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 in my stopping, realizing the distance I’d fallen in eight years of inactivity was harder to take.
Certainly kendo isn’t going to be a pain free workout. This afternoon, after roughly two and half hours of workout, I am stiff and sore from the soles of my feet to my upper shoulders and elbows. Not having a personal history with kendo will be the difference I think. My expectations aren’t set so high that I’ll beat myself every time I perform any technique.
The workout began with several hundred practice cuts with the bokken. The finishing technique (whose name escapes me now) was very aerobic. Next we worked with partners on men (head) and kote (wrist) strikes. Finally while those students with their own armor (bogu) working on sparring techniques, the beginners working on stances, striking, and footwork. It was all good, and I am very excited about starting a new journey in the martial arts.
The real test will come tomorrow (or Monday) morning when I go to get up and discover just how much I taxed my computer-chair potato muscles.