Kendo has interested me for a while, and I'd like to hear of anybody's experience with the art. Thanks in advance.
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Kendo has interested me for a while, and I'd like to hear of anybody's experience with the art. Thanks in advance.
Anyway it's a greuling sport. Wearing your To (headgear) is like working out in a heated box. You get faint and the kendo teaher I had was of the old school mentality, (If you haven't fainted, your not trying) Its a cool samurai connection and you can easilly kill somone with a boken, but for martial sports I'd suggest wrestling. They also have more gear than hockey players and experienced Kendo players can still knock you out by hitting you on the back of your headgear. Also a good kendo player can bruise your wrist through your wrist guard with a bamboo shinai!. Definately not a sport for the weak at heart. Also the cardio needed is intense you may have to charge 30 times before getting a hit on an experienced player and people make fun of you for wearing a dress. It's less pansy then western fencing because when your in close it's a pushing match and whomever get the best hit wins. Of course there is no electrical equipment (last I heard) so politics are involved. Also hitting the (do) stomache is often easy, but it has to make the right kind of sound for it to be counted. It trains (spirit) yi well and overall it's worth doing. I sound negative because I had a stepdad that wanted to live out his world champion dreams through me. Maybe other teachers are more lax about it
King of the Assyrians
Thanks for the info, 8step,
I'll be doing my Taiji forever, but I'm interested in doing something a little more external while I'm still not over the hill, and the full speed sword sparring/sport competition really interests me more than other forms of martial sports. I'm just trying to gather some opinions before I make a committment.
I recently heard something interesting about kendo that I wish to confirm. In the first 3 star wars flicks they consulted kendo masters to create the lightsaber fights.
Possible. There are some kendo-like moves in the fight sequences.
Other than that, some older-style kenjutsu would be more likely as a similarity, but still not very likely.
B, can't see the kendo moves...:confused:
Yup, ObiWan used a very kendo like style.
Just started kendo again after a break of 1.5 years or so.
OK, so it was 35 degs and about 80 humidity in the dojo, but I'd forgotten just how hardcore it is.
I run a bit, and do boxing, wrestling etc, for 1.5 hr classes, drilling, full-on sparring 3 min rounds with 30 secs break etc, chi sao for 1.5 hrs etc, but none of it even touches the kendo.
Starts with kata, kirikaeshi (two-person stepping/shomen drill), then jiyuu-geiko (free practice). 1.5 hrs then a five minute break in seiza, then another half and hour.
Gassed seriously after an hour and fifteen then again about every 5/10 minutes.
There may be a couple of factors. One thing I'd forgotten is how heavy the kendo armour is. OK, so it's not like a weight vest, but with the head-towel, the men, hakama, do and gloves it's heavy enough and hot.
Then there's the kiai... and lots of it.
Plus my teacher reckons I'm still cutting aiki style, which is based on kenjutsu, so my blows are trying to go through the head, whereas he wants a more relaxed gentle sports strike which bounces off the head. As he says, my cuts hurt the opponent and tire me out. Partly this is due to having a longer hilt on my shinai than most people, which gives more power but less speed.
Anyway, just burbling. Thought someone might be interested.
Thats cool, Mat. I've always wanted to learn a Japanese Sword Art, but they are always few and far inbetween or just bunk...
sucks for me.
must be good to be in japan
amen
Yeah it is.
:D :p
u need to take pics of some of those hotties if u have a digital and post it up in miss ora 04
Oh yeah. Kendo has got to be one of the smelliest of all Japanese arts. That men really turns into a head cooker in a hurry.Quote:
Originally posted by Mat
Just started kendo again after a break of 1.5 years or so.
OK, so it was 35 degs and about 80 humidity in the dojo, but I'd forgotten just how hardcore it is.
I run a bit, and do boxing, wrestling etc, for 1.5 hr classes, drilling, full-on sparring 3 min rounds with 30 secs break etc, chi sao for 1.5 hrs etc, but none of it even touches the kendo.
Starts with kata, kirikaeshi (two-person stepping/shomen drill), then jiyuu-geiko (free practice). 1.5 hrs then a five minute break in seiza, then another half and hour.
Gassed seriously after an hour and fifteen then again about every 5/10 minutes.
There may be a couple of factors. One thing I'd forgotten is how heavy the kendo armour is. OK, so it's not like a weight vest, but with the head-towel, the men, hakama, do and gloves it's heavy enough and hot.
Then there's the kiai... and lots of it.
Plus my teacher reckons I'm still cutting aiki style, which is based on kenjutsu, so my blows are trying to go through the head, whereas he wants a more relaxed gentle sports strike which bounces off the head. As he says, my cuts hurt the opponent and tire me out. Partly this is due to having a longer hilt on my shinai than most people, which gives more power but less speed.
Anyway, just burbling. Thought someone might be interested.
