Training Time
 

Hi. I'm a new student to Aikido, but not necessarily to martial arts. (I've learned how to roll and fall). I have the opportunity to do both Kendo and Aikido with excellent teachers, so I have some questions:

1) Has anyone ever started Aikido and Kendo at the same time? I've heard the recommendation that people should only start one art at a time. Could this be a problem?

2) How often did/do you practice in Aikido then/now? Kendo has just one workout a week, so I'm wondering how many workouts I should attend in Aikido in order to make good progress.

Thanks a lot!

Hi there!

Kendo is a great art that I have always wanted to do. I went recently at a friend's recommendation to watch a kendo training, and it was impressive. However, I noticed that kendo's sword work is completely opposite to Aikido's. At my dojo, we do 3 hours of bokken per week, so I didn't want to create a style conflict.

I might be wrong, but my observation is that in aikido which is related to kenjutsu, sword cuts start well above the head with a lot of power, which is needed to effectively cut an opponent down in one shot in a practical situation. In kendo the purpose is to hit the opponent at determined places to score a point so cutting movements are short and quick, but could not possibly cut down a person effectively.

As for practice hours, I myself do 6 days a week at an average of 2 hours a day. However, I think that 3 to 4 times a week are better for good assimilation of techniques and gives muscles time to heal and recover. I just can't stop practicing even when I'm injured since I'm already addicted. But I know that it's not very beneficial for me.

Cheers,
Edward

Mixed training
 

We have a full-time Dojo where there is a regular Iaido class. It seems to help those who practise both Iaido and Aikido. BTW ona of our senior Instructors is also a Dan grade at Kendo and it doesn't appear to have done him any harm!. We also have Tai Chi classes and our Sensei has been studying regularly. It has opened a lot of peoples eyes to the similarities between MA's and blurred the differences. Study what you like and keep what you find useful/effective/beautiful but please don't make up your own MA from what you've learnt! BTW anybody out there heard of Saikiado. It's been advertised all over our local papers but I've never heard of it.
Have fun.

I might be wrong, but my observation is that in aikido which is related to kenjutsu, sword cuts start well above the head with a lot of power, which is needed to effectively cut an opponent down in one shot in a practical situation. In kendo the purpose is to hit the opponent at determined places to score a point so cutting movements are short and quick, but could not possibly cut down a person effectively.

How much power is required to drive a sharp blade through soft flesh?

My tameshigiri experience is very limited (a few times with rolled and soaked tatami tops and once with bamboo), but from what I've noticed, the less "power" one puts into a cut, the better it cuts. Cutting through a three-inch diameter tatami top that's been rolled and soaked requires hardly more than the weight of the sword dropping through.

I'm sure there are those with much more tameshigiri experience than I have, though; anyone out there care to comment?

-- Jun

I just started Kendo myself, and my classes are once a week too (that's really not enough though, but well, the uni cut out the other day)

I remember the first day I joined the class, the sensei had to constantly correct me because I was doing things as they were taught in Aiki class. Takes some getting used to, but after that it's not a problem.

My current Aiki dojo is a good distance away so I only make it for class 2 (3 if I'm lucky) times a week. Still looking for one close by.

Well, what I was trying to say is go for it!
It may be a bit confusing at first but after a while, both forms will be second nature to you.

Re: Training Time
 

What is important with two MA, not only Kendo and Aikido, is to not mix things. In short, when you're in the aikido dojo, you do aikido and when you're in the kendo class, you do kendo. But don't begin to do aikido things in the kendo class because you have learn it that way in aikido in vice-versa... Doing that last thing, you will not only hinder your progress in both art, you will also not be an agreeable partner to work with...

As for the practice time in aikido, I do 3 time 2 hours a week. But everybody here has a different life. Doing aikido 7/7 days may be good if you're a single, student, no job, no wife, no kids. If you have a family, kids, work 60 hours/week, then even 2 times a week may represent a big investment for you. Everybody also have different motivations: some wants to have their own dojo one day, othe simply do aikido for the sake of it. Again, these peoples may not want to invest the same amount of time in aikido class... We can also think of age: older peoples cannot recuperate as fast as younger ones... Simply practice the time you feel right for you, depending of the time you can put in, your motivations, etc...

Time for my one Kendo story. I've probably told it before, I've only got one afterall, so bear with me.

As a brown belt I happened to attend the local Japanese Festival and they had a Kendo demo. When they asked for volunteers to play I did so knowing that my Aikido time would fool them. They'd be expecting some hack, not ME!

Anyways, I drew their senior student, and not once did I even see his shinai move. Heard it as it hit me and he yelled a lot too. The guy tagged me at will. He wouldn't have had to kill me with one cut. He could have done it with 50 before I even knew I'd been cut.

Wait, I have a second story. A friend had also been to the local Kendo demo and he too had volunteered. Seems he'd had some Budwieser lubrication and when they gave him that stick he just grabbed it, charged and tackled the guy. For some reason I remember him telling me that he got his opponent in the crotch too.

He didn't really understand why but he said he had the distinct feeling that the Kendo people didn't like him. ;)