Why do Kendo? I'm considering starting it.

[Erik]

Russ got me curious enough to go check out a local dojo with his spear vs. sword video. I've always been curious about kendo, anyway, at least since I was a kid watching Luke Skywalker.

So, a few questions for your kendo experts:
Why do you do it?

What do you get out of it?

Do you think I'd make the transition alright?

It seems really nerdy (forgive me for saying that, please) compared to the meathead wrestling and submissions I've been focused on for the past years. But I don't know if my body can handle BJJ right now - my knee, hip, and ankle are still not 100%. This is less of an issue in kendo.

I need to do some sort of sport (more sport than art, if that makes sense) and have some fun sometimes.

The local club seems nice. It's a bit kitchy (the sensei likes to tell cliche martial arts stories and talks a lot but he's a very solid guy and it shows) and has a very different culture than beating the crap out of each other that I'm used to. He has armor to lend and doesn't want people to spend money on it until they've been doing it for a few months, which I think is a good idea. Plus, dues are $25 (compared to $150 for BJJ) per month.

So, your thoughts?

[Aaron T Fields]

Erik,

The only reason to do any of this is because we enjoy it. If you want to give kendo a try go for it, 10 to 1 you will have a good time. Let me know how it goes.

Aaron

[Mekugi]

There are probably as many reasons to do it as there are not to do it.
Give a try first. It's a sport nowadays, so it has all the trappings if that- which is a good thing as much as it is a bad thing. The bad thing comes in the video I posted, where one is too blind and egotistical to know when defeat has occured, regardless if how many times it occures; IMHO it's not swordsmanship, but a really fun game to play.

[Tony Dismukes]

Go for it. If I had access to an inexpensive kendo club with loaner armor available, I'd certainly give it a try.

As far as "it seems really nerdy" - remember you're a computer programmer. You're supposed to be proud of your nerdiness!

[Erik]

As far as "it seems really nerdy" - remember you're a computer programmer. You're supposed to be proud of your nerdiness!

I was expecting that but from the other Tony, who, I figured, would poke his head in and make that kind of smart-alec remark!

I did MAs because I liked the intoxicating feeling of walking down the street and feeling like I could crack a guy's head open at will. Not that I have ever started a fight (even while bouncing) or deliberately hurt anyone like that ever. Not once.

But I think you guys know what I mean by training to build power, if that makes sense.

Switching to kendo would be putting completely new new values behind my training and I'm still trying to figure out what those values are.

It may be simply fun. I guess that's allowed though I'm realizing that I have never done anything just for the amusement of it - even cooking, making model airplanes, womanizing (not implying that I had much success...), playing sports and piano, all had a purpose behind it. Starting kendo represents a significant change in personal culture and that's what I'm trying to figure out.

So, what do people "get" out of the sport/MA?

[Mekugi]

So, what do people "get" out of the sport/MA?

Same things as regular sports, I believe. It's healthy, athletic, there's comradery, a sense of self confidence, competition and a chance to get better through that competition. Plus it has nuances, ones that some come to enjoy. Other than that I believe it depends on the club. Ultimatly I reason that it will boil down to "pleasure and people"--- whether you like it and you like the people you will be training with. Everything else is background noise.
It's an expensive thing to take up. Dogu can run you into four figures; shinai, hakama, uwagi and all the trimmings add up on top of that. Giving it a try and really thinking about it is, as always, primary.

[Mekugi]

I just re-read your post about the joint problems you're having. One thing about Kendo is you will have to watch the ankles and knees as next to hyper extending the elbows, ankle and knee problems are a common injury. There are a lot of small "hopping" motions going on (especially in warm up) that might irritate and exacerbate your current ankle malady, so beware. Also, you are going to experience a lot of pressure on the knees from the forward "push", which generally involves extending the body forward over the knee from a lunge to get a point. Need to see what I am talking about?
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4SHWXQBVL4&feature=fvw

[David Craik]

I don't see anything 'nerdy' about it. Kendo training can be as demanding as anything else. What do you get out of it? You get to crack people upside the head with a stick. And isn't that really what life's all about?

[Abbax8]

He has armor to lend and doesn't want people to spend money on it until they've been doing it for a few months, which I think is a good idea. Plus, dues are $25 (compared to $150 for BJJ) per month.

So, your thoughts?

Go for it, have fun. Kendo training does have some practical teaching. You will get a better idea of the striking vs. grappling distance. You will also sweat your nerdy a$$ off. Beating someone with a stick where you don't hurt them should be very cathartic.

Dennis

[TonyU]

I guess you expected me to come back and bust your chops about being a nerd. Instead I'm going to do the opposite. Who the hell cares what people think about taking a style that to the uninformed may not look manly. You're an adult. Stop caring what people think and do your own thing.

[David Craik]

Don't see how it would be less manly than rolling around with a sweaty dude between your legs at any rate. I'd invite any detractors to go train in bogu for an hour or two.

[Mekugi]

Don't see how it would be less manly than rolling around with a sweaty dude between your legs at any rate

Just don't make eye contact...

[wildwills]

I'd second Tony's answer, who cares what others think of you taking up Kendo. As long as you get what you want out it, it doesn't matter what others think. I've always wanted to take up Kyudo...I just don't like horses very much...lol. But I've always been very fascinated by Asiatic bows and their release techniques. So much so that I've taken up thumbring shooting with a Korean horse bow. Now if I can just convince the wife to allow me to start saving for a custom horn bow/Mongolian bow, like a Saluki bow by Lukas Novotny (http://www.salukibow.com).

[Erik]

Russ, you crack me up. I know exactly which photo/poster you're talking about, you goofball.

The nerdy part has less to do with what others may think and more to do with the environment with which I would be surrounding myself. I miss my meathead buddies and having a non-nerd culture to hang out with.

[ben]

This guy's not a grappler, but he does have a background in unarmed fighting, and seemingly all physical advantages on his side. Might be instructive as to what sort of differences you might come across in the kendo dojo. (from 2:08)

Also FYI this is good, as is this. (in three parts)

b

[Mekugi]

In the first video, that's the K-1 fighter Nicholas Pettas for anyone not knowing.

[Bruno@BS]

Samurai spirit is one of the best MA documentaries around.
I particularly like this vid where he takes on a 76 year old iaido hanshi 8th dan in a more or less 'free form' combat.


As for kendo: don't understimate the impact on your knees and ankles. Especially since in many dojo, practice is on a hard floor. I practiced for half a year, and dropped out when it was time to don the armor. The major reason was that I didn't enjoy it anymore. And I also didn't like getting on the head repetetively. I've had 1 major concussion in my life, and ever since that I am careful about what I do with my head.

[ben]

That's so cool! I've never known you could embed videos into a forum post. And I hadn't seen that bit. Very cool.

On the topic of kendo and injuries, it's always interesting to hear people's perceptions from other martial art as to how hard on the body kendo is. I see it as incredibly safe, as I've never never had any serious foot, ankle, knee, back or neck problems in 25 years. And you tend to see kendo guys competing to a much more advanced age (like 80+) than pretty much any other full-contact martial art.

I do know some people who have some chronic knee or back problems which kendo doesn't do any favours for. But in every case they brought the condition with them from football/karate/judo/other. The one thing kendo people do get is some serious shoulder problems. This doesn't usually happen until the fourth or fifth decade of practice though, and by then they have amassed enough skill to be able to adjust their technique to accommodate it.

Totally respect the decision to stop because it wasn't fun anymore. That's the best reason I can imagine. Life's too short after all.

I used to be concerned about head injuries but I've forgotten why... b