When were you put in Bogu?

[sarge127]

Moriji Mochida sensei:

In the way of learning Kendo, you have to train hard to learn the basic skills. Many people think that they have already understood the basic skills, but this is totally wrong. During a long period of kendo training, people easily forget what the basic skills are. It took 50 years to learn basic skills. And then I started real Kendo training because I tried to do Kendo with my mind. People start losing good ability of legs, when they turn 60. I started to train to use my mind correctly to support physical disadvantages. When I turned 70, I started losing strength in other parts of my body too. Then, I trained to control my mind to stay calm. At 80, I know how to control my mind. But still I “think” sometimes. Now I am training myself not to think.

But how do you know when you have mastered them?
And how are you supposed to learn body crashing without bogu?
How are you supposed to learn Small Cuts?
How do you know if your doing suri-ashi right?

All that i wouldn't know, I don't use my mind a lot when training basics... My sensei complemented me last night saying i have very good cuts but my footwork... Needs work.

[aboli]

Gosh guys, where I train we don't get bogu untill at least 6 months, nor do we get the hakama or kendogi before 5 months.

[Hisham]

In my first dojo, the standard was 6 months of training before you're aloud to put a bogu on. I'm sticking to that with my study group.

[DigitalDowntown]

We have a beginner who is just getting into keiko-gi & hakama after about 2 1/2 months. I'd say 2-3 months is typical for keiko-gi & hakama at our dojo, then another 2-6 months after that for bogu.

[MikalMysha]

At my dojo, you have to first go through a Intro course (10 weeks), and then ~6 months before Bogu.
Keiko-gi and Hakama are usually up to the student, but only after the Intro Course. From the people I talked to, pretty much 3-4 weeks after starting real training (so like 13-14 weeks from first getting a shinai).
Pretty much for the 5th Kyu ( about one year after beginning) you are in Bogu, Gi and Hakama, and used to it.

*edit*Terrible grammar

[Cailin Coilleac]

Let's see. Our dojo is an offshoot of a larger, more important dojo in Amsterdam. Our group consists of mudansha only, spread across mu-kyu and 6-kyu through 1-kyu. The mu-kyu and 6-kyu people train in kendo-gi or sweat suits. After that one is certainly expected to be good enough to start wearing bogu.

In my case I started kendo about a year ago, then graded as 6-kyu in april or may. In september I asked sensei if I could start wearing bogu, because I was doing uchikomi geiko with a buddy during weekdays. Got permission and I've been wearing most of it since then. The only problem was that I wear glasses and cannot abide contacts. So now, a year after starting kendo, I've gotten kendo glasses. Next weekend, almost a year after starting, will be my first time in full bogu

Two other guys who started together with me are still in gi and hakama only. But I believe that's because they aren't pushing or being pushed that hard.

Our setup is pretty similar to what DigitalDowntown described. Also, students can first borrow a club bogu, which we seem to have plenty of. Once I'm used to full-bogu keiko I will definitely get my own bogu. I've also put in some restoration work on my loaner bogu, as thanks to my sensei.

[fastheart&sword]

THE HECK?! Am I the only person here who put on a Bogu on the second week?? o.o how fast did everyone learn men kote and doh? o.o

[Cailin Coilleac]

I think you are one of the very rare cases yes, because most beginners are kept out of bogu at least for the first few months.

How did we practice all the strikes? By striking, not by receiving; you don't need bogu to hit someone else who's not fighting back.

[FastKendo]

THE HECK?! Am I the only person here who put on a Bogu on the second week?? o.o how fast did everyone learn men kote and doh? o.o

and where's your dojo if I may know?

[b8amack]

THE HECK?! Am I the only person here who put on a Bogu on the second week?? o.o how fast did everyone learn men kote and doh? o.o

Please tell me your dojo isn't one class a week...

[Nik]

Started kendo in September 2011.
Given permission to wear the hakama and kendogi in November 2011.
Allowed to only wear the do, kote, and tare in January 2012.
Excitedly allowed to wear the men in February 2012!

Lol! I bought the bogu and uniform two months before starting kendo because I was that excited to learn! XD
Note: My kendo club only accepts beginners in March and September to make sure they learn material at the same time.

[b8amack]

o.o how fast did everyone learn men kote and doh? o.o

I'm betting you'd be hard pressed to find someone on here who wasn't still working on men, kote and do.

[Mako]

My current instructor puts people in after about a month ~ 6 weeks, but it should be added that once they're in bogu, they don't really do anything but hit men and kirikaeshi for about a month after that, so not sure there's a difference.

It's the same at my club; 6-10 weeks depending on how keen the new student is. I dont think I could have handled Kendo for six months without getting into the Bogu. That is the point after all is'nt it?

[Eduardo Brito]

When our dojo started, we trained once a week. After 3 months, we were able to start twice a week and after 9 months, 3 times a week. The first generation took 7 months to get hakama and gi and 9/10 months (ordering and shipping) to put on bogu.

Now, with 3 times a week, people are taking 5-7 months getting hakama and gi and 7-9 months to put on the bogu.

[Neil Gendzwill]

It's the same at my club; 6-10 weeks depending on how keen the new student is. I dont think I could have handled Kendo for six months without getting into the Bogu. That is the point after all is'nt it?

You would have been in trouble in old-school dojos in Japan where there was 3 years of basics before bogu, according to my instructor.

Our club typically puts people in bogu after about 4 months of twice/week practice. Varies from person to person. Kids take a year, sometimes 2 unless they are exceptional - we had one this year who followed the adult schedule but he hit every class and was always attentive and serious about it.