Why I decided to stop kendo

[Amish_Samurai]

I want to know why so many people have stopped doing kendo after they have had bogu on for two or three weeks? They spent the time working on their kendo so that they would be in the bogu class. After a few weeks of talking about getting hit hard or having pains a few days after class is over with they stop showing up to class.

If you have stopped kendo please tell us why you have decided to quit kendo
I think a lot of people who have started kendo and quit still hang around this site because "you can take the kenshi out of the dojo but you can't take the dojo out of the kenshi"

[piggy]

After a few weeks of talking about getting hit hard or having pains a few days after class is over with they stop showing up to class.

Isn't that the best part?

[Kumdo-Star]

i love getting hit it teaches me not to get hit

[mingshi]

I want to know why so many people have stopped doing kendo after they have had bogu on for two or three weeks?
Well, it's just the shock and realization of the reality. The feeling of practising kendo in armour is beyond their imagination, which is too much of a different thing they've been expecting. Of course, some people can see it coming and are well-prepared for this level of training. While for the others who see it as a new experience, will either A) stick along, or B) quit.

In response to your "You cannot take away the dojo in the kenshi..." statement... It really depends on what dojo you are talking about. Maybe they've got into the wrong dojo in the first place.

[I.Ru]

They are too rich for Kendo .....
Because they suddenly are having ''time'' problems......















and they suck ~....

[nodachi]

There is no instant gratification in kendo. It is just too hard for many people. They don't like getting hit back.... who knows.

There is no instant reward and progress is slow so it is not nice for the ego. For example, in basketball they may suck, but if they score an occassional basket then they can get that instant happy feeling. In kendo we just get beat down day after day by our sensei and sempai. I don't think they like that. Shiai are so far apart that they don't have the feeling of "game time" that they might like better in a different activity or sport. It's hard to train and train and train and have no competition to motivate them. And even if they get to competition, most of us get beat down pretty quickly because of the there is always someone better than you quirk of life.

It is just a difficult path for people to follow down. Perseverence and diligence and commitment and dedication are lacking in most people.

[drizzt]

i havent Quit....just taken a forced hiatous(losing a piece of foot does that to a person), but i have seen quite a few people(had a good friend) who quit because the sensai was not praising him...

I think some people havent gotten the idea down that not having something commented on is about as high of praise as most older sensais are willing to give......if hes not griping about it, your probably doing it at least close to right

[Berugijin]

I'm reminded of something that was posted in another thread:

"The few, the proud"

Personally, I like pain. Everytime you cut men we bond in a very special way. Especially if you're blonde.

[Neil Gendzwill]

If you're having pain that lasts beyond the actual moment of the hit (aside from off-target cuts), then there is something wrong. Either your partners are hitting too hard, your bogu doesn't fit properly, or the padding is inadequate and needs to be supplemented with extra. I'm going to be making sure that I make this very clear to new students from now on: if it hurts, tell me about it so we can fix it. Too many people end up thinking this is normal and kendo just isn't for them.

But lots of people quit after getting bogu for other reasons. Physically it gets tougher. Mentally it gets much tougher. Even if it doesn't hurt much, getting hit is too much for some. Hitting others is too much for some. Maybe others get frustrated with their progress. Lots of reasons, but for sure right after getting bogu is a major quitting point.

[Paikea]

Isn't that the best part?Nope. The first month or two is awful. Your kendo feels ugly, it's claustrophobic, hot and you feel like you're getting beat up. Those that thought they'd finally made it to the fun part get a rude shock and sometimes that's too much.

You work your butt off, until finally one day a sensei says "wow, where'd that come from?" - then it starts to get better.

Because they suddenly are having ''time'' problems......
As if you know anything about working for a living, little troll.

[Amish_Samurai]

If you're having pain that lasts beyond the actual moment of the hit (aside from off-target cuts), then there is something wrong. Either your partners are hitting too hard, your bogu doesn't fit properly, or the padding is inadequate and needs to be supplemented with extra. I'm going to be making sure that I make this very clear to new students from now on: if it hurts, tell me about it so we can fix it. Too many people end up thinking this is normal and kendo just isn't for them.

But lots of people quit after getting bogu for other reasons. Physically it gets tougher. Mentally it gets much tougher. Even if it doesn't hurt much, getting hit is too much for some. Hitting others is too much for some. Maybe others get frustrated with their progress. Lots of reasons, but for sure right after getting bogu is a major quitting point.

You are correct sir, I also find that after the student has given up on kendo they pawn their bogu set off to someone who is somewhat their size and thinks that's ok. That person has problems because the bogu set does not fit right. So that could be a major problem for some students. I did not think about that point Neil Gendzwill came up with.

