[UnmariKam]

Salute,

er almost a year now at Kendo. I'm not the youngest (48) and thus not the fitest when compared to all the 16 yr olds we have. I believe I have been getting the hang of this but two events have cast doubt on myself. A few weeks ago during Ji-geiko my Partner (6dan) just stoped and went into sonkyo and ended our session...about 30 sec.

last week my first Ji-geiko was with our top Sensai (6 dan) and after a few attacks from me, I turned around only to see his back while waiting in Sonkyo...session about 2 min.

I now avoid these two as I seem not to be worth thier time, or at least that would be the impression I have. Question is...am I reading this all wrong. Turning your back on someone is not polite to say the least.

Mark

[forumsfavoriteall]

I'm guessing there were a lot of people lining up behind you, so the 6 dan just couldn't spend too much time with the juniors. No offense but higher dan grades are the ones that deserve more time with the sensei, since they have less opportunity to train with someone higher than them.

Either way they're 6dan, they can do whatever they want.

[IssuessBratte]

I know nothing about anything like that.

But you could always ask them about some time, when it would not be obtrusive to do so...? Seems like talking about it, rather than dwelling on thoughts that might not be accurate, would be the best solution.

[kubekniekubek]

There are way too many possibilities for why this could be happening. First, they are leading the jigeiko session so when they say it's done, it's done.

Reasons why they end abruptly... lack of time for formality and ending nicely, they see you losing form to tiredness so they end before the quality of your practice with them suffers from too much quantity, they've pushed you enough and their time is better spent with others (depending on how new you are, you will learn just as much from san dans and lower rankers and don't require the rokudans to spent as much time with you yet so they want to work with the higher ups who need more attention from people higher up), or they are simply testing you. The better you get, the harder you work, once they feel you have earned their attention, you will get the same time as everyone else. Maybe they just want to check your disposition and determination to keep doing kendo and over time they will see that and treat you differently.

Summary, you are reading too much into it. If something you perceive as rude behavior continues again and again over a matter of months or maybe even a year, then maybe they are being jerks, but I highly doubt that is the reason for their behavior. Think less, move on to next partner, jigeiko more.

[expiclefich]

I now avoid these two as I seem not to be worth thier time, or at least that would be the impression I have.

There isn't enough information in your post to know what happened.

Of course I don't know what sensei you are talking about, however, the sensei that I know personally consider themselves teachers, so if they drop out on you they are telling you something. It isn't a matter of ego where they think they are too good for you or something like that. Rather, they do it when the person they are practicing with are doing something so improper that the best way to teach the lesson is to drop out. This might be because either the student doesn't seem to be making any effort to practice or improve, or it might be because the student is being extremely rude. I suppose those are almost the same thing in the context of kendo practice.

You are not exactly supposed to be avoiding the sensei. You are supposed to be reflecting on what you are doing that is different from the others who get more time with the sensei, and making your keiko more like theirs. You must pay attention not only to your practice but to the flow in the dojo. This is also how you will learn how you should interpret sensei's turning their back on you.

[brilkyPlayday]

Keep practicing with them...and everyone else. That's the kendo way.

[sposicke]

Nodachi and Hyuna thanks for the replys. Makes me start to reflect on my performance from a different view.
Will have to work on myself abit more I guess

[VrQsgM7c]

I can see how you would be upset by this

but as unimportanthero suggests, ask them rather than letting it eat at you

good luck

[zzquo0iR]

Hey at least you got to practice with them. I waited in line to practice with Tagawa Sensei and when it finally got to my turn he sat down and took off his men, ending the Jigeiko.

[c-cialis]

[...]during Ji-geiko my Partner (6dan) just stoped and went into sonkyo and ended our session...about 30 sec.

last week my first Ji-geiko was with our top Sensai (6 dan) and after a few attacks from me, I turned around only to see his back while waiting in Sonkyo...session about 2 min.

When it happes again, go and ask sempai. The chance is they were waiting for ji-geiko with the sensei and watching your performance. As the ones more versed in the kendo thing may give you some advice.

[PPActionnGuys]

I had that happen recently with a visiting sandan. Sensei called out "one point", and so I went for men, and he just let me hit him and said "thank you, we're done".

