Hello community,
I've recently picked up Iaido (once again) and Kendo (as a newbie). Some 5 years ago, I practised Iaido for about 3 years (only the Seitei Kata). After wandering a few years each in aikido, kickboxing and ninjutsu, I feel that the specialized sword arts are truly my cup of tea. Hence, I would like to practice both Kendo and Iaido, since both are (theoretically at least) complimentary. Whereas Iaido should help me learn to wield the sword, Kendo should help me to carry it with calm alertness. However, there are also some major differences (e.g. footwork), which might hinder development.
In my case, as someone who's experience with the sword is shaped by the Seitei kata (but lots of finesse was lost, of course) would you recommend to delve into Kendo at the same time when coming back to Iaido (once again focusing on Seitei, I train at the same place as back then)? Or would you recommend focusing on one first? Which one would be best to prioritize in that case?
(Btw, I'm 28 now and also feel my youth slipping away... D= )
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!
Simon Kuijpers
P.s. English is not my native language, so please excuse any weird grammatical or syntactical constructions :-)