Kendo is NOT the Skills of Samurai
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- I want to first make it clear that I think Kendo is a wonderful Budo, and their skills are amazing.
However, it is absolutely not “according to the principles of the katana,” it is only the technique to fight with a Shinai bamboo sword.
Skills of fighting with a real katana like Iai/Kenjutsu and Kendo have too many differences.
1.Katana are curved, Shinai are straight (functions very differently)
2.Katana are meant to cut, Shinai are meant to hit
3.Kendo attacks where you have armor, Iai/Kenjutsu aims for where you don’t
4.Kendo has rules for safety, Iai/Kenjutsu doesn’t (thrusts, leg attacks, etc.)
These are just some examples, and there are many many more.
*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
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#kendo #iai #katana - บันเทิง
Never thought I'd see Heisenberg try to give a lesson on Japanese swordsmanship
Jessas ve need do become one with blade JESSEES
😆😆😆
*Heisenberg
@@fixer1140 why thank you
@@Shr3k4Life you're most welcome 😎
It's like comparing high school wrestling with Spartan Pankration.
Somehow that is still more similar.
Pankration wasn't a spartan art it was made by the pagans that lived there and modern pankration is just wrestling+boxing
Yeah sure, tell that to the znkr if you dare.
No is not, is more compare chess to a maquette of spartan miniatures
Nowadays the approach of iaido and the majority of kenjutsu is more preserve the tradition than learn to fight, like a living museum
@@igornovelli2292 What do you mean? The Kendo vs Actual swordsmanship comparison is further removed from each other than modern wrestling and ancient pankration, because there any wrestling technique was permitted, but in Kendo there are restrictions on some actual sword techniques
He should have said Kendo is a highly simpilfied dertivitive of Kenjustu tailored to meet the needs of the sport it represents. It doesn't fully mirrors the way of the sword.
...or "watered-down form of Kenjutsu". 😄
You talk about which you have neither experienced nor researched, your judgement is obviously superficial and you're as confused as Shogo about the meaning of the principles of the katana.
@@Defsolid sauce plox
@@Defsolid How so?
Is it not derivitive of Kenjutsu at all then?
Or do you disagree with the notion that it's very different in essence?
Kenjutsu is an umbrella term used to describe all forms of Japanese sword-based martial arts.
To use an analogy, Kendo is to skeet shooting as Kenjutsu is to hunting for live game.
In fact, Kendo means "the way of the sword”.
Kendo is used more for personal development and discipline.
From my experience with Kendo, Kendo taught me to react to gaps in my opponents mind.
Also the ability to break through my own perceived limitations.
I miss Kendo, although I still practice Kendo Kata as a meditation.
I think he was referring to "the concept of kendo" as formulated by the All Japan Kendo Federation. There "the principles of the katana" are mentioned.
True on the one hand though that is more a branding thing in my opinion considering in Kendo there is no concept of edge alignment.
@@lorddio4280i thought there was that thing with the shinai's "spine"?
@@lorddio4280 Edge alignment is one of the five scoring criteria for a valid strike.
@@Ianmar1 How do you Allianz the edge with a round pole? Is there somekind of marking that I am unaware of?
@@lorddio4280 There is a string on the back called the tsuru which represents the spine of the sword. In practice edge alignment is judged by posture, grip, path of the shinal, and sound of the impact. The bamboo slats should clap together to indicate that the impact was perpendicular to the front face of the shinai.
I want to first make it clear that I think Kendo is a wonderful Budo, and their skills are amazing.
However, it is absolutely not “according to the principles of the katana,” it is only the technique to fight with a Shinai bamboo sword.
Skills of fighting with a real katana like Iai/Kenjutsu and Kendo have too many differences.
1.Katana are curved, Shinai are straight (functions very differently)
2.Katana are meant to cut, Shinai are meant to hit
3.Kendo attacks where you have armor, Iai/Kenjutsu aims for where you don’t
4.Kendo has rules for safety, Iai/Kenjutsu doesn’t (thrusts, leg attacks, etc.)
These are just some examples, and there are many many more.