I asked my Sensei about it later, and it came up that this sandan had had an auto accident a while back and his back isn't quite right. I taiataried him one time but nothing too hard, and my sensei said, "well, you're both big guys, so that might have been enough to bother his back."

[Searmoreibe]

Best advice I have heard....... Ask, You will never know otherwise.

[Jalieteplalry]

I believe I have been getting the hang of this but two events have cast doubt on myself. A few weeks ago during Ji-geiko my Partner (6dan) just stoped and went into sonkyo and ended our session...about 30 sec.

last week my first Ji-geiko was with our top Sensai (6 dan) and after a few attacks from me, I turned around only to see his back while waiting in Sonkyo...session about 2 min.

I now avoid these two as I seem not to be worth thier time, or at least that would be the impression I have. Question is...am I reading this all wrong. Turning your back on someone is not polite to say the least.

Mark From my experience, here's what i realized about when that happens. If it isn't crowded and there isn't a long line of kenshi, it's spirit based. I see and experienced a lot of sensei based their amount of training time with kendoist based on their level of spirit & potential(to improve). a kenshi that showed a lot of spirit and enthusiasm to push past the comfort zone got more time.

Not judging or assuming you dont have strong spirit, but just sharing why Senseigata use to cut their jigeiko time short with me...or other Kenshi practicing near me. when my spirit was weak or i had a lot of doubt, they had lack of interest. But when i have strong spirit & lots of confidence, it revs them up too & I can feel they are feeling, "Ok here we go! Lets do this!" Before you know it, you've spent 10-15 mins with that one sensei

Avoiding those Sensei is actually being impolite in my opinion. I understand how it is to be older and starting kendo. you have to go through all the hardship stuff with the kids. Being 40's doing kakarigeiko is much harder than being 16. but beginners have to go through it & other things. Those sensei may just be giving you consideration: they know you are 48 and & beginner. If you want more time with them, then when you go before them you have to prove that you deserve just as much time as the 16 yr olds... and you do that by showing strong spirit while after the session not showing exhaustion & immediately going to the next sensei with strong Spirit & Determination.

you'll be hurting but you'll improve big time.

[advabHixavoip]

2 cases where this has happened to me: one with kato sensei, it was near the end of practice and there were 3 people behind me, i got one attack then about 10 seconds of uchikomi and then out, the reason is likely he wanted to get thru the rest of the line and give them all a chance to practice before the time was up. The other was with yamanaka sensei, where he gave me a bit of advice, and then a chance to apply it, i managed to bungle my attempt badly and we went into sonkyo and out.

[XYTommy]

ok ..tommorrow is another session. I'll take your comments to heart and attack till I throw up I guess.

[Wezfyowk]

The other side of the story is that some teachers just don't like practicing with beginners and will ignore you until you reach a sufficient level.

[nvideoe]

ok ..tommorrow is another session. I'll take your comments to heart and attack till I throw up I guess.

well not till you throw up. you are in your upper 40's and just starting (year exp), you will be prone to injuries--becareful. don't hurt yourself to prove yourself. just do your best and have strong spirit, strong kiai, move with full energy. just go out of your comfort zone & push yourself--not kill yourself. you will feel a sense of satisfaction after practice and your next practice will be easier.

[catermos]

just go out of your comfort zone & push yourself--not kill yourself.

Not unless that sensei has you doing non-stop men-hiki men and inching you closer and closer to the edge of the dojo floor!

[boXGWf04]

I haven't seen senseis go into sonkyo because the attacker was so bad but that he was so good and the lesson was over - man attacks well, turns to kamae/face the teacher and the latter's already in sonkyo before he finishes turning around. If the attacker is
a beginner or awful, the last thing the sensei does is have him do uchikomi or/and kirikaeshi. If it's a senior who doesn't want to teach a beginner, he usually has them do nonstop kirikaeshi until exhaustion or/and basics until collapse appears nigh. That's in my dojo, can't speak for others.

[YpciJQdo]

I'm guessing there were a lot of people lining up behind you, so the 6 dan just couldn't spend too much time with the juniors. No offense but higher dan grades are the ones that deserve more time with the sensei, since they have less opportunity to train with someone higher than them.

Either way they're 6dan, they can do whatever they want.

Strongly disagree on all counts I'm afraid.