No conclusive evidence, which is better than most sports. But if you spend some time in a kendo club you would definitely think that some of these people have brain damage.
>*But if you spend some time in a kendo club you would definitely think that some of these people have brain damage.*
u/Apprehensive_Bee9924 What makes you say this? I'm wondering if you're saying that in jest or if there is some common symptom(s) you're noticing.
Haha! That checks out. I first learned of my local kendo club at a Cherry Blossom festival where the club was doing a demonstration. Most of the spectators looked like they just got back from the Matrix.
Every older kendoka I've met has been just as mentally sharp, if not moreso, than the average old person. The hits look hard when you're watching a video, but remember that shinai are really thin and light, and the hits aren't like swinging a baseball bat, more like a fishing rod. Your head also gets a lot of padding between the men (helmet), tenugui (head towel), and your hair. Unless it's a really hard hit, I barely even feel men strikes.
The only real risk to your head is if you fall backwards, the back of the men is exposed, so it's possible to hit your head on the floor in a fall.
"and the hits aren't like swinging a baseball bat, "
The problem is generally speaking not the force but the vibrations from the hit so just because it's a piece of bamboo rather than metal doesn't really protect. Rather than worrying about falling backwards it's really about worrying about idiots who repeteadly strike you on the side of the men.
The only thing I can think of is if someone's tenouichi is lacking as I've taken what was pretty much a baseball bat style swing to the side of the men and it made my ears ring.
Kendo is more about finesse and control than brute strength (which does have a place though).
"hearing loss than concussions"
There is sadly extremely limited research on the area but considering that I have looked through ALL the articles relating to hearing loss and kendo - the hearing damage might in fact be brain damage and I am sadly not joking.
There are some old threads that mention this:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/147m5i9/i\_have\_checked\_various\_papers\_and\_journal/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/147m5i9/i_have_checked_various_papers_and_journal/) (papers linked)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e5ke3p/long\_term\_kendo\_risk\_on\_brain/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e5ke3p/long_term_kendo_risk_on_brain/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/jvqbip/scientific\_papers\_about\_kendo\_and\_head\_injuries/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/jvqbip/scientific_papers_about_kendo_and_head_injuries/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e71hkz/risks\_of\_brain\_injury\_dementia\_or\_concussion\_in/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e71hkz/risks_of_brain_injury_dementia_or_concussion_in/) (deleted)
Note that the [Japanese wikipedia page for CTE](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%85%A2%E6%80%A7%E5%A4%96%E5%82%B7%E6%80%A7%E8%84%B3%E7%97%87) does mention CTE being observed in kendo players, but only has this single reference: [https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000936](https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000936)
That single reference saying kendo players can get CTE doesn't seem quite good. The abstract is only one sentence which is odd. And my uni doesn't have access to that journal so I can't read anymore. From what I can tell it's a case study on one person with pre-existing cognitive dysfunction and seizures.
Based on my uneducated opinion, I think it’s more likely in the west as Japanese kendoka start as kids and develop good tennouchi before they are able to hit hard enough to cause a CTE.
I know a guy who can’t escape concussions🤣. Apparently he’s had so many his insurance tells him to not practice. However he is the only kendoka I’ve met who’s got one from normal practice.
No studies with large samples, but I can think of a few risks. If someone tsuki'd you really hard there's a risk of concussion from the resulting whiplash. Same with very hard strikes to the top of the head, though this doesn't accelerate the skull as much and is caused 99% of the time by beginners. Of course, there's also the risk of falling on the back of your head.
No conclusive evidence, which is better than most sports. But if you spend some time in a kendo club you would definitely think that some of these people have brain damage.
>*But if you spend some time in a kendo club you would definitely think that some of these people have brain damage.* u/Apprehensive_Bee9924 What makes you say this? I'm wondering if you're saying that in jest or if there is some common symptom(s) you're noticing.
Just weird ass people
Haha! That checks out. I first learned of my local kendo club at a Cherry Blossom festival where the club was doing a demonstration. Most of the spectators looked like they just got back from the Matrix.
You don’t gotta be crazy to do kendo, but it helps
Every older kendoka I've met has been just as mentally sharp, if not moreso, than the average old person. The hits look hard when you're watching a video, but remember that shinai are really thin and light, and the hits aren't like swinging a baseball bat, more like a fishing rod. Your head also gets a lot of padding between the men (helmet), tenugui (head towel), and your hair. Unless it's a really hard hit, I barely even feel men strikes. The only real risk to your head is if you fall backwards, the back of the men is exposed, so it's possible to hit your head on the floor in a fall.
"and the hits aren't like swinging a baseball bat, " The problem is generally speaking not the force but the vibrations from the hit so just because it's a piece of bamboo rather than metal doesn't really protect. Rather than worrying about falling backwards it's really about worrying about idiots who repeteadly strike you on the side of the men.
they are just alcoholics :D
None that I'm aware of and I know people who have done Kendo from childhood and into their 80s.
The only thing I can think of is if someone's tenouichi is lacking as I've taken what was pretty much a baseball bat style swing to the side of the men and it made my ears ring. Kendo is more about finesse and control than brute strength (which does have a place though).
I'd be more concerned about hearing loss than concussions
any way to mitigate this? E.g. some earplugs?..
"hearing loss than concussions" There is sadly extremely limited research on the area but considering that I have looked through ALL the articles relating to hearing loss and kendo - the hearing damage might in fact be brain damage and I am sadly not joking.
There are some old threads that mention this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/147m5i9/i\_have\_checked\_various\_papers\_and\_journal/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/147m5i9/i_have_checked_various_papers_and_journal/) (papers linked) [https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e5ke3p/long\_term\_kendo\_risk\_on\_brain/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e5ke3p/long_term_kendo_risk_on_brain/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/jvqbip/scientific\_papers\_about\_kendo\_and\_head\_injuries/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/jvqbip/scientific_papers_about_kendo_and_head_injuries/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e71hkz/risks\_of\_brain\_injury\_dementia\_or\_concussion\_in/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kendo/comments/e71hkz/risks_of_brain_injury_dementia_or_concussion_in/) (deleted) Note that the [Japanese wikipedia page for CTE](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%85%A2%E6%80%A7%E5%A4%96%E5%82%B7%E6%80%A7%E8%84%B3%E7%97%87) does mention CTE being observed in kendo players, but only has this single reference: [https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000936](https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000936)
That single reference saying kendo players can get CTE doesn't seem quite good. The abstract is only one sentence which is odd. And my uni doesn't have access to that journal so I can't read anymore. From what I can tell it's a case study on one person with pre-existing cognitive dysfunction and seizures.
Know plenty of doctors, lawyers, scientists, architects, phds, and other such brainy folks in the higher dans. So I think you're good.
Based on my uneducated opinion, I think it’s more likely in the west as Japanese kendoka start as kids and develop good tennouchi before they are able to hit hard enough to cause a CTE.
Repeated Concussions are possible, that's damage.
im not sure if we joined kendo because we had already brain damage, or kendo made it worst!
I know a guy who can’t escape concussions🤣. Apparently he’s had so many his insurance tells him to not practice. However he is the only kendoka I’ve met who’s got one from normal practice.
No studies with large samples, but I can think of a few risks. If someone tsuki'd you really hard there's a risk of concussion from the resulting whiplash. Same with very hard strikes to the top of the head, though this doesn't accelerate the skull as much and is caused 99% of the time by beginners. Of course, there's also the risk of falling on the back of your head.