November 16, 2010 in All about Japan, Sekaione Press by adminsekaione

All about Japan: Kendo

Kendo (??,??- literally “the way of the sword” in Japanese) is the modern version of kenjutsu (??- “techniques of the sword”), a traditional swordsmanship formerly practiced by Japanese samurai. Nowadays, Kendo is not only a martial art but also a competitive sport, widely practiced around the world. However, Kendo is more than a simple set of saber techniques and tactics. It also includes a spiritual component. Through kendo its practitioners discipline their character and determination.

In a agriculture school in Japan, 1920

“Kendo is the oldest, most respected and most popular of the modern disciplines of Budo” claims Donn F. Draeger, expert in Japanese martial arts, in 1983. After a long war and the reunification of the country by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan entered an era of peace that will last more than 260 years, the Edo period (1600-1868). During this era, the kenjutsu got out of battlefields and expanded rapidly among the members of the ruling caste, the bushi (or Samurai). The kenjutsu was one of the eighteen martial arts practiced by bushi. Many treatises about sword ship were published, such as the “Gorin no Sho” by Miyamoto Musashi or “Hagakure” by Yamamoto Jocho. From “sword to kill” the kenjutsu moved gradually towards the “living sword” (katsujinken). Thus, the practitioners began to forge their character practicing not only a martial art, but the philosophy with whom it was connected. In the meanwhile, to facilitate the practice hitherto confined to the wooden kata sword (bokken) or saber, the bamboo sword (shinai) and various protections (bogu) which allows strikes at the time of attacks, were created by Naganuma Shiro in the early XIII century. Along with the improvement of the equipment, that takes its final shape shortly before the end of the Edo era, the kenjutsu starts developing into its modern form, kendo. During the Meiji Restoration (1868), swords were prohibited by an imperial decree law in 1876, the caste of samurai was dissolved and martial arts fell into disuse with the introduction of Western military techniques. However, they revived in 1878 in police academies and the first federation of martial arts, “Nihon Butokukai”, was established in Kyoto in the dojo Butokuden in 1895. Straight after, in 1899, “Bushido”, a work by Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933) was translated into English, and greatly contributed to make Japanese martial arts well known even abroad. In 1912, the kendo was first mentioned instead of kenjutsu in “Nihon Kendo no Kata (Kata for Kendo). The West discovered the kendo through travelogues, by the XIX century. In 1899, a first demonstration of kendo took place in France on the occasion of the visit of the founder of modern judo, Kano Jigoro. The defeat of Japan in Second World War put a stop to the diffusion of martial arts in general and especially kendo, responsible, according to the American occupation HQ, to convey militarist ideology through the Bushido. Kendo was prohibited after the war, but the sport was still performed under the name of “competition with shinai” until 1952, when the Japan Kendo Federation (Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei) was set up. Along with it, teachers were sent to study abroad, especially in France. Among them, there was Master Minoru Mochizuki, 4th dan in kendo. Supported by the Japanese masters, sometimes rival, France began to practice kendo in the early 1950s under the auspices of the French Federation of Aikido, Tai-Jitsu and Kendo, which organized the first French championship in 1959.

kendo during Meiji period

Basic Notions

Generality Kendo is a kind of fencing in which both hands are used. Suitable equipment (bamboo weapon, armor and garments) protects the practitioner who launches the attacks. There is also a technique called Nito, in which two Shinai are used. It is said to be a result from the school of the two swords, attributed to Miyamoto Musashi. Practitioners are called kendoka (scarcely used in Japan) or kenshi. Kendo is practiced in a dojo, a room with a wooden floor, or in gyms where wooden floors are available. There is no weight class and practitioners do not bear any outward sign of grade.

