Taking Damage

This Wednesday night was my first practice back with other members of the UW Kendo Club. While there's much to be desired when working on my own form, there's a different feel to practicing with others--especially when it comes to striking properly and hitting the angles of attack. Sadly, weeks of working on my own have made me too comfortable with fighting an invisible opponent.

After a short warm-up and drill practice we went straight into ji-geiko (combat practice) which paired me up with Sam. I match up well with him because he's a faster, shorter striker but I've got the height, strength and patience to thwart his initial attack. Just a short time into the bout, I start to feel some pain in my right wrist. It appears that my kote (gloves) have taken quite a bit of damage and the padding inside has fallen out. We end our match and I sit aside to assess. Once the gloves were off, I can see the red spots that indicated bruising and the darker purple bruises that marked a hit to the body, spots which were not offered protection by armor. The pain...it doesn't get to me. It's a slight annoyance if anything. It just comes with sport practice and I jump back in for another match.

Though I'll need a replacement pair of gloves for the months ahead, it's a welcome beginning for a new semester of Kendo.

Fei-O-Meter
Activity: 2 | Energy: 2 | Friends: 2