Hello Steemians, and welcome to the first of many articles sharing what I have learned from practicing the Japanese art Kendo. Starting off with how I found Kendo and the benefits of my training. I will share a brief history of this art and the weapons and equipment we used. We will discuss the sport aspect of Kendo and how to score points. I am hoping that after you read this, you will have a better understanding of what Kendo is.
I have always had a fascination with the martial arts. And like many others out there I have always loved swords and the samurai.
One day I decided to see what I could find on the internet about learning to use a sword. The first thing I found was kenjutsu. This is a comprehensive study of Samurai swordsmanship in Japan. In Boise Idaho I found only one school of kenjutsu. I was having a little bit of problems contacting their instructor. I decided to look online again and that's when I found Kendo. This begins my journey with the Idaho Kendo Club
Iaido, Renshi 6-Dan
Benefits
I have benefited from Kendo in many ways. One of the ways Kendo has been most beneficial to me is the physical aspect. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. For those of you that are not familiar with what this is. It has caused a partial paralysis of the right side of my body. Leaving the muscles in my right arm and leg underdeveloped as well as the coordination. Cerebal palsy has created many challenges for me. For example, as before I said that the cerebal palsy affects the right side of my body. Swordsman in Japan where trained right-handed even if you were a lefty. Because of this fact, I have seen great improvements in the strength of my right arm. Balancing my body out more and more as time goes on. Another benefit that I have gained from Kendo is. Being more confident and standing up for what I believe. I believe this is due to the intense sparring while in the dojo. I know that it sounds crazy but, I am in complete peace when I'm in the dojo.
History
In future articles I will go more in-depth on Kendo history. For now here is a small video that will give you a quick history.
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The Concept of Kendo
The concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana (sword).
The Purpose of Practicing Kendo
The purpose of practicing Kendo is:
To mold the mind and body,
To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
And through correct and rigid training,
To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo,
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,
To associate with others with sincerity,
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.
This will make one be able:
To love his/her country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
(The Concept of Kendo was established by All Japan Kendo Federation in 1975.) 2
Swords and armor
In Kendo we use protective armor called bogu and a bamboo sword called a shinai. The shinai represents the Japanese katana. We use the shinai and bogu so that we can practice without someone dying.
Shinai
A shinai is a sword made of four slats of bamboo with leather fittings. It is constructed in this way so that the shinai will bend on impact. Otherwise you would injure your opponent.
Bogu
Bogu consists of four main parts.
• Men
• Kote
• Dou
• Tare
As you can see