[HotDolly]

like what alexpollijr said, I think most of us know that when doing a sport/martial arts we will receive injuries or some form of trauma. Personally I think those researchs are usefull as those research are in informing us of the specific risk of doing kendo while on the other hand it's a bit like saying thinking/work will cause a certain amount of stress, and I havent seen a research that says " the increase in tax is directly proportionate to the increase in stress in low to middle incomehouse hold with 2 children or more".

[feseEscaple]

OK, we'll have our fun. But I was always wondering whether repeated clubbing of my head by heavy handed beginners ( and some senseis too ) represent any possibility of head trauma type injuries known to boxers and American Football players. .. Any evidence or write-ups?
( Hoping to get - NO - or No answer )

Center - kote - Hmmm

[KellyLynchIV]

I have practiced on modern sportshall floors, which are sorta sprung, but I find it hard on my knees to practice on. I suspect that it actually doesnt absorb all that much of the impact, but rather sends it back up again, which is probably fine if you are wearing appropiate footwear, but it tends to kill my legs off.

Jakob

[pitoufsd]

*plug*

Keep reading the Kendo Clinic for discussions of kendo related injuries in all their glory!

Hamish

[AmfitNom]

Yep, I believe that when people mention 'spring floors' it's actually like Kendomushi described.

Down here in the japanese colonies of the countryside most dojo are built like that (planks over frame). It's not such a huge deal when compared to the usual dance studio floor (planks over concrete).

Urban dojo though (mine included) never ( never ) have spring floors down here.

[psbiuigw]

I thought those drug generic names were enough tongue twisters but after reading that lengthy post by Mingshi I decided to do more kendo and avoid reading more science/medical journal. Reading it alone is already hazardous to your health. Did you get that from the Tales From the Crypts. Scary stuff.....

[cemDrymnVem]

on that note... I got a concussion last year, here's what happened: I got whacked on the left side of the head and nearly dropped. I kept going since it wasn't the first time so I thought I was ok. A couple of days later (the following practice) I received another couple of nasty shots but nothing too serious. The following week I was apparently still all right, but the morning after a practice I couldn't get up & move. I was out for a week, sleeping and unable to do anything. It really sucks.

So here's what I learned through this head injury episode:
- protect your head properly (I bought a heavy duty pad for the men)
- make sure you raise your head slightly when you're about to receive an out-of-control men
- take some aspirin
- skip practice if you've been badly hit too many times
- don't listen those who say you should "tough it out"
- don't get hit

Since then I'm a BIG advocate of "extra padding" in the men. A bump on your arm is no big deal, but don't mess around with your head...

Eddy

[Styparty]

"Think Kendo is safe? Think again. "

Crap..ok, I quit!

[XzBZB2UV]

Originally posted by titus


I think he only had to stay out of kendo for about six months. Talk about perspective - only six months - Titus you must be carazy about Kendo :-)

Center cut - Men!

[Âåðåùàãèí]

Practicing on the military base here, we use a racquetball court, its a decent floor, but not sprung at all.
The dojo I go to out in real Japan (as opposed to the little america of the military base) is made up of large planks set in a wooden frame. The planks are not nailed or fixed in place by anything more than the frame they sit in. The frame is then supported by what look like great big old leaf springs from 1940s truck suspensions. The floor really springs when you do fumikomi. The for an added bit of atmosphere, under the floor are several large clay pots, when you do fumikomi and the air rushes in and out of these, it makes for a very interesting rumble or roaring sound.

[clitlyphype]

Err.. well, you might actually be right.
But, every sport has it's share of trauma. See football for instance.

PS> That case about the missed tsuki is downright scary!

[Sadsidioribre]

We practice in the YMCA here, which has an old wooden floor that has been beat to crap. It's definitely sprung, although maybe not as much as some that have been purpose-built for kendo with tires underneath or whatnot. You can definitely tell the difference between it and some other places I've practiced where even though the surface is wood, the structure underneath is concrete or something.

[realfan87]

This is a nightmare.
Concussion = death.
If you received a concussion, never leave your house again!

Recently I thought a raging cavity came out of no where in of one my upper molars. Turns out my teeth were perfectly fine but I did have a strained ligament about my teeth (how knew?!). Two days before the pain started we had practiced men for about an hour straight. Many people were just pounding away, no snap. Even though I was not clinching my teeth together or anything like that all the pounding was enough to cause some dental trauma. It was another four days before I could chew on that side again. I was very happy my dentist thought to ask if I might have had a blow to the head when I told him cold or hot did not bother the tooth. A lesser Dr. might have given me a root canal! Phew...

[Plokiikmol]

my dojo is part of a school cum sports centre. Its an old gym that unfortunately has been split into two parts by a wall (I know because my mother was a teacher there!) so we use both rooms. Together they are about the size of a basketball area. We get it cheap at the moment as the council did the dirty on us regarding our old building! No doubt it will go up... currently paying £7.50 an hour. Thieves the lot of them. In Japan you pay nothing for all the dojos I visited, they are like community centres for sport. Obviously the government there realises that a healthy population does not need as much health care, so they more than get the money back spent on centres!!
BTW I am curious that you can think of running kendo as a business, if I did I would have gone bankrupt within a week! Theres not THAT many students about, not like karate/taekwondo!

Tim Hamilton

[crestorinfo]

This actually brings up a good point I've been thinking about. Does anyone actually train on a sprung floor? Also, how can you tell if it's sprung or not?

I've been standing watching kakarigaiko on a sprung floor, and the vibrations from everyone's fumikomi moved me up and down a little.

Kirby