Training Aikodo and Kendo - does it match?

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Robertbr]

I´ve trained Aikido for one year now and I really like it. I love the spiritual side of Aikido training and I think I have much to learn from it.
But, since I´m a bit chubby, i do need some more physical training too.
Since i like Aikido, I´m thining about traning one more martial art.
Research has led me to Kendo, that seems to be a explosive and demanding sport.
In my mind it could match the Aikido, since the Aikido is so much focused around sword movements.
Is there anyone out there with experience from this, training both Aikido and Kendo?
Please share your experience.
/Robert

[bcole23]

Kendo isn't going to help you firm up like what you want.

Here's what I would do. (and what I have done before)
1. Drink lots of water every day.
(At least 8 glasses or the equivalent thereof. To be a little cras, if your urine is yellow, you're not drinking enough.)

2. Get a min of 8 hours sleep a day.

3. Cut back your portions when eating.
(You'll feel like your not full for a few weeks as your stomach shrinks.)

4. You can also eat like 5-6 meals a day, but very small.

5. Get 20 minutes of non-stop aerobic exercise AT LEAST 3 times a week. (besides Aikido. eg. walking around the neighborhood.)

6. Don't be like every American out there and expect results in one week. Just make lifestyle changes and the pounds will slowly melt away for good.

7. Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise or diet program.

8. Take it easy. If you hammer yourself from the get-go youl burn yourself out, get discouraged, and risk injury.

9. Track your progress. (Sometimes you wont see any change on the scale but if you haven't been doing much lately, don't forget, you're switching fat for muscle.)

10. A light weight-lifting program can help also. The average body burns over 2,000 calories a day just to work. By adding muscle, you burn more calories during the time your body is maintaining itself.

[bcole23]

P.S.
Aikido is a very demanding "sport" depending on how you train. Every bit as demanding as Kendo.

[Johan Tibell]

Originally posted by bcole23
P.S.
Aikido is a very demanding "sport" depending on how you train. Every bit as demanding as Kendo.
I agree but on a lower level it's probably more demanding mentally than physicaly. On the other hand I get most tired by doing some fast paired sword practice because the sheer amount of concentration needed. :)

- Johan

[Robertbr]

But the problem is that doing aerobics bores me to death, and thats why I´m looking for another martial art.
/Robert

[Johan Tibell]

Originally posted by Robertbr
But the problem is that doing aerobics bores me to death, and thats why I´m looking for another martial art.
/Robert
Bores the hell out of me too. :o

- Johan

[JJF]

I've been doing kendo for a couple of years, and I was in a rather good shape back then, that might however be related to the fact that I practiced two hours every day combined with croos-countyr running and suburi PLUS walking a couple of kilometers to and from work each day.... :D

I agree that you can get as much excercise from Aikido than from Kendo if you do it right, and I personally had a lot of difficulties about getting rid of what I've learned in kendo so that it wouldn't interfere with my aikido. Perhaps on a high level kendo would be benefitial, but I found it far to agressive. If you do swordpractice in your aikido, (and you should ;)) then kendo might confuse you a bit, since the way you use a shinai is completely different from what you do with a bokken.

I find that riding my bike to work instead of the car and go to the dojo a couple of times a week plus skipping the chocolate, cookies and ice cream (that's the hard part :() help me from growing any bigger than I already am.

If you want to do MA to get more excersice then I recommend more Aikido or perhaps a striking art like Karate (preferably a style that emphazises kihon(form) over kumite(fight)). That would give you that extra 'edge' in your understanding of atemi.

Note to self: Okay now JJ - stop rambling and go back to work... :(

[andrew]

I've been assured by people better qualified than me that kendo and aikido are pretty different. We had a course here with a sixth dan (in iaido too) who had no time for kendo. Of course, I know of another aikido sixth dan (friend of the first) who has 40 years of kendo, apparently.
Look into misogi. Not because it itself will necessarily get you fit (cos you'll be doing well to manage one a month), but doing any form of aerobic exercise will seem easy by comparison. By misogi I mean doing an hour of simple shomen cuts with a bokken. (you can do other things too..) Take it nice and easy speed wise. It's best to do in a group, because a group helps you keep going, and by yourself you will not keep it up on the first attempt. Also, you've got to be really meticulous about warming up and down carefully. It takes a lot out of you physically, but mainly it's a mental thing. (It takes an AWFUL lot physically, but you think very strangely after a solid half hour of it.)
andrew

[bcole23]

But the problem is that doing aerobics bores me to death, and thats why I´m looking for another martial art.

aerobic exercise is not doing "aerobics". It's anything that makes you breath hard for 20 minutes. If you have a good marriage, then this should be taken care of.:eek: Do you watch tv for more than 20 minutes at a time? Get a treadmill! Put it where you can see your tv.

The fact that fat is conquering your otherwise perfect form should get you motivated enough. Use that motivation to conquer your body to make it interesting. Not everything in life is fun or is meant to make you happy.

Playing sports will even be better than MA's. You need to get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes NON-STOP. (most) MA practice will not do this for you. Try basketball; you can really apply the tenets of Aikido to anything, so you can see playing basketball as a form of practice.

(blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda ...)

Brando

[ndiegel]

I don't have much authority on this, but wouldn't Kenjitsu benefit Aikido a lot? If you're looking for that type of martial art, I think it would be a good thing. Oh, something else. If you have a YMCA near you, they have a program called "Fitting In." You meet a few times with a trainer to assess your goals and your status. It really helps doing whatever you want to do (i.e. losing weight, gaining muscle, getting fit, increasing your endurance, etc...).

Noah

[JJF]

Originally posted by bcole23
(blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda ...)If you are going to quote me - at least remember to name your source :D