Balancing life and kendo

[Bailee]

I think this was discussed, but I'm not sure.

How do you other gals deal with balancing life (kids, school, work, etc...) with practicing kendo?

I love the exercise, practice, and the friendship I've gained. I would love to keep up activity with my kendo club, but I'm so swamped with school and work and life in general.

Sorry, I don't mean to unload here. I just wanted to know how other gals were dealing with a ful plate.

Thanks!

[Shikkari]

In my experience,RULE 1;
do as much kendo as you can manage, but never ever take long enough off so that you lose your hard skin on your feet or hands. Sure muscles do ache a bit if youve missed a lot of sessions, but not as much as replacing that hard won hard skin!
RULE 2;
Kendo is a psycologically energising activity. With regular practice I feel very confident, happy, stoked call it what you will- if I have to stop practice for a month because of work, i feel like some one has pulled my batteries out. Be careful- kendo positively influences your life more than you think- I think! So
dont be persuaded to let it go. Just cut-down your practice a little and increase when you can.
As my kendo sensei said to me- youve got the rest of your life with this sport!!

I know this doesnt take away all the real everyday chores/responsibilities but kendo should be your fresh air for the week!

Gambatte- fighto!!!!

[Anime12478]

Puts on female clothing...

I have a similar problem. I would love to go to each and every practice that Kendo offers to me here, but because of work, school and other things, I tend to have to skip more than I want to.

If I ever have to skip, I just have to bear with it. But then, who said that you have to be in your specific dojo to have a good practice? If you can manage, there's always suburi at home, practicing at the gym on your own time, and watching videos and such. So even if you can't go to the dojo, there are resources to keep you happy for the time being.

Takes off female clothing.

[Kenmei]

hmm...well i'm no girl...erm...i'm a guy...well...don't mind me!

How to balance life and Kendo? Well I'm a college student and I manage just fine. I practice 4-5 times a week, twice in a dojo for an hour, and then self practice in the gym between classes for about an hour. So far it hasn't been interrupting my study time and work time, although if I find that I have exams or a lot of work, I cut back on self practice.

All in all, to balance life and kendo it all depends on whatever works for you. Kendo isn't just what you learn and do in your dojo, it's also what you do outside and in life. If at any time you feel swamped with life (school, work, etc.), it's ok to take a step back and reduce the time you spend practicing. Also realize that you don't need to be in a dojo to practice kendo, you can self-practice at home or in the gym. What I do when I'm not physically practicing Kendo, I mentally focus my mind and think of what I need to improve, how to improve, and how to put it all together.

Well I hope everything works out and you find your own method of balancing life and kendo

[Lucien]

When you want to go to practice, go.
When you don't want to go to practice, go anyway.

From a father, a husband, a colleague and a yondan who always find it difficult to go to kendo.

[The great I AM]

When you want to go to practice, go.
When you don't want to go to practice, go anyway.

Perfect advice! I got a text yesterday from a friend who said he thought he was too tired to go to keiko, so I replied telling him he can still get tonnes from it, and that thats not the words of a champ! I think the second bit wound him up enough to try the first, and he said he had a great practise.

[nodachi]

I try to balance things by budgetting time to the things I have to do and the things I want to do. Obviously, the have to's get more influence, but there is a bare minimum requirement for how much kendo time there is. This way I don't neglect other things, but I am set to have at least some kendo each week. If I can do more one week or another, great, but at least I get my bare minimum. Some of us are going to be swamped and won't have much time for kendo, but as long as we can consistently practice at least a little, it is better than tons one week and none the next.

[akumalkenshi]

I rigorously schedule things and events around my practice days. I have missed great parties, and the chance to socialise more. but you'll never have the time, unless you make it happen.

[namabiru]

It's tough at times. I guess it comes down to how you prioritize things. As it's been said, kendo has a positive influence, so in my case kendo takes priority over a lot of other things. I schedule it like a commitment, not a hobby, so when someone starts off with 'when is a good time to...', I always immediately say 'not Tuesday or Thursday evenings, I have kendo'.

I also have an obligation to be at kendo, as rank brings responsibility. So I see it that way too. How can my kohai learn commitment and responsibility when their sempai doesn't turn up for practice?

It's rare that I can't make it--this week I couldn't, I'm at a conference now.

In terms of being in school, it depends what level you're at. I watch the undergraduates run around in the afternoon, playing frisbee or talking about whatever Greek party they went to the previous night, and I don't know how I was ever that free in college! Graduate level is a bit tougher to manage, I'm finding out. And I'm not even married/tied to someone.

[lucy]

For me the final exams of school are coming closer now, the pre-exams start next week, so I'm studying most of the time.
After school I want to go to uni, so I guess it will only get harder.

Nevertheless, kendo and iaido are things I never cancel, except on the rare occasions that i can't get the car or something REALLY important is taking place on wednesday or friday nights (hardly ever happens).
The time in the dojo is a time to tune out all problems/difficulties I may be having at the moment to just concentrate on practice.

I don't really have time for practice out of the dojo, though, because of the long time I spend at school every day and the various children I'm tutoring to earn some money... (I "earned" my bogu that way... I ordered it on Saturday! )

I agree with shikkari on behalf of the "fresh air" keiko provides!

[hunnysan]

i only have practice once a week, because that's how my dojo's schedule goes. But I look at it more of having that 1 day to do something that i really love to do and to not have to stress about work/bills/ and life in general. And like someone else said, if i don't feel like going I GO only because i have more regrets at the end of night if i go to sleep and not have been able to practice.

[JByrd]

When Kendo and real life begin to clash, there is only one thing to do: Merge them. All that really means is admitting that our ability to progress in Kendo depends on our ability to manage and organize our lives.

It takes a lot of work and creativity and thinking ahead to get a handle on our life responsibilities. It takes self-discipline to cut out unnecessary things. As we exercise and improve those aspects of ourselves, we will note a corresponding improvement in our Kendo, which depends critically on those same qualities.

[GreenArrow]

Indeed, like everythng in life you have to prioritise and organise. In the summer I dropped out of kendo as my archery was getting better and required I concentrate hard on some basic form development for a while- otherwise I could not have maintained usual committments to job/family etc. Now, several months on, I am settling and have developed the basic form in archery and feel ready to pick up the Kendo up again.... although it will be only once a week for the while. One day no doubt it will fill a larger space in my life but for now, this is the space I have so I must be content to use it wisely.

Sometimes you cannot have it all at once in life, but you have to choose- maybe leave some of the cake until tomorrow, eh?

P.

[Inner_Silence]

personally
has been really hard to mix kendo and the rest of my life, becouse im a math student and university consumes most of my time, also im a musician and the guitar practice takes lots of time, specially now that i also have a girlfriend (situation that keeps me happy most of the time, but thats another story...)

to me time is a very precious thing (ok... now im on vacation, but still haha), somehow ive managed to be on good shape to most of the tournaments and stuff like that. i train 4 times at week, but think that when clases start again ill be missing one practice every week...

[Old Warrior]

I consider myself lucky. As an empty nester and an aging professional, time for kumdo is not an issue. I am even fortunate, in that the dojang is 12 minutes from home and there are classes 6 days a week. The only obstacle I face is my personal laziness. I decided that I WILL go 3 times a week, whether I feel like it - or not. The reality is, even when it is a chore to go - I always feel much better after class. It is part of my life; which also effects my approach to the entire art.