[shenacatro]

Hi everyone

Just wondering anyone here has any breathing problem such as asthma have a harder time to do Kendo around this time of year?

Before the hot weather came, I was able to practice 2.5 hours with little to no rest in between. I asked because in the past 3 weeks, I could barely make it out alive in a 1.5 hour practice session. Last Saturday was even worse, I couldn't get past half hour with 30 seconds break in between even though I drank plenty of water before! Luckily, my sensei and sempai are very understanding, that they let me take my breath when I raise my hand.

Last year wasn't a problem because I wasn't in bogu yet.

If anyone has similar problem, what do you do? I need some suggestions other than the puffs.

Thanks

[Xewksghy]

Do you smoke or something?

Maybe it's just the heat, you should drink more water before and after the practice and during the day drink 8 glasses. Why, maybe your body it's just claming you're about to dehydrate.

No, I don't smoke nor drink. I drink milk and juices, maybe a can of 7up here and there. I do drink plenty of water before practice. I don't really feel thirsty, but dizzy, shaking, and can't take any air in.

[Orefsmisits]

Geh, it's horrible down here. Since it's Miami, it's hot to begin with, but it just gets worse during the summer.

[shanice]

Allergies kick my butt between April and June every year here. Pollen is so thick, it looks like somebody's been spraying yellow paint all over the place...

AllerClear might help, I'm never sure if it does anything or not but I hate to inhale albuterol all the time.

[esdfsdflast]

Mugu, do you have asthma? I don't, so I can't suggest anything to help with that. I have noticed that since I stopped crosstraining my stamina during keiko has really gone down. So although it seems antithetical to get more energy by exerting more energy it really does help.

Another thing that I find helps is to do the same type of lung stretching exercises free divers do. The way I was shown was to take a deep breath, hold it for thirty seconds, then take another deep breath without exhaling and hold for another thirty seconds. I try to do this as I'm putting on my tare and do.

When I go up against sensei I really try to regulate my breath as well. I try to breathe only through my nose as long as I can and then when I start to want to gulp in air I force myself to breathe through my nose and out through my mouth. Only when I can no longer do that do I breathe and exhale from my mouth.

Shinkokyu also helps anytime.

[Chooriwrocaey]

the way i regulate my breathing is actually through my kiai. if i am fighting someone than i use a kiai whenever i start to get tired

[BoattyGonm]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, I do have asthma, runsyi. I will try out the excercises you recommended!

As for Kiai to help breathing, that doesn't work for me. The more I kiai, I have a harder time breathing. Before this happened, when I ran out of breath, all I needed to do was either crouch, or Mokuso for a few seconds. Then my breathing will catch up really fast. But that doesn't work for me lately. The more I tried to breath, I feel like less air is coming in. My sensei was so kind to me that he turned on the big fan for me one night. That was a huge help.

Though, I'll also try some allergy medicine Perry. Maybe I'm just allergic to the pollens or something.

Well, either way. I'm going down to Rochester to get my ass kick tonight and say goodbye to a very nice sensei who is going back to Japan. I hope I won't die, lol

[Moupponge]

If I didn't say "check with your doctor" I'd get spanked by Dr. Steve Roosevelt Esq. so there, I said it...

[longrema]

Heat in Okinawa ? Kakarikeiko for 15 rotations , 2 minutes each ......
ppl lasted it ..

[puzobok]

Heat exhaustion is no joke. Heatstroke is even less of one. Remember that it isn't necessary to do kirikaeshi like it's kakarigeiko. Pace yourself.

[jerzeygymwolf]

No, I don't smoke nor drink. I drink milk and juices, maybe a can of 7up here and there. I do drink plenty of water before practice. I don't really feel thirsty, but dizzy, shaking, and can't take any air in.

I have asthma so I'll give you my take on it.

My asthma is a lot better now than it was when I was little but it still can be bothersome when the weather rapidly changes and all. What I was suggested to do was take a puff or two from your inhaler before you do the activity and that should prevent the asthma attacks during the activity. The medicine is pretty harmless so taking an extra puff won't do much harm. I am not sure if this will work for everyone or if you have already tried it but it works perfectly for me.

[WhileKelf]

I don't know what I did different today. I just got home from Rochester, I did 12 rounds of 2 minutes Jigeiko before I have to rest! And then 4 more rounds after the that. Phew! The bad breathing part only kicked in after another 4 rounds when we finished with Kirikaeshi! Though, after the practice, I coughed like my lungs were gonna fall off. The puffs seemed to help a lot.

And sadly if anyone who knows Tomida sensei at Hokkyokusei down at Rochester is going back to Japan next week That was the farewell keiko for him.

[fluistulkn]

Mugu,

If you are 24, you should consider running and just keep pushing yourself a little harder to build up a stronger body. I think everyone largely ignored WhoIsRight's comment...people in Japan survive hours of keiko + kakarigeiko in weather that is barely breathable to begin with...I'm not familiar with the extent of your medical condition but you can't be the only one facing the heat.