[jimswanson]

I had to take a hiatus from Kendo a couple of years ago for a lot of reasons. First, the school lost one of its practice areas. Second, the schools other practice area had parking problems. Then, schedules changed, and I was unable to go to class during class time. That was what killed it for me. I loved the classes, kendo, and my dojo mates, but I couldn't get to class anymore.

I started again at a different dojo that's a lot closer to me, and the class is fitting my schedule. It looks like this will work out for a long time, and I still have my old gear. BTW, starting over again sucks.

Jim

[piggy]

Nope. The first month or two is awful. Your kendo feels ugly, it's claustrophobic, hot and you feel like you're getting beat up. Those that thought they'd finally made it to the fun part get a rude shock and sometimes that's too much.

You work your butt off, until finally one day a sensei says "wow, where'd that come from?" - then it starts to get better.



Personally, I like the struggle.

Its too bad that the dojo re-opens after a month and a half of no kendo. I'm going to go back on the 30th and totally suck.

[Utotin]

Got married, had a baby, & moved really far. Already have shodan & one day I'll be back!

[Fonsz]

Originally Posted by An Ignorant Ass
Because they suddenly are having ''time'' problems......

As if you know anything about working for a living, little troll.
You got a point there but the majority of the people who are quitting or have set their mind on quitting are looking for an excuse and the time problems are quite convenient to justify the quitting(sp?).
But then again if someone really want s to practice it doesn't matter what the time is (within reason) as long as he/she can practice. If you want to quit you can always find a reason and if you want to practice you can always find the time. IMO
When someone comes up with the time problems excuse the underlying reason is usually they don't care anymore or they lost the spark that keeps your Kendo (or other things in life for that matter) alive. But having said that work can sometimetimes be too demanding and cause spells for non attendance but not for quitting I think.

[Paikea]

...but having said that work can sometimetimes be too demanding and cause spells for non attendance but not for quitting I think.As with most things, the tough parts are balance and prioritization. I am fortunate in that my boys do Kendo too, having stuff in common helps. I just hope that when the new exercise room opens up at work they will understand the suburi and the iai practice at lunchtime.

Which reminds me...does anyone reading this work for Tek-Japan? If so, please send a PM!

[ScottUK]

I tried kendo a few years ago but quit after only a few practices in bogu. Why? Probably because I wanted to stab someone in the dojo.

He is very high-graded and is very skilled, but I don't think beating on a beginner (inc. tsuki) is very professional. I decided I didn't want to be in a dojo where he was (or I would hide a tanto under my tare for a special moment!).

Since then I have decided to give it another go. I am a month or so into practice.

Wish me luck...

[kendophx]

I believe one of the problems with most non-Japanese dojo/younger dojo (i.e. groups being headed up by sho-dan or ni-dans) is that beginners should not be receiving hits because they do not know how.

For example, if you are motodachi on men, dip the chin ever so slightly. Saves wear and tear on the back of the neck.

If you are motodachi on dou, and the strike looks wild, don't just stand there. Rotate clockwise about 15 degrees and take the cut with your bogu and NOT with your ribcage.

I have seen many senior sensei ever so slightly deflect cuts coming in with too much power and no tenouchi, but beginners can not parry yet, so they take these cuts full force.

Motodachi on kote, use an extra hachimachi to pad the bone.

Things like that ...

Now, if you are head bobbing during keiko and you get thapped on the shoulder, that is your problem and no body else's. If you have time to duck, you had time to parry, so learn good habit early on.

When there are personal issues in a dojo ... no help there. Finding a different dojo is about all you can do.

[Theodore]

You have to have attitudes that Calvin Coolidge (http://kendo-blog.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/08/calvin_coolidge.html) and Woody Allen (http://kendo-blog.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/kendo_practice__1.html) have about life to kendo in order to succeed.

[Andou]

I know there are people who must quit due to the physical strain that bogu puts on people, but I believe a good amount also quit due to the mental aspects. There are those people who can excel in many things naturally. Kendo is among the few things that the only possible road to improvement is experience. Sure, it's arguable that some people may start with more ability than others, but there isn't really an epiphany when you go "Oh, so that's how kendo is done," and you're fine thereafter. There's always someone out there who can best you.

I think that might be such a strain on some of the people who started bogu. Outside kendo they may think they have the world on a string, but once inside the dojo it's a total different story. The beginning of bogu is a mountain I'm continuing to climb. But with the help of fellow students and sempai, I think I might be okay.

[runsyi]

A little off-topic but bear with me... one of the things I like about Kendo is that my senseis always seem to understand that sometimes Kendo needs to take a backburner to work, school, family, etc. They never ask students to make sacrifices or make them feel bad when other priorites force them to take a hiatus so it is always comfortable to come back to Kendo. We have a couple of students that leave for months at a time because of school or work (I left for a month before a triathlon) and they are always welcomed back with a "hisashibure ne?" If I went to a dojo that stressed perfect attendance or hassled me if I needed to take time off then I probably wouldn't go back.

