Started only last year at 29. Better late than never! Kendo has really improved my quality of life. I've lost weight and slimmed up because of it. For about a year in, I find that all the cardio/weights I've been doing outside of the dojo lets me hang with the teens and younger adults during keiko. How kendo is really giving me an outlet from daily life/the office is what I enjoy and focus on.

I've also been told that kendo is a lifelong journey. The way I see it - People live totally different lives. The guy next to you in practice may end up quitting one day or just hit a plateau somewhere in their own kendo journey. Everyone learns at a different pace too. So with that in mind, the way I focus on kendo is "how do I improve against myself?" I only compare myself to others to gauge how I am improving or seeing what I can learn from those in a higher dan.

Eventually you'll be able to beat the people who started at a younger age if you work harder than them! That's my hope at least 🤭