Some Different Kinds of Kendo Practice

Kendo includes many different kinds of practices, and there are some really odd ones too. Some of them are done without any protective gear on. There are different kinds of gear-less practices, and one I’d like to recommend is footwork practice.

Many people will be imaging holding a shinai normally and moving your feet front, back, left, right and diagonally. But that is done all the time, and you get sick of it. One training that is a bit different is ladder training. Some places may include ladder training in their practice menu, but if you have not experienced this yet, it may be a good opportunity to try it.

For ladder training you usually use a special ladder, but you can still do it without the equipment. You can use line tape. Line tape can be purchased from stores nearby, and it is actually safer. For the actual training method, think of some rules that make it fun.

There are other practices, like balloon popping, where in incorporate play into training such as ball dribbling, newspaper cutting, rock-scissors-paper, and many others. Including these in your menu would make training more fun.

Dojos that have young children tend to include wide variety of training so they don’t get bored. Fun training is a good way to get players motivated, so try and get yourself refreshed by often having some fun in your practices.

Also, in kendo it is important to call out in a loud voice. No matter how skillful you are or how fast you can strike, if you cannot raise your voice it will not lead to getting ippon. There may be players who think “I like kendo but my voice is too small”. Those players should start voice training.

There are many training methods to getting a loud voice, but the easiest way to do voice training during practice. Of course you are calling out all the time during practice, but timing is important. Perhaps some players only call out during the basic striking. That itself is not a problem, but it is wasting valuable opportunity. It is important to call out throughout the training session, not just during basic striking.

Try calling out in a loud voice not only during your own practice but also while watching you peers practice. Trying to raise your voice in your home may be difficult, but no one will get mad at you for shouting inside the dojo. If you keep calling out in a loud voice during practice, your voice will naturally become louder. Some people may feel shy, but using your voice is foundational to kendo.

Some people may feel like they really struggle to let out a loud voice. Do not just shout with your mouth and your throat, but get it out from the depths of your stomach. If it is difficult to get out a loud voice, try training your abdominal muscles to gain a strong voice from the depths of your stomach.