I just read an article about film producer Akira Kurosawa. Turns out he trained Kendo everyday as a kid. And his father had samurai ancestors.
just wanted to throw that out
Quote:
Originally posted by Kristoffer
I just read an article about film producer Akira Kurosawa. Turns out he trained Kendo everyday as a kid. And his father had samurai ancestors.
just wanted to throw that out
Interesting.
I will be going to view Obukan Kendo Club's practice on Thursday.
( http://www.obukan.com/ )
I am very excited about this. I looked into this kendo club a couple of years ago, however there was not a location/club in my city for me to attend/join. It appears that now the Okuban Club has a thursday Dojo in my vicinity.
I, like many others, have been a large fan of Japanese fencing for some time now. Though I never was able to recieve any formal training, I have taken it upon myself to familiarize myself with many aspects of this art when ever able. I have a friend who used to spar with me a lot with bokken, I think I will persuade him to join as well.
I will post updates of my new adventure in this thread.
From what I gather they also practice Iaido.
The last thursday of each month I believe is dedicated to Iaido. Which should prove to be super fun. I only wish they had more than Thursdays available in my area. Though with luck, perhaps there is an informal setting that I can become involved in.
I am hoping that if I can get my friend to sign up, this will re-initiate our personal sparring practice.
We include the following wooden weapons when we spar.
Staff
Bokken (large and small, single and double)
Broadsword (chinese)
Straightsword (chinese)
Tonfa
Sai's (metal, dull)
Naginata
Misc.
It's been about a year since we sparred on a regular basis. Friend had a son.
Secretly this is one way for me revitalizing my friends passion for weapons and sparring. So that we can fight some more :D
Also this will be a great place for me to test various aspects of my training, as well as give me a competative format to play in.
It sure looks like fun though!
How does Kendo Kata differ from Kenjutsu?
Does Kendo kata use the shinai or bokken, or would that normally be dependant on the style?
Kendo kata is usually performed with bokken, however I've seen it practiced with live blades. That's super hardcore, though. One tiny mistake and...
Kendo is a "generic" term but is usually applied to the sport art of Kendo and is practised with a Shinai- Bamboo stick, simply because that is what you will be using in competition.
The MA of Kendo is practiced with a Bokken/Bokuto and a shinai and with NO protective gear, except for when you spar.
kenjutsu is not a " stand alone MA" per say, it is usually part of a MA ryu ( school), like the Yagyu shinkahe ry or the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu or that Nen Ryu, etc, etc.
It is done exclusively with a bokken/bokuto in most systems or with a special bamboo sword ( not the typical shinai) in certain systems like the Yagyu shinkage ryu.
Iaido is a performance MA, Batto-jutsu or iai-jutsu being the "practical" MA version of it.
Differences being that in Batto-jutsu you don't kneel, you crouch and you MUST test cut.
Gene you sly dog. If I join the club and am to purchase gear on my own, i'll be sure to come here. Though I think they will fit me to gear, and may have their own vendor source. Ill find out though.
Sanjuro, thanks for the response.
I'm mainly interested in doing this for the sport aspect. Seems like it will be lots of fun. Though if the club has more representation than just sport kendo, that would not be unwelcome.
...we used shinai and bogu for sparring, suburito for drills and bokken for kata.
I had an old gunto refurbished for iai and battojitsu. It was an ugly beast, but that was appropriate for me at the time. I still have all my gear but I haven't done any kendo for maybe two decades now. There's actually a club really close to my home, but I barely have time to do my kung fu practice nowadays, so my gear just takes up space... :(
rofl @ this
http://karate.dhs.org/graphics/ryute_bogu2.jpg
It just looks funny. Randomly found that image.
It looks like those old cartoons where they have the round little boxing gloves on.
curious, why that headgear? why not regular sparring headgear? If its so they can go 100% full force, why dont more people adopt that headgear?
Ive never worn it, but it seems like it restricts your movement a bit.
However I have some inside info that the Fight Quest guys are headed to Japan in a few months to try kendo. That'll be a twist for that show. If all goes well, the episode will air in late summer.
Quote:
Cameroon: Martial arts - Japanese Support for Fecakoken
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Fred Vubem
The federation was offered a consignment of equipment by the Japanese Kendo federation last Tuesday.
The Cameroon federation of Kobudo and Kendo, fecakoken, has received equipment that will enable the six-year old federation to continue with the work of implanting the sports in Cameroon. The equipment including swords, helmets and combat dresses were offered by the Japanese Kendo federation through the Japanese embassy in Yaounde. Offering the equipment in a solemn ceremony in the conference hall of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, the representative of the Japanese ambassador to Cameroon, Tsutomu Avai, who confessed having practised the sports in his youth, called for the judicious use of the equipment.
The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Thierry Edjoa, thanked the Japanese government for the support they have been providing to the development of sports in Cameroon in general and fecakoken in particular. A cooperation which he said spans from the construction of primary schools in Cameroon to the renovation of the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium and now the support to fecakoken.
