because not enough websites start with the letter “Z”
Posted in health on Nov 8th, 2006
Starting last year about this time I have been searching for a martial art activity for myself. Initially I started with karate as that is what I had done before. Being out of shape and trying to return to something I was once very good at was disheartening to say the least. The mental image [...]
Posted in health on Aug 9th, 2006
Sparring in kendo is vastly different than sparring in karate-do. First off, the other guy is trying to WHACK YOU WITH A STICK. And given the it is rather small in circumference, and you are wearing a mask with bars obscuring your line of sight, you easily lose track of where it is currently. That [...]
Posted in health on Aug 2nd, 2006
My kendo workouts continue to be good. Having a prior background in karate is surprisingly helpful. While there are virtually no shared techniques except for some of the footwork, the concepts are the same — and I was always good at applying new concepts.
Working out outside has it challenges. Heat, bugs, various brain-dead cretins who [...]
Posted in health on Jun 28th, 2006
One of the parts about working out in the martial arts that I haven’t missed a bit are the little incidental injuries. Karate-do was wonderful for mystery bruises appearing in places you had no recollection of having been hit. Jammed toes, especially on a competition matted floor were also common. The worst by far were [...]
Last night’s kendo workout was good; more and more of the basics are starting to feel normal to me, my focus is returning, and I am less wiped out by the exercise itself. The soles of my feet are taking a beating; hopefully they will toughen up sooner rather than later. I did manage to [...]
Posted in health on Jun 17th, 2006
This morning’s workout was exceptional for me. About ten or twelve students from Lawrence came over and joined us, making the group around twenty for the day. The Lawrence dojo is Korean, and while they call it kumdo to our kendo, the two arts are the same. Remembering the fun of large group work outs [...]
Posted in health on Jun 14th, 2006
I am getting back into the martial arts workout groove. Muscles that were painfully sore after my first kendo workout are now only tired. The little nuances that make up and art form are starting to become apparent to me, and I am feeling my focus return as I strive to incorporate the proper stance, [...]
Posted in health on Jun 10th, 2006
Today’s kendo workout was a good one for me. I blew it off on Wednesday evening mostly because I didn’t want to go, but in part because I was tired. I ended up going to sleep about 8:30 that evening; getting almost nine hours that night. A fair trade I think.
Even though I haven’t worked [...]
In my career as a martial artist I have had many different injuries. I have jammed toes and fingers, broken knuckles, broken my nose, dislocated my elbow, and torn the medial collateral ligament in my right knee. Not to mention countless contusions and bruises. However, last evening I added a new “injury” to my list [...]
Posted in health on May 20th, 2006
This morning was my first full kendo workout, and basically the first workout I’ve had in months. Last November I took a run at restarting karate only to falter and stop after just two workouts. While the pain in my knees and back from not having been physical for so long certainly played a part [...]
