[mr.memo]

Hey, fellow kendoka!

Been away for a while. Have been recovering from a mild concussion suffered during keiko. Overly enthusiastic men strike, plus I was looking down. Caught the shinai in the back part of the men. All I felt was my neck bones popping and my hands went numb for a second or two. Was woozy like hell for the rest of keiko.

Now that I'm cleared to go back to Kendo, I really don't want to. In fact, I'm thinking of selling my stuff and getting back into my old love, archery. Dunno if the ol' cowboy adage about "getting back on the horse after he throws ya" even applies here.

I like my dojo mates & sensei. They're the greatest bunch of folks I've ever had the privilege of meeting. But I don't think I can take another errant strike like that one again.

Any suggestions?

[cigsstorenick]

Well, I've definitely been in your shoes before (ironically, mine was a snapped cable on a compound bow at full draw). I wasn't able to draw a bow without anxiety for a few years. There's not really anything that people can suggest. You'll ruminate on it for a while and then you'll either get over the fear or you won't. If you don't, then give kendo a break for a while. I wouldn't go far as to sell your gear, you never know, going without kendo for a while might make you realise how much you miss it and help you get back in the saddle.

[Mabeavyledlib]

Unless you're walking around with $2600 handmade bogu and really need the cash, I doubt you'll make enough money selling your gear as it might be worth to you to hold onto in case you change your mind. I don't know anything about your particular situation, but I know I've regretted getting rid of stuff occassionally only to change my mind a few years later and have to buy it again.

Hang in there or hang it up, either way, don't bother selling your gear. That's my advice.

[flowersnewaho]

Face your fear. I once (and only once in my life) fell from a horse (literally) and even though I love riding I was kinda scared to do it for years. Eventually I managed to overcome it. Now I love it again, wish I had horses to ride more often...

So stick around, talk about it with sensei, see if you can just take your time to adapt doing suburi, kata, uchikomi-geiko sans-bogu and keeping up with practice the best you can. Hopefully you can work on your posture to avoid that happening again.

Selling your stuff is a bad idea now.

[Kdgjhytiy]

Definitely don't sell your stuff; give yourself a few months at the least to think about it. Accidents happen and can happen in pretty much any activity... there's no escaping them.

Think about how your poor opponent will feel if you quit because he hit you incorrectly! >.>

[Retapleapse]

Hey, fellow kendoka!

Been away for a while. Have been recovering from a mild concussion suffered during keiko. Overly enthusiastic men strike, plus I was looking down. Caught the shinai in the back part of the men. All I felt was my neck bones popping and my hands went numb for a second or two. Was woozy like hell for the rest of keiko.

Now that I'm cleared to go back to Kendo, I really don't want to. In fact, I'm thinking of selling my stuff and getting back into my old love, archery. Dunno if the ol' cowboy adage about "getting back on the horse after he throws ya" even applies here.

I like my dojo mates & sensei. They're the greatest bunch of folks I've ever had the privilege of meeting. But I don't think I can take another errant strike like that one again.

Any suggestions?

I've been on the other side of that equation, and although my strike wasn't even that hard, the fact that my opponent looked down just changed things in ugly ways, and I knocked her out. I've never knocked a woman out before, and jokes aside, it's not an experience I care to repeat. I seriously considered quitting, and I know she did. All the non-bogu people who were there that night never returned.

However, she returned, and after a hesitant month or so, she fights as hard as anyone. Harder than she did before, really. I think the cowboy adage applies.

[flueftArete]

Slightly off topic, but how does a person end up looking down? does this happen with people that actively try and throw their head to dodge?

[PerfectCreditForYou]

Slightly off topic, but how does a person end up looking down? does this happen with people that actively try and throw their head to dodge?

Bad form when attempting kote? Poor follow-through after fumokomi? Trying to avoid tripping on a hakama that wasn't tied high enough?

I've done all three of those, and I suspect there are several other reasons one might do it too.

FWIW, I've never figured out the head-bobbing-dodge some people do to avoid getting hit in the men.

[STYWOMBORGOSY]

Bad form when attempting kote? Poor follow-through after fumokomi? Trying to avoid tripping on a hakama that wasn't tied high enough?

