Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about them kendo sticks, the ones they call shinai. Do they hurt? You bet your bottom dollar they do! It ain’t like gettin’ hit with a feather, that’s for sure.
I ain’t no expert, mind you, but I’ve seen folks swingin’ them things, and I’ve heard tales. They say it’s like a good whippin’, but maybe a bit fancier. It stings, it bruises, and sometimes, if you get hit just wrong, it can do more than that. But from what I gather, it ain’t supposed to be about hurtin’ folks bad.
Now, they got all this fancy armor they wear, head to toe. Helmets, chest protectors, the whole shebang. That helps a lot, keeps you from gettin’ busted up too bad. But even with all that gear, you gonna feel it. Especially if someone’s new and don’t know how to swing that stick right. They might hit you harder than they mean to.
- Head and neck can get banged up, even with the helmet.
- Face ain’t totally safe neither.
- Body blows still gonna sting, even with the padding.
But here’s the thing, the more you do it, the less it bothers you, or so they say. It’s like when you’re workin’ the fields all day. Your hands get tough, your back gets strong. You get used to it. Same thing with this kendo, I reckon. You learn to take a hit, and you learn how to hit so it don’t hurt so much.
They tell me that if you’re doin’ it right, it shouldn’t hurt too bad. It’s more about a quick cut than a big whack. Like slicin’ through somethin’, not bashin’ it to pieces. But beginners, they ain’t got that figured out yet. So, yeah, it can hurt when you’re just startin’ out. Them experienced folks, they know how to control themselves, how to make the stick do what they want without breakin’ nobody.
And if you do get hurt, well, that’s part of it, I guess. Just like fallin’ off a horse or gettin’ kicked by a cow. It happens. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on goin’. That’s what they do in this kendo, too, from what I hear. They don’t cry about it; they just get back to swingin’.
This kendo thing, it comes from them samurai fellas, way back when. They used swords, real sharp ones. Now, they use these sticks, but the idea’s the same. It’s about discipline, about learnin’ to control your body and your mind. And part of that is learnin’ to take a little pain, I reckon.
So, yeah, those kendo sticks, they can hurt. But it ain’t about hurtin’. It’s about learnin’, about gettin’ stronger, about respect and all that. It’s a tough sport, but them folks who do it, they seem to love it. They say it makes ’em better people, tougher, more focused. Maybe it does, maybe it don’t. But one thing’s for sure, you ain’t gonna do it without feelin’ a little sting now and then. It’s part of learnin’ all them fancy moves they do.
You gotta move forward, and drop that stick on the target, they call it “men”, I think. Then you work on your “tenouchi”. Whatever that is, sounds complicated to me, all this fancy names. But it’s all ’bout learnin’ the basics first, like anythin’ else in life. You don’t just jump on a horse and start galloping, you gotta learn to saddle it first, right?
They say it ain’t about hacking and whacking, but more like cutting. And if someone’s swingin’ too hard, well, that’s their problem, not the stick’s. Sometimes accidents happen, they fall, break a toe. I fell off a porch once, broke my wrist, so I get it. Most times though, its just some muscle sprains or such. Like when you lift too much hay, your back gets sore.
So, if you’re thinkin’ about doin’ kendo, be prepared for a few bumps and bruises. It ain’t for the faint of heart, but if you stick with it, you might just learn a thing or two, and maybe get tough enough to handle anything life throws at ya. It’s like workin’ the land, it ain’t easy, but it makes ya strong.
From what I hear, them trainers know what they are doin’. If you hit too hard they will tell ya, and if you are new they will go easy on you. So if you are thinking about starting, well then go on and get to it, just be careful out there now ya hear.
Tags：[Kendo, Shinai, Kendo sticks, Pain, Injuries, Training, Martial arts, Safety, Beginner, Samurai]
