anyone here into Kendo??

[svandamme]

i'm looking at some new things to fill my days
quit smoking , now i need to get some exercise and routines set up to keep me sane...

i used to do Shotokan Karate when i was 15, but had to drop it because our sensei was very much training for competition... and i just didn't have the knees for it... plus i had a thing where my fight and flee instinct mostly backed off in sparring fights either that or i did a Deai(countering an attack with a punch or kick, so oponent basically walks into your fist ) either way , i was piss poor at anything except Kata's

i'm thinking Kendo might be up my alley , since it's not really about fighting , and yet it would allow me to take hits, and give wacks without actually doing damage, be physically active, and get some focus

i gather it is explosive at times, but how hard is it on the fysique??
i'm not really in a great shape now, and i still have the wonky knees to deal with...i can't take a deep stance, where i have a constant load on the knee .. not for long at least...

anyone here who is into Kendo? can you give me some feedback on that??

[fastpat]

When I was in Japan, for 15 months in the late '60's, one of our flight's members decided to take up Kendo. He bought the uniform and a wooden "sword" made up of about 6 or 8 pieces of wood held together by either rubber of leather rings (I forget which). He went a few times, and after the Japanese beat the crap out of him with their wooden "swords" a few times, he gave it up. Same thing happened to the several who decided to take up some form of weaponless marshal arts too.

That's the sum total of my knowledge of the "sport".

[rcecale]

Originally posted by fastpat
When I was in Japan, for 15 months in the late '60's, one of our flight's members decided to take up Kendo. He bought the uniform and a wooden "sword" made up of about 6 or 8 pieces of wood held together by either rubber of leather rings (I forget which). He went a few times, and after the Japanese beat the crap out of him with their wooden "swords" a few times, he gave it up. Same thing happened to the several who decided to take up some form of weaponless marshal arts too.

That's the sum total of my knowledge of the "sport".

LMAO!!! Seems to be a trend with you, Pat! You really don't know shyte about anything. You just like to spread around bs that someone else tells you, when you have absolutely nothing of your own to contribute.

Surely Lew Rockwell knows something about Kendo...can't you search his archives???

Randy

p.s. Sorry, Stijn, just couldn't resist the opportunity.

Okay everyone, back on topic...Kendo!

[WolfeMacleod]

Although its been many years since I last practiced, I did Kendo for quite awhile, along with Aikido and Kenjutsu.
The wooden swords use in Kendo are bamboo strips that are laced together, and are called Shinai. In Aikido, they're a hardwood sword, called Bokken.

Shinai stings badly when struck. It also whistles. Bokken, on the other hand, breaks bones if you're not careful.

Don't think you can do it without sustaining any damage. I trained for about 13 years. When I got tired of being stung by Shinai, bruised by Bokken, and cut by live-steel, I moved to much softer Boffers

[masraum]

You may want to check out aikido, too. It's different, but very cool.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by WolfeMacleod

Shinai stings badly when struck. It also whistles. Bokken, on the other hand, breaks bones if you're not careful.

Don't think you can do it without sustaining any damage. I trained for about 13 years. When I got tired of being stung by Shinai

so that suit doesn't take out the sting then does it ?
there's a 60 buck for 10 lessons introduction offer, starting 4th of september...i figure it's worth a try...

Originally posted by masraum
You may want to check out aikido, too. It's different, but very cool.

i don't like actual "contact " , i'll shake hands with anyone, but i hate to be touched otherwise, no hugs for me, so aikido is no good for me...since it's all about grabs and throws, and i'de probably just tense up...

[john70t]

I took the Yoshinkai-style Aikido about 20 years back and enjoyed it.
It is a non-competative "soft" style-with the main object to be maintaining harmony with the training partner. Egos not allowed. Not a practical street self defense from the beginers level, but a whole lot of fun. Almost every movement initiates from defending an attack.
There were all types in the class from little old ladies(who could probably kick my butt) on up. Lots of twisting/flexability needed and a lot of landing from throws. If you resist the movement you can hurt yourself so you follow the dance.
Before every class there were blood stains on the mat from the previous judo class

[alf]

I started Kendo about 12 years ago. Still do it today.

I started because i had a bad knee from competing in Tae Kwon Do for years. Kendo is mostly lateral movements that do not twist the knee; so i gave it a shot.

I stayed because about 6 months into it, a 9th dan Sensei from Japan came to visit. He was in his late 80s and had a line around the gym waiting to practice with him. I got my chance after he had been fighting for 90mins. Being young and stupid, i figured that if i could not hit this guy i could probably just knock him down, for anyone that has done Martial Arts, 90 minutes of sparring is a damm long time.