It just seems there are now 2 instances of it leading to concussion (well in the K.O. instance there would have been concern of concussion), I would have previously thought the only way to get concussion in kendo is if you get knocked on your back and smack your head. I would never thought there was a way you could pop someones men that would cause something like that, and am now wondering if there is something specific I should be looking to warn beginners about for safety.

[EnvellFen]

I'm not sure about the postures involved in these situations, but a concussion occurs when your brain rattles around in that bone cage. It seems to me that if your neck is bent at an angle, such as when you're looking down, a solid hit from above would create more up-down motion than a hit when your head is facing forward and braced by your neck. So it may have more to do with the posture than the location of the hit.

Or I could be completely wrong.

[SnareeWer]

Slightly off topic, but how does a person end up looking down? does this happen with people that actively try and throw their head to dodge?

When you come in for a do strike, some people look down by mistake. Dunno if that's how it happened with maku-san, though.

[TineSeign]

It just seems there are now 2 instances of it leading to concussion (well in the K.O. instance there would have been concern of concussion), I would have previously thought the only way to get concussion in kendo is if you get knocked on your back and smack your head. I would never thought there was a way you could pop someones men that would cause something like that, and am now wondering if there is something specific I should be looking to warn beginners about for safety.

There have been some pretty extensive discussions of concussions on here. My impression is that anytime one gets hit in the head one has a chance for a concussion, but this generally does not occur in kendo because the hard metal frame of the men cushions blows. If you lean forward too far you lose that rigid protection. I did it once a year ago because I was bending over trying to hit kote (poorly) and, in combination with a somewhat higher-target big men strike, ended up getting whacked on the back of my head and going down. My sensei summed up the safety issue as "don't look down, you'll get hit on the back of the head," which is good advice.

[SQiTmhuY]

Back on Topic - Maku-san. Dont quit from the injury, Get back in at least once som you can say it did not end your career. If you decide that you dont want to do it after that, then stop. But dont let the injury be the cause, t could haunt you for a while. Even in quitting Kendo you should be in control. I hope you dont quit, if I ever make t to Hawaii i wouldnt have anyone to Keiko with. Im sure no one else there does Kendo. :0

[Keendwainge]

Maku-san, stop or don't stop but as JJ and others said you should hang onto your bogu and equipment just in case you change your mind in a year or 2 if you decide to quit.

[RaicickKida]

If you haven't had many concussions or if it's your first, I would think that you are just overreacting and should stick with it. Think of it as a freak accident, that you admit was primarily your fault of bad posture. It's easy to fix, just don't lower your head again.

If you are like me and have had many concussions, then it begins to reach the point where you need to consider if it is worth it or not. I had a nasty concussion last year and I had to seriously consider stopping Kendo because of too many other concussions prior. In my case, my men was very old and I should have replaced it sooner. My doctor cleared me to continue and I spoke with my sensei about better men protection. If you are concerned about more head injuries, practice without men for awhile. Wait until you are 100% sure your head has healed. Then if you are still nervous, buy a better quality men. You may drop a lot of money on it, but I am glad I did because I would be super depressed if I had to stop. The good quality men feels great and safe and I am not afraid to continue. There is nothing wrong with practicing without bogu for awhile to truly assess your feelings. Many of us are maybe leaning too far to the just do it side of the argument, but if you are still too close to the concussion then you may be thinking too cautiously towards the stop side of the argument.

Enough rambling for me though, take sometime to heal and think and practice without men. Think about life without kendo and your dojo buddies. Then you can make a good decision that isn't influenced too much by fear of another injury.

[Arr34ston]

you dont have to take another strike like that, chin up........that should sort it

[YonkFiorc]

Many thanks to all for your great replies. Yes, it has made me think a lot about Kendo (and Life, in general). I'm just taking it easy, doing suburi at home, and just showing face at the dojo and helping clean the floor, etc. I realize that when that men strike was coming, I should have looked up and let the shinai contact the mengane instead of glancing downward, even as slightly as I remember. The feeling of my neck bones popping and my fingertips tingling is not something I'm ever gonna forget! Perhaps my experience can be a word of warning to newbies... CHIN UP, NO MATTER WHAT!!!