Kendo

Kendo
(剣道)

Two kendōka in tsuba zeriai
Focus	Weaponry
Hardness	Semi-contact
Country of origin	Japan
Creator	Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato (長沼 四郎左衛門 国郷), attributed
Parenthood	kenjutsu
Olympic sport	No
Official website	http://www.kendo-fik.org/

Kendo (剣道, kendō), meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional swordsmanship (kenjutsu) which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan.

History

Late Edo period Kendo practitioner.

Since the earliest samurai government in Japan, during the Kamakura period (1185–1333), sword fighting, together with horse riding and archery, were the main martial pursuits of the military clans. In this period kendo developed under the strong influence of Zen Buddhism. The samurai could equate the disregard for his own life in the heat of battle, which was considered necessary for victory in individual combat, to the Buddhist concept of the illusory nature of the distinction between life and death.

Those swordsmen established schools of kenjutsu (the ancestor of kendo) which continued for centuries and which form the basis of kendo practice today. The names of the schools reflect the essence of the originator's enlightenment. Thus the Ittō-ryū (Single sword school) indicates the founder's illumination that all possible cuts with the sword emanate from and are contained in one original essential cut. The Mutō-ryu (swordless school) expresses the comprehension of the originator Yamaoka Tesshu, that "There is no sword outside the mind". The Munen Musō-ryū (No intent, no preconception) similarly expresses the understanding that the essence of kenjutsu transcends the reflective thought process. The formal kendo exercises known as kata were developed several centuries ago as kenjutsu practice for warriors and are still studied today, albeit in a modified form.

The introduction of bamboo practice swords (shinai) and armour (bōgu) to sword training is attributed to Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato during the Shotoku Era (1711–1715). Naganuma developed the use of bōgu and established a training method using the shinai.

In addition, the inscription on the gravestone of Yamada Heizaemon Mitsunori's (Ippūsai) (山田平左衛門光徳(一風斎), 1638–1718) third son Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato (長沼 四郎左衛門 国郷, 1688 - 1767), the 8th headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu, states that his exploits included improving the bokuto and shinai, and refining the armour by adding a metal grille to the men (head piece) and thick cotton protective coverings to the kote (gauntlets). Kunisato inherited the tradition from his father Heizaemon in 1708, and the two of them worked hard together to improve the bogu until Heizaemon's death.

Kendo at an agricultural school in Japan around 1920

This is believed to be the foundation of modern kendo. Kendo began to make its appearance during the late 18th century. Use of the shinai and bōgu made it possible to deliver strikes and thrusts with full force but without injuring one's opponent. These advances, along with the development of set practice formats, set the foundations of kendo.

Concepts such as mushin (無心), or "empty mind", are borrowed from Zen Buddhism and are considered essential for the attainment of high-level kendo. Fudōshin (不動心), or "unmoving mind", is a conceptual attribute of the deity Fudo Myo-O, one of the five "Kings of Light" of Shingon Buddhism. Fudōshin, implies that the kendōka cannot be led astray by delusions of anger, doubt, fear, or surprise arising from the opponent’s actions, collectively called "the four kendo sicknesses" (四戒, shikai, lit. four admonitions).

The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was established in 1895 to solidify, promote, and standardize all martial disciplines and systems in Japan. The DNBK changed the name of gekiken (Kyūjitai: 擊劍; Shinjitai: 撃剣, "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. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950 (first as "shinai competition" (竹刀競技, shinai kyōgi) and then as kendo from 1952).

The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) was founded in 1952, immediately following the restoration of Japanese independence and the subsequent lift of the ban on martial arts in Japan.

The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was founded in 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 its aim is to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo.

The World Kendo Championships are an FIK event and have been held every three years since 1970.

Practitioners

Practitioners of kendo are called kendōka (剣道家), meaning "someone who practices kendo", or occasionally kenshi (剣士), meaning "swordsman". The old term kendoists is sometimes used.

The "Kodansha Meibo" (a register of dan graded members of the All Japan Kendo Federation) shows that as of September 2007, there were 1.48 million registered dan graded kendōka in Japan. According to the survey conducted by the All Japan Kendo Federation, the number of active kendo practitioners in Japan is 477,000 in which 290,000 dan holders are included. From these figures, the All Japan Kendo Federation estimates that the number of "kendōka" in Japan is 1.66 million by adding the number of the registered dan holders and the active kendo practitioners without dan grade.