[scoundtrack]

Mugu,

If you are 24, you should consider running and just keep pushing yourself a little harder to build up a stronger body. I think everyone largely ignored WhoIsRight's comment...people in Japan survive hours of keiko + kakarigeiko in weather that is barely breathable to begin with...I'm not familiar with the extent of your medical condition but you can't be the only one facing the heat.

I'm a sick person all my life, I get sick very easily. Trust me, I want to be stronger. Everytime I Kendo. I won't stop unless I really really have to, such as I am about to pass out and my sensei doesn't want me to pass out. I have gotten stronger than when I first started Kendo and I started Kendo because of I wanted to be stronger. I wasn't able to even go through the suburi session without bogu when I first started. Before this past 3 weeks, I was able to do more. I am only speculating maybe it is the heat, maybe it's just I'm allergic, and asthma + pollens is not good. If I'm such a whiner as you kinda indicated, I wouldn't be doing Kendo in the first place. And would've quit a long time ago...

[etdgxcnc]

Mugu,

If you are 24, you should consider running and just keep pushing yourself a little harder to build up a stronger body. I think everyone largely ignored WhoIsRight's comment...people in Japan survive hours of keiko + kakarigeiko in weather that is barely breathable to begin with...I'm not familiar with the extent of your medical condition but you can't be the only one facing the heat.

I ignored that comment because it didn't offer anything constructive. So people in Japan/Okinawa survive long, ardous keiko? How does this help Mugu to achieve the same? Are you here to offer some advice or just trying to make Mugu feel bad that she can't do what people in Japan do? Can you do what the kenshi in Japan do?

[AndrewBoss]

Mugu,

12 rounds of 2 minutes each, then another 4 rounds....I'd be dead before the 6th round.

I agree with Stephanie Dee, swimming is an excellent way to build stamina, plus it doesn't hurt your feet or knees like running will.

I've taken to riding my bicycle again, since the doctors have FINALLY given me permission to ride again, and I can see a difference already.

I don't have any allergies, so I cannot empathize with you, but if it's anything like having a head cold, I can understand, and hope the pollen count goes way down.

[Mappaindy]

No, I don't smoke nor drink. I drink milk and juices, maybe a can of 7up here and there. I do drink plenty of water before practice. I don't really feel thirsty, but dizzy, shaking, and can't take any air in.

are you eating and resting well? dizzy and shaking can come if you are low on blood sugar. i used to get that when i wasn't well rested or didn't eat before the practice, and being a diabete didn''t help. i usually drink sports drink before the practice. drinking water by itself really doesn't help much since body can't really take in all that water anyway. the sports drink contains salt and stuff that we sweat out during the practice and help body to retain the water. during the war (choose any one of 'em during last centery) soldiers were given salt pills to take along with water to retain water in the system. oh yeah.. when i get really tired, i can't breath either.. get that heavy feeling in the chest. oh.. last time i had that it was minor stroke. you might want to check with doctor also.

pete

[tramdoctorsss]

Another thing that I find helps is to do the same type of lung stretching exercises free divers do. The way I was shown was to take a deep breath, hold it for thirty seconds, then take another deep breath without exhaling and hold for another thirty seconds. I try to do this as I'm putting on my tare and do.

Thanks so much for this tip, runsyi! It helped me alot tonight. Got no problem through out the night! I also keep doing this stretch when I rotated out. Thanks so much!

I should take up swimming, the thing is, I don't know how to swim, heh I'll have to make my boyfriend to teach me this summer. Last I checked for swimming lessons from start to finish was $380 which I don't have. But yeh, a good swim during a summer will be nice!

And Pete, I do feel heavy in the chest sometimes, too. I have some of the symtoms you described. Though, usually I'm not tired and I eat 1-2 hours ahead and still have those stuff. Looks like it's time to pay the doc a visit just to be sure.

Thanks so much everyone for all of your inputs. Greatly appreciated them.

[KernJetenue]

Hmmmm, if you suddenly started getting this problem after you put on bogu, perhaps something in your men is triggering your attacks? Is it an old set of bogu? There were some threads a couple of months ago about cleaning bogu and killing bugs in it and so on. Or it could be that the added stress of suddenly running around with a constricting and strange thing strapped to you head, is making your attacks occur? If thats the case then it should get better for you over time I guess. My sister has asthma and if she is in a stressful situation (can just be a big wave catching her by surprise in the surf) she will begin to have problems with her breathing.
Just some ideas!

[SweetCaroline]

Mugu,

My apologies - like I said, I did not know the extent of your condition. Please don't get me wrong - anyone who sticks with Kendo pretty much gets my respect. I just got yelled at a lot for taking off my men so I guess my background is taking the wheel a bit. When I used to practice heavily in high school I ran to build/maintain stamina - I started with half a mile and slowly pushed to around 3 or 4. Nothing strenuous, but enough to get your lungs burning a bit, and then add a little more each time - the difference for me was almost immediate. You just have to do it on off days, or your legs will cramp up during keiko =\

You know, if you are getting dizzy, you should probably ask your sensei if you could keep a sip bottle with you, so you could quickly hydrate without taking off your men. I don't know what else to tell you, I'm sure you'll get stronger if you keep at it.