[aliceingoogs]

After rain there's sunshine

[C7JjVczP]

Any ideas for how to lift your spirits/psyche yourself after a disappointing/poor Keiko (I mean one where you feel you underperformed or could have done better for some reason)?

I came away from last nights Keiko feeling really upset with myself, and now i'm already getting anxious about the next one. I don't want to get into a vicious circle of anxiety and underperformance.

Thanks guys

[9mm_fan]

Like some of the people said about, I agree, moving from beginner to start wearing a "men", ther eis a big difference, and big gap in differences. When you are beginner and without a bogou, error/bad habit can be identified easily and rictify. I know some beginners who have very bad kihon, but still go ahead with wearing bogou. This doesn't help their kendo. However, somes, you must have some confident for yourself. Without wearing the bogou, you will not be able to advance to the next level. Also, you will also cannot train on your physical stamina, etc etc.

As for afraid been hit ? I was told once, people always go through this vicious cycle... I have gone through once and out .... but I feel I might run into one again. However, you will find, once you gone through these difficulty time (could be days, weeks or months), but eventually, you will provail. Then you will be at teh next level of your kendo.

For me, when I have a dissappointed keiko, i spent the time before next training, thinking about "what did I do wrong" .... study myself, and thinking to myself. Sometimes, once you analys yourself, you will discover a whole new world.... will eventually help you in the future...

[CenICrerflind]

Everyone suffers from 'bad dojo day'(R) from time to time. I frequently do. That's what Mason said, suck it in, think about it, and try again next practice, this is how to learn after all.

I still remember my first days wearing kendogu. I was always tense before practice and disappointed after, but after a while that feeling disappeared. Just give it time (a lot of).

It's not of much help, but cheer up and go ahead.

Alex Polli

[tmobmobfil]

Katoaka sensei of the NYC Kendo Club what to do in your very situation, when I am discouraged and dont feel I am improving. He told me one thing: Kirikaeshi. That's perfect!

BTW. Dave, yes I am sure you didn't mean anything bad. And I know you love your kendo and your club, but think how your comment sounds to people that train in those clubs, as well as to people who don't know about them, I hope you'll understand.

[Gasfghj]

Matthew,

I don't know about yourself, but perosnally the biggest obstical to overcome before I felt totally happy in Bogu (and this problem still comes through in my Kendo now), was worrying about being hit. This seems to be the biggest mental barrier that anyone who starts Kendo has.

You learn by being hit

I am only talking from my personal experiences, but you have to forget about other people and get on with your own Kendo.

As you said you shouldn't look at other people that started at the same time as you, but it is only natural. I know, at my last grading down at mumeshi's I passed with three other Kendoka from "U'p Nrth", and even though I shouldn't. I always find myself looking to them and thinking why are they better than me at that ! .... or I can do that better then themat that . As you said you shouldn't really but hey it human nature to be competitive and beat others around you. Having said that, it is always good to have others to measure yourself by. But this is only good as long as you are better than them (I have found that out the hard way)

[nilliraq]

Matthew,

I will be less encouraging than the others. Kendo/kumdo is *not* for everyone. There are some folks who lack the physical and mental wherewithal to pursue this discipline.

There is *no* shame in trying the sport and deciding that it is not for you. You need to carefully examine your motives for participating and your relative performance. It may very well be that you are worthy swordsman and simply had a bad night. . .

. . . but it may also very well be that you are not cut out for bladework. If this is the case, you might want to consider frankly facing that and moving on to something where your abilities are better put to use.

Remember: There is *no* shame in honestly facing a decision like that. I did the very same thing as a boxer. It was hard, but I was proud of myself in the end for having the courage to honestly decide that it was not for me.

We had a saying at my old dojo. We called it the 1 in 10 rule. For every 10 people who begin to practice kendo or kumdo, only 1 is still practicing after 1 year's time. The fact remains that *most* people who try this sport on find it fits them poorly.

Best of luck whatever you should decide.

[FallJimerks]

Hey Mingshi

Maybe they were trying to be encouraging in their own way..? (or maybe not....)

Was this at Nenriki or Hizen?



Dave

[vipbunter]

these are all good, fair points - this is an excellent forum.

it is hard to know isn't it? I don't practise enough i think - or not as much as i would like to anyway. i am not as fit as i would like to be - or as i should be.

i sometimes feel that i am on the edge of making a leap - for brief moments it comes together and that is an amazing feeling.

and when i really think deeply about the keiko that prompted this there were moments in the 'beginning middle' (after warm up, before tiredness) when it did feel good and i was practising well.

so fitness is a major issue i think.

but also, i think, it is not my job, it is a hobby, i don't need to be so competitive - if i'm never all that good but i enjoy it, that's okay.

what an amazingly beguling and frustrating thing this is. and to think that i started it thinking it was a cross between yoga and aerobics for boys.

[Creelaleps]

Mattew - first congratulations on a very honest question - and one that everyone has to face.

Kendo makes us confront ourselves in ways that are more (let's say) 'intense' than most situations in our modern working day lives.
A big part of that is self-doubt and frustration (just wait until you are going for shiai and gradings!)
You are putting yourself into a situation where someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. (no rambling replies about 'it's the taking part..' etc. puhlease!) this comes with a certain ammount of confronting our egos. But this is the value of pursuits such as kendo IMHO - putting ourselves on the line in a way we don't have to do in our normal lives.
Kendo consists of some very simple looking movements that take a lifetime to perfect.
Dissappointment is part of kendo (and any activity that takes time to master) you have to embrace it fairly early and realise it is going to be a constant companion. HOWEVER it is all well worth it for that sweet men cut, that you ARE going to get, and probably on someone who is your senior now. And the beer aftwards is going to taste just great.

