One of my pupils has a very interesting hobby. He practises the Japanese martial art known as Kendo. He was keen to learn how he could apply the Alexander Technique to his Kendo practice.
In a recent lesson, he brought along his Kendo gear. I found it absolutely fascinating, as it’s something I knew nothing about. It involves combat with swords or bamboo. The protective clothing includes head gear known as a ‘men’. They’re heavy: weighing in at just under 2 kg. The average human head weighs 4.5 kgs. The neck muscles support the extra weight of the head gear. We looked at applying the Alexander Technique in his Kendo practice.