Interesting!!!! Thanks for the information. ❤
A question :)
It looked like you nodded when he said the very thing you refuted. Does nodding have different meaning to Japanese people? Basically meaning the opposite of what a Westerner would see it as? Because that can definitely cause some confusion :D
I agree that Kendo is a sport, but these statements may be a tad misleading to the uninformed:
"3.Kendo attacks where you have armor, Iai/Kenjutsu aims for where you don’t"
That's because Kendo assumes that the duelists are unarmored. The armor is intended precisely to provide targets for your opponent (like sparring pads).
"4.Kendo has rules for safety, Iai/Kenjutsu doesn’t (thrusts, leg attacks, etc.)"
Yes, because Iai/Kenjutsu generally does not have free-sparring, so of course no safety rules are required.
I do both Kendo and Iaido, and you do need both to learn real swordsmanship (I can't anything about Kenjutsu as I haven't done it). Pure Iaidoka usually don't have a great sense of the skills required for sword-fighting, such as aggressiveness, timing, and distance.
Hi Shogo! I hope you are reading this. Sorry, I should have been posting this earlier.
"application of the principles of the katana" is not the guys oppinion, but the official statement of the All Japan Kendo Federation. That doesn't mean that it's realistic Samurai duelling (but so isn't Iai/Kenjutsu).
1.+2. You fail to realise that in Kendo we also practice Kata with bokuto or habiki blade. It is not just the shinai.
3. Kendo developed in the Edo period where Armor wasn't part of duelling. So did most Iai ryuha.
4. There is no Gendai Budo that lacks rules for safety, and it would be crazy to practice anything where there aren't any.
As a long time subscriber, I respektfully ask you to rethink your statements.
I would quibble a bit about some of this. If by Kendo you mean just the sport competition with shinai. Sure, that’s nothing to do with the sword skills of the Samurai except in the most abstract way about ma-ai and timing etc. But if you include ZNKR Seitei Iaidō and the ZNKR Kendo no Kata, then at least it’s a bit closer. That was the whole point of those being created in the 20th century.
It’s certainly not the same as immersing oneself in a koryu that involves multiple bladed weapons and perhaps even the jo. Some of which employ some protective armor for full contact or at the least can have real full speed target of points that would be openings in traditional armor. It seems due to the pervasive influence of the ZNKR that Iaidō is often seen as just solo practice with a katana and that’s called koryu in the ZNKR. But the actual koryu including the Eishin Ryu schools are not just the solo practice with katana. Its Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu, tameshigiri, and frequently some weapons practice such as wakizashi, naginata, so (spear).
Totally respect your opinion here shogo. The only counter I would propose is that kendo is the only widely available and safe method to do full contact sparring. So the flaws of kendo that make it less like kenjutsu in my opinion are made up in the fact that you can pressure test every technique in kendo, unlike in older legacies
I agree. Modern kenjutsu has a massive flaw in not pressure testing things. Many demonstrations or even lessons incorporate moves one with even a little kendo or in my case, HEMA fencing, knows would never work. Most of the blade beating in kenjutsu massively overstates how much the blade will move aside.
Additionally, kendo is certainly more important than kenjutsu for combat. One can easily train to make cuts. Training the nerve of facing an opponent and composure in reactions is something that most kenjutsu or modern dojos, even the one with seki-sensei, fail to train in earnest.
Japan really could make great use of adopting full-contact sparring. I suspect their weapon laws don't allow that though.
Either Kendo or Kenjutsu Aside from conditioning one minds and body, has very little practical application. There is no practical difference between the two. If you're really into self defense you are better of practicing grapling, striking and regular visit to the gun range.
@@haroldcruz8550 True, But no one does kendo for self defense.
There was a study of long-te kendo practitioners' brains that had some concerning results. I did HEMA tourneys/sparring, so likely much worse with 1000g heavier trainers and blows from more angles allowed to the head, but "safe" is something to be very critical about.
*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
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You are attempting to disprove the "Concept of Kendo" as formulated by Ogawa Chutaro sensei and publicized by the ZNKR. This is going to be a mess for other people to clean up.
Thank you for the short.
I have a question for you and Seki-sensei.