[Amish_Samurai]

A little off-topic but bear with me... one of the things I like about Kendo is that my senseis always seem to understand that sometimes Kendo needs to take a backburner to work, school, family, etc. They never ask students to make sacrifices or make them feel bad when other priorites force them to take a hiatus so it is always comfortable to come back to Kendo. We have a couple of students that leave for months at a time because of school or work (I left for a month before a triathlon) and they are always welcomed back with a "hisashibure ne?" If I went to a dojo that stressed perfect attendance or hassled me if I needed to take time off then I probably wouldn't go back.

I think most dojos are like that, I can take time off if I need to due to something I have no control of. I have moved due to work and started at a new dojo and I sometime run into some of the people from my old dojo at tournament and still get a long and sometime I will fight in the team matches with my old dojo. Unlike my friend who started Kung fu 20 something years and started his own school/dojo with some of the student at the dojo. He is somewhat a master in kung fu and not a show off. His teacher was more into dating his female student and not helping out his male students, where my friend was helping all the students. so he decided to start his own school

[drizzt]

one aspect of "time troubles" i think ARE legitamet......college classes. Im sorry, but my real education comes first. I have my whole life ahead of me, and if a class ever interfers wiht me going back, the class will have to come first.


BTW, is it wrong to enjoy being hit when in bogu.....for some reason getting whacked actualy made it more fun....

[andreweye]

I found there were several reasons :

1: Work, I felt that because I was having quite stressful times at work I could not "take it out" on others. (Which now I am far more content doing :))
2: Location, I started to have to drive 3/4 of an hour to get to/from the dojo. That with (1) was a problem
3: I went to a different location (same club) and found that how the senpai ran the class was so different that I was left with a very uncomfortable feeling. Consistancy in my mind is important for us humans escpecially when you are new to it all.
4: Our Sensai made it very clear that Kyus are not to make tsuki strikes EVER, during a competion a 4th Kyu executed a poor strike got me in the throat, left me in pain for days got a 2 by 1 inch scar and NOBODY said anything about this. The offender told me later that he was frustrated and thought he'd try something different. This was the last straw.

Anyway 3 years later I'm back with my 12 year old son.

For me it looks like it's in the blood but for others it could be any of the above or even things like "It's an achievement", they feel the challenge is gon, theyve hit a plateau.

Whatever it is, I believe it's up to us to make them feel involved, not just another body. Every club has cliques, but it's the responsibility of the higher grades to ensure that they (the newbies) have a future and are "needed".

[Anjin-san]

"you can take the kenshi out of the dojo but you can't take the dojo out of the kenshi"

Awesome.

one aspect of "time troubles" i think ARE legitamet......college classes. Im sorry, but my real education comes first. I have my whole life ahead of me, and if a class ever interfers wiht me going back, the class will have to come first.

Yeah, I wish I could do that. I know thats how I SHOULD prioritise but shiyyit, Kendo is too much fun!

[Amish_Samurai]

Awesome.


Yeah, I wish I could do that. I know thats how I SHOULD prioritise but shiyyit, Kendo is too much fun!


My quote is a play on word from "you can take the boy out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the boy" or something like that

[nodachi]

"4: Our Sensai made it very clear that Kyus are not to make tsuki strikes EVER, during a competion a 4th Kyu executed a poor strike got me in the throat, left me in pain for days got a 2 by 1 inch scar and NOBODY said anything about this. The offender told me later that he was frustrated and thought he'd try something different. This was the last straw."

Unfortunately, you find people who are not so bright or just choose not to follow the rules anywhere you go. Sorry you had to go through that.

[Amish_Samurai]

I
4: Our Sensai made it very clear that Kyus are not to make tsuki strikes EVER, during a competion a 4th Kyu executed a poor strike got me in the throat, left me in pain for days got a 2 by 1 inch scar and NOBODY said anything about this. The offender told me later that he was frustrated and thought he'd try something different. This was the last straw.

I think your sensai should have kicked that student out of the dojo for that

[Anime12478]

I hope that I never have to quit Kendo for higher-priority things. But if the situation were to arise, then I would do it in a heartbeat (whilst crying if it's for an extended period).

There was one girl that I knew that started Kendo with me. She quit because Kendo just wasn't for her. It wasn't enough of a priority to take the 15-minute walk to practice. She has since found a hobby that she can really enjoy and I am happy about that.

[Andou]

I hope that I never have to quit Kendo for higher-priority things. But if the situation were to arise, then I would do it in a heartbeat (whilst crying if it's for an extended period).

