[Cheaperisdeeper]

I've been doing Kendo for a little while now (about 6 months or so), and I absolutly loved it! After practice I couldn't wait for my next one and I would practice all the time. I told all my friends that I wanted to be in Kendo for as long as possible and I was so happy. But we all just moved up to the 3rd class and we've gotten armor and stuff. Now it's the complete oppsite. I can't stand class, I don't want to go when my practices days come, I want so badly to quit... I kept going for a while even though I despised it, just to see if it was a phase or something, but all that happened was I started hating it even more. but I remember loving Kendo so much that I can't stand to just... quit! I don't know what to do... My Sensai once said that Kendo is more mentally challenging then physically. I think I understand what he meant now. But I still don't know what to do... please help me...

[Fdmnrnba]

I kinda know what you are going through. I have doing kendo for about three years now, but there was a point where i hated going to practice. It got boring and I was having a lot of health issues. But when I switched to another dojo and i worked through my health issues things were better, i enjoy it a lot more. Now im not saying that you should switched dojos, i think that you just need to hang in there the first few months in armor are different because you are now being attacked instead of your oppenet just standing and taking your hits. Its now about using what you learned before having armor and trying to apply it. If you get hit dont get angry, accept it and learn from it because you have just been shown a weakness in your kendo. thus you now have something to work on. Kendo to me is all about learning and improving, its like that quote (which i have no idea who its by) "if at first you dont succeed, try again." And just remember although it may look easy when watching other people make hits, that those people have been doing kendo for many years. Well I hope this helps, and just hang in there it should get easier as you practice more.

[satthackacibe]

Well I did just sit down for a really long time and think about why I suddenly hate it so much actually. The only thing I could figure out was maybe it's got to do with the fact that I was used to practicing with people at my own level. But now all of a sudden I've been thrown into a class full of people who have been doing it for 3 years or so... I just feel so out of place and whenever I do something wrong the person I was sparring with gets all frustrated and it makes me just want to go home. I wish we could just be with people at my own level...

[C7JjVczP]

Hey,

Got a question for you... what is it that you despise?? is it being in full armour, or being hit back now? When I started out doing kendo 17 years ago I didn't like the first lessons, but once I got the chance to train in bogu it went alot better... ;-) I hope you don't quit. I think everybody has a time in his or her life that he really hates to go to practice or something like that. If you really love doing kendo like you said it shouldn't be a problem to keep going on.
good luck

[Jesslovers]

I'm not sure if I have health problems or not, but I know that usually about halfway through class I feel like I'm going to throw up and I have to sit out. I don't know if it's dehydration or what. Well even if I wanted to go to a new dojo I couldn't beacuse there's only one in my area. It's not getting hit or how dificult Kendo is that gets me down. I think it's just the environment. Or something...

[BopeDolaNeone]

I don't really know what I hate... the only thing I can think of is that we started out with people at our level, and now we're suddenly with people who have been doing it for... jeez... 3-5 years and they always act so... I don't know... It's like I make a mistake and they make fun of me. It was so embaressing... I forgot how to hit Do once... ugh... I get stage fright I guess

[zueqhbyhp]

Well I did just sit down for a really long time and think about why I suddenly hate it so much actually. The only thing I could figure out was maybe it's got to do with the fact that I was used to practicing with people at my own level. But now all of a sudden I've been thrown into a class full of people who have been doing it for 3 years or so... I just feel so out of place and whenever I do something wrong the person I was sparring with gets all frustrated and it makes me just want to go home. I wish we could just be with people at my own level...

I felt like that too when I first got into bogu. It was hard practicing with higher level people and I didn't want to practice with them because I thought that I was wasting their time. But when i did practice with them they helped me correct what i was doing wrong and gave me tips on how to improve. So for you i suggest that you just ignore your oppents frustration, and when they do show signs of it just ask them how you could improve because you are there to learn and those who are higher level than you are there to help you. They should know that you are just a beginner and that you are going to be making mistakes.

