[Rapiddude]

I checked the Kendo-USA site for Dojo's in Arizona, found one in Phoenix and one it Tucson, about 2 and 5 hours away, respectively. I heard rumors of a dojo starting in my city, Flagstaff, but rumors were all. Also, what kind fee for training in a dojo am I looking at? I hear it can be very expensive, which is bad for someone who's already struggling financially.

As well as increasing overall fitness, what kind of things can I do to increase my arm strength specifically for holding/swinging a shinai? Also, as far as

I'm not one of those 'I want to swing a sword' types, I am looking for many things from kendo. I want to learn it to give myself more discipline and try to put myself on a routine. Want to do it to increase fitness and to bring mental focus.

I am a writer who does odd jobs to help support myself, my writing has been suffering from a lack of discipline, in that I am getting lazy and find it becoming easier and easier to procrastinate. I have been wanting to take up a sport and/or martial art, so that I can give myself some more motivation and energy through physical fitness; This I am hoping will also spur me into writing more.

Fortunately, I haven't been practicing much at all, haha. I've mostly been reading, reading, reading, all about kendo. With the Dojo's I looked at being so far away, and the expense of training there coupled with the 100+ mile commute, I am fairly worried about being able to train in kendo realistically. And as far as not training, you mean nothing? Not even suburi of any kind? Nothing? Haha, if so that's disheartening, but if it must be so, it must be so. I'm not looking to learn from a website or a forum, just get basic ideas and concepts, advice, and a place in the online kendo community. Thanks for the helpful posts.


[edit:] I'm already embarassed about my backyard training, and honestly have been the entire time. So amatuerish, haha...