[PhilipBartew]

Hi there

Oh this post brings back the times when I was starting. Blisters everywhere and the 'post-keiko surgery' to patch them.

Anyway, after a while you'll be relatively blister-proof if everyone goes ok. I'm almost. As for the kote, not quite. If you do suburi before waza practice, the pinky blister will persist. Even with kote on if you have correct left hand grip this blister will eventually turn into a callous.

My girlfriend is also kendoka and a Medicine student. After a year of practice she didn't complain anymore about blisters and soreness anymore, only occasional bruises on the arms from poorly aimed kote strikes.

So, I believe that any contact sport has it's share of occasional wounds, but it's not like it's going to impair you or something.

Alex Polli