Is Kendo a good form of exercise?

by Gabriel
(Brazil)

I'm really interested in learning Kendo and I wanted to know if it builds muscle and if it's a good form of exercise like other martial arts.

I understand Kendo is not about being fit but I would like to know if Kendo training aside from exercising my mind also exercises my body and in turn makes me fit.

Answer: Thank you for your post. The answer for your question is yes. It is a god exercise to improve your physical strength.

However, if you want to make your muscles big like body builders, kendō is not for you.

Kendō is both aerobic and anaerobic. It is more like a series of anaerobic movements. The main difference from normal anaerobic exercises is that we shout(breathe out) while we strike while the anaerobic exercises stop the air flow while performing.

Many people think that kendō is more spiritual aspects (or emphasize on mental aspects). It is true but we train pretty hard as well.

Many people cannot handle hard training in kendō even though they think they are fit. (See one of the comments made by Blake Bennett for How to increase my stamina for kendo?)

It is not because kendō is better exercise than other sports but it is different. Simple as that.

Many people try really hard when they start kendo. My advice is "take it easy". You will have sore muscles, blisters and so forth. If you try really hard, you will think that kendō is too hard for you.

Many cannot handle simple footwork exercises so now I force beginners to stop their training even when they say they are OK.

Start doing kendō. Gradually train harder. Your body needs some time to transform your body into a kendō body. :)

Hope this helps.

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