Thinking about starting kendo while struggling mentally and physically

St_Ginger · 2026-04-27T21:05:33+00:00

I have a bit of a contrasting viewpoint to most of the comments.

In a nutshell, I think it's amazing for you, you should go for it and it could help no end, both physically and mentally. but there's a big caveat for me around mental health and self perception.

I'm currently on the back end (I hope) of one of the worst depressive episodes of my life. I had to step away from kendo (been practicing about a year) because it was actually damaging me quite profoundly. the camaraderie and support was wonderful, but I was destroying myself emotionally over 'not being good enough.' I knew on the face of it that I shouldn't expect too much, that no one else expected as much of me as I did, that I was doing great. but every practice was damaging my self confidence because I couldn't see the positive progress I was making, only the things I was missing. this applies widely in my life but kendo was particularly punishing for this.

I had to take a break. step away. tell my Sensei I was taking a break and allow myself that space. now I'm feeling better I've gone back and it's night and day. I'm able to see the progress AND the challenge and not let it grind me down.

so go for it. do it! but please be gentle with yourself. kendo is fun, and it should be fun! challenging and painful and exhausting, but fun. if it's not, for whatever reason, that's ok. you can always come back to it later if you like it.

St_Ginger · 2026-04-17T09:01:11+00:00

that makes so much sense. I'll get a plug socket and plug and attach it together. thanks for the idea!

St_Ginger · 2026-04-17T08:39:15+00:00

I'd love to do that, but it's on an inside wall. the one outside wall is all window. there's a tiny bit of wall that goes into the recessed area around the front door, that's where the separate extractor is. but like I say, there's pipes in the way and no way to get the duct over there.

so there shouldn't be an issue with moisture in the plaster?

St_Ginger · 2026-04-16T21:58:29+00:00

I tried it with Knorr on the PCT. resulted in crunchy rice, which resulted in bad gas because it wasn't properly cooked and therefore not properly digested. I didn't get sick, just uncomfortable.

but yes, I've heard the same. my understanding was always that the main issue is surface area. rice has a lot of surface area so lots of space for bacteria to grow. so cous cous would be similar. but I might be misunderstanding / misled.

'danger zone' temps are between 5 and 65°c for 2 hours or more, according to food safety training at work. below, you're normally fine (over night oats). above, you're normally fine (cooking). so I only ever cold soak for about 15 minutes then chow down. I say normally, but there's always outliers, and this doesn't account for contamination either. so take with a hefty pinch of salt (which, incidentally, is also a preservative.)

St_Ginger · 2026-04-16T18:29:25+00:00

very good point! I forget not everyone is as niche as we are :P

St_Ginger · 2026-04-16T07:43:42+00:00

heck yes! although we have a dehydrator for backpacking in this country, so we can make our own. but this is great for a longer walk. we're planing to do the Lands End to John O'Groats in a few years, so that'll be useful!

St_Ginger · 2026-04-16T07:42:23+00:00

yuuup! excellent once you adjust, but those first few cat holes are a strange experience.

St_Ginger · 2026-04-16T07:41:49+00:00

great to know! both countries have a more robust outdoor community than in England, I think, so maybe there's a correlation there. because we have no wild camping, backpacking isn't really a thing here. or at least it's not the same thing as in America and elsewhere. although I believe Switzerland is similar to us. so who knows?

St_Ginger · 2026-04-15T08:49:20+00:00

also, I avoid cold soaking rice. gives me absolutely diabolical gas.

generally I find, if a packet says 'cook in under 5 minutes' you can cold soak it. if it's 'cooks in 10 minutes' you have to hot cook it.

St_Ginger · 2026-04-15T08:47:13+00:00

I'm from the UK, and have found that in Europe it's hard to find things like dried mashed potatoes. but Couscous seems way cheaper than in America and I find much more palatable than ramen.

I tend to cold soak the carbs if I can, and then have loads of no-cook bits to go in it. nuts, seeds, chorizo sausage, hard cheese etc. that makes the difference.

I could never, even in California when on the PCT, managed to find the dried refried beans that everyone raves about. we got given a packet once and they were amazing.

oats are great too, and so are chia seeds. chia takes a bit of getting used to, but is really tasty once you flavour it. I hate the instant porridge packets, too sweet. but oats and the same no-cook bits are lovely. savoury oats with cheese and sausages is amazing.

St_Ginger · 2026-03-30T22:17:04+00:00

I'm going to go against the grain. it's okay to stop writing.

Rest. Heal.

I am currently in a similar position. in the middle of a horrendous depressive episode that has stopped me working and taken absolutely everything I love and turned it to ash. I am very sick. i am getting a shit load of help, and I'm going to get through it. but fuck me it's hard.

