Favorite cross training exercises?

Kuma · 14th February 2002, 07:52 AM

Hey all,

What are your favorite non-kendo exercises or activities that you use to strengthen your body for Kendo? Thank you.

**Alex** · 14th February 2002, 04:03 PM

That's easy!

Lifting pints of beer from the table to my drinking aparatus!

Seriously though, to be honest, I spend more time working on my lower body strength than upper body. Having said that, any athlete (or kendoka for that matter) should have a balanced physique to prevent injury and maintain optimal performance. One way to keep a balanced physique is to work out at gym with an overall weight training program, not aming for muscle bulk but strngth. I have been on one such program and I found extremely effective. At some stage, I will try and post my weights program on this forum. Another important way would be to do a number of other sports and physical activites so that you use muscles that wouldn't normally get a work out just in kendo.

Or, you could always go the traditional way and try suburi with a whopping great suburito, but that might not be so good for the wrists (so I hear).

Any way, in the first issue of Kendo World, Damian Carmody Stevens talked about drugs in kendo. He is a professional sports trainer and a 5th dan in kendo, so I will throw your inquiry his way.

Kuma · 15th February 2002, 01:19 AM

Thank you Alex. Yes as a beginning kendoist I find that my wrists, triceps, and legs are what need to be stronger, quicker, just more explosive. Flexibility is also important because it builds speed. Of course it is important to be fit overall to avoid injury, but I find those three body areas are the areas that will effect my kendo most. A little weight training would help I bet. What other activities/sports do y'all participate in with the goal of increasing your pysical fitness for kendo?

**supernils** · 15th February 2002, 05:23 AM

Both long distance and tempo style

**Floberg** · 15th February 2002, 04:19 PM

Badminton

I believe badminton gives the right type of excerice for Kendo. Intense, somewhat explosive and short rushes onto the net, etc.

Even the moves on a badminton court is sometimes similar (compare Fumikomi-ashi with correct badminton moves, which is "stepping" and not "running", if you know what I mean)

I have even started to use Fumikomi-ashi when playing matches (in badminton), with good result!!

///Andreas

ps. Though remember to warm up well before badminton, otherwise your achilles will/can be hurt! (I have heard hundreds of people hurting their achilles during badminton, but none during Kendo....)

**Alex** · 15th February 2002, 04:34 PM

Hi Andreas,

actually many people hurt their achilles in kendo as well. In fact it is probably one of the most serious injuries that is quite common in kendo. Five of my friends have snapped their achilles in kendo training over the years, and I have heard of many more.

Mike Komoto, who is part of the KW team works at a sports clinic, and he 'translated' a fantastic article on achilles injuries for the first edition of the magazine. Hope you get a chance to check it out.

**Floberg** · 15th February 2002, 04:59 PM

Ok Alex,

Then it must be that just I haven´t heard of any achilles injuries from Kendo, though it sounds reasonable as you say to be a common injury in Kendo.

But for me, I have never had problems with my achilles during Kendo, but quite often during badminton.

And yes, I hope to get my copy of the first edition soon...

///Andreas

Dahlia · 24th February 2002, 07:37 PM

I think any other kind sport would be fine to get a right condition. It's even important do practice something very different than kendo sometimes, I guess. Just look at my trainer, whose left calf is twice as big as the the right one... I won't like to end up like this!

As for myself, I used to play tennis for a very long time and I just went on with the strength exercises. Most of it is jogging for overall condition and breathing. I've been doing a lot of suburi (with two shinais) recently as well. I regulary do some sit-ups and press-ups, but it's mostly for fun.
Occasionally I play volleyball and basketball or use rollerblades instead of the bus to get to school and I think it's okay overall. I don't use weighs because I'm afraid of ending up with arms like those of a guy... But maybe I'm doing everything the wrong way because I'm quite new to kendo, anyway.

Kuma · 25th February 2002, 11:53 PM

I'm very new as well Dahlia, but it is very fun

**JSchmidt** · 26th February 2002, 11:54 PM

Usually just lifting pints after practice. That's where the real stamina will show!

Jakob Schmidt
www.hizen.org

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Boso · 13th April 2002, 02:32 PM

Hi kuma,
I've tried weights, and as Alex wrote they are pretty good. Especially I found doing lots of leg strengthening exercercises like lunges very good. Nothing heavy just high reps.

Running, I hate it.

Suburi, absolutely.

But the best exercise to strengthen the body for kendo not related to Kendo has to be swimming. It's great for improving breath control techniques, it's great for leg power, and it really strengthens shoulders. The only thing it doesn't do well is strenthen the lower back which I find I definitely need to look at for my kendo.

I recommend swimming highly. I try and get at least one visit to the pool every week and try to get in 1 and a half Ks. on average. Thats aside from the kendo training of course. If you need to take a break from kendo training for some reason, swimming just fills it nicely. When you hop back into training your body, at least, hardely notices the break.

Dagon · 20th April 2002, 12:59 AM

Hi all,
I lift weights. I started hitting the weights about the same time I started Keno (about a year ago). I've noticed that my speed, endurance, control, and snap! have all been ahead of my fellow Kenshi (who started about the same time as me) who do not work out. In the weight room I train hard and I think my body has adjusted to Kendo better because of it.

Andy

Boso · 20th April 2002, 07:51 PM

Nils.

You already posted swimming. Didn't see that. Excellent.

**cklin** · 21st April 2002, 01:43 PM

My two cents:

Hands down the most important parts of the body that need to be strongest are the abdomen and lower back muscles. They are not the obvious ones, but they represent the location of one's hara and so logically, they need to be solid as a brick wall.

Practically speaking, weak abs and back muscles I think lead to weak kamae and weak tai-atari.

Of course, shoulders, calves and gluts are also mechanically very important as others have mentioned above.

I've always been told by my sensei to avoid heavy weight lifting (weight conditioning is OK) that bulks up muscle mass -- it apparently reduces flexibility...? Couldn't say from personal experience though.