Modern kendo

Modern kendo has its roots deep in 18th century Japan, but modern kendo wasn't really born until the beginning of the 20th century.The first decades of the 20th century were very tumultous and after the Second World War martial arts were banned for some time in Japan by the Allied Forces.

The All Japan Kendo Federation was established in 1952 and the practise of kendo was revived. With this kendo took a step towards being the sport it is today. It was absorbed into the curriculae of schools and universities and became a standard practise method for public servants such as policemen, firemen etc. The practise of budo was (and is) considered a good method for bringing up good citizens.

Modern kendo is different from the sword arts of past centuries. First of all, the weapon used is not a bent, sharp sword, nor a wooden replica (although sometimes those are used for practise in kendo as well) but a straight, sticklike bamboo sword that flexes and bends. Even though the idea in modern kendo is to ”cut” the opponent with the bamboo sword or shinai just as if it were a real sword, it does not behave like a sword nor does it really cut. The most important difference is, that in modern kendo the sword ”cuts forward”, e.g. the body's movement continues after the hit and doesn't stop at the hit. When using a real katana, the cut goes downward.

The gear used in modern kendo is much lighter than an actual ancient Japanese warrior's armor. A modern kendo-gu (=armor) weighs about 10 kg or 22 lbs whereas the generals of old Japan carried a weight of up to 30 kg or 66 lbs on their backs. Therefore the movement in modern kendo is much less restricted and footwork has become very essential.

There is from time to time debate over whether kendo is a sport or a budo discipline. It is, in the humble opinion of this writer, both. There are many competitions in kendo and for example the kendo clubs in Universities compete with eachother in a manner similar to the baseball and football clubs at American universities. Competition, shiai is one way of practising and testing one's skills. Shiai in all its speed and force is physically demanding and a good basic condition is necessary.

Shiai however cannot be separated from the basics and the ideologies that lie beneath. Experienced sensei's instructions have always been to ”return back to kihon”, which is the basic practise in kendo, no matter how advanced a kendoka might be. In Japan, shiai belongs very closely to the practise of younger kendoka. After decades of training, as one very experienced sensei once told, starts ”real practise”, when the content of one's practise isn't just about whether one wins or loses at shiai anymore, but instead goes much deeper into developing as a human being through physical training. And even at that point the rule is the same: One must return to kihon, back to the basics.

There are many phases in one's kendo life and each phase requires a different kind of training. That is part of the appeal of kendo. It can be practised by children, adults and elderly people alike. Skills do not depend on physical strength. This is something that everyone, who has ever had a match against a 70-year old 8th dan knows. For many, kendo is a life long journey. There are always new sides to it for the diligent kendoka to find.