You will hear fifth dans muttering about how they gave away an easy kote and verbally kicking themselves after a shiai - so it's not just you.

When you are feeling confused, I suggest you concentrate on one aspect of your kendo you are going to improve per session, and work diligently on basics. And as Gareth has said, don't worry about getting hit, just concentrate on your own kendo.

Keep going,

[Roamsaffots]

It is completely normal to have good and bad days. I have had days where our beginners seem so strong and I think wow, I must suck or they're getting much better. As you get more experienced you find that bad days are very good for personal kendo growth. On those days I work on Semme and projecting strengh to help me, even if I feel off, I can muddle through the practice and still learn form it.

[NanoGordeno]

"and to think that i started it thinking it was a cross between yoga and aerobics for boys."

Well, it isnt that far off

Jakob

[anxpuna]

I know I'm a bit late coming in on this, but better late than never....

I'm a beginner (at it for about a month now), and I find that the amount of info can be really confusing. In response to matthew's original wories, I find that I am constantly thinking about my foot position (is it right?) my shinai (am I lifting it high enough?) my back/shoulders (are they straight?) etc, etc. If I have a "bad practice", it's because I have been thinking too much about the details, instead of relaxing (very important) and letting everything flow smoothly and come naturally, with time.

I know my problems are beginners problems, but you are more advanced, and thus have new problems to deal with, and I imagine that the same feelings of self doubt would arise. Also, if I have had a bad day at work (stress, etc) I sometimes find that my head is in a fog, and I can't wrap my head around some new concepts. You may well feel the same way.

Also, I feel the need to stick up for some (notice I said 'some') of the beginners that Dave J is speaking of. Most of us try very hard to pay attention, and 'line up' but occationally our minds can wander. for example: look at the more experienced people, does my men cut look like theirs? (or more importantly sensei jeffs?) We know the drop out rate of new students, and most of us want to show how committed we are, and can put ourselves under a lot of pressure. So many rules, so many waza....

Put yourself in our shoes for a moment. You were there once....

[fuslssdfaa]

thanks to all your comments, encouraging, discouraging, and neutral i was able to gather myself and do a good keiko - not that my kendo was especially better than previously, but that i was able to analyse what is good and what is not, to provide a basis for future work, thought, and practise.

so thank you all!

[w3QHxwNb]

Hi David - and thanks to you all for your thoughtful and encouraging posts.

Partly yeah of course, I am not going to give up, so i do need to just get back in the saddle and keep going. Anything worth doing is difficult so i will persevere.

I do feel like i have been hovering on the edge of wearing bogu for a long time now - going into the main group in Bogu, and then dropping back out into the beginners group, which i guess is part of the frustration - i feel like I am being overtaken by others who stsrted at the same time which is not really a very kendo way of looking at things - i should be concentrating on my own practise not worrying about other people.

However, I do think my bad practise has highlighted a weakness in my basics - not just footowork and Men cuts etc, but also things like general fitness, and little things like getting contact lenses so my glasses don't steam up.

So i guess you are right - it is the hard/bad practises where you really learn....

[oplapofffe]

Hi Matthew

Looking at your profile, you say you've been training around a year. Also said "hovering on the edge of wearing bogu for a long time now". How often do you train? If you don't train consistently, then your not giving your self a fair chance. Just like any skill, you need to practise to make it a subconscience action. If you have been training consistently, maybe you're at the threshold of making a "jump" in your kendo ability (ie getting some coordination and fluidity in your techniques). You maybe subconsciencely becoming aware of your technique (or lack of) and becoming frustrated. This is a positive; an awareness of your ability and desire to improve.

Hope this help (and hope it's clear )

[malishka1025]

Hi Matthew~ Don't be so frustrated. Did I miss some cuts on you yesterday?

The worse keiko ever for me(until now), is on the 25th Jan 2002. I don't think it's MY FAULT because at that time there wasn't any younger/less experienced kendoka around.... "Bad Kendo" is the comment I've written down on my journal. And probably because someone told me this:

"I've been here for so long. So don't you think that you can beat me!"
"I'm 42 right now. How come you're so slow at 1/2 my age?"

Everything I felt bad about my Kendo practice, was not because "I'm crap", but more because of some discouraging comments from other people... Sometimes I can be very emotional

But I've passed that stage. Now I don't really care about other people. Just do my job. End of class. Happy Kendo.

[BashBeissedat]

David,
if someone relates a bad experience (which is valid) and is politic enough to not name names; why you are asking in a public forum which dojo it was in is beyond me, also you then associate 2 dojos with this negative experience, one of which YOU KNOW could not be involved (she has mentioned the date of the incident).
It is easy enough to discuss these experiences without encouraging personal mudslinging. If you want to gossip, use the private messaging.

Mingshi - I am hoping this was said as some kind of encouragement, (maybe amateur reverse psychology). The good news is, you ARE going to be much faster, and can enjoy whooping his ass one day.

j

[Kiariitf]

whoever gave this thread five stars, thank you! i am pathetically happy about it!

I couldn't have done it....

[Seeseeskeva]

Hi Matthew

I dont know how long you've been doing Kendo, but I'm guessing you've gone into bogu fairly quickly. I know I'm very tempted, especially after a fairly unchallenging session in the beginners group, but I am determined only to wear full armour when I feel I have (reasonably) cracked the basics.

Maybe you should come back down to the "shallow end" for a while to restore your confidence, maybe until that feels too easy, then men-up again. I'm sure you've noticed that more experienced members of Hizen have the occasional session in the beginners group to re-evaluate their Kihon.

If its any consolation Jeff Sensei has said to me that for many people, the transition into wearing Men can be quite horrendous, so I'm sure you're not alone. And as others have said, you dont learn much from easy sessions, its the rock-hard ones that you dont forget.

Keep going...



Dave