Kikentai itchi The basic concept of Kendo is the ki ken tai no itchi (??????) or kikentai itchi, which means “mind, sword and body in one”. * The spirit (?ki), which refers to the determination in the attack. The ki manifests itself through the kiai, the cry that encourages the kendoka to launch an attack; * The sword (?ken), which represents the blow. The latter should be dealt with a valid part of the shinai (mono uchi) properly oriented (the “edge” of shinai, to “cut” the target part) towards a valid part (datsu bui) of the armor of the opponent; * And the body (?tai), which is the involvement of the body represented by a kick on the ground, which must be executed at the same time as cutting and performing the kiai;

Yukodatotsu A blow in kendo is valid only when the fighter performs it with: * Determination * An appropriate posture * A valid part of his shinai (datsubu (???)) correctly focused on a valid target of the opponent fighter * Vigilance after hitting (zanshin (??) A valid strike (yukodatotsu (????)) is one point (ippon (??)) in competition. The evaluation of ippon by the referees is a hard duty. The referees are 3 and must be experienced practitioners themselves.

Kiai The kiai is a shout obtained by strong ventral expiration. It helps to enforce the power when dealing a blow. Even if it is not called kiai, we often hear something similar in tennis matches or when weightlifters uplift the bar-bell. Kendo beginners are taught to shout the name of the part they hit (kote, men, do) to improve their kiai. Gradually, a simple shout can be replaced by a more personal kiai. The kata are an exception. In the latter, the blows are not always accompanied by a kiai, but the last shot is traditionally accompanied by ‘Ya! (by the Uchidachi) and ‘To! (by the Shidachi) (see “Kata” below).

Attack points Targets, or datotsubui Conventionally, in kendo there are certain parts of opponent’s body that can be hit and are considered as valid points. The four main targets are: head (men), wrists (kote), sides (do) and throat (tsuki).

Defense The opponents face each others holding the shinai with both hands (the right hand in a defense position and the left hand at the bottom of the handle) and pointing the throat of the opponent with the tip. This basic position (called chudan no kamae) is essential because allows to hit just moving a single step (issoku itto). There are also different defense positions, such as the jodan no kamae, in which the practitioner holds his shinai above his head. In the so-called Nito, the kendoka holds a shinai in each hand, a long and a short one.

Weapons

* The katana (?) is the sword used by samurai. These days, their manufacture is regulated by the Japanese government in terms of quality and quantity. They are now employed in iaido, and occasionally even in kendo, particularly in demonstrations, although the sword used (habiki) is just an imitation, blunt version of the real one.

* Shinai (??) is a sword consisting of four bamboo slats tied together. It is the sword used in Kendo, and as a katana it is supposed to have an edge, whose opposite side is represented by a string (tsuru). The string not only keeps all the components together, but it shows also the invalid part of the shinai. In other words, valid strikes must be dealt with the opposite side, properly oriented (hasuji (??)). The length and the weight of shinai vary with the category (male / female, child / adolescent / adult) of the practitioner. Two swords technique(??Nito) fighters use two shinai of different lengths. There are shinai made in chemical materials as well, such as carbon fiber ones. They are more resistant and require less maintenance than bamboo shinai. Anyway, the shinai requires constant maintenance, in order to prevent accidents. Shinai are inspected right before fighting, and the blade must be sand or removed, if damaged.

* The bokut? (??) or bokken (??) is a wooden katana. As for its appearance, it looks like a katana much more than the shinai. It was once used for training, but it has now been replaced by the shinai. The bokut? is still used for the performance of kata (see below, “Kata”).

Armor * Men (?): a metallic grille mask covering face and head, shoulders and throat. * Kote (??): a glove protecting the wrist and part of the forearm. * Do (?): a protecting plate for the belly, from the sides to the chest. * Tare (?) protection covering the lower abdomen and upper thighs. The flexible parts of the armor were made of cotton, stuffed and strengthened by strips of leather (usually deer one), dyed in indigo blue. The men grille (mengane) is made of metal (aluminium, titanium etc.) The do is made of glass fibers, but strips of bamboo are used instead in the high quality armors. It is covered in skate leather (shagreen), sometimes painted.

Clothes The garments comprise a traditional hakama (culottes) and a keiko-gi (jacket). They are usually made of cotton, even if synthetic fibers are also used. In any case, they are generally dyed indigo blue. The herbal extracts used for dyeing have styptic properties.Wearing white garments is occasionally preferred, as they are cheaper (for example, for children) but also to symbolize purity of mind. This uniform is worn especially by some teachers, by women and Imperial Police practitioners. In kendo, practitioner’s grade does not appear on his clothes. However, the practitioner’s name and his dojo or club, city, region or country, are inscribed on the zekken which hangs on the tare.This identification is withdrawn when that rank is surpassed.