Concept and purpose

In 1975, the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) developed then published "The Concept and Purpose of Kendo" which is 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 rigid training,

To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo.

To hold in esteem human 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 peoples.

Equipment and clothing

Kendo is practiced wearing a traditional Japanese style of clothing, protective armour (防具, bōgu) and using one or, less commonly, two shinai (竹刀).

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  A shinai.
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  Men
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  Dō
• 
  Tare
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  Kote
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  Armour and clothing components

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.

Kendōka also use hard wooden swords (木刀, bokutō) 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 men (面), with a metal grille (面金, men-gane) to protect the face, a series of hard leather and fabric flaps (突垂れ, tsuki-dare) to protect the throat, and padded fabric flaps (面垂れ, men-dare) to protect the side of the neck and shoulders. The forearms, wrists, and hands are protected by long, thickly padded fabric gloves called kote (小手). The torso is protected by a breastplate (胴, dō), while the waist and groin area is protected by the tare (垂れ), 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 cotton towel (手拭い, tenugui) 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 kiai (気合い), to express their fighting spirit when striking. Additionally, kendōka execute fumikomi-ashi (踏み込み足), an action similar to a stamp of the front foot, when making 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. An appropriate venue has a clean and well-sprung wooden floor, suitable for fumikomi-ashi.

Modern kendo techniques comprise both strikes and thrusts. Strikes are only made towards specified target areas (打突-部位, datotsu-bui) 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. Thrusts (突き, tsuki) 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.

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  Kendōka perform sonkyo after combat.
• 
  Two kendōka in tsuba zeriai.
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  Kendo target areas, or datotsu-bui.
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  Two kendōka, one (left) is playing in nitō (two sword style) and the other (right) is playing in ittō (one sword style).

Once a kendōka begins practice in armor, a practice session may include any or all of the following types of practice.

Kiri-kaeshi (切り返し)

Striking the left and right men target points in succession, practising centering, distance, and correct technique, while building spirit and stamina.

Waza-geiko (技稽古)

Waza or technique practice in which the student learns and refines that techniques of Kendo with a receiving partner.

Kakari-geiko (掛稽古)

Short, intense, attack practice which teaches continuous alertness and readiness to attack, as well as building spirit and stamina.

Ji-geiko (自稽古)

Undirected practice where the kendōka tries all that has been learnt during practice against an opponent.

Gokaku-geiko (互角稽古)

Practice between two kendōka of similar skill level.

Hikitate-geiko (引立稽古)

Practice where a senior kendōka guides a junior through practice.

Shiai-geiko (試合稽古)

Competition practice which may also be judged.

Techniques

Kendo techniques are divided into shikake-waza (to initiate a strike) and ōji-waza (in response to an attempted strike). Kendoka who wish to use such techniques during practice or competitions constantly practice each technique with a motodachi. This is a patient process. First practising slowly and then as familiarity and confidence builds. A kendoka and motodachi increase the speed to match and competition level.

Shikake-waza

These techniques are used to create suki in an opponent by initiating a attack, or strike boldly when your opponent has created a suki. Such techniques include:

This is a technique used when one's opponent has weak kisei(spirit,vigour) or when they yield a suki under pressure. Always hold kisei and strike quickly.

Body and shinai will lose balance as you strike 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 you push forward.

This provides a surprise attack, by lifting the shinai over your shoulder before striking. Here a skilful use of the kensen and spirited attack is crucial for effective katsugi-waza or luring your opponent into breaking his/her posture.

There are two types. The first is for moving to the next waza after a failed first strike, and the second holds your opponent's attention and posture to create the suki for a second strike. The former requires a continuous rhythm of correct strikes. The latter requires continuous execution of waza, to take advantage of your opponent's suki.

This can be used if one's opponent's kamae has no suki when your opponent tries to attack. Your opponent's shinai is either knocked down from above or swept up from below with a resulting strike just when his/her kamae is broken.

