Zombie Kendo

The current stress of work and the upcoming exam are keeping me awake at night. Having an overactive mind unfortunately makes me prone to insomnia, which only adds to the stress that started it. 悪循環.It’s a vicious cycle.

However, this lack of sleep seems to have had an added bonus to my kendo though. Being so utterly exhausted from lack of sleep, studying, and a long day at work, I find that my timing in practice as improved. My brain is so tired that it doesn’t take the time to think about performing a strike or a counter strike, it simply moves my body at the first sign of motion from my opponent. Maybe this is what having an empty mind feels like, though it's a lot harder to turn off all those thoughts when I'm fully awake.

It reminds me of something a friend told me way back when I first started kendo: “When you’re exhausted, that’s when real kendo starts.” To some extent this is true. When you get to the point that you react on muscle memory and instinct alone, then you’re getting somewhere in kendo. This state is easier to fall into when you’re so tired you can barely remember your own name.

I think I’ll take my boss’ advice tonight and have a bit of alcohol before bed to help me sleep. Itou Sensei’s ume-shu is some of the best ume-shu I’ve ever had, and strong enough to punch me out without any difficulty.

おやすみ！