Discipline of the mind

Kendo is not only a physical exercise. Its practice requires the mastery of “kata” (codified fighting), and the etiquette that is applied in the dojo. Kendo is an art that requires a disciplined mind.

Kata Kata (also knows as Kendo no kata or Nihon Kendo kata) are a synthesis of old schools techniques. Created in 1912 by a committee of experts, they comprise ten codified combat sequences to be performed by two partners: seven of them holding a bokken (long sword) and three in which the shidachi (see below) holds a kodachi (short sword).  The kata are specific technique sequences which focus on performance quality and authenticity. They are realized by two people without the bogu, in a fully codified form (including bows). For each sequence, there is a master (uchidachi) and a pupil (shidachi). The master always deal the first blow, while the pupil the last, making him the “winner”. However, the purpose of kata is not the victory, but the flawless fluid motion to realize the sequences. For this reason, kata are useful as they help practitioners to improve their own ability and dynamism.

Etiquette “Kendo begins and ends with greetings”. This basic rule taught in every dojo emphasizes the importance of etiquette, an essential aspect of kendo. Greetings (at the beginning and at the end of classes, and at the beginning and at the end of combat), dojo manners, equipment outfit, way of holding shinai etc, are just a few examples of a long set of etiquette conventions, dating back to the era of the samurai, whose details can somewhat vary according to teachers and dojo. Etiquette rules are a way to express respect and gratitude to the other practitioners and teachers, but also to the dojo and equipment.

Degrees and Title

Hierarchy The pupils are split in 2 classes: beginners and senior practitioners. For beginners, ranks range from 6th to 1st kyu (the highest); for experienced ones, from 1st to 8th dan. Along with “dan” there is a range of titles for teachers: “Renshi”, “Kyoshi and Hanshi”: the title of Hanshi (Master) is the highest. The titles are issued through written examinations. The candidate must be at least 6th dan to become a Renshi, 7th dan to become a Kyoshi and 8th dan to Hanshi. Rank scale The examinations to pass to an upper rank include a written test (from the 5th dan), and a demonstration of the skills consisting of 2 fighting sessions, about one minute thirty seconds each, with 2 different opponents. Moreover, the candidate has to pass a kata practical exam: difficulty changes according to the rank and the candidate will be asked to show a part, or all of them. The jury consists of examiners whose number (5 or 7) and rank (at least 5th dan) is shown to the candidates. The jury grants the title trough a majority vote. Minimum age and licenses are some of the conditions to pass to an upper rank, even if the main one is the seniority acquired in current rank. Seniority increases in the current rank. For example, a 2nd dan needs two years before one can pass to the third one, and 6 years are requested for a 6th dan to pass to the 7th. The lowest duration between ranks is 2 years, for candidates over 60 years old.

Fighting and Referee

General rules Kendo competitions are usually a three point match (sanbon shobu) over a period of five minutes inside a combat area (shiai-jo), 11 m in dimension. The winner is the first kendoka to score two points prior to time limit, or to score one point at the end of standard time. In case of end in a draw and individual matches, a time extension (encho) occurs. There is no time limit, and the winner is the first to score one point. Leaving the shiai-jo, dropping the shinai accidentally or intentionally, behaving violently or inadequately, and similar misbehaviors might be sanctioned by a warning (hansoku). Two hansoku give the opponent a point. These general rules, including duration, can be modified according to the different kind of competition and age of the competitors.

Team competitions When team competitions end in a draw at the end of time limit, they are not extended but rather postponed, and an additional competition takes place between some selected members representatives of the teams.

Arbitration In competition, arbitration is provided by three referees. Each one holds a flag in each hand, a red one and a white one. The competitors tie a ribbon (tasuki) on the garments, red for one and white for the other. The main referee is called “central arbitrator” (chushin) and the other two (fukushin) are his assistants. They form a triangle around the two combatants so that there are at least 2 referees in the best position to see the details of the fighting. It’s the chushin who gives a start and an end to the competition, declares the valid points and gives the warnings. Usually, to award a point (ippon), two referees at least must agree on the point awarded, and raise the flag corresponding to the colour of the ribbon worn by the scoring competitor.