I really tried to hit him with my shinai or just tag him, i could not even touch him. After 2 minutes, i was sucking air and he was just there impossible to hit or even touch. He finally sees my desperation and tells me to hit his head, i do so and he offers one word to me while my sword contacts his head---Kensen.

If you are looking for something easy to pass your time, do not do Kendo. It is much much harder than Tae Kwon Do. If you are looking to find something that will help you live a good life and are willing to train hard; find a good Sensei and do Kendo.

[nostatic]

We use a Shinai in our kung fu school, but it is mimicing a "stick" (we use the shinai because you can tell the top from the bottom easily so you know if a student is doing the form right). I've never done Kendo, but have done this stick form as well as some escrima forms in San Soo.

You might consider Tai Chi. I've been taking Yang style (up until my accident...once I heal I'll take it to help rehab). I actually switched from kung fo to Tai Chi so I could rehab my hip. Great for balance, control, and energy. The only thing I don't get is as much of an aerobic workout.

I couldn't do aikido. My body just doen'st bend that way. I've found with martial arts, you need to find something that fits your body mechanics and your mental mechanics. I never did like any of the various flavors of Karate...too linear and extreme. I fit better with kung fu, especially the internal styles (xing yi and tai chi). ymmv.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by alf

If you are looking for something easy to pass your time, do not do Kendo. It is much much harder than Tae Kwon Do. If you are looking to find something that will help you live a good life and are willing to train hard; find a good Sensei and do Kendo.

i'm trying not to find something easy, easy would be sitting on my couch, or bar hopping and doing stupid things

i liked Karate , i was sort of good in the movements, i was fast and agile, clean kata's but ****e in kumite...

i need something to take my mind off things, destress , focus and exercise... i've just signed up , starts on 4th of september, didn't get any reply yet, i just hope there's still an opening for me...


Alf , do you also do Iaido ? that's like a pure kata style right??

[trekkor]

I thought you said "Ken Dolls"...


Nevermind, then...LOL


KT

[svandamme]

Originally posted by trekkor
I thought you said "Ken Dolls"...


Nevermind, then...LOL


KT

freudian slip on yer behalf??

[scottmandue]

Todd,
Where do you take Tai Chi? When you were doing it how many times a week do you practice/take lessons? Where you were taking classes is probably too far from me but there is a Shaowlin Temple in Lomita that teaches and has a website but they don't return emails.

[nostatic]

I do Tai Chi here;

http://www.beijingkungfu.com/

I looked around quite a bit. It can be difficult to find the "real deal".

I should say "did" as I can't do anything right now. We were just finishing the 32 movement sword form. Next is Yang 40, which I'll probably miss the first part of. Can't wait until I can bend my damn knee again.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally posted by svandamme
so that suit doesn't take out the sting then does it ?
there's a 60 buck for 10 lessons introduction offer, starting 4th of september...i figure it's worth a try.......i don't like actual "contact"

Oh, yes, the suit does take out a considerable amount of sting. I was taught in a different manner. No suits. Full contact combat. You learn not to get hit very quickly. My training was done independently during my first career as a knife and sword maker, not in a formal class.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Iaido. Ask around at e-budo for a dojo in your location.

No contact. But it's the most challenging thing I've ever done.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Iaido. Ask around at e-budo for a dojo in your location.

No contact. But it's the most challenging thing I've ever done.

the dojo i'm looking at , does it

i figured it was sort of like a pure kata form of Kendo ??

is it a common thing to combine, or do most folks pick one or the other??
not that i'm planning ahead or anything, don't want to overreach , i haven't even been to the dojo yet... i'm just curious

[jhc]

This is my son's kumdo instructor leading a form class and my son sparring in a tournament. Kumdo is the Korean form of Kendo.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by svandamme
the dojo i'm looking at , does it

i figured it was sort of like a pure kata form of Kendo ??

is it a common thing to combine, or do most folks pick one or the other??
not that i'm planning ahead or anything, don't want to overreach , i haven't even been to the dojo yet... i'm just curious

I'm probably going to catch some flak from the kendoka here, but iaido is actual combat technique formalized in various individual kata. We also train 1:1 with bokken, do tameshigiri (practice cutting), and paired kata (with actual blades).

Kendo is a sport, not a martial art.

In order to add some realism to kendo, some years ago the ZNKR (Japan Kendo Association) added individual kata that have some resemblance to historic techniques but are without the context found in, say, a 400-year-old system like most iaido schools.

[arcsine]

With wonky knees, kendo may not be for you. Not much in the way of kata and very focused on sparring. Tai chi would appear to be a good fit though as would iaido. With iaido training leading to live blades, there is much solo learning and kata to be absorbed before sparring. I did not know iaido training involved boken though. Good to know.

As one who trains and teaches aikido, I find the comments given towards it interesting. Not good/bad, just interesting.