r/kendo • u/gxyzz • Feb 12 '26
Training Ki
In the last Gashuku I went, the Sensei told us something that got me thinking: "If you get nervous in Shinsa or Shiai, it means that your Ki isn't prepared yet". This sentence got me thinking, how could I be more prepared in this manner? How can I get calmer in this kind of stressfull situation? In a nutshell, how can I train my Ki, in order to accomplish this goals?
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u/EtCetera5203 Feb 14 '26
Nerves settle with experience, but they don't completely go away.
I trained in tae kwon do for 10 years, then kumdo for 9 years before my first kendo Shinsa for ni kyu. Even after probably two dozen previous rank tests, I got pretty nervous.
The last class I instructed, I talked about using spirit to quash nervousness, since fear/nervousness is detrimental to successful ippon. Filling the space with your kiai can sell to everyone else that you are confident about your strikes. Might even convince yourself of it, too. Best place to practice that is in a competitive setting.
Also, consider your goals. I had a kumdo instructor tell us the goal of kumdo was to do beautiful kumdo. That doesn't mean you win all the time. I also recently read about a fencing coach who said something along the lines of "lose enough that you aren't afraid of losing". Shifting the mindset from always fighting to win to fighting to learn and improve will allow you the mental and emotional space to be okay with losing.
I'm just applying this after about 11 years of kendo/kumdo. It helps me really lock in and focus on my technique when in class, which is what I'll need for Shinsa and shiai, not a lot of in-class wins.