Kyudo, I think, can also help my kendo. This is what I learned yesterday at my first session: yumi, ya, and reiho, although everything is much more relaxed that in kendo. Zazen, though, is very difficult, and not even in seiza--after a little while in half-lotus I was spazzing in the lower back and hallucinating, or something quite like it--as if I was actually blurting.

Yo I: the three verticals, will help with kendo because it emphasizes the lightning-rod nature of good shisei in kendo.

Yumidaoshi is a little challenging--one could make comparisons to gedan, but really it's different especially since it's not enzan-no-metsuke, but rather gazing a little downwards.

Ashibumi is not so connected, as the stance feels too wide and pigeontoed compared to the forward-point of kendo.

Dozukuri also emphasizes tanden power and relax shoulders, which would be really helpful in kendo--although in this case the elbows stick outwards rather than hugging the sides of the do, with straws underneath the armpits. This lower body power, and arching the back by sticking out the butt could also be helpful.

Finally, yumigamae, helps for several reasons, not just the continued alignment of the three crosses, but rather also the emphasis on the last two fingers--kake! The middle finger and the thumb, though, don't quite connect quite as much in kendo, but the tightness of the last two fingers (Sensei has been saying three of late) and the resulting forearm muscle tightness should help greatly with kendo.

I'm sure there will be more later as well. This cross-training could be great.

Today was deadly. So hot. And shiaigeiko too. I lost against a nidan, but he's in the same division now. Whew.