[Habalinnyf]

I've just had my 1st lesson last week. It went well, I enjoyed it very much and I'm very keen to learn kendo. But having looked at the seniors do their sparring (sorry, I don't know any lingo yet) and seen video clips I'm rather worried that perhaps I don't have enough oomph/ki/mojo/thingamajig inside. That's after seeing all the yelling stamping and general zooming around I mean, I have a short temper and I find it very easy to get angry and even turn on some agression when I feel the need, but I know that that isn't what it's about. Internally, on a ki level, I suspect I may be mega weedy can that change? Can I become musclebound (I'm a girl, by the way) on a Ki level?

[Buincchotourb]

You'll learn. Just go, have fun, and it'll all work out little by little.

[XKAgustin]

Don't sweat it. It's only your first practice. After a while, you will be able to do the stuff that you are seeing. It's just that you have to learn the stuff to get to that point.

As far as your performance against the males, that brings up the finer point in Kendo. You don't need to rely on strength to do well in Kendo. As long as you have clean technique and good spirit, then you will do well.

[rvadipoldkov]

you dont need to be musclebound i am 6"1 but i only weigh 65 kg compaired with some kendo players i am also weedy but with practice you will learn to hold your own

[sessoorale]

It's true. I've been playing the same number of years with the smallest guy in our club, and I am much taller and out weigh him by a good deal. However, he has found his advantages, as I've found mine. On good days we hold each other to stand stills. If one of us is having an off day it's Disney Land for the other.

[joe-salton]

ki/mojo grows with each training, and a well balanced diet.

though as the saying says, there will always be someone in the world stronger than you... so you'll end up singing with me:

got my mojo workingggg but it... just doesnt work on you

[PhilipBartew]

Although there is one secret way to improve your power by 50% but you'll have to read the following post:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/sho...=freedom+kendo

Don't let this scare you out of doing kendo

[patuvammnogoo]

Fake it until you make it. Outward displays of confidence will help your kendo.

[Promotiona]

Hi all

Thanks for your encouragement! Ipp-on, that magic can't work for me as I don't have dangly things down below to set free Paburo, that made me smile I'm going to remember your song if I ever feel weedy!

I found something quite encouraging here, video clips of tiny kids practicing sparring against their adult seniors/sempai - so sweet and kind of inspiring seeing them really get the yelling off pat whilst brandishing their little toothpicks

Thanks again

[IodinkBoilk]

I've just had my 1st lesson last week. It went well, I enjoyed it very much and I'm very keen to learn kendo. But having looked at the seniors do their sparring (sorry, I don't know any lingo yet) and seen video clips I'm rather worried that perhaps I don't have enough oomph/ki/mojo/thingamajig inside. That's after seeing all the yelling stamping and general zooming around I mean, I have a short temper and I find it very easy to get angry and even turn on some agression when I feel the need, but I know that that isn't what it's about. Internally, on a ki level, I suspect I may be mega weedy can that change? Can I become musclebound (I'm a girl, by the way) on a Ki level?

Hey don't worry about it. I'm a girl also and I'm pretty weak myself. I have asthma so breathing is a big problem for me. When I first started, I couldn't get pass suburi excercise without sitting down and ran out of breath. Now I can go through the lesson quite well. You'll see the differences in a few weeks. Your stamina and whatever will come to you naturally.

And don't look at your sempai and feel discourage, you have to know they've been doing it for quite a while. You'll get there eventually. The thing in Kendo is to do your best in each lesson, as if it was the last so you will have to do your best. My sensei always tells us that give everything you got in each lesson no matter how tired you are, and use that same mentality for all the strikes, etc...

I hope this helps, and happy training.

[JJascaxal]

Yep yep, in a few years you'll remember how awestruck you were and think 'oh well, I can do all that stuff now, no biggie, mojo schmojo'.

[Pharmaciest2007]

Wow Mugu, well done you!

I'll know my Mojo is flowing optimally when I can do that one where you bash your oponent repeatedly at speed over the head whilst yelling like crazy

[8jIDXQ80]

Wow Mugu, well done you!

I'll know my Mojo is flowing optimally when I can do that one where you bash your oponent repeatedly at speed over the head whilst yelling like crazy

You mean Kirikaeshi? hehe Now I realized Kendo makes women they all hate men or something espcially people dont' know what Men means, lol But then, you can be imagining your opponent is your significant others who you had a fight earlier or your ex-boyfriends, lol

[DrazAdwamoi]

just drink your school, stay in milk, don't do sleep and get eight hours of drugs and you can get ki.

[Jesslovers]

You mean Kirikaeshi? hehe Now I realized Kendo makes women they all hate men or something espcially people dont' know what Men means, lol But then, you can be imagining your opponent is your significant others who you had a fight earlier or your ex-boyfriends, lol

Men - yep it occurred to me too but MUCH better is if I visualise my evil neighbour, owner of 3 insane spaniels who bark at walls, trees, a breeze, themselves etc, and who thinks its cool to let them do that outside at 6am

Two bit, I love your quote

[KLIMOV25gyi]

just drink your school, stay in milk, don't do sleep and get eight hours of drugs and you can get ki.

I think Mr. T said that, didn't he? I think all dojos should say that at the beginning and ending of all classes.

[Susanleech]

Paburo, that made me smile I'm going to remember your song if I ever feel weedy! well ekajati...

do listen to this when you feel like singing the blues...

http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF193756-01-01-01.mp3

got my moooooooojo workin'
got my mooooooooojooooooooo workin'

[SHUSIATULSE]

do listen to this when you feel like singing the blues...
http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF193756-01-01-01.mp3
got my moooooooojo workin'
got my mooooooooojooooooooo workin'

Cheers Paburo! That's going to be my Kendo theme tune from now on ....

"got my shiiiiiiiiinai swingin'
got my shiiiiiiinai swingin'" etc phaps with a nice whack to the Men on "Shi"

And I got my first taste of real actual Men bashing (day 2!) today - if we didn't yell loud enough the wotsisname didn't let us go for the cut til we did - I was only stopped twice heh