and they have to notify the police of the event beforehand.

[Marine_Boy]

I'm not sure about the strong arm of the law, but if they can't see they can't catch!:p

No really, I think a boken or shinai is passable but katana...

I'll let you know when I've done the latter, you can bail me from jail1:D

Stan

[nodachi]

I will do suburi and different drills infront of my apartment when the weather is nice and warm. I was riding my bike home from work one day when I saw some older woman doing the same thing. It is the only way for me to be able to practice my footwork and everything without hitting the damn ceiling. When I practice inside I have to practice in seiza, so my footwork has been neglected all winter except for formal practices.

[Neil Gendzwill]

A few years ago we ran outside practices in summer due to lack of funds for rent with our reduced summer membership. It was fun! If you have a nice level grassy field, you can use bare feet and not really have to change your footwork too much.

As far as sunny weather goes, it's sunny here too. And -21 C, which is an improvement over last week when it was -38. Environment Canada claims the cold snap will break at the end of this week and we'll return to more normal mid-March temperatures.

[Phlebas]

I have cleared out a space in my basement where I can practice footwork and so on, but it doesn't have the proper type of floor like the dojo. I also took an old shinai (that was too old to use in practice safely) and cut it (at the second fushi above the tsuba) so I can swing it while practicing footwork, etc, without smashing the ceiling. I made sure to weight the end of it so it's a little heavier than it was before I cut it. I need to do LOTS and LOTS of hayasuburi and this was the only way I could do it at home! I'm WAY out of condition and swinging the shinai from seiza isn't going to make my legs and endurance stronger! Well, not as much as hayasuburi or practicing with full footwork anyway.

[JSchmidt]

Do what I did..change hemisphere, so you can skip the winter :)

Jakob

[Tato]

Not even necesary, just travel a lest than 2K km, southwest, you will get as much suny days as you want without leaving dear old Europe.

I love the weather of my town!!! :D :D :D

Rei

[Winter_Wolf]

Hello,
I couldn't agree more bout the sun, this rocks! I was worried bout what people would say seeing me running around in my back yard w/ a bokken or shinai, but i've actualy found it's been a great way to get more people interested in kendo. Surprisingly enough, I haven't been stung once even when I accidently destroyed a small wasp nest during a men! (*phew*) Luckily, the local YMCA lets us practice so it's notta big deal even w/ the snow.
Thanks,
W.W.

[KhawMengLee]

I have been accused of being from the ministry of silly walks once, when I was caught practicing my footwork whilst walking through my office

hohoho...sounds like monthy python is missing a member...

[Marine_Boy]

Nee!

Stan

[Inouye02]

ahh the joy to live in sunny Southern California....