Head strikes

[mrmugoto]

Hello,
I’ve been doing kickboxing for a couple of years, last year I slipped a disk in my lower neck.
I hurt my neck enough that I can’t spar anymore, getting punched in the head is to painful on my neck.
I was thinking of taking up kendo but worried the head shots would be to much. I have never tried on Kendo armor so I’m not sure how much the helmet absorbs the impact.

Potential newbie

[mystic_kendoka]

Hello,
I’ve been doing kickboxing for a couple of years, last year I slipped a disk in my lower neck.
I hurt my neck enough that I can’t spar anymore, getting punched in the head is to painful on my neck.
I was thinking of taking up kendo but worried the head shots would be to much. I have never tried on Kendo armor so I’m not sure how much the helmet absorbs the impact.

Potential newbie

the kendo helmet, is sturdy enough that usually u wont even feel the blow properly, usually u will feel a tiny nudge, and hear a sound, enough for you to know that you've been hit.

it is quite safe, but because i dont kno how serious your neck injury is, i cant advise anything, i suggest you ask your doctor about it, he might know what kendo is, but what i CAN say is that its nowhere near a powerful blow as kickboxing...

what WOULD be worrying is actually not the head blows, but rather the tsuki, which is a thrust to the neck, although usually it isnt that bad, sometimes if someone does tsuki to you forcefully, you could be thrown back a metre or two, this is quite dangerous if u have a misplaced disk in ur neck... as the tsuki is part of the helmet, and could jerk your head back...

anyways, ask your doctor about it, it'd be safer...

-Best of Luck, Sungi

[Raiza]

Mrmugoto, thanks for your interest in kendo!
For me, a very strong hit feels like heading a soccer ball dropped from a couple feet above. Usually it's more like being tapped on the head. You can get various pads (men pads, mouse pads, Sorbothane) to stick inside the men if the strike feels too hard. The tsuki I'd be more concerned with because it's a thrust perpendicular to your neck vertebrae. It's not meant to rip your head off, just a fast retraction after the strike to the throat (tsuki). A good tsuki feels like bumping your chin. The throat protector extends down to your chest so your chest absorbs part of the impact. There's very little rotation of the neck, if any, if tsuki is done correctly. Newer individuals are far more likely to cause damage, so be careful. There's also several postural tricks you can do to minimize the impact. I've had whiplash from a car accident (C2/C3 involvement) and the only problems I've had are when encountering strong raw beginners who don't know how to strike properly yet. Usually the occasion prompts immediate correction of their technique.

I haven't been punched in the head kickboxing-style, so I can't offer a more relevant comparison for you. Short of getting you in armour/bogu and trying some things out to see what's ok for you, there's not much I can do. If you decide to start kendo, it'll be several months at least before you're allowed to even wear bogu.

The best way to find out is to go to a kendo club and explain the situation. They should be happy to help you.

PS There's a nice fellow who goes by the name of Flashman here who happens to be a doctor.

[Neil Gendzwill]

The tsuki I'd be more concerned with because it's a thrust perpendicular to your neck vertebrae. It's not meant to rip your head off, just a fast retraction after the strike to the throat (tsuki). A good tsuki feels like bumping your chin.

A nice tsuki in practice feels like bumping your chin. A good tsuki in competition can knock you off your feet - I've seen it. Tsuki at any rate are not that common and can easily be avoided by simply asking your opponent not to try tsuki (and avoiding competitions). If your instructor is aware you are at risk from tsuki, he should make accomodations.

Another concern can be taiatari. This is the case where one player crashes into another, almost like a cross-check in hockey. A good strong one can definitely give your neck a whip or dump you on your butt.

Kendo is a contact sport, plain and simple. Consult your doctor.

[mrmugoto]

Thank you all for such an immediate response!

The tsuki is something I should be aware of and I will consult a doctor.
My injury is on the c7 disk of my spine. I think the taiatari I can handle.
Hopefully it will be ok. Kendo looks very interesting and I do miss competition and sparring.

Mr.Mugoto

[ALI G]

the kendo helmet,

Itz called a Men

[tango]

once again, there's good advice from neil...

have to be careful with taiatari because if you do not have good balance it is possible to get rocked backwards... kinda hard for me to describe.. but anyway, i got in a very bad habit of hitting men and bringing my arms WAY too high at the moment just before taiatari and my instructor cured me of that bad habit very quickly.. he was a little taller and he'd just stick his left kote right at my men and i'd run into it, causing me to bend over horribly backwards (and i did throw my back out once after doing this several times)..

just have to be careful..

but getting hit with just men should not be a problem at all with your neck. .. there are a few other things that might be a problem ... but you never know until you try it out.

i say go for it and see how it feels... you'll never know til you actually do it.

[mystic_kendoka]

Itz called a Men

duh i kno its a men! but he might not