DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - What does it take to graduate to bogu -- instructor's POV

**EtellaObtaite** · 03-26-2011, 04:51 PM

I'm not an instructor, so take this from a newcomers point of view. I think it will vary somewhat by the individual when they are ready to use bogu full time (certainly the sensei's call), but all students should be allowed to wear it fairly early just to see what wearing it is like. Kendo is done in bogu (other then kata), and if students go too long before they can try kendo in bogu, they can become reasonably accomplished in basics and very comfortable without it. Once they are allowed to wear it consistently, some may find the transition to their dislike and won't continue. While its fine to say that that's the way it goes, making someone train for (say) six months before they can really experience kendo could be considered unreasonable. I realize that early exposure is complicated by the lack of familiarity with basic concepts, but I think it might prevent the shock of the radical change that bogu requires over non-bogu training (restricted vision, hearing, mobility, receiving hits, etc.).

My instructors have noted some students who started out very keen, but stopped coming once they were expected to wear bogu. Its a further shame for those students who actually invested in a set of bogu for which they ultimately had no use.

Is this a noted phenomenon anywhere else?

03-26-2011, 04:51 PM	#13
EtellaObtaite Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 552 Senior Member	I'm not an instructor, so take this from a newcomers point of view. I think it will vary somewhat by the individual when they are ready to use bogu full time (certainly the sensei's call), but all students should be allowed to wear it fairly early just to see what wearing it is like. Kendo is done in bogu (other then kata), and if students go too long before they can try kendo in bogu, they can become reasonably accomplished in basics and very comfortable without it. Once they are allowed to wear it consistently, some may find the transition to their dislike and won't continue. While its fine to say that that's the way it goes, making someone train for (say) six months before they can really experience kendo could be considered unreasonable. I realize that early exposure is complicated by the lack of familiarity with basic concepts, but I think it might prevent the shock of the radical change that bogu requires over non-bogu training (restricted vision, hearing, mobility, receiving hits, etc.). My instructors have noted some students who started out very keen, but stopped coming once they were expected to wear bogu. Its a further shame for those students who actually invested in a set of bogu for which they ultimately had no use. Is this a noted phenomenon anywhere else?
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