Thursday, January 20, 2011 - Session Seventeen

Oh Sensei. You spoke too soon. Heh. Began the night well. Amaury came over and we carpooled to the YMCA for practice. It was nice to have some company for the drive out there. Unfortunately, Justin Senpai did not show up tonight. But Maestas Sensei put us through our paces all the same! It was a real serious workout that began with some kiri-kaeshi that was followed by some good long haya suburi. Then we went through numerous men strikes. At one point Maestas Sensei complimented me on a strike but then I started to crash hard after that. I am still finding it difficult to effectively manage my breathing once I am wearing the men, but I am getting better at it in small increments. We also ran through some one handed men strikes while practicing suri-ashi and I swear my left arm wanted to collapse the entire time. Some serious burn in my left shoulder and left tricep and bicep muscles. Oh! And I so charlie horsed my left leg during the haya suburi. But I worked through it all the same.

Cause you know I am a toughie! Against all else, at least Kendo has provided me with an amazing boost to my self esteem. I have not liked myself this much for a long time. I wrote this down on an internet forum elsewhere at one point, and I am using it as a mantra from now on: I am a Kendoka and I am used to being hit until my ears ring, while swinging my shinai until I cannot feel my arms anymore, and all on bare feet that have known nothing but deep blisters for months. And I will always choose to do this all again and again and again. I love it all too much to quit.

But I think I had a few realizations tonight. My endurance is not great but it is leaps and bounds above where it had been just a few weeks ago. I was able to go through the haya suburi without collapsing after the fifth count. That alone shows me that I have progressed. I am also going to make come changes to my eating habits. I tend to eat a very light meal in the day and then a large dinner in the evening. But from now - at least on Kendo nights - I will try to eat a bigger meal in the daytime and a lighter meal in the evening. I need the calories and attempting to replenish them after I have burned them out is not the best approach. I just need to eat many hours in advance so I do not get a stomach ache during practice! Drinking absurd amounts of water has also helped. Other than that, I want to start putting some more thought or depth into my entries here, but right now I am just plum exhausted. Goodnight world.

2 comments:

  1. Water, yes! I drink a ton throughout the day, too. I never used to, but I started doing it last summer and am very glad I did!

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  2. Oh man, it is has done so much for my endurance.

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