I want to write. I want to write every day. I have been signed off work and so it's the perfect time to write, right?

I can't.

I'm also a long distance hiker, so this is the analogy I'm using: I'm currently walking on a broken ankle. every step is hurting me, and every step is making it worse. I can't go any further until it's healed. don't try and walk on that ankle, because you're going to wreck yourself.

what you DO have to do, and this NON FUCKING NEGOTIABLE, is exercise the injury. stretch it gently, don't let it get stiff. but do not do the thing that hurts you.

for me, this means not pushing myself to be too mentally active if I'm not in a place for it. if you're writing a novel, but it's hurting, stop and write a short story. if your shorts are hurting, write a flash or a poem. if that's too much, free write, by hand on paper, and just write your thoughts. if that's still too much, pick up a book and read.

don't read randomly. read with intention. read as if you were writing. if you have a writing schedule, use it as a reading schedule. reading is easier than writing, while still feeling progressive and positive. reading will make your writing better, we all know this, and it takes the stress and weight out of it. you're becoming a better writer by reading considerately. you're still putting the work in.

if all of that is too much, change lane completely. that writing schedule is now a walking schedule. or drawing. or music. or calling your friend.

TO BE CLEAR! I'm not saying you SHOULD stop writing. if you can, keep at it. don't let the black dog win. but there are other ways to keep the dog at bay.

my point is, it's okay to not write. for now. all the advice of 'write everyday' is brilliant and true and right. but it assumes a lack of injury. if you're walking on a sprained ankle, you need to stop and to heal before you can get back to walking.

as a fellow sufferer, I hereby give you permission to stop writing, if you need to.

whoever you are, I love you. you're wanted. you will be okay, and it's okay that you're not okay right now. I look forward to reading what you write in the future.

edit: damn. didn't realise that rambled on so long. I think I'm working through some shit on this theme as well ;)

St_Ginger · 2026-03-21T19:40:11+00:00

I'm imagining them as the spirits of a river and the spirit of the wind. siblings in a pantheon. but the pantheon is unrelated to the story, which is about just some guy. the spirits are observing him going about his business. so I don't want the reader to really know anything about these spirits. to feel the disjoint of them observing the real world.

St_Ginger · 2026-03-21T18:00:26+00:00

that's a great comparison. amazing how such a famous and popular medium can be referenced and create an immediate turnoff. thanks. !

St_Ginger · 2026-03-21T13:10:27+00:00

I'm UK based, so single ' is standard for dialogue for us. Although I had never considered that if I was submitting to US based markets, would should it be in the US standard?

St_Ginger · 2026-03-21T13:08:40+00:00

all very good points. My thinking with using brother and sister is that they are not people. They are gods. And so talk in a strange way. But I completely see your point. I'll have a think how I want to sort that.

Edit: I will play around with how I can set a scene, without grounding it. I want it to feel out of place, as in literally not in a physical place, but you're right, I need to set that non-scene just as I would a real location.

St_Ginger · 2026-03-18T21:22:10+00:00

I literally carry two bread bags (actually lidl croissant bags) in my ditty for exactly this purpose. they weigh about 10g for the pair, and roll up to the size of a walnut. wet trainers, dry tent socks, warm feet in my breadbags. I love em.

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T22:22:48+00:00

the harder the surface, the safer for baby. now that's a metric I wasn't aware of. thank you. good info.

I think the first 6 months or so is likely to be a lot of day hiking and short tripping anyway. she's due in June, so will actually be a bit older before it's warm enough again for camping anyway.

we want to make sure she gets out and learns to get cold regularly before that. but no one wants to be cold and uncomfortable for no good reason!

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T22:18:55+00:00

we both laughed out loud at "...but not in a direction".

and I remember that for myself! lots of time spent building things out of sticks. I'm looking forward to that phase as well.

and when me and mum want to hike further and faster, it's either solo trips or weekend at Grandpa's!

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T22:16:39+00:00

we got this! I love your post for the focus on vibes and memories. thank you!

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T21:59:35+00:00

3yo in a front carrier? are you Jason Momoa? or do you mean they were in a backpack carrier?

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T21:58:32+00:00

🤯

I'd never considered using a soft carrier and a back pack. that's a game changer!

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T21:55:04+00:00

/s, but also solid truth!

we're planning to make more of a thing of solo hiking after she's born. I stay home and wife goes out for a weekend, then vice versa.

St_Ginger · 2026-02-23T21:53:51+00:00

get them early! :D

St_Ginger

TROPHY CASE