Imagen you have a goal you want to reach really, really badly. And tried for weeks already and can start another try soon. Your head says "let's go!!! You know the way and it may be that your abilities run out along the way, but it's still better than making everyone wait even longer." and is impatient and wants to just MOVE. Preferably yesterday.
But, at the same time, your heart, your instincts tell you "Wait! Wait! Now is not the time. It will be your friends, who will pay the price. It will NOT work at this time. Wait a bit longer. The time will soon be right. But it's not yet". Even if you can't see WHY or HOW. Even if your head insists, that waiting is the worse option by a long shot.
As a martial artist, would you follow what your head says or what your heart insists on? Regardless if it makes sense or not. Even to yourself.
I'm not sure I CAN disregard my instinct, no matter how sorry I am for making things awful for everyone else. And I really, really am. I understand if there are consequences for me over this. But somehow, they worry me far less than the bad feeling I get over being too impatient. Than again, I did accept those consequences a while ago already.
I'm sorry, if it doesn't makes sense to you. It doesn't really to me... I just can't shake this feeling. The more I try to get rid of this feeling, the worse it becomes.
@madeleineg2049 you should speak to a therapist. how did it turn out?
Just saw a video on Kendo-ka trying tameshigiri. They do not have the waza. I left a comment there on my experience with Kendo-ka cutting. Kendo-ka cannot cut as their waza is NOT uchi-waza. Kendo is fencing - without being paired with Iaido or Batto-do, they are not trained in cutting movements. I have done Kendo too, but along with Iaido, so I do have some experience in these arts (Batto-do too).
... uchi means to strike
Well, I'm kendoka and did some tameshigiri in the weekend, wasn't that hard. 😅 And the iaido guy said that I have better horizontal cut than him. 🤔
Nevertheless looking at the videos on weaponism YT Channel (and many others) it seems that a skilled kendoka can easily keep up with fencers, escrimadores, kenjutsu practicioners and even hema fighters. I don't know if a better way (and safe) to train katana fighting exists.
studying a real ryu
I would love to see you trying kendo! Love your videos!
I didn't know Walter White knew kendo
No way the British kendo association got a cameo there. I was at that event! 😂
There was this time, we were practicing tsuki (a thrust to the throat) and the shinai missed our neck flaps, and went in between the neck and shoulder flaps
I've been playing kendo for a number of years now, I love it, but I can also assure you that it is nothing like using a katana.
Apart from the weight and shape of the sword itself, Kendo is a martial "sport", it's aim is to score points by hitting very specific points on the body, while calling out the name of the body part and meeting a number of criteria, thus the sport evolved techniques designed for efficiently meeting those criteria, deviating drastically from how katana's were used in actual combat.
TLDR; samurai did not do the vast majority of what kendo players do today, and vice-versa.
Kendo in general is funny in that there are basically three very different "kendos":
1) The kendo kata that are basically simplified versions of Itto ryu kenjutsu kata.
2) Kihon and what you are "supposed" to do.
3) What you actually do in competitions.
It's not like the three don't have any common ground; the kata contain most of the basic techniques and concepts, but they are done very differently in practice. And the real usage is so optimized to the equipment and rules that it looks different to kihon and contains techniques and tricks kihon doesn't.
Yes, but all of Kendo’s attacks would definitely work with a katana.
Yep, I kind of felt flat when I noticed one way to prevent a point in kendo was to tilt your head just before your opponent's men cut arrived. Just felt like it wasn't true to the spirit. These days I'm a lot older, and naginata is all I'm up to, but I'm loving it.
Same problem for all combat sports: they are designed to be safe. The cannot represent a true fight.
Rugby: "Am I a joke to you!?"
Yes 😂@@AmyraCarter
Thank you for your videos.
Great explanation! I never really understood the differences until now
So a few questions about shouting. Why do they shout? Is the shouting more of a kendo thing or is it shared with ia/kenjutsu as well? And does it depend on the style/school?
I don't practice with a sword but I do practice kung fu. A sharp exhale does increase the force of the blow so yelling does help. Not sure if that helps with a sword though.
Usually japanese budo entails some form of kiai, shouting.
