[Beedcardabeme]

I have focused on racing mountain bikes (in a citizen class) for the last decade or so, as a means to keep in shape and spend time with my friends. Because of my age, I also lift weights consistently to maintain strength.

As a general note to the younger people, once you reach 30, you really need to do some kind of regular weight training or you will lose strength, muscle mass, and bone density. You'll also be much more prone to injuries. The reason why I mention it is because it happens REGARDLESS of whether you remain active in kendo, cycling or whatever. If you're in your 30s and it feels like you just keep getting worse no matter how much you practice, that's the reason.

IMHO - One reason why the spirituality aspect of Budo is hard to recreate in popular western sports is that most of them can only be done by the young. One great thing about kendo is getting your you-know-what kicked by a 70 year old. You can't help but notice then that kendo is more than 'higher, farther, faster'.

[Metrujectiktus]

Confound: I agree with you that spectator sports are retarded -- habitual watching of sporting events on tv is probably responsible for a lot of the health problems people have today. Watching the World Cup finals every so often, just for the heck of it while bending an elbow w/ your buddies, is OK in my book b/c it then turns into a social event.

BUT, I would disagree with you on two points: (1) that sports lack everything mental that kendo has, and (2) kendo is not a team sport.

Well, I can only speak from experience. Before kendo, I used to run. A lot. And I find that a runner's mind is a lot like a kendoka's. Over the course of a 26-mile race, you have to do a lot of thinking about your strategy against your competitors, particularly in regards to your pace and your energy reserves. How do you psyche out your competitor? How will you adapt your strategy to your competitor's pace changes throughout the race and still have enough to kick past him on that last mile? Can you correctly anticipate his pace changes and capitalize? There's no end to the amount of mental gamesmanship to running, just like there is in kendo. And well, running is a simple sport -- left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot... ad infinitum. I imagine in other sports like gymnastics, where skills are honed, there is just as much if not more of a mental aspect.

Throughout my running days, I'd have to say that I looked to my coach much like I looked to my sensei nowadays. And I looked to my seniors on the team for running tips, encouragement, the occassional chewing out, just like I look to my sempai nowadays. And I turned around and gave tips, encouragement and the occassional chewing out to my juniors, just like I do to my kohai nowadays. So the parallels are there.

As to kendo being an individual sport. Sure, it is mostly a one-on-one thing. But if you've competed on a team before, you'd know that there is strategy on the group level that makes or breaks a team. Who are you going to put in the sempo position to best counter the other team's sempo's style? If the matches are tied, the next guy up needs to win 2-0 to bring the game back and so on... so there is an implicit reliance on your teammates and that's what justifies kendo as a team sport, as well as an individual one.

And in regards to wine on the other thread... I like a fine wine, but I like a bargain even better.

[sleepergun]

" I have never worked well in groups, so sports annoy me incredibly" Isn't kendo a group sport as well?

When you fight you fight individually, yes. But in team events...

Also when you train, you train as a close knit group(well, we do anyways). Each person helps the other.

How about grading? Both in Kirikaesh and kata we rely on our partner to make the excercise work.


MENG

[wonceinee]

Originally posted by Confound
the foundation of budo is the student-sensei relationship, which is something not found in 'sports'. For those serious in any sport, the player-coach realationship is quite similar.

the sempai-kohei relationship is also important, another concept that really doesn't translate into sports culture. Ever heard of a mentor? Maybe looking up to idols. My question is whether this aspect comes directly from Japanese culture and is not indicative of fighting arts from all over the world (eg kungfu, kali, escrima, ......)

finally, the mental aspects of kendou are not to be found in sports. Go for a run and see how far you get before your mind starts to wander. How about pushing through those barriers? There is a huge psycological aspect to be found in any sport.

I'm with JSchmidt. Get out there and give it a serious go before you pass judgement.

[BrandandGeneric]

I haven't the time now, but if I did I would do yoga as a way of re-balancing my body.

In the meantime, I resort to practising footwork and suburi in reverse posture. Straightaway I'm a beginner again! I also try and do some pretty comprehensive stretching at home.

Meditation is good too I think.

b

[MarythePuppy6]

I was very glad to be reasonably fit when I began Kendo. Like Jakob, I cycle a lot (and always have), and I think the benefits are many-fold. Obviously it makes the physical side of Kendo easier if you arent struggling after 10 mins, but more than that, I'm with Jakob in thinking that a lot of keiko is anaerobic by nature (or at very least, well into the lactic zone). If you are experienced in how anaerobic exercise feels (ie pretty nasty), I think you are better prepared for when you "feel the burn" in Kendo. Whats more, your body is better at disposing of the lactic acid build up, so the pain is less debilatating.

I'm not super-fit by any means, but have always pushed hard on the bike, so on the odd occasions I feel the burn in Kendo (I'm non-bogu remember) I just plough on through.

I'm guessing that if you do regular Kendo you get fit anyway, but doing other stuff must speed the process. You never see many fat kendoka, do you...?



Dave

[Grieryaliny]

"people claim that it is possible to approach a traditional sport, like baseball or tennis, the same was as a budo, but it seems farcical to me. "

You would know if you had actually played any sports.

Jakob

[Roker]

Originally posted by Matthew Lagden
All true - plus kendo isn't done in the freezing cold, nor overseen by some demented sadist who was kicked out of the army for being too cruel.... heh, Oh I don't know..I think every good kendo sensei is at least part sadist