[rouletteroulette]

That's what my Sensai told me when I talked to him about it. I guess the problem is I'm just one of those kinds of people that hates to me judged, and I feel like I'm on the spotlight beacuse I'm one of the very few beginners in my class. One of the other problems I'm having is I'm only able to be there about half the time, so I'm really far behind now

[muBXvWIC]

Hey,
Try not to let those student's attitude's bother you. They really should try to help you and not feel hindered in trying to teach you. I know you said that you're anxious and feel bad about being behind all of the other students, but try to think of the situation differently. Instead of thinking of how far behind you are, try to think of how much better you want to become to be able to get better. Don't think that it will take me "x" number of practices to get "x" skill; just try hard every practice and have the mentality of doing better than your sempais. If you keep up that spirit, then you will excel much faster than you think you can and it might make your practices more enjoyable. It's the positive attitude that counts!

[Dilangfh]

Yeah, I've been trying to stay positive. It's just really hard sometimes. I've always tried to make quitting anything my very last option. That's why when I started considering quitting Kendo I was shocked with myself, especially after I'd loved it so much.

[Nosmas]

That's what my Sensai told me when I talked to him about it. I guess the problem is I'm just one of those kinds of people that hates to me judged, and I feel like I'm on the spotlight beacuse I'm one of the very few beginners in my class. One of the other problems I'm having is I'm only able to be there about half the time, so I'm really far behind now

yea im that kind of person too, but i have learned to just get over it because i just remind myself that everyone who is there has probably made the same mistakes that iam making. Just remember that you are still a beginner and that you will make mistakes, no one is perfect. When I first got into bogu there was probably only about five of us in my beginner class. And so for the time thing, i have the same problem because of my work schedule Im only able to make it to the last hour of class. So what i have been doing in order to help me improve is to practice at home by doing suburi and other swings. Ask your sensei if he has any suggestion as to what you could do at home.

[popillio]

Well if you hate being judged, you've got a tough row to hoe with kendo. Your sensei and seniors will always be evaluating you, and saying "do it this way, no not that way, this way". If you add in some sort of insecurity about how people feel about you... I don't know what else to say other than, grow a thicker skin. Practising with people better than you will make you better, and a year from now you'll be motodachi for some other newbie in bogu who will be feeling like he can't do anything right. Circle of kendo life. Always someone better, always someone worse.

[Elaltergephah]

Yeah I'm late to class a lot because of scheduling problems. When I go to practice today I'll ask Sensei what I should practice at home

[streMunford]

Everybody goes through with the whole, "Wow, I feel like quitting" stage. I've been doin kendo for more than 1yr now, and I went through it, but I realized that everybody went through with it, so I just got over it. All you gotta do is realize that nothin is easy, there's always a point where you wanna stop, but if you keep going, quitting is not an option.

[CathBraun]

Yeah... Kendo is really competetive and I've never been one for that. That's probably another aspect I dislike about it. Sometimes it makes me wonder if Kendo just isn't for me since I get judged so much, and I'm going to get judged even more. I feel like such a quitter when I say that though... hopefully I can "grow a thicker skin" as you say, because if not, I'm not gonna have much fun.

[Scukonahuy]

Yeah... Kendo is really competetive and I've never been one for that. That's probably another aspect I dislike about it. Sometimes it makes me wonder if Kendo just isn't for me since I get judged so much, and I'm going to get judged even more. I feel like such a quitter when I say that though... hopefully I can "grow a thicker skin" as you say, because if not, I'm not gonna have much fun.

What did you like about kendo? What did you expect it to be?

[RagonaCon]

Yeah I know. I don't want to quit, It's just stressing me out and I guess I needed to hear some advice from other people in Kendo. As helpful as my friends are, they're just not the people I needed to talk to about this since they've never even set foot in a dojo.

[Slintreeoost]

Yeah I know. I don't want to quit, It's just stressing me out and I guess I needed to hear some advice from other people in Kendo. As helpful as my friends are, they're just not the people I needed to talk to about this since they've never even set foot in a dojo.

Seriously, why did you start? What was the thing that got you into it? If it turns out that it's not what you thought it was - that's not a crime. Only one in ten make it past the first year, it doesn't mean the other 90% are losers (maybe only half ).

[dietpillxanaxaxx]

Well I joined Kendo because my best friend was in it and I'd heard a lot of good things about it. He told me it was very challenging though, and not to take it lightly. I decided to try and and I loved it because it made me feel... I don't know. Alive? Hard to describe. I don't know what I expected it to be... I guess I never really thought about that.

[RorieSorNearop]

lol well I started because my friend loved it and he said it was very challenging. I guess I kinda wanted to prove myself or something. I'm not sure...