Certain kenjutsu styles also use shouting, including in their iaijutsu techniques. Jigen-ryu for example is a style meant for the nodachi, the very big very long katana. And there's a lot of screaming in said style. It's fascinating to watch/hear.
Iaido (not iaijutsu practiced in particular schools) on the other hand, doesn't seem to put much emphasis on shouting.
Oh, and yea, the way one shouts can indeed vary from one school to another. Take a look at Jigen-ryu again.
I may be mistaken, but I think in kendo it is also a rule (or a tradition?) that they must call out their hits depending on where they strike their opponent.
The idea is to call out the attacks, so that way the judge can see and appropriately judge the hit. Kiai are a way of focusing and increasing the blow.
I love your deep knowledge of japanese culturr and history and how easily you explain complex nuissances.
He has a 2nd dan grade in ZNKR seitei iaido, this is early intermediate at best. Anyone with the requisite experience to make the judgement he just made might consider him an advanced beginner. The statement that he is contradicting here is an official statement of the ZNKR formulated by possibly the most celebrated thinker on the subject of budo.
Kendo (Ken=sword do= the way)fosters the inner posture or attitude of what a samurai should be, such as their mentality, comprehension, and discipline.
Kendo is the consensus of many predominant Ryuha(sword schools) brought together. So there's just Kendo, and no other schools(with a few exceptions).
The more deeper and experience you have in Kendo, you'll understand that the best use of a katana is to understand the enemy, not to kill. Kendo is not the study of Satsujin-ken( Satsujin= killer ken=sword) it's Katsujin-ken(Katsu=life-saving Ken=sword).
Hence one of the most valued sentence in Kendo is "Ute hansei, utarete kansa"(Reflect after striking, be grateful when struck).
Unfortunately nowadays many practioners focus on the sport aspect of Kendo, which mostly revolves around winning or losing. Maybe Kendokas(practioners of Kendo) should learn Kenjutsu to truly understand the weight and leathelness of a Katana.
Kenjutsu (Ken=sword jutsu=technique)is the actual practice and technique of using the katana correctly to kill or immobilize someone.
There are many Kenjutsu schools with many different approaches on how to use the katana.
Kenjutsu only revolves around forms, mostly focusing on a certain technique in a fixed imaginary situation. However this lead to the lack of intentensity of actually facing someone and the adapatablility in an unforseen situation. Thus Kendo was born which involved actual combat with certain rules in order to not injure the opponent and face each other fair and square.
In conclusion, Kendo is the evolution and survival of Kenjutsu that preserves the samurai spirit in the present.
P.S. Maybe you shouldn't talk about things you're inexperienced with, unless you have realiable sources to prove it.
kenjutsu is not a full contact sport. And apparently, it has been forgotten that kendo is not only practiced with shinai. You also have kendo kata which represent the way of the sword as it was done in the past
A note about the "cut versus hit" aspect. While it is certainly true being essentially bamboo "wasters" that kendo doesn't prioritize cutting, "hitting" an opponent with any blade is shown to be effective. The method of flicking the tip has a very specific purpose. And no, this is not katana exempt, as European sabers with even more curve than any katana still utilize "flicking".
The reason why you'd want to flick? Speed. Flicking the tip to cut is the fastest way to ensure your blade will contact the opponent. While cutting may do more damage, it is also significantly easier to simply parry or block. If kenjutsu could free-spar this becomes very evident. Winding back to cut is a waste of time and will lead to you being killed.
Additionally, flicking the tip while cutting allows you you actually cut and thrust at the exact same time. If your opponent steps back, your tip is on-line and you "simply" thrust forward. If your opponent moves towards you, you continue the flick which will automatically turn into a cut at close range.
A senior kendo student to me where I train also trains shinkage-ryu (not main line). He assures me that the style as given to him uses almost exclusively small technique. The riai or rationale of their koryu is that they target arteries and tendons, thus the big technique of their kata is overkill as praxis but useful pedagogy for teaching correct body mechanics.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge brother ❤
Thank you SO MUCH for getting this one right.
