View Single Post
Old 04-24-2007, 05:45 AM   #7
Ecosamurai
 
Ecosamurai's Avatar
Dojo: Takagashira Dojo
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 570
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: kendo, Iaido and aikido

Hi Avi,

I practice aikido, kendo and iaido and find them all very complimentary (though I don't have as much time as I would like to do all these things).

Aikido swordwork as has been said is quite different from kendo and should best be viewed as a method for learning body movement.

Not sure why it took you so long to get some bogu. My teacher is Japanese and had me wearing bogu after only a few months.

It's very common for people to practice both Aikido and Iaido or Kendo and Iaido. Aikido and Kendo seems to be a little less common. I think it's probably because aikido people aren't interested in 'competition' or 'fighting' on the whole and kendo people are less interested in aikido because they want to learn sword work more than anything else. FWIW I find that the most rewarding and informative combination for me has been aikido and kendo, and I'm glad there was no iaido dojo here when I went looking for one (which is how I ended up in kendo).

Regards

Mike

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
-Martin Luther King Jr
  Reply With Quote