is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship exercises, and today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread to many other nations across the world.
History
Swordsmen in Japan established schools of kenjutsu (the ancestor of kendo). These continued for centuries and form the basis of kendo practice today.. Formal kendo exercises known as kata were developed several centuries ago as kenjutsu practice for warriors. They are still studied today, in a modified form.
The introduction of bamboo practice swords and armor to sword training is attributed to during the Shotoku Era (1711–1715). Naganuma developed the use of this armor and established a training method using bamboo swords.
, third son of Naganuma and the eighth headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu, is credited with improving the art with Japanese wooden and bamboo swords, according to his gravestone's inscription. He is also credited with refining the armor by adding a metal grille to the headpiece (面; men) and thick cotton protective coverings to the gauntlets that cover the wrists and hands (小手; kote). inherited the tradition from his father, Heizaemon, in 1708, and the two of them collaborated to improve what would become modern kendo training armor.
Shūsaku Narimasa Chiba , founder of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法), introduced gekiken (撃剣) (full-contact duels with bamboo swords and training armor) to the curriculum of tradition arts in the 1820s. Due to the large number of students of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō at the end of the Edo period, the use of bamboo swords and armor as a form of practice became popular. Modern kendo techniques, such as Suriage-Men and Oikomi-Men, were originally Hokushin Ittō-ryū techniques, were named by Chiba Shūsaku.(in English) After the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s, Sakakibara Kenkichi popularized public gekiken for commercial gain, resulting in increased interest in kendo and kenjutsu.
In 1876, five years after a voluntary surrender of swords, the government banned the use of swords by the surviving samurai and initiated sword hunts.Sansom, George (1961). A History of Japan: 1334–1615. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Meanwhile, in an attempt to standardize the sword styles (kenjutsu) used by policemen, Kawaji Toshiyoshi recruited swordsmen from various schools to come up with a unified swordsmanship style. This led to the rise of the Battotai (抜刀隊, lit. Drawn Sword Corps), consisting mainly of sword-wielding policemen. However, it proved difficult to integrate all sword arts, leading to a compromise of ten practice moves (kata) for police training. This integration effort led to the development of modern kendo. In 1878, Kawaji wrote a book on swordsmanship, Gekiken Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Swordsmanship), stressing sword styles should not disappear with modernization, but should be integrated as necessary skills for the police. He draws a particular example from his experience with the Satsuma Rebellion. The Junsa Kyōshūjo (Patrolman's Training Institute), founded in 1879, provided a curriculum that allowed policemen to study gekiken during their off-hours. In the same year, Kawaji wrote another book on swordsmanship, Kendo Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Kendo), defending the significance of such sword art training for the police. While Junsa Kyōshūjo remained active only until 1881, the police continued to support such practice.
The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) was established in 1895 to promote martial arts in Japan. It changed the name of the sporting form of swordsmanship, gekiken, (Kyūjitai: and Shinjitai: , "hitting sword") to kendō in 1920.
Kendo (along with other martial arts) was banned in Japan in 1946 by the occupying powers. This was part of "the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic persons" in response to the wartime militarization of martial arts instruction in Japan. The DNBK was also disbanded. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950, first as and then as kendo in 1952.Matunobu, Yamazaki and Nojima (1989), (Kendo), Seibido Sports Series (27), Seibido Publishers, Tokyo (in Japanese)
The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) was founded in 1952, immediately after Japan's independence was restored and the ban on martial arts in Japan was lifted. It was formed on the principle of kendo not as a martial art, but as educational sport and it has continued to be practiced as such.
The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was founded in April 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo federations, and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organization, and it aims to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo.International Kendo Federation.
The International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF), established in Kyoto 1952, was the first international organization founded since World War II to promote the development of martial arts worldwide. Today, IMAF includes kendo as one of the Japanese disciplines.
Practitioners Practitioners of kendo are called , meaning "someone who practices kendo", or occasionally , meaning "swordsman". Additionally, the old term of kendoists is sometimes used.
The Kodansha Meibo, a register of dan graded members of the AJKF, lists (as of September 2007) 1.48 million registered dan graded kendōka in Japan. According to a survey conducted by AJKF, the number of active kendo practitioners in Japan is 477,000, including 290,000 dan holders. From these figures, AJKF estimates that the number of kendōka in Japan is 1.66 million, with over 6 million practitioners worldwide, with registered dan holders and active kendo practitioners without dan grade.
Concept and purpose In 1975, the All Japan Kendo Federation developed and published "The Concept and Purpose of Kendo" (reproduced below).
Concept Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana.