Nicely explained - thank you
I disagree in that it isnt according to the principles of the katana quite deeply. Though shinai is not a 1 to 1 representation of katana and is a place holder. Kendo is very much rooted in knowing shinai is a place holder and all that you to must be applicable with katana aswell. But deeper than that the ethiquette around a shinai is also about the inherited ethiquette of katana. It is true that kendo and shinai has their own identity removed from kenjutsu of the past and katana but that identity is born from those principles in the first place.
I would say neither are correct : kendo has a history and drags from all schools of kenjutsu but one must not lose sight of the purpose it was created for and when. There is a history of kendo just like there is a history of kenjutsu. Kendo spawns from the latter and has some connections but it also evolved in its own way to the point that a kendo player would be at a loss if given a katana to wield.
Kenjutsu today had some restrictions unlike the Kenjutsu of the feudal Japan is practicing especially at Sengoku Era
That's why Iaido was created, the old generation used to practice both, with time the numbers that did both dwindled, two wheels of the same cart they used to say.
I like how white-dude Ben G is Japansplaining to Shogo. Shup up Ben G
@@misterpresidented2152The thing ks that Shogo isn't a Kendoka. He practiced it in the past (if I recall correctly) but isn't an active practicionner. He trains and focuses Iaido, wich is a very different martial art. Both points of view are completely valid
I would love to practice Kendo and also Katana! Please do more videos about all these topics!
“Kendo has rules for safety” shows a one-handed tsuki technique…
except it's on the helmet side and the bamboo had rubber to it to reduce the impact
You could've easily researched Tsuki in Kendo and learned that the helmet (men in Japanese) has a neck protection (tsuki dare in Japanese) and saved yourself and those that liked your comment the embarrassment.
@@Defsolid The fool doesn't fear embarrassment
Throat is the only legitimate target for tsuki....I believe rules changed after injury.
@@mrteacher1315Old photos show tsuki to the mengane (mask) which was removed as a target area due to neck injuries. Back in the 80s through 1995 munezuki (chest) was allowed to discourage jodan as a reckless shiai option however this was too effective and subsequently removed. Probably wasn't nice for female kendoka. I sometimes use it as a setup for renzoku waza e.g. mukae-zuki - shomen if I believe my friend is cool with it.
You make great videos Shogo! Really enlighting to learn japanese culture by martial arts...
Thanks for sharing so much.
Just a little bit adjustment and it would be the real thing. Best advice I could give practice both. You can experience full contact sword fighting and know how a real katana feels. Put 2 and 2 together and you get the idea.
Do you ever spar? Huge difference between drilling and sparing.
No, they don't. The only "fights" are the Katas where you already know what will happen. That's why a lot of the best budoka practice multiple martial arts at the same time
As already said Kendo is great but it isn’t Kenjutsu. Most Kendo attacks would fail or a higher degree of awareness of consequences is required before jumping in (and without armor) against against a live (or blunt practice) katana. Just my opinion.
Needed this!
So right!!
Wonderful explanation
Nice list of the differences.
Well, I think kenjutsu and even Iai are more “ceremonial” while kendo is more combat oriented. That bamboo stick is still capable of dealing some serious damage. If you’ve ever crossed bamboo sticks with some high level practitioner, you’d know. A strike against your sword from a high level practitioner is powerful enough that it would numb your hands so much (while you have your armor on) that you’d drop your weapon. Also, kendo training includes kendo kata which kinda teaches you how to slash(though it’s also somewhat ceremonial).
Thank you.
excellent explanation
Thank you for clarifying that, people mistake them too easily
I always understood Kendo as sport and not something for the battlefield.
For a similar comparison, take a look at Olympic fencing vs HEMA.
Wow!
Well,live and learn!
As a Toyama practitioner I found more in common with Hema swordsmen then Kendoka
Love these reply shorts shogo
I’m glad you say so!!
Yes I noticed this as soon as I tried a Shinai. I found myself using ninjutsu style techniques because of the straightness of it. I love practicing both.
Although shogo, is mostly right. According to international kendo federation discipline according to principal of katana is the goal
Nice, might I ask, if you could give the meaning of "do" and "jutsu" at the end?
