My First Keiko

Although there were just a few of us at practice today (3 coaches, 1 senpai, me and a fellow regular, and a beginner), I find today’s practice as the best of all the practices we did (no matter how thoroughly backbreaking it was!). It now has more structure, and we had begun to ‘officially’ learn waza.

We started with the usual warm-ups, then suburi, then sayumen, then hayasuburi (which we will now be doing every practice). The head coach was very impressed to find us quite capable of doing the hayasuburi. He had been away for over a month, and so he was pretty surprised to come back and find us better than he expected.

We then did the usual seiza—mokuso—rei and then did the sonkyo and chuudan no kamae, starting off with kirikaeshi, followed by the gruelling uchikomi keiko, which we had to do in rotation.

After a 3-minute break, we were taught (not our first, but the official lesson on) waza, doing kote-nuki-men. 

By this time, I was massively spent — I was losing focus, my breathing bordered on hyperventilation, my body was literally burning, I was perspiring profusely and was starting to see Donald Duck orbiting around my head (as a matter of speaking). I was starving! I haven’t eaten anything in 6 hours — tsk tsk! I know, it’s always a bad idea to go to Kendo practice on an empty stomach. 

Anyhow, when the coaches started doing Keiko (and I was told to find someone to practice with), I didn’t realize immediately what my coach had meant not until he called me over and told me to do keiko with him. KEIKO!!!!

“What?! Me!? Keiko!?” I blundered saying out loud.

I didn’t have time to recover from my shock because what the coach says must be done right away.

I am a (semi) beginner.

I only have a dou and tare on. I have yet to earn my men and kote.

And here I was doing keiko without the latter two. 

I got hit on the head with shinai because I was not focused on my blocks.

I got hit on the thumb by accident during keiko because my coach was aiming for my dou when my hand suddenly got in the way.

But I think in spite of it all, I did okay for my first keiko. It was a baptism of fire (on my throbbing finger).

After practice and I went to speak with the coach’s wife, I overheard her whispering to the head coach that someone had suggested I start wearing a men!! (Oooh la la!) Head coach thought it through and said that I can start wearing a kote, but the men still needs earning. (Ooh la la still!) I suppose they don’t realize that I can hear them pretty well despite their whispers (I am after all standing right in front of them!)

But my goodness! First waza, then keiko, and now a kote!?!?!?!?!?

I think I just died and went to heaven.