Some of you might already know, I've been giving time off kendo since Jan this year. For the past 2 years or so on this job, practice was not rewarding enough when I could only make it once a week or even less, when I didn't get back to HK for it. Focus in the dojo alone could not make me progress (sometimes not even keep up). To the point where I feel my 4 hours (2hrs return bus journey for 2 hrs training, excluding 3-4hrs of commuting back to HK one way)there did not worth it. So I just dropped my bogu bag in storage and didn't pick it up since... Well I did pick it up again 2 weeks ago, but last week I was busy and it just broke the momentum again. Difficult to enjoy the 48-hr free time when 16 of them are for sleeping, and 8 of them traveling.
Last week I came across the KW mag issue with an article about Team USA on the last WKC in Brazil. I'm certainly not anywhere close to that semi-pro level, and definitely not that kind of devotion as well. If you get involved in an activity that makes you leave your family and work unattended... Really makes me sort out my priorities in life. Right now it is neither trying for 4th Dan nor the HK team.
Just that I have a lot of other interests worth pursuing. Work, for one, I quite enjoy, and am getting better. For sports I've picked up swimming over the summer - 20 laps. Then there's kayaking with some colleagues. And a dive with a friend locally. During the week I can run a bit in the gym - currently training to make another 10km race, and boasting myself to make it under 1hr. Healthy huh?
Next Jan I'm staying a few days in Bali for holiday. Wish I have more time working on my travel photography. Then I'd like to try surfing and bungee. Dive a bit more. If I can squeeze out some spare time in the week, I'm self-studying Spanish. VERY tough but it would help in the long run - I'm in the very initial stage to plan a RTW trip, and working hard (health and wealth proof) to get this done while I am still young!
So, life is still good without kendo for a while...
Thanks for reading!
2 comments:
Hi Mingshi, it's nice anyhow to know that you're doing well even though you are taking time off from kendo. I find it difficult myself now as well, to maintain the same level of intensity in kendo when there're are other things that require my dedication, especially when one is trying to establish own career, which includes not only time spent at work, but also building up a social network.
Best wishes to you in pursuing your goal!
Oh... you are still reading...! Thanks for the support, as always :)
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