If you didn't know any better, that "old wise man" voice would getcha 😂 Thanx for clearing that up 💯💪
with respect, from All Japan Kendo Federation, "The concept of kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana". Think the debate here is on the word "principles" - I can see your point, but also the kendoka's interpretation.
It’s not entirely true, people always judge from their view, but they’re usually not the whole picture. For a beginner in Kendo, you always have to learn how to swing a sword correctly like it can cut something in front of you, maybe a thousand times before you get to learn to “flick” someone. And a swing to cut to men (head) or kote (wrist) or dou (belly) also have a specific usage itself, for example it can distract the opponent and change the orbit of the shinai, make your opponent think the you will strike for men but if you have enough skill you can aim your kote or dou however you want. The Dou strike is usually a full swing of shinai to cut through the belly, but people never mention it, they just remember the “flick” in Kendo.
Nowaday, Speed becomes more and more important in Kendo, so the “flick”, like people said, actually it’s a chiisai swing technique, usually use in Kendo because its rhythm fits perfectly with Kendo’s footwork and those things combine can boost your speed amazingly. But don’t underestimate the power of that “flick”, if it’s not a shinai but a real katana, I believe it will cut through the head armor and you will be dead instantly. A 4-dan kendoka can perform a men strike with full speed and that “flick” and the opponent can feel the pain on the top of his head even though he’s wearing a real thick head armor.
I agree but I've noticed that our sensei explain certain things comparing it to what samurai did or what would happen if it was a fight with real katana so we can understand what we're doing. It's appreciation. Samurai skills *in spirit* if that makes sense. We don't need to do the exact thing but we're using that knowledge.
Number three isnt quite right. There are styles which aim for unarmed point (were the weak spots of the Yoroi were, ex Katori Shinto Ryu) and there are styles which aim for the full body (because they are styles which are made to fight opponents without armor). Also there are styles with Gekiken, a form of free fight in kenjutsu. In Gekiken you fight with shinai and bogu but without the rules of kendo.
Like Bruce Lee says from his art of Tao of Jeet Kune Do “Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can” pretty well said by the man himself right eliminate what ever is not effective from the style and make it hybrid
BASED off the principles of the katana I think is fine. There are concepts that do apply and borrow from iai and kenjutsu. So long as they’re not claiming it is either of those things from which it borrows. As far as the armor goes, it protects critical points that would end a fight should they be successfully cut/ stabbed which is why they are protected It’s not that it’s taught to strike the armor. Excellent points made, Shogo. I enjoy your videos! Thank you!
Kendo teaches speed and reflexes, also burns a significant ammount of calories!
If this is the case, how is it that my teacher in Japan, at age 82, can outlast and out perform even the most competitive practitioners that are in there prime!? Ultimately, kendo, as in any budo, is about learning grace - “the most economical manner of motion.”
@@much8351it’s still very exhausting
Kendo was created by the leadership of several schools of swordsmanship.
The leadership of the swordsmanship schools tried to maintain the secrecy of their own school's techniques.
They also wanted to ensure safety.
And they tried to organise the universal elements of swordsmanship.
The resulting kendo used similar stances and similar techniques.
It does not develop many new techniques like BJJ.
That is why there is a difference between victory and defeat, etc., because the opportunity to strike is seized.
In other words, kendo is about learning the right opportunity to strike, and training one of the elemental techniques required for sword fighting. It is not about fighting itself.
Specific and varied sword techniques and tactics are learnt from kata practice of the swordsmanship schools.
Both shinai and kata training are necessary.
Practical movements are dangerous, complex and problematic to learn and reproduce.
Our predecessors divided the necessary elements into several practice methods.
Kenjutsu kata practice is a theory, not a mere accumulation of results.
The first strike in kendo-kata is not simply defeating a jodan with a jodan.
It shows the importance of distance and timing, and suggests that it is a fluid and relative thing based on bargaining with the opponent.
It is easy if you just do a certain move, but if you understand the tactics within the move and have a pseudo match within the kata, you will understand the horror and universal theory.
Iaido is the "Iaijutsu" of the kendo federation, kendo no kata is the kenjutsu of the kendo federation, and Shinai kendo is the actual practice of both, formerly called "gekiken".
