u/Tom-Cutts

I’m starting my kendo journey soon and I’ve found a dojo I want to join. From what I can tell, the sensei and all the students are Korean. The school advertises itself as kendo, but I’m guessing in practice it’s closer to kumdo.
My worry is being a burden. If instruction and side conversation happen in Korean, I become the reason someone has to stop and translate. I’m sure they’ll be welcoming — I just don’t want my joining to change how the class runs.
A couple of specific questions for anyone who’s trained in a similar setting:

**•**	How much does the terminology actually differ day to day? Should I be learning Korean commands and counting rather than Japanese?  
**•**	Did not sharing the primary language turn out to matter much, or does the demonstration-based format carry you through the first few months?

I’m probably overthinking it. Genuinely excited to start, meet people, and pick up some of the language and culture along the way.