My first jikeiko!
 

wow...


That was the most exciting experience I've had in a very very long time. Words cant describe how awesome it was. I think I belong to the group of folks who "enjoy being whacked" I found myself smiling from ear to ear each time I got owned.

On a serious note, wearing bogu changes everything. I feel like all the time I spent working on footwork, big swings, kamae, everything went completely out the window. I dont know if that was because of the bogu itself or if was because I had to concentrate on so many other things(like surviving). Also my cardio stamina took a plunge too. Two rounds of kirikaeshi and I was already tired. Also at a certain point my shinai got very heavy, maybe due to the mendare getting in the way of my arms or the struggling in tsuba-zeriai. The only thing has hasnt changed is I keep realizing that the more skill I aquire, the more I realize how little skill I have.
It's almost like being reborn.

I would also like the thank all the members of this forum who have helped me along the way. From the ppl who flamed me for good reason to the people who helped me find a teacher to the ppl who helped me find a friendly place to practice. You guys are the best.


Kendo till the end

I feel the same as you especially comes to big kihon swings and all those, it's a great feeling to do full Kendo.

Just a note to share:

Don't lower your arm to block your opponent's Do strike, my right elbow is still hurting since Saturday.

My sempai told me this, "Use your opponent's natural reflex against them". This was very helpful to me.

...and You'll love bruises.

shape your men-dare, so you can raise your shinai easier. also relax your shoulder, if you are tense, your arm will tire quicker. once that happens, your shinai will feel like it's ton of brick. keep your back straight and move from the hip.. don't waste too much energy with your upper body.. it's easier said then done.. last friday, i went all out with full blown acid reflux problem, and i'm still paying for it with my shoulders. slow down when you have to.

pete

Don't throw your basics out the window now that you have bogu. In fact now is the time you need to build stamina and really grove in your swing.

Take advantage of the time you spar with higher ranking motodatchi (sp?) to cut big men, holding your kiai as long as you can from execution of the strike through zansihin. The longer you can maintain kiai the better your breath control and stamina will become. If you start to hyperventilate walk it off then go back to big technique.

Be mindful of your posture. Don't bend into the strike, back straight at all times.

Remember your foot work. If you need to go faster, move your feet faster not further. Keep a solid foundation.

I suppose it is human nature to want to "score" on your sensei or fellow kenshi, but what practice should be about is building on each practice so that your kendo improves. Common sense tells you you are not going to be fast enough doing big swings to "score", but if you set aside part of your practice to do the basics and try not to break your form the rest of the time, in the long run you'll be a happier kenshi.

A few weeks ago during class, we had just finished jigeiko after about a 45-minute footwork and swing drill period. I was exhausted, since this was my third match during jigeiko and of course, it's with Ariga-sensei. He called for kirikaeshi to close out class, and when I swung, my arms weren't fully extended. He told me during the attack to extend my arms and it won't be so hard to swing.

Like you, though, the first time I put on bogu and tried kirikaeshi, I was immediately exhausted. Part of it is that extra weight, some of it was being enclosed in my men and having a smaller field of view, and part of it was that I was hyperventilating because I was so excited.

Glad you enjoyed jigeiko.

I'm not throwing away kihon intentionally. But I cant explain why its happening. I have my thories though. I will try my best to remedy this issue.

No one dose. I think its more in the thrill of the moment that basics take flight.

I've been at seminars with advance kenshi, where we were all getting "tune ups" and doing real well by the end at shedding bad habits. Then in open practice the head sensei would bitch because most everyone did a 180 and slid right back.

For a novice, you need to experement. So go for it.

But its the old boring stuff that we all have to do over and over that helps you get better. And unlike World of WarCraft you can't pay some Russian kid to level up your character. So take a minute to check yourself and see if your posture is correct, you are giving kiai with your all and your moving your feet/body/shinai in unison.

But most of all HAVE FUN.http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/evolved.gif

congrats! stick with it. we've seen a lot of people hang with us long enough to get to bogu and then quit soon thereafter because of some of the obstacles you're talking about.

I dont know if that was because of the bogu itself or if was because I had to concentrate on so many other things(like surviving). You may already know this, but...

you're going to get hit, no matter what. And you'll get hit in places where there is no protection.

As for "surviving," concentrate on surviving by killing your opponent before he kills you. ... at every exchange. Most people new to bogu immediately fall into a defense mode and start blocking (or trying to block) everything. Avoid this (if you're doing it). It will do you no good.

good luck