I'm starting to think perhaps I should make up my own techniques with the katana that best would help me in situations.
Kendo is absolutely fighting with a bamboo sword, which can translate into the ability to use a katana in the same way. The narrator implies that this is not true, as if because you use gloves in boxing, you don't know how to fight bare knuckle.
Yup! Big difference in the swing and cutting techniques.
Thank you for ur helpfull videos 😊
But i have a question, can girls play kendo And the other martial arts? 🤔
The kendo kata was put together with famous fencing masters like Takano, Nakayama and others, each representing traditional kenjutsu and iaido schools. Kata is practiced with bokuto, or can be done even with sharp blades. How is kendo no kata lacking "the principles of katana" compared to other kenjutsu schools? If you add sparring with bamboo swords, against resisting opponents, does that make kendo less realistic than just pretending to cut in kata-only kenjutsu?
I know I'm late, I'd love to see Kendo with bokken & less adherence to the strict kata initiation of the duel rounds. No I'm not taking Bokken Iado, I mean Kendo "unsheathed," because I have a a couple ideas from watching how to implement.
Interesting. I didn't know that.
Hey shogo do you know how many strikes are there in kenjutsu hope you reply
I live in Japan and in club in thinking either soccer or kendo, I played soccer but my dad told me to (not by my choice) but kendo is new to me, and I think it's cool and it's fun to try out something new, Im still thinking 😅
And this is why i study Kenjutsu with a japanese trained teacher. It's a great sport if you wanna learn actual swordfighing beyond movies/anime. It's really fun^^
(Obviously theres hema too for european style)
I always think of it as more comparable to sports fencing in theory. It's sport and you wear protective gear. Both Kendo and Western sports fencing probably only have remote connections to actual historical weapon techniques.
Thank you Shogo San. Great summary. There is no way a kendo practitioner would use kendo techniques against a katana. Do vs jutsu.
I took up kendo. I really liked it, the reason I stopped because I work someplace that doesn't allow weapons inside the place so now I do iaido.
Richard kim used to beat me and john with his kendo sword during sleepovers
They ARE different BUT they are more similar that different.
What happens when 2 sharpened katanas clash and get stuck together? How would you get out of that situation?
Not to mention Kendo needs you to think AND react, while Kenjutsu doesnt. "Think less" like teached in Last Samurai, as unrealistic as this movie at some points is, is what those wielding and training the way of the BUSHIDO, want to achive. Total calmness even when they try to reach out their entire emotions and thus power they have. Be water my friend.
"Jesse, we need to hone our sword skills Jesse"
Kendo was more a development of a nationalized sport to be reminiscent of a time when swordplay was common place. After the Meiji revolution most martial arts were considered illegal for a time which led to the adoption of kendo, judo and other practices as sports. At least that’s what I’ve read
I used to do kendo from 2011 all the way to 2016 in the worlds most northernest kendo-club. I achieved the rank of 1st Dan. Overall I'd highly recommend anyone doing kendo.
I know I asked this in seki sensei's latest video, but I was wondering if the tachi and the modern day katana have different sets of techniques that the other can't perform so easily or perform differently
Yup i agree bout that.
walter white preparing for the opps
Not only that but one is play fighting and the other is life an death. Which will affect your ability to perform or attack
The biggest differences for me are the technique and mindset. Kendo is about scoring a point, not surviving a duel. Sprinting toward your opponent would likely get both fighter killed in a real fight. Also, the technique of a kendo swing is nothing like how you swing a real sword- you're taught to almost "flick" the target, for lack of a better word
The way you describe Kendo is that of some onlooker that obviously was just passing by and not even scratched the surface, well i've heard worse like:" some crazy people in large pants are shouting and hitting each other with sticks."
@Hishaam Bendiar if you think charging full force at an attacker with a blade is how you survive a duel, you're high out of your mind. Also, look at the end position after their cuts- they extend forwards, not into the direction of the cut. It's the same thing as sport fencing- turning something into a point sport robs you of the need to defend yourself, and instead makes the goal just to be the first one to hit the opponent, not the only one to hit the opponent. HEMA is closer to reality in that many schools only count a cut if it has a certain degree of power and edge alignment, however they still often suffer from a point scoring mentality unless a harsh rule is included about afterblows.