Purpose To mold the mind and body. To cultivate a vigorous spirit And through correct and structured training, To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo. To hold in esteem courtesy and honor. To associate with others with sincerity. And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.
Thus will one be able: To love one's country and society; To contribute to the development of culture; And to promote peace and prosperity among all people.
Equipment and clothing Kendo is practiced wearing a traditional Japanese style of clothing, and using one or, less commonly two, .
Equipment The shinai is meant to represent a Japanese sword (katana) and is made up of four bamboo slats which are held together by leather fittings. A modern variation of a shinai with carbon fiber reinforced resin slats is also used.
Age Group Shinai Size Junior High School – 12–15 years 114cm or less – Size 37Senior High School – 15–18 117cm or less – Size 38University & Adults – 18 years +120cm or less – Size 39 Kendōka also use hard to practice kata.
Kendo employs strikes involving both one edge and the tip of the shinai or bokutō.
Protective armor is worn to protect specified target areas on the head, arms, and body. The head is protected by a stylized helmet, called , with a to protect the face, a series of hard leather and to protect the throat, and padded to protect the side of the neck and shoulders. The forearms, wrists, and hands are protected by long, thickly padded fabric gloves called . The torso is protected by a , while the waist and groin area are protected by the , consisting of three thick vertical fabric flaps or faulds.
Clothing The clothing worn under the bōgu comprise a jacket (kendogi or keikogi) and hakama, a garment separated in the middle to form two wide trouser legs.
A is wrapped around the head, under the men, to absorb perspiration and provide a base for the men to fit comfortably.
Modern practice Kendo training is quite noisy in comparison to some other martial arts or sports. This is because kendōka use a shout, or , to express their fighting spirit when striking. Additionally, kendōka execute , an action similar to a stamp of the front foot, during a strike.
Like some other martial arts, kendōka train and fight barefoot. Kendo is ideally practiced in a purpose-built dōjō, though standard sports halls and other venues are often used with foam mats to avoid injury. An appropriate venue has a clean and wooden sprung floor, suitable for fumikomi-ashi.
Kendo techniques comprise both strikes and thrusts. Strikes are only made towards specified on the wrists, head, or body, all of which are protected by armor. The targets are men, sayu-men or Yoko-men (upper, left or right side of the men), the right kote at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position, and the left or right side of the dō. are only allowed to the throat. However, since an incorrectly performed thrust could cause serious injury to the opponent's neck, thrusting techniques in free practice and competition are often restricted to senior dan graded kendōka.
Once a kendōka begins practice in armor, a practice session may include any or all of the following types of practice:
Kirikaeshi Striking the left and right men target points in succession; practicing centering, distance, and correct technique while building spirit and stamina.
Waza or technique practice in which the student learns and refines the techniques of kendo with a receiving partner.
Short, intense, attack practice which teaches continuous alertness and readiness to attack, as well as building spirit and stamina.
Undirected practice where the kendōka tries all that has been learned during practice against an opponent.
Practice between two kendōka of similar skill level.
Practice where a senior kendōka guides a junior through practice.
Competition practice which may also be judged.
Techniques
Techniques are divided into shikake-waza (仕掛け技; to initiate a strike) and ōji-waza (応じ技; a response to an attempted strike). Kendōka who wish to use such techniques during practice or competitions often practice each technique with a motodachi. This is a process that requires patience. The kendōka and motodachi practice the technique slowly at first; as familiarity and confidence build, they increase the speed to the level used in matches and competitions.
Shikake-waza These attack techniques are used to create an opening in an opponent by initiating an attack, or striking boldly when the opponent has created an opening. Such techniques include:
Tobikomi-waza (飛び込み技) This is a technique used when one's opponent has weak kisei (spirit, vigor) or when they yield an opening under pressure. Always hold kisei and strike quickly.
Hikibana-waza (引き鼻技) Body and shinai will lose balance as the initiator strikes or when being attacked. This technique takes advantage of this to help execute a strike. A good example is Hikibana-kote when a strike is made to an opponent's kote as they feel threatened and raise their kensen as the initiator pushes forward.
Katsugi-waza (担ぎ技) This provides a surprise attack by lifting the shinai over the initiator's shoulder before striking. Here a skillful use of the kensen and spirited attack is crucial for effective katsugi-waza or luring the opponent into breaking their posture.
Nidan-waza (二段技) There are two types. The first is for moving to the next waza after a failed first strike, and the second holds the opponent's attention and posture to create the opening for a second strike. The former requires a continuous rhythm of correct strikes. The latter requires continuous execution of waza, to take advantage of the opponent's opening.
Harai-waza (払い技)