What are some good warm-up exercies for Kendo?

Question

Hello, just started taking kendo and really got my butt kicked. Need some good exercises,or warm-ups to help increase my stamina and help me so that I don't feel like I'm going to die after the first ten minutes of class.

Answer 1

Purchase a SABURITO this is a wooden sword 3 to 4 times heavier than the KENDO shinai Practice shomen kiri or cut to the top of the head .Step forward with the right foot as you cut down slide back as you raise the sword slide forward as you cut down .

To start repeat 100 times (bet you can';t)working up to being able to do 1000 repititions .You will develope cardio and powerful arms and shoulders.This is an excellent excercise for any martial artist wishing to develope their cardio and upper body strength and energy focus.

Answer 2

If you're tired and winded, then and more cardio type workouts to your routine to build your stamina.  Other than that, practice, practice, practice.  Over time, your body will get use to the workload, but cardio training will allow it to happen more quickly.

Answer 3

Our club warmup routine is a good one, you could try this at home.  If you're not familiar with the terms I am using, you can message me for more help.

A light jog (2x laps of the basketball court) while swinging arms to get the blood flowing.

Stretches (wrists, forarms, thighs, quads, calf, tibialis anterior, groin, shoulders, neck, knees and hips)

Suburi practice:

30x jogeisuburi

30x nanamesuburi

10x 3 step Men

10x 3 step Kote

10x 3 step Doh

10x 2 step Men/Kote/Doh (as in 10x of each cut)

10x 1 step Men/Kote Doh

Shake out your hands and wrists

100 hayasuburi

If you do that every day, it should help with your stamina and getting warmed up, and any good suburi practice is useful.

If you are warmed up at home and you want to work on your cardio, slowly increase the hayasuburi at the end.  Our bogu players have to do 300.

One of our seniors used to do 1000 each day.

You can just slowly increase it by 10 or 20 each day and build up your stamina that way.

EDIT:

Bunminju means to purchase a suburito, not a saburito....

And what he describes is 2 step cuts.....