New guy with questions

[Bebe]

Hi everyone,
I just joined this forum yesterday. I have a couple of questions. A couple of years ago, a relative gave me a pair of "gift shop" Japanese swords as a gift. I was excited, and being a guy who likes to have some knowledge about the things he owns, I contacted a local instructor. I told him that I was a 57 year old, overweight, guy who was interested in learning something about Japanese swordsmanship.

He didn't seem too interested in me and I got the impression that he was blowing me off. Is the idea of a 57 year old overweight guy with a beer gut studying swordsmanship a stupid idea? In my earlier manhood, I was a good athelete who played baseball, football, swam, and wrestled in addition to bodybuilding. I still have good shoulders, arms, chest, and legs which are overshadowed by my flabby beer gut.

My questions are:
1) Is there any worthwhile physical fitness value in training with swords? Using two hands to swing a light katana around doesn't look too demanding. Although I'm sure there's a lot more to it that that.
2) Is there any significant psychological tranquility and peace of mind benefits in sword training? It's a pretty violent, combat sport.
3) How expensive is it buying a real sword that is adequate for training? Is this an art of the rich and wealthy?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Andrew Green]

2) Is there any significant psychological tranquility and peace of mind benefits in sword training? It's a pretty violent, combat sport.

There are a couple very distinct branches of sword fighting. One is sport fighting, this is Kendo or fencing for western styles. Here you will need training equipment, but not real swords. A kendo shinai (bamboo sword) will probably run you about $40, the armor on the other hand is a little more pricey. But, on the flip side, instruction tends to be cheap. When I did Kendo it was $150 / year I believe. Fencing was pretty cheap as well when I did that, maybe a couple hundred for everything, plus cheap lessons.

The places I trained at had gear you could borrow until you got your own, the kendo club rented armor to those that didn't want to commit to buying it yet.

There are also branches of swordwork that do not spar at all and take a negative reaction to the idea of using what they do in sport. There you would probably need a more expensive sword, but no armour. I never did this sort of training beyond learning a few Iaido forms though, so I'm not the person to ask about it.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hi there,

First off if you have a couple of gift shop swords then they are probably wall hangers. (which means you should probably place them on a wall for decoration only) They probably will break with little contact and are not good for training in any matter whatsoever.

Now, being 57 and slightly overweight should be no problem in studying the sword. It definately can be a good workout and can definately get you in better shape if you are in need of it. It can be hard on the knees though if you do not get good instruction or have had knee problems in the past. (all of the up and down movement from seiza)

I do not know about this other instructor or whether he was interested in taking on new students. If you are seriously interested in iaido, Kenjutsu, etc. then look around and find an instructor that you take a liking to.

A basic iaito can cost roughly starting around $300 to $400 and go way,way up from there. You do not need a really expensive one to get started though. Just ask your sensei when you get one and they will probably point you in the right direction. Then when you get better you can spend more dollars on an even better iaito or shinken. (live sword) A quality starting Shinken can be roughly bought for around $3,000 to $4,000 dollars. (this is one made in Japan) They can of course go way, way up from there. You can get lower priced swords of course but you know the old saying : you get what you pay for. (this is definately true)

While I would not classify the traditional Japanese Sword arts as arts only for the wealthy they like any martial science can cost some money. However, what you get out of them is well worth the investment in my mind. Good luck!

 

[Bebe]

Thanks, Mr. Green. You seem to keep a eye on a lot of threads. Good man!

 

[Bebe]

Thanks, Mr. Van Cise.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Your welcome! If you have questions about anything just ask around here and there are lots of people who can give you very good advice. Take care.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Does anyone remember those tae-bo like videos that used wooden training swords to exercise with?
It taught sword techniques with an aerobic emphasis (to lose weight).

AoG

 

[Bebe]

Gentlemen,
Is their any significant physical (and mental) fitness value to sword training? It doesn't look too demanding from what I've seen in books. (Although a good fight on "Kill Bill" or "The Last Samurai" slaying dozens of bad guys would probably raise a hard panting sweat!)

 

[Andrew Green]

All depends on what you're doing, the Kendo and fencing I did was a good work out, the iaido not so much.

Any combative sport has a lot of mental aspects involved. There is a lot strategy involved as you move up, as well as a "will to win" sort of aspect. Where when faced with someone bigger stronger and faster, how do you react? Most people start of with a bit of a fear response, backing off, not commiting, etc. But a good fighter is able to fully commit to an attack, regarless of who they are fighting, and no matter how many times they've been whapped on the head.

Kendo more then fencing I think stressed full commitment to an action, where fencing was a lot more back and forth, especially with the rules in Foil where you essentially have to "take turns" in a way.

Sport sword fighting is a great option for just about anyone with a interest, it's fairly easy on the body, a good work out, and a lot of fun.

 

[socho]

Gentlemen, Is their any significant physical (and mental) fitness value to sword training? ...

as Brian and Andrew mentioned, re physical training - it depends. If you want aerobic, do kendo. The physical aspect of other sword arts depends on the training regimen. The actual techniques may not look that demanding (they are, actually, lots of attention to detail), but consider that you will be doing repetitions of them for hours at a time. My wife is very happy with what several years of swordsmanship has done for my arms and shoulders. The, ahh, 'hara', is another issue.
The mental or emotional benefits can also vary, depending on the emphasis of a particular style or dojo. Some sword arts have a strong zen influence. Most are about mastering yourself, as well as the sword, in the context of a possible conflict. Not an easy thing. Some view forms as 'moving meditation'. Almost all have a strong moral component. Some of my guys tell me that training makes them forget their problems, because of the focus required in class.
Your age is a pretty good demographic for sword training, IMO. Lots of younger folks have issues with maintaining focus, repetitous training, self-discipline. Or they want to fight, prove something, kick butt. Not what most Japanese sword arts are about. It is not for everyone. I'd say, look around, give it a shot. If you tell people generally where you are, they may be able to help find or recommend a dojo.

Dave

 

[Swordlady]

1) Is there any worthwhile physical fitness value in training with swords? Using two hands to swing a light katana around doesn't look too demanding. Although I'm sure there's a lot more to it that that.

Dave already answered this question pretty well. From my own experience, physical fitness *is* encouraged, but more of the focus is on the techniques themselves. Some JSA students also cross-train in other arts, which helps fill that need. I also train in Aikido along with my chosen sword art.

2) Is there any significant psychological tranquility and peace of mind benefits in sword training? It's a pretty violent, combat sport.

Definite yes. At first, you may be overly concerned with the details of the kata, and worrying about hand placement, foot placement, sword placement, etc. Once you get the technicalities down, doing kata does become like meditation in motion. Or at least *I* find solo kata to be calming, since it forces me to focus on *one* thing and not life's worries.

3) How expensive is it buying a real sword that is adequate for training? Is this an art of the rich and wealthy?

I'm not going to lie to you: Studying a JSA isn't cheap. Buying a quality dogi that isn't going to fall apart after a few washes, and a half-decent sword is going to cost some dinero. But no, you don't have to be "wealthy" to study a sword art. Yes, a more expensive sword may "perform" better, but a cheaper $300 iaito could be just as servicable.

What area do you live in? If you are indeed interested, we could help point you in the right direction. Good luck in your search!