Kendo

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art that began as a way for samurai warriors to practice their sword skills. Today, it is practiced in Japan and many other countries around the world. People who practice kendo use special bamboo swords called shinai and wear protective armor known as bōgu.

Kendo comes from an older martial art called kenjutsu, which was a form of swordsmanship used by ancient Japanese warriors. While it has evolved over time, kendo still keeps many traditions from the past, teaching discipline, respect, and self-control to its practitioners.

The word "kendo" means "sword way" or "way of the sword" in Japanese. It is more than just fighting—it is a way to build character and focus. Many people enjoy kendo because it helps them stay healthy and learn important life lessons.

History

Swordsmen in Japan created schools of kenjutsu, which are the ancestors of kendo. These schools lasted for many years and are the basis for kendo today. Special exercises called kata were made centuries ago for sword training. People still study these exercises today, though they have been changed a little.

Bamboo practice swords and armor for training were first used by a person named Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato during the Shotoku Era. He made rules for training with these tools. Another person, Yamada Heizaemon Mitsunori, improved the training by using special wooden and bamboo tools and by making better armor for the head and hands.

Later, a person named Shūsaku Narimasa Chiba added full-contact duels with bamboo swords to training programs. After Japan changed its government during the Meiji Restoration, public events with bamboo swords became popular.

In 1876, the government took away swords from samurai and started programs to create a common style of sword fighting for police training. This helped create modern kendo. In 1895, an organization called the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was made to support martial arts. They changed the name of the sport to kendō in 1920.

Kendo was stopped in Japan in 1946 but started again in 1950. The All Japan Kendo Federation was created in 1952 to help people learn and practice kendo as a sport. The International Kendo Federation was started in 1970 to support kendo around the world.

Practitioners

People who practice kendo are called kendōka, which means "someone who practices kendo". Sometimes they are also called kenshi, meaning "swordsman". There are many kendo practitioners around the world. In Japan alone, there are over 1.6 million people who practice kendo, and more than 6 million people worldwide enjoy this activity.

Concept and purpose

In 1975, the All Japan Kendo Federation created and shared "The Concept and Purpose of Kendo".

Kendo helps people train their character by using the ideas of the katana. Its purpose is to build both the mind and body, grow a strong spirit, and improve through careful training. People who practice kendo learn to be polite and honorable, to be true to others, and to keep growing as individuals. This helps them love their country and community, support culture, and help bring peace and good times for everyone.

Equipment and clothing

Kendo is practiced in traditional Japanese-style clothing and protective armor called bōgu, using a special practice sword called a shinai.

The shinai is made to look like a Japanese sword and is built from four bamboo pieces held together with leather. Some newer versions use carbon fiber mixed with resin. Kendo players also sometimes use a hard wooden sword called a bokutō for certain exercises. They strike with both the edge and the tip of these swords.

Protective gear is worn to guard the head, arms, and body. The head is covered by a special helmet called men with a metal grille to shield the face and padded parts to protect the neck. The arms and hands are covered by thick, padded gloves named kote. A breastplate called dō protects the chest, and fabric flaps called tare guard the waist and lower body.

Under the armor, players wear a jacket called kendogi or keikogi along with wide-legged pants called hakama. A cotton towel, or tenugui, is placed around the head to help with sweat and make the helmet fit better.

Modern practice

Kendo training can be loud because practitioners often shout, called a kiai (気合い), to show their spirit when they strike. They also move their front foot in a special way, called fumikomi-ashi (踏み込み足), during strikes.

Kendo is usually done in special training halls called dōjō, but can also be practiced in other places with wooden floors. Practitioners train and fight barefoot.

In Kendo, there are both strikes and thrusts. Strikes are aimed at protected areas like the wrists, head, or body. Thrusts are only allowed toward the throat, but this is usually limited to more experienced practitioners to avoid injury.

After combat, Kendo practitioners perform a bow called sonkyo. Practice sessions can include different kinds of exercises to improve skills and readiness, such as striking in succession, learning techniques with a partner, and practicing competition-style matches.