There was one girl that I knew that started Kendo with me. She quit because Kendo just wasn't for her. It wasn't enough of a priority to take the 15-minute walk to practice. She has since found a hobby that she can really enjoy and I am happy about that.

I guess you really can't chase two rabbits and catch either. I, on the other hand, have kendo and a hobby...that hobby...is suburi...so if you'll excuse me, I guess I'd better get to it.

[karai]

There is no instant gratification in kendo. It is just too hard for many people. They don't like getting hit back.... who knows.

There is no instant reward and progress is slow so it is not nice for the ego. For example, in basketball they may suck, but if they score an occassional basket then they can get that instant happy feeling. In kendo we just get beat down day after day by our sensei and sempai. I don't think they like that. Shiai are so far apart that they don't have the feeling of "game time" that they might like better in a different activity or sport. It's hard to train and train and train and have no competition to motivate them. And even if they get to competition, most of us get beat down pretty quickly because of the there is always someone better than you quirk of life.

It is just a difficult path for people to follow down. Perseverence and diligence and commitment and dedication are lacking in most people.

You put it quite well. Took the words out of my mouth and made them make sense :)

What was said nicely sums up most of the reason why people (at least where I live, in Vancouver, B.C.) quit kendo, and I couldn't have put it any better ^^;

[Hai_hai]

If you have stopped kendo please tell us why you have decided to quit kendo
I had to make a choice between "kendo" and "ninjitsu training". Unfortunately, ninjitsu training won.

[ScottUK]

That explains so much.... :D

[ahmed61086]

I dont think I could ever really quit kendo. I love it too much. Ive been on a break lately because of physical problems and i hate it. If i ever had to take a long break, it still would never be quitting because i would be thinking about it everyday, as i am right now. You would laugh at how much I practice my footwork, no matter where i am.

[Veren]

My time at the dojo has been cut down to once or twice a month now that I'm going to school as well as working a full-time job (eight hours working plus three hours of commute time with two days of classes). This annoys me to no end, because I was doing very well going once a week to both Kendo and Iaido, and I felt like I was really making progress. But school and work have to come first. Plus, it doesn't help that the dojo is two-and-a-half hours away (yes, I do live in the boonies...). By the time the weekend comes, I'm exhausted and I need to catch up on things I let slide during the week. So, it's a tough one. I practice when I can, but there's not a whole lot of places with head room enough to swing shinais around, and I'm not enough of a RBSO to afford a Kendo robot or Kendo dummy to practice on.

I'm hoping that the winter will allow me to get back into it on a weekly basis once classes end at the beginning of December. But I suspect that spring semester will see my time reduced once again.

[samurai999]

I want to know why so many people have stopped doing kendo after they have had bogu on for two or three weeks? They spent the time working on their kendo so that they would be in the bogu class. After a few weeks of talking about getting hit hard or having pains a few days after class is over with they stop showing up to class.

If you have stopped kendo please tell us why you have decided to quit kendo
I think a lot of people who have started kendo and quit still hang around this site because "you can take the kenshi out of the dojo but you can't take the dojo out of the kenshi"

Here are some reasons why ppl i know stopped kendo.

1.) Job is too much. (have to travel constantly and bad hours)

2.) School. (remember that schools in america don't care whether or not you do kendo or anything else for that matter. and unlike Japanese unis, WE GET HOMEWORK AND PROJECTS!!)

3.) fading of the Last Samurai/Kill Bill/Rurouni Kenshin infatuation. When ppl find out that they won't be practicing forms on a sunset backdrop or that they won't be "practicing swordsmanship", they drop out.

4.) Physically too great. once you get past the "beginner portion", kendo (for the physical part) is all about repitition to get your body to "memorize" the movements. That entails lots of practice and comittment. Lots of cardio-vascular exercise and a lot of ppl drop out since they can't handle it.. (harsh thing to say, but true) This includes lots of kakarigeiko, uchikomi geiko, etc. Actually come to think of it, lots of ppl are physically unfit, but stay since their mental strength is high.

5.) Significant other tells them NO! 'nuff said..

6.) Injuries. (achilles tendon ruptures, repeated concussions, etc) I know of somebody from P/A that quit due to him getting a concussion in a practice by a beginner who hit him too close and waaaay too hard. His wife, a doctor, told him to quit.

7.) "I'm sick of this. I want to do something else". Thats the other reason. Ppl just get bored of it. This includes children who were forced to do kendo and when they go to college, they (I think) get their first taste of freedom and therefore quit. Or, they get interested in something else. I have also heard of ppl who quit because they wanted to concentrate on import car tuning, soccer, baseball, football, engineering, etc..

Out of all of these, the ppl who exhibit #7 are most likely to come back I believe.

My 0.02$(US),

Tim