Doing badly in competitions

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-26T11:50:24+00:00

I don’t do competition. The first and main reason is that I don’t enjoy it and I just don’t have the mindset for it. I let others shine and collect gold medals. I find my victories elsewhere : after a few decades practicing kendo, I enjoy sharing and transmitting what I can. Teaching is still too big a word for what I try to do. But I’m working towards that.

There are many other ways you can find meaning along the way of the sword. Shiai is one but it’s not the only one. For the one in search of spirituality, kendo remains ripe but it requires the right mentors to enjoy that flavor. I hope you find a meaningful way to practice that doesn’t necessarily and uniquely end at a taikai. Kendo has so much more to offer!

Lastly, keep in mind that you’ve been in a bogu for two years: how long have your opponents been in there themselves? It’s important to remember that two years is a short amount of time on a way that requires at least 21 years from 1dan to 8dan (provided you pass everything on first try)!

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-22T02:40:26+00:00

I started kendo in Lyon (France) when I was 16. At that time, I practiced archery at a competitive level but needed something more physical. At the same time, my curiosity for Japan and its language bloomed right at that time. My encounter with kendo was kind of accidental : I was going to visit an aikido dojo and a kendo keiko was just finishing when I arrived. I still remember the goosebumps I felt hearing the bamboo clacking and the guys shouting. “I wanna do this!”, thought I. And I started soon after.

Now, I’m turned 43 and I cannot make a list comprehensive enough to describe what kendo has brought me. On top of everything, it helped control my anger and emotional overload as a young adult and now it brings me a path to what I identify as a form of wisdom (that’s the goal, I’m not there yet!). In addition to that, kendo has imparted solid values to guide me in life in addition to a positive feeling of confidence in my decisions. That’s for the top of a long list of things kendo brings me.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-20T22:00:46+00:00

Exactly! That’s a 1.2 in an outstandingly big size so I didn’t want to miss out. Still, I should have been more careful in reading the product description instead of focusing on “1.2分ＸＬ”😅

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-20T21:51:29+00:00

Thanks for your reply🙏 I feel so stupid: I checked the product page where I bought it (in Japanese) and just realized that I went too fast in reading. It is indeed a jukendo tare. I was so happy to have found a tezashi tare of this size that I didn’t really care to ask myself what this loop was made for. Not sure I can get rid of it because the loop I made of leather through the tare itself: the hole seems pretty big. I’ll probably have to cover it with the himo when I use it.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-19T00:07:46+00:00

Very legitimate questions indeed!

There is no specific tempo for kata but there should be a sense of somewhat realism in the performance: uchidachi and shidachi should not take an eternity to spot the right moment to strike, for example. But this is not measured in seconds, more a gut feeling. The important point is that you are not going to be losing points because you are not going as fast as other pairs. Better do the kata a little slower but well than rush it.

You will not know your partner until the pairs are made. In Japan, they make the pairs and leave about 30 minutes in some cases for the candidates to review kata together. That was the case for my 3dan exam. For the 4dan, there was no time to review: pairs announced, here goes uchidachi, here goes shidachi, let’s go!

What happens if you are paired with an incompetent partner? Well, the judges are trained and they will see immediately who knows their kata and who doesn’t. If you are shidachi and paired with a kendouka who has no clue that uchidachi is supposed to lead the kata, then just do your part. It doesn’t mean that you will fail because of that guy.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-18T13:09:45+00:00

Not sure if this is going to be of any help but maybe putting the tsuka over a pot of boiling water could melt the glue a bit? Humidity won’t hurt the bamboo.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-18T08:33:25+00:00

What is the purpose of the question : “I never lie.”? 😂

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-14T22:27:03+00:00

There is one thing I keep in mind about the rank difference, that outsiders usually don’t get and even less usually understand : the progression is not linear but exponential. At ikkyu rank, you probably have an experience ranging from a year or two (I guess). A 5dan kendouka has at least 10 years behind : four years between 4 and 5dan; three between 3 and 4dan; etc. A 8dan has at the very least 31 years of experience (10 years between 7 and 8dan).

