Listen to your body!!

Despite I am planning to focus on Kendo and Health issues for Kendoka over 50 years of age, there is one common denominator that applies to everyone, and that is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Friday night, during Jigeiko, one of my daughters was fighting Yamada sensei, she tried MEN but her attack was blocked so, she kept moving forward going into a strong tai-atari and then, when her body was getting in contact with Yamada's sensei, she felt a sharp burning pain in the lower right section of her abdomen.

She tried to pull back but, the pain was so strong that her legs didn't hold and she went down to the floor in fetal position.

We have to call an ambulance and she stayed overnight at the hospital, where she was diagnosed as a torn abdominal muscle. She has to rest and will be out of keiko for some few weeks.

Lesson Learned

The lesson learned here is simple, she didn't listen to her body, during the week, before Friday, she was feeling her abs tight and a small amount of pain in the affected area, however, due to the fact that she has been out of consistent keiko for awhile, she thought it was a "normal" pain. Well, she was wrong.

Conclusion

We - all Kendoka - have something that it is a virtue and a curse, that is our Tamashi, or spirit, that lead us to continue in our quest, no matter what. Sometimes, we should set aside such spirit and listen to our body.

Cases like my daughter, normally recover quickly, because they are young but, people of my age may find more difficult to recover from injuries so, we have to be careful.

Hello,

This is my first posting, somehow to introduce myself and also to announce the scope of this blog.

I have started Kendo when I was forty nine years old, I am currently fifty two, being Sho-Dan my current rank.

Kendo has been a thirty year long dream, finally coming true, and to make things even better, my 3 children are also Kendoka.

My base dojo is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, being Mississauga a city close to Toronto and that name, is the name of an aboriginal tribe that inhabited the area in ancient times. Canada is full of locations named after aboriginal voices, Canada itself derives from an aboriginal voice too.

Now that you know a bit about me, I'd like to describe the scope of this blog.

There is already a blog, plenty of super detailed information about Kendo, a tremendous amount of work and dedication put by Vivian Yung so, my idea is to complement my work with hers, but pointing facts about adjusting your Kendo to your age.

That, along with my feelings and views from now to Taipei and from Taipei to Japan, will be the main scope of this blog.

Thank you and let's be in touch.