This technique involves striking your opponent as you realize he/she is about to strike. This is because their concentration will be on striking and their posture will have no flexibility to respond. Thus debana-waza is ideal. This can be to any part of your opponent's body, with valid strikes being: debana-men, debana-kote, and debana-tsuki.

Oji-waza

These techniques are when you strike after an attempted strike by your opponent. This can be achieved by inducing a strike in an aggressive attack and employing oji-waza.

Basically getting out of the way before a opponent strikes. Here timing has be correct. Too slow or too fast responses will guarantee failed execution. Therefore close attention to an opponent's every move is required.

If struck by an opponent's shinai, this technique sweeps up their shinai in a rising-slide motion, with the right(ura) or left(omote) side of the shinai. Then strike in the direction of their shinai, or at the suki resulting from their composure's collapse. This technique needs to be smooth. That is, don't separate the rising-slide motion and the upward-sweeping motion or it will not be successful. Valid strikes include: men-suriage-men, kote-suriage-men, kote-suriage-kote,and tsuki-suriage-men.

This waza knocks an opponent's shinai to the right or left. This neutralises a potential strike and gives the ideal chance to strike as an opponent is off-balance. For success, an opponent's maai has to be correctly perceived and then one knocks down their shinai before their arm fully extends. Valid examples are: do-uchiotoshi-men and tsuki-uchiotoshi-men.

This technique is a response. As an opponent strikes, you parry their shinai with yours. Then flip over (turn over your hands) and strike their opposite side. Valid strikes include:men-kaeshi-men, men-kaeshi-kote, men-kaeshi-do, kote-kaeshi-men, kote-kaeshi-kote, and do-kaeshi-men.

Competition

A scorable point (有効打突, yūkō-datotsu) in a kendo competition (tai-kai) is defined as an accurate strike or thrust made onto a datotsu-bui of the opponent's kendo-gu with the shinai making contact at its datotsu-bu, the competitor displaying high spirits, correct posture and followed by zanshin.

Datotsu-bui or point scoring targets in kendo are defined as:

• Men-bu, the top or sides of the head protector (sho-men and sayu-men).
• Kote-bu, a padded area of the right or left wrist protector (migi-kote and hidari-kote).
• Do-bu, an area of the right or left side of the armour that protects the torso (migi-do and hidari-do).
• Tsuki-bu, an area of the head protector in front of the throat (tsuki-dare).

Datotsu-bu of the 'shinai' is the forward, or blade side (jin-bu) of the top third (monouchi) of the shinai.

Zanshin (残心), or continuation of awareness, must be present and shown throughout the execution of the strike, and the kendōka must be mentally and physically ready to attack again.

In competition, there are usually three referees (審判, shinpan). Each referee holds a red flag and a white flag in opposing hands. To award a point, a referee raises the flag corresponding to the colour of the ribbon worn by the scoring competitor. Usually at least two referees must agree for a point to be awarded. The match continues until a pronouncement of the point that has been scored.

Kendo competitions are usually a three point match. The first competitor to score two points, therefore wins the match. If the time limit is reached and only one competitor has a point, that competitor wins.

In the case of a tie, there are several options:

• Hiki-wake (引き分け): The match is declared a draw.
• Enchō (延長): The match is continued until either competitor scores a point.
• Hantei (判定): The victor is decided by the referees. The three referees vote for victor by each raising one of their respective flags simultaneously.

Advancement

Grades

Technical achievement in kendo is measured by advancement in grade, rank or level. The kyū (級) and dan (段) grading system is used to indicate one's proficiency in kendo. The dan levels are from first-dan (初段, sho-dan) to tenth-dan (十段, jū-dan). There are usually six grades below first-dan, known as kyu. The kyu numbering is in reverse order, with first kyu (一級, ikkyū) being the grade immediately below first dan, and sixth kyu (六級, rokkyū) being the lowest grade. There are no visible differences in dress between kendo grades; those below dan-level may dress the same as those above dan-level.

Eighth-dan (八段, hachi-dan) is the highest dan grade attainable through a test of physical kendo skills. In the AJKF the grades of ninth-dan (九段, kyū-dan) and tenth-dan are no longer awarded, but ninth-dan kendōka are still active in Japanese kendo. International Kendo Federation (FIK) grading rules allow national kendo organisations to establish a special committee to consider the award of those grades.