Techniques

Kendo has two main kinds of techniques: ones that start a strike and ones that respond to a strike. People who practice these techniques often work with a partner called a motodachi. They start by practicing slowly and carefully, then they get faster as they become more confident.

Attack techniques are used to surprise an opponent or take advantage when they make a mistake. These include quick strikes, sweeping moves, and surprise attacks from above.

Counter-attack techniques are used when someone tries to strike you. You can avoid their strike and then respond quickly, or trick them into attacking so you can counter. These techniques need good timing and attention to your opponent’s movements.

Rules of competition

In a kendo competition, a point is scored when a player hits a special target area on the opponent’s protective gear using the correct part of the practice sword. The hit must be strong, the player must stay in good posture, and they must stay aware and ready for the next move.

The target areas include the top of the head protector, the wrist protectors, the sides of the torso protector, and the area in front of the throat on the head protector. There are usually three referees who help decide when a point is scored correctly. The first player to score two points wins the match. If the match ends in a tie, referees may decide the winner, continue the match, or call it a draw.

Important kendo competitions

See also: All Japan Kendo Championship, World Kendo Championship, European Kendo Federation, and World Combat Games

The All Japan Kendo Championship is the most important kendo competition. Though it is for Japanese kendo players, people all over the world see it as the top championship. The World Kendo Championships happen every three years, starting from 1970. They are organized by the International Kendo Federation with help from the host country's kendo group. The European championship happens each year, except when there is a world championship. Kendo is also included in the World Combat Games.

Advancement

Technical achievement in kendo is measured by grades or ranks. The kyū (級) and dan (段) grading system, created in 1883, shows how good someone is at kendo. The dan levels go from first-dan (初段, sho-dan) to tenth-dan (十段, jū-dan). There are usually six grades below first-dan, called kyu. The kyu grades are numbered in reverse, with first kyu (一級, ikkyū) just below first dan, and sixth kyu (六級, rokkyū) being the lowest grade.

In Japan, kyu ranks are usually for children, with the exam for 1st kyu often being their first test. Adults usually take their first dan exam. Outside Japan, people often go through every kyu rank before trying for dan ranks. The eighth-dan (八段, hachi-dan) is the highest dan grade you can earn by testing your kendo skills. Exams for kendo include showing skills, performing set forms, and a written test. The eighth-dan exam is very hard, with very few people passing.

Titles

Titles can be earned along with dan grades by kendōka of a certain dan level. These titles are renshi (錬士), kyōshi (教士), and hanshi (範士). The title is added to the front of the dan grade when spoken, for example renshi roku-dan (錬士六段).

Kata

Kata are set patterns that help people learning kendo practice basic sword skills. They show important ways to attack and defend in kendo. There are ten special patterns called Nihon Kendō Kata. Usually, these are practiced with wooden swords called bokutō or bokken. Sometimes, special swords are used for showing these patterns.

These patterns are done by two people: one acts as the teacher (uchidachi) and the other as the student (shidachi). The teacher makes the first move in each pattern, letting the student respond and build confidence.

The first seven patterns use normal-length wooden swords for both people. The last three patterns have the teacher using a normal sword and the student using a shorter one called a kodachi.

These patterns were finally set in 1933, based on older forms made in 1912. In 2003, a new set of basic exercises using a bokutō was created to help beginners learn kendo. These exercises are especially good for students up to the second level, but useful for all kendo learners.

Kata can also be used in competitions, where players are judged on how well they perform these patterns.

National and international organizations

See also: Kendo around the world

Many countries have groups that help people practice and enjoy kendo. The biggest group is the International Kendo Federation (FIK). The FIK connects people who love kendo from all over the world. It started in 1970 with 17 countries and now has 57 groups. The FIK also helps spread other Japanese martial arts like iaido and jodo.

Other groups that support kendo and other martial arts include the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) and the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF). The IMAF began in Kyoto in 1952 and works to grow martial arts everywhere.