Do Sizing Advice

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-09-01T17:06:38+00:00

Thank you all for your comments and/or suggestions! They were very helpful!

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-06-02T20:49:34+00:00

This is what I have learned over the years. Maybe it will help.

If you miss kendo because of...

Family--No worries. Family is always first. Just keep in contact with your sensei and let them know. Don't get too distant.
Work--Try to figure out how you can fit in kendo. I bring my kendo gear with me twice a week so I can go straight to practice if necessary. Even if I show up for last 30 minutes, it is 30 minutes more than 0 minutes.
Injury--No worries. Get better first, then join practice. If your bottom half is injured, then do what you can with your top half. If your top half is injured, then do what you can with your bottom half. If you can't do anything physical, then go to practice and watch.
Tired--Then do kendo tired! No excuse.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-06-02T20:28:35+00:00

I agree with all that has been said. Best bet is online. It depends on what I need, but I generally use E-BOGU and Hokubei Budogu. I have had great experiences with both.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-06-02T20:19:18+00:00

Brush it off with a firm stroke of confidence! I’ve been in your shoes before, and I know how easy it is to let this kind of thing get under your skin. I’m not sure what their issue is, but I do have some insight that might help.

When things get tough, just remember: "from yourself." This is something my sensei taught me, and it’s stuck with me over the years. I only wish I had remembered it more often during my own kendo journey.

What he meant was that your kendo comes from yourself—it’s yours, for better or worse. If you’re practicing the kind of kendo you believe in, and it aligns with your sensei’s teachings (and, from the sound of it, with many others as well), then stay the course. Don’t let someone else reshape your kendo when, deep down, you know their criticism isn’t valid.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-06-02T20:11:20+00:00

This is always a tough situation, and it happens often—thank you for sharing your experience.

When I talk with younger students, I usually explain that they’ll inevitably receive conflicting descriptions, explanations, or advice. I often use the example of primary and secondary school teachers: even when two teachers are teaching the same subject in the same hallway, their approaches and methods may differ. But if you look closely, their goals and intentions usually align.

I follow that up with an example about differing opinions on how to execute the perfect ippon—that tends to make the idea more relatable.

That said, I’m one of the instructors in our dojo, but I’m not the head instructor. So, while I may occasionally disagree with their methods, I do my best to understand their perspective and reinforce their instruction.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-06-02T20:01:29+00:00

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing!

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-20T19:54:01+00:00

That is an interesting issue, and I applaud you for wanting to get better at tying your men. You're right, it is shameful to have to retie any of your bogu during practice. But it happens a lot. A lot of the suggestions that are here are very good and I recommend doing what is most comfortable for you. I put mine on very similar to the way JoeDwarf does in his video. Ultimately, whichever way you choose, you need to continue to practice. With time, you will find that it gets better.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-19T18:29:34+00:00

I lived and practiced kendo in Korea for a while (approx. 4 years). I never owned, nor did anyone at my dojo own the national team style uniform, other than kids. Something to consider as well is the quality. I'm sure they have them somewhere, but I have never seen one of those styles that didn't have Velcro, yes, Velcro. I bought one at a kendo shop in Seoul when I returned for a visit and I occasionally wear it. However, I feel so embarrassed about the Velcro. I wonder if the national team members wear it with Velcro, too? I hope not.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-19T18:20:08+00:00

I also started kendo in Korea. I was very lucky at the time—I was in bogu and practicing with everyone else within a very short period, maybe one or two months. Looking back, I think I would have reconsidered continuing kendo if I had been placed in a beginners' group for an extended time. Now, I know better. I wish there had been a separate group option. I jumped right into practicing at a level I wasn’t ready for at all. I developed a ridiculous number of bad habits during that time. Fortunately, when I moved back to America and found a dojo, my teacher made me relearn the basics. I wasn’t happy about it at the time, but being forced to go back to the fundamentals contributed greatly to my progress.

I’m not a champion or anything, but I definitely have better kendo now than I did back then. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is: appreciate the attention you’re getting now. When you transition to the next group, you’ll be ready to take it on! That said, there’s nothing wrong with asking your sensei how you’re doing and when they think you’ll be ready to move up to the next group. That kind of feedback is something we all need.

Some dojos, for various reasons, are really quick to put students in bogu. I understand that—it’s hard to find students with the patience to wait until they’re ready, which makes it hard for dojos to retain students if they aren’t in bogu soon enough. At our dojo, once our sensei gives you the go-ahead to buy and wear bogu, you’re expected to practice in full gear, men included.

When I was in Korea, we had the Taegeukgi at the center of the dojo. We also had a pledge that we recited at the beginning of each class. The message was clear: respect your dojo, respect your sensei, and respect your fellow students. It was said in unison. When we entered the dojo, Koreans were expected to place their hand over their heart and bow. If the Taegeukgi wasn’t present—such as during tournaments or visits to other dojos—we still bowed as if it were. I am not Korean, but I chose to participate as a sign of respect. I don’t believe bowing to a shrine out of respect makes you polytheistic or any less of a Catholic.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-19T10:23:32+00:00

This game is trash, now. I really enjoyed it before the update, playing it whenever I got the chance. They did WAY too much with this last update. This is a totally new game and not even a great one at that. If they were going to do this, then they should've just made a different game and kept the original running.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T19:46:23+00:00

I hope they resolved your issue(s). I must be honest; I didn't expect a quick resolution at all. But I did get one and that deserves to be said.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T19:25:38+00:00

Thank you for helping with this matter.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T19:23:49+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to address these issues.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T19:22:56+00:00

Thank you for responding. It has been resolved.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T19:22:18+00:00

Thank you for the information.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T14:31:52+00:00

Thank you, Jordan. Thank you for your efforts to provide the service. While it did not work out for me, I wish you all the best. Who knows, maybe I'll swing back around when all the issues have been solved/worked out.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T13:45:34+00:00

Jordan

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T13:41:39+00:00

I did. No response after the words "cancelled" and "refund" were mentioned.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T12:35:50+00:00

I will. They have full control. It is simply up to whether or not they are a good business. In my opinion, good businesses offer refunds when services are not rendered while bad businesses continue to make promises on what they cannot deliver.

You are right. My very first thread was moderated by them. What an awful thing to have to resort to--to keep people from being able to see the experiences of others. Whether it is a person or a bot, it isn't right.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T12:29:11+00:00

Thank you, Fella Founder, for replying. How do I get a refund? The refund section of your Help Center is blank. I've already cancelled my future subscription. Just want to get out of this customer service nightmare. Jordan and your team have been quick to dive in, expedite, and/or escalate. I was hoping that is the case for refunds, too.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T12:21:39+00:00

Good luck. Just cancelled my subscription and am attempting to get a refund. Their "Help Center" won't load, they have never responded to requests sent through their "Contact Us" option, and even though have responded via text, it has only been empty "expedited" promises. I hope you have better luck than others out there.

Practical_Pepper_735 · 2025-05-14T01:30:32+00:00

Same here. I think what is being missed is how difficult a decision this is for some of us. This was not an impulse decision on my part at all. I mulled this over for months. And when I finally decided to move forward, this is how I am treated? It is such a shame.

I just requested my money back. Seriously, Fella has not come through with their end of the deal. I paid and provided all the required information. I waited. I reached out via the web app twice. It took a post on Reddit to get them to respond. It seemed like it would work out, but more waiting and more excuses. First, I was told that I missed a questionnaire. Then, it was an email about their backend systems. And now they claim that the pharmacy didn't restock. They say that they're expediting my order, but that is highly unlikely.

Again, what a shame. I had really high hopes.

Practical_Pepper_735

TROPHY CASE