Comments for Am I too short to do kendo?

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Jan 28, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		Samuel again
by: Samuel

Thanks for the answers... but like I previously asked if I learn FIK kendo will it be helpful when I learn another form of kendo from another organization. I mean, will it help me learn it/apt it faster? (For instance I first learn FIK kendo, and then I start learning a kendo style that also involves wrestling. So, will it be easier for me to learn the shinai strikes?)

And I asked one of my questions wrong.... I did not mean double katanas, but shinais. So, how do they grade double shinais spars? And in what level will you learn that?

And I would like to ask a new question..... Is it ok if I don't learn in a dojo, but one from a college?

Thanks for the answers in advance

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thanks for your question. I don’t know what to say to your question. First of all, to me, there are no different “types” of kendo. If you ask me if you should learn other styles than FIK, then I will say you should learn FIK kendo only.

If your interest is a fight, then I ask you not to do kendo. It is not for a fight. I would suggest you should do something else.

Nito (two sword style) is hard to do. You should be at least 3-dan level in my opinion. Of course, if you have a good teacher, you could start early.

If you cannot find a dojo but a club, it is OK as long as it teaches the correct kendo. The correct kendo is defined here.
Jan 26, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		kendo education
by: Samuel

I would like to thank you for the answers that you are about to give in advance.

First after reading Sensei Ron's comment, I was wondering if you will have to learn Japanese when you are in any dan level ? (At least a little??)

Q2: I want to know that if kendo styles differ from different organizations. Are the katas or moves different? How about the philosophy? And I was wondering if I know KIF kendo will it be easier to learn those kendos from different organizations???

Q3: What’s the difference between kumdo and kendo in the philosophical sense???

Q4: In which dan do you learn to spar with two katanas? (I know in kif you can) But how do they keep scores? (A hit with any shinai counts) And can you spar only with the short shinai? Are there katas with both long and short bokkens?

Thanks

Take care

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for your questions.

Answer to Q1. It is not “must-do”. But since it is Japanese martial arts, lot of things are done in Japanese and many words and their concepts are not in other languages. So it is easy for you to learn kendo if you know some Japanese, especially kendo terms.

Answer to Q2. Yes and no. Mind you again. International Kendo Federation (FIK) inherited its authority from Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. But of course, there are some groups that have their own perspectives toward kendo and they practice according to their belief. So they have their own grading system, kata and concepts. If you want to learn kendo, you cannot go wrong with FIK.

Answer to Q3: Please refer to “Differences between Kendo and Kumdo”. I do not know about philosophies of Kumdo. Sorry.

Answer to Q4: We do not spar with katana. Using katana in sparring hurts everyone. The whole point of shinai is to avoid that. I know one group that does shiai with a katana (not real) with a samurai armour, not sure the material of the armour). But I do not know how they keep scores.

You can do spar with only Kodachi (short shinai) in training not in shiai. If you want to do shiai, you can belong to Tankendo (tanken means short sword).

In FIK kendo kata, we do not have nito kata. But in koryu (classic style), they have nito kata.

Hope this helps.
Sep 23, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		No, height is not a factor
by: Anonymous

From experience, I advise one lady, of same height, about weak points of one who are very tall and which waza to use. She won her match, Ikkyu vs 3 Dan.

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for sharing that!
Sep 22, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Too short?
by: RFoxmich

I remember practicing in the Kitamoto summer seminar for foreign instructors. This was back when it was 5 days, one day break and 5 more days. In the second half our senseis were Shioiri sensei ...who is not short and Okubo sensei who was probably not much taller than you.

It was impossible to strike him unless he permitted us and he could not only strike do, which I sort of expected, and kote, which I could understand as well, but he could leap in and strike the men as if he were 8ft. tall. That was truly amazing.

Keep practicing and be sure to gain enjoyment from kendo.

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for sharing, Ron sensei!

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