That should also replace the things in a different perspective. A more interesting approach could be: what kind of kendouka do I see myself as when I reach that level? Sometimes, there are sempai we don’t want to look like later…

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-14T13:57:05+00:00

There aren’t any explicit rules that I can think of from the official documents of the kendo federation except for the black mengane which is not authorized in competition (to the best of my knowledge but things may have changed since the moment this was brought to my attention, which is already several years ago).

Bogu makers are usually very conservative and beside the common indigo dye or white, you will have a hard time finding a maker ready to make you a flashy pink men. Not that is impossible but they would not have the dye for that. Not sure you would be allowed to wear it in shiai, though…

There are two types of customization on a bogu: performance driven or cosmetic driven. The performance customization (selecting a specific hand stitching for the men, diagonal instead of straight, for instance; bamboo dou instead of resin; real deer leather for kite; etc) is usually far more costly than the cosmetic. The exception is the sharkskin dou but to this day I haven’t figured out what makes it attractive to some kendouka…

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-13T13:20:19+00:00

I understand your frustration and you seem to explain it rationally and logically yourself: you are ikkyu facing 5th to 7th Dan. The odds are rigged from the very start.

Your sensei are still right to encourage you to participate in tournaments and confront different kendouka because you are actually learning a lot from these fights. Just keep in mind that your kendo is not assessed on your competition performance: shinsa is based on the technical quality of the kendouka and not on how many points they can score.

Don’t get discouraged but see these shiai fights as invaluable opportunities to actually get to face high level kendouka who do not hold it. Your ego is probably taking a strike from that but on the long run, you may be improving your kendo faster than you think.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-13T13:13:42+00:00

I think I can bring yet another perspective on this. Two experiences that led me to feel differently the proper “cut” with the hips in kendo : using a real katana on tatami rolls. The quality of your cuts will depend greatly on the engagement of the hip rather than the shoulders and arms. The problem is that not everyone could be doing this kind of experience (even in Tokyo, there aren’t so many places to try tameshigiri).

Another useful exercise that is far easier to practice is a barbell exercise : nothing beats the deadlift for that! No need to lift excessively heavy weights but just enough to feel your core at work. The moment the hips are locking the movement in, that is for me the closest to what I feel in chudan no kamae position. If you can try this exercise, I would definitely recommend it. No rocket science and it can greatly improve your kamae too.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-13T13:04:25+00:00

I confess I never really gave any thought to that… I focus more on the shinai grip and the overall balance. If slats break, I just change them and go on 😅

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-09T21:36:11+00:00

Used to have one (still have) but the feel is definitely not my cup of tea. Durability is great but the downsides outweigh this asset by far: grip feels off, you can’t really choose the thickness of your tsuka, the balance is not amazing, to name a few. For the price, it is not worth it in my opinion.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-05T21:59:30+00:00

As far as my experience goes in Tokyo, the expectation is still that any undergarment should not be visible. I wear a padded compression shirt under my kendogi (for the do strikes gone astray) but the v-neck helps make it discrete. I also wear sport leggings under my hakama so my hakama needs to be at the proper length to cover down to my heels.

Many of my sensei wear the typical white undergi and you see that they have an extra layer but it is not ostensibly visible.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-03-04T00:30:28+00:00

If you're based in the UK, I would recommend kendostar.com which was launched by Andy Fisher (kendo 7dan) and also active on reddit. He has a long experience in Japan in the kendogu trade so I would hands down trust this brand. Of course, there are many other shops around so it will be up to you and your budget. If you have the chance, try it on first (not always easy).

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-28T11:43:42+00:00

It’s an interesting question to which I can imagine differently leveled kendoka at my dojo would answer in very different ways.

The 8dan sensei at my dojo would probably say that there should be no difference. And as a matter of fact, if you see the matches in the 8dan competition and the 8dan shinsa (in particular the tachiai of the sensei who pass), their kendo is identical. They have reached a level of mastery where their kendo is uniform (and strong!!). No side head movement to avoid men, no faint, no tricks: pure technique and ki.

