Questions regarding training iaido

[ChingChuan]

Hi everyone!

Yesterday I've officially decided that I will seriously start training Iaido. I've already been twice to the dojo (once in July and yesterday) and, well, even though the dojo is 40 kms away, I think I'll manage to learn it eventually. I really enjoy the atmosphere during training - and I like the art, of course .

Anyway, I've got a couple of questions regarding training Iaido...

1. Does anyone know a 'proper' warming up routine? I stretched a bit before the lesson and we did a few cuts (I don't know the proper name for that movement) but I think that my muscles wanted more, as I'm really stiff now and all my arm muscles are hurting. The other people didn't seem to need a long warming up, but as I also train in Pencak Silat, I've gotten used to warming everything up...

2. How can I train my arms so they will get strong enough to be able to hold a bokken for 1,5 hours? After a while, my arms started shaking etc and that's really, really annoying. One of the guys told me that I should do everything very slow & controlled so that my arms would get used to the weight of the bokken, but aren't there exercises I can do without a bokken? (I don't own one yet due to having not enough money).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Langenschwert]

2. How can I train my arms so they will get strong enough to be able to hold a bokken for 1,5 hours? After a while, my arms started shaking etc and that's really, really annoying. One of the guys told me that I should do everything very slow & controlled so that my arms would get used to the weight of the bokken, but aren't there exercises I can do without a bokken? (I don't own one yet due to having not enough money).

Take a broomstick, and tie a good solid string to it around the middle, and leave a good 2 feet or so hanging. Attach a weight to the string, like a paperweight or whatever.

Now, hold the broomstick and roll it (like you're rolling up a newspaper) until the weight comes all the way up to the stick. Now "unroll" it until it's all the way down. Do as many reps as you can stand. You will feel the burn, and you can do it while you're watching TV. That way you can improve something to do with swordsmanship while you're rotting your brain with cathode rays.

You can also buy such devices, but I see no reason to since they're so easily made. I do the same thing but I use my blunt longsword instead of a broomstick.

If you can't afford a bokken, get a stout piece of hardwood dowel from Home Depot and do slow movements with that. Another exercise: Hold the dowel at both ends, shoulder width apart, and hold it out from your body at shoulder height, palms down. And keep it there. As long as you can.

Good luck in your training.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

You know I almost never warm up or hardly warm up for my Iaido lessons. Still if you feel the need just stretch like you normally do for Pencak Silat.

As to getting stronger while holding the booken/iaito well that will come with time. Just keep practicing and moving with your kata's and that strength will improve dramatically. Good luck!

 

[howard]

Hi,

IMO you're getting good advice so far.

I agree with the others, in that my own experience was that the muscle soreness went away after just a few weeks of regular training. It's simply a matter of conditioning your muscles to types of movements that are new to them.

One thing that will tire you out quickly is if you're gripping the handle too tightly. Try to use a somewhat loose, comfortable grip, focusing on the last three fingers, until the moment of completing the cut. At the final moment of the cut, many styles will tell you that you should be "wringing" the handle like you would a wet towel. But release the tension as soon as the cut is completed. Your teacher will be able to give you style-specific advice here, what I'm trying to say is general only.

It's the same principle as not tensing up and holding your breath in sparring... that will tire you out very quickly. Relax, and breathe.

Hope this helps...

 

[okashiibudo]

The only thing we do for warm-ups during iaido class is to stretch and flex the wrists, in order to keep them supple (is that the right word?) during the kata.

If you require more of a warm-up. I would probably suggest that you do whatever you do for your silat warm-up (as someone else also suggested above, I think).

Congratulations on beginning your iaido training. I love it, and although I don't get to the class as often as I'd like, it has become an important part of what I do.

 

[ChingChuan]

Thank you for your replies!

Well, today I've been to training again, but I don't think that my way of stretching really improved things... ;P. Now it's the legs that are hurting, because I'm not used at all to the stances that are used in iaido .

I'll try some of your suggestions - Langenswert, your suggestion sounded really interesting so I'll try that one.

You know I almost never warm up or hardly warm up for my Iaido lessons. Still if you feel the need just stretch like you normally do for Pencak Silat.

And you never have muscle aches etc? Wow!
However, I think that doing my pencak silat stretches aren't really... appropriate, so to say - no-one else is doing a real waming up, so I feel a bit stupid while doing my own... So I was just wondering whether there are uhm, iaido-appropriate warming up routines, but apparently, there aren't?

One thing that will tire you out quickly is if you're gripping the handle too tightly.

Hm... Sounds interesting. However, my teacher didn't comment on my grip or something (while he doesn't hold back on comments/suggestions for improvements etc) so I don't think that's the problem. Thanks for your post, though .

The only thing we do for warm-ups during iaido class is to stretch and flex the wrists,

Could you tell me how that is done? That sounds like something that doesn't make me look like an idiot... ;-)

Congratulations on beginning your iaido training. I love it, and although I don't get to the class as often as I'd like, it has become an important part of what I do.

Thanks . It's the same for my, I'm able to attend class about once a month so I can't train as much as I like... But I'm very glad that I am, at last, able to go at all!