Also, and this is very important, shogo and seki sensei have both literally said before that kendo is an impressive sport, but is not how you fight with a katana.
I'll be clear, I have the utmost respect for any high level sportsman- but thats what they are, sportsmen, not fighters. There's a reason they're called kendo "players"
@@DubiousDubs The basic men strike is a push-cut. It's a completely valid way of cutting, and throwing strikes like that with a real sword would deal serious damage on an unarmored target. Is it the most powerful strike possible? Of course not, but it's a strike that suits the opportunity in which it's used, whereas trying to force a full-body pull-cut in that situation would just get yourself struck or thrusted.
Additionally, all strikes in sparring become "shallow" for a simple reason; there is a person in the way and you aren't actually cutting through them. Kendo strikes and HEMA strikes look quite similar when sparring even though HEMA tends to focus more on realistic striking form.
Modern kendo's issue (if you want to call it an issue) lies in the fact that these days it isn't used as a way to practice swordsmanship but is its own sport. The cuts practiced even without a partner follow the same form as the ones you use on a sparring partner, so most kendoka don't have the muscle memory to properly cut through.
Yes exactly. You’re 💯 right.
@Pentti Koivuniemi a push cut is a valid strike yeah, but should not by any means be your default, go to strike. It's valid in the proper context; the skull is *really* difficult to get through, even unarmored. A push cut to the skull would certainly not be pleasant, but is unlikely to actually end the fight. Push cuts are better thrown to weaker areas, such as the thighs, below the ribs, across the neck, etc.
As for HEMA and Kendo cuts all being shallow, that is again correct but misguided. Every kendoka I've met has had the habit of sort of playing into the shallowness, rather than having the intent of following through, whereas in HEMA most practitioners will have the intention of follow through, resulting in more power. I suspect this is due to how kendoka practice their solo drills, as you mentioned.
And speaking of that point, your final point is a simple rehashing of what I already said, which is that kendo trains as a sport, not a martial art. So nothing really needs to be said there since we seem to agree on that.
Oh my gosh that guy teaches my computing lectures
You study at Cambridge?
Yh
Shinai are meant for sparring and competition bokken are for demonstrating cuts and form. Principals are the same. You can't use intensity with bokken or you would kill someone. Miyomoto Musashi famously did this.
Finally found a dojo near me
Una sbugiardata puntuale ed elegante! 👌😉
I used to practice Kendo for some years during my university time and recently started to practice Iaido, I can confirm that while there are similarities, the techniques are very different. Striking in Kendo is like hitting, while in Iaido it's more like cutting. It's no coincidence that Kendo is written with the kanji for a straight sword (剣, pronounced ken or tsurugi) as opposed to that of a curved sword (刀, pronounced tō or katana)
all are cool japanese sword budos, even though they're very different from each other.
I'm really interested for this sport and I really want to practice very often but if I practice this sport in Tokyo, it would be very very funny!!!!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
ALWAYS KENDO!!!!
KENDO FOREVER!!!!!🤺🤺🤺🤺🤺🤺🤺🤺🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵
Kendo is not about hitting. It is a cut!
Just finished Ryomaden Taiga Drama
Sakomoto Ryoma was learning Kendo in Yedo, or Kenjutsu?
I think you miss the whole point of kendo as most do, but take a guy who has been actively practicing kendo for a year and take a guy who practiced iado (kenjutsu) for 30 years and give them both a sword and tell them to fight and see who wins
For anyone wondering why it matters that one is for cutting and the other one is for bludgeoning:
A big factor is edge alignment. In order to perform a proper cut the edge has to align exactly with the motion of the sword. The sword techniques have to account for this.
ia/kenjutsu seems very interesting
No rules for safety?!
There was a training safely in an art that is not restricted to any rule set. Then there is full contact sport that needs rules for safety.
I enjoy swords. They provide a lot of defense and offense at the same time.
The "wall of weapons" it's like a barrier.
I like the defensive aspect to it that it adds.
Personally.
People can't bum rush you when you are behind the "wall" of a sword.