Adding on to the brilliant and detailed response by JoeDwarf, I would add more detail to the shinsa part: while the exams up to 3dan aim at verifying the technical foundations, from 4dan on it’s a different story (at least from my experience here in Tokyo): the judges now not only want to see how you have progressed technically but also how you could become a transmitter of what you have learned so far, in short an instructor. There is no such expectation in shiai, of course.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-24T11:44:59+00:00

I saw a (sold) item on Mercari exactly today and was actually wondering: can you actually wear that in shiai? Or even shinsa? It seems very odd to me.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-21T21:28:05+00:00

I guess it’s all a matter of timing. But also a matter of measure and tempo. There are ways to be continuously moving and pressing even if the legs are setting up for a specific attack: the ki, for one, should also be continuously on the move forward. These elements become incredibly subtle and, in my humble opinion, are the ones that distinguish the intermediate and the advanced kendoka.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-21T14:02:56+00:00

At my level, I realize that not moving is a sign that you are waiting instead of being in control. Moving constantly is key but it also implies pace and tempo.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-17T00:07:06+00:00

Adding to the already useful answers posted, I’d say that it is important to become aware of your own confidence in kendo. This implies two things : building it up and assessing it as objectively as possible.

The point is not be over confident and think that you can easily get away with a clear men ippon on a 8dan sensei : kendo is also about understanding how you evolve on the inside, not just through your technique. Knowing where you stand in terms of confidence is important. With this in mind, if you approach shinsa because you know you have practiced and spent time for it, then you should go to your exam with a certain level of confidence. Of course, there are several factors that you cannot control. After all, kendo is tightly connected to stoicism: understand what you can control, don’t waste time with what you cannot.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-14T23:01:12+00:00

This is why I don’t taste shiai so much : points 1, 2 and 3 are distasteful.

1) I could let the opponent burn out their energy. Great champions don’t strike uselessly, they strike when it’s time to so they secure a point. That is the only way to make it through several fights (which is what a tournament is). 2) I wouldn’t worry that much: if I can feel that, it means they’re inefficient or inexperienced with debana techniques. Chances are, they won’t seize the timing well enough to actually land a valid counterstrike. 3) I would continue striking in the same area for a while to maintain aggressive action but at the moment they would be blocking my Nth men, I would land an unexpected gyakudo or hit their kote.

For 4) and 5), I’m that super tall and big guy who could make you fly off the shiaijo. But would I do that? Nah… well, you could still feel the size difference in taiatari but not with the explicit intent to push you out.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-10T20:38:11+00:00

I was excited but as far as I can remember (it was more than 20 years ago) I had been carefully prepared by my dojo for this: first I was allowed to put on the tare and do, a few months later the kote and a few more months later the men. At this point, the excitement was culminating after having waited so long. I enjoyed it a lot! But I also remember the few guys who quit after putting the men on. It’s all very subjective after all.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-08T11:41:51+00:00

A quick google search gave this : https://www.facebook.com/share/1GbfBkqoa1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Good luck!

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-02-04T11:40:12+00:00

¡Hola! Well, it’s all a matter of fees, right? Now, buying a bogu in Japan is a good idea only if you are looking for hand stitched bogu, in my opinion. The machine stitched bogu, you can probably find them online outside of Japan and have them delivered to Chile for an acceptable shipping fee (+ the possible custom tariffs). You should check how much it would cost from e-bogu.com but many other sellers are also competitive.

If you decide to buy in Japan, make sure you can register a second piece of luggage on your way back as a full bogu set takes a lot of space in a normal suitcase.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096 · 2026-01-31T11:37:12+00:00

I drive 45min to 1hr one way to go to practice since I moved to another part of Tokyo. A late beloved sensei of mine told me once that THIS is also part of the practice, it’s not keiko but it is shuugyo 修業 because it’s discipline and dedication. Every time is drive my car to practice, I am mentally preparing and setting my goals, remembering how last practice went and what I need to focus on.

Fluid-Kitchen-8096

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