The president of the fecakoken, Roger Feutse equally thanked the Japanese but like Oliver twist, called on the Japanese federation not to end at providing equipment but to also provide help in the training of trainers for the development of the sports in Cameroon. He said Cameroon was the second country in Africa after South Africa, to practice kendo. Kendo, he said, is a Japanese martial art that leads to the mastery of oneself through the qualities of concentration, vigilance, perception and adjustments to the attacks of the opponent. It became a sports discipline only after the Second World War.
Here. You need to sign up, but Niconico has a wealth of Japanese budo and kakutougi vids.
Congratulations to Shozo Kato!
Quote:
Top-ranked kendo master Shozo Kato aces Japan samurai test
BY Paul H.B. Shin
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, May 24th 2010, 10:15 AM
New York City now has its own hometown virtuoso in the swordsmanship of the samurai.
Shozo Kato, 54, recently became the third person from outside of Japan to pass the notoriously difficult exam for eighth dan in kendo - the highest rank in the martial art of Japanese fencing.
The pass rate is about 1%, earning it the reputation of being the toughest test in Japan.
"I feel the real training for eighth dan is just now beginning," said Kato, a fine-art photographer by day who has been teaching kendo at the Shidogakuin dojo in Manhattan for some 25 years.
On the flight back from Japan, "it felt like I was still dreaming," he said, adding he now feels a heavy responsibility to propagate the art.
The achievement is all the more remarkable because he didn't have frequent access to high-ranking mentors, said Alex Bennett, a New Zealander who lives in Japan. Bennett passed his seventh dan exam on April 30 - a feat he said "pales in comparison" to reaching eighth dan.
"If you do pass it, you are elevated to demigod status in the kendo community. It's quite an achievement," said Bennett, 40, a Japanese studies professor at Kansai University in Osaka.
In kendo, practitioners wear padded armor and use bamboo swords for full-speed, full-contact combat. In an exam, you must not only score points by striking targets correctly, but also display mastery of the mental game.
Candidates must have held a seventh dan for at least 10 years and be at least 46 years old to be eligible to take the eighth dan exam, which is administered twice a year - in May in Kyoto and in November in Tokyo by the All Japan Kendo Federation.
"The people taking the eighth dan exam are all hard-core kendo people who have been doing kendo for many, many years," Bennett said. "To be that 1% that shines out above everybody else means they have something special."
Kato passed on his sixth try. Some people have been trying for decades.
Dr. Tsuyoshi Ino****a, an oncologist who founded Shidogakuin with Kato 25 years ago, said he was in a meeting in Florida when he learned his good friend had passed the exam.
"I had to get out of the meeting. I couldn't concentrate because I was so emotional," said Ino****a, 59, a seventh dan kendoist who now lives in Portsmouth, Ohio.
"It will give a lot of hope to people in countries where there are not a lot of high-ranking sensei," he said.
Kato said one way he tried to overcome the disadvantage of the lack of local mentors was to make every bout with every opponent count. "Sometimes a student is the best teacher," he said.
I have no words....:o
Quote:
Brian Ashcraft on Kotaku
Today 4:00am
Behold, Hello Kitty-Branded Martial Arts Armour
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.png
You are looking at kendo armour covered in Hello Kitty. That's right. Kendo armour. Hello Kitty. Go figure.
When you think of kendo, you think of tough people, smacking each other on the head with bamboo sticks. You don't think of Hello Kitty. Not that people practicing kendo would actually wear this—at least, we hope not!
For four decades now, Hello Kitty has made a career showing up on all sorts of products—whether that's toasters, toilet paper, or that infamous ********.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
And here we are now, looking at Hello Kitty bogu (防具) or "kendo armour." And yes, people in Japan think this particular choice is rather unusual.
But, it's not surprising, really. There's a joke in Japan that Hello Kitty "works too much" or "will appear on any product." That sounds about right!
The above Hello Kitty kendo gear was photographed by Twitter user Aya at the recent Hello Kitty Expo in Japan. Details on it are scant (no idea if that is actually for sale); however, you can see more forthcoming Hello Kitty branded products that were on display below:
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
Non-alcohol ****tails. Flavors include Japanese plum wine, cassis orange, and mojito. Alcohol 0.00 percent, but with that boozy taste you love!
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
Beauty masks. Because Hello Kitty is beautiful.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
Air conditioners and air purifiers. Yeah, this isn't freaky. Not at all.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
Kitchen electronics and other home goods. Okay, stuff you can see people possibly buying.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
One of several Hello Kitty-themed musical instruments. Hey, that's clever.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19eq.../ku-xlarge.jpg
The Very Hungry Hello Kitty. Why? No, why?
She's a little thin, but I'd "shinai" her :D
Just another example of how quickly Kendo went from "sword fighting" to stick fighting.