All candidates for examination face a panel of examiners. A larger, more qualified panel is usually assembled to assess the higher dan grades. Kendo examinations typically consist of jitsugi, a demonstration of the skill of the applicants, Nihon Kendo Kata and a written exam. The eighth-dan kendo exam is extremely difficult, with a reported pass rate of less than 1 percent.

Requirements for dan grade examination

Grade	Requirement	Age requirement
1-dan	1-kyū	At least 13 years old
2-dan	At least 1 year of training after receiving 1-dan
3-dan	At least 2 years of training after receiving 2-dan
4-dan	At least 3 years of training after receiving 3-dan
5-dan	At least 4 years of training after receiving 4-dan
6-dan	At least 5 years of training after receiving 5-dan
7-dan	At least 6 years of training after receiving 6-dan
8-dan	At least 10 years of training after receiving 7-dan	At least 46 years old

Titles

Titles (称号, shōgō) can be earned in addition to the above dan grades by kendōka of a defined dan grade. These are renshi (錬士), kyōshi (教士), and hanshi (範士). The title is affixed to the front of the dan grade when said, for example renshi roku-dan (錬士六段). The qualifications for each title are below.

Title	Required grade	Conditions
renshi (錬士)	6-dan	After receiving 6-dan, one must wait 1 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organization, receive a recommendation from the regional organization president then pass an exam on kendo theory.
kyōshi (教士)	renshi 7-dan	After receiving 7-dan, one must wait 2 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organization, and receive a recommendation from the regional organization president then pass an exam on kendo theory.
hanshi (範士)	kyōshi 8-dan	After receiving 8-dan, one must wait 8 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organization, receive a recommendation from the regional organization president and the national kendo organization president then pass an exam on kendo theory.

Kata

There are 10 Nihon Kendō Kata (日本剣道形). These are performed with wooden swords (木刀, bokutō or bokken). The kata include fundamental techniques of attacking and counter-attacking, and have useful practical application in general kendo. Occasionally, real swords or swords with a blunt edge, called kata-yō (形用) or ha-biki (刃引), may be used for display of kata.

Nihon Kendo Kata

Kata one through seven are performed with both partners using a daitō (大刀) or tachi (太刀) style bokutō. Kata 8–10 are performed with one partner using a daitō and the other using a kodachi (小太刀) or shōtō (小刀) style bokutō. During kata practice, the participants take the roles of either uchidachi (打太刀), the teacher, or shidachi (仕太刀), the student. The uchidachi makes the first move or attack in each kata. As this is a teaching role, the uchidachi is always the "losing" side, thus allowing the shidachi to learn and gain confidence.

Nihon Kendō Kata were drawn from representative kenjutsu schools and tend to be quite deep and advanced.

In some areas the regular training curriculum does not include Nihon Kendō Kata. In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation introduced Bokutō Ni Yoru Kendō Kihon-waza Keiko-hō (木刀による剣道基本技稽古法), a set of basic exercises using a bokuto, attempted to bridge this gap. This form of practice, is intended primarily for kendōka up to second dan (二段, ni-dan), but is very useful for all kendo students.

Outside Japan

See also: Kendo around the world

The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was established in 1970 to provide a link between Japan and the developing international kendo community. FIK is an international federation of national and regional organizations and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organisation, and its aim is to promote and popularise kendo, iaido and jodo. Seventeen national federations were the founding affiliates. The number of affiliated and recognised organisations has increased over the years to 53 affiliated regional or national federations by February 2012.

World Kendo Championship

The World Kendo Championships have been held every three years since 1970 organized by the International Kendo Federation (FIK).

See also

• Gendai budō modern Japanese martial arts
• Iaidō Sword drawing
• Jōdō A martial art using a short wooden staff, or stick
• Kenjutsu Classical Japanese sword art
• Kirikaeshi A special exercise in Kendo training
• Koryū Old style (Japanese) martial arts
• Kumdo Korean kendo
• Naginata A martial art using a halberd like weapon
• Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido

External links

• All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) Template:Ja icon
• International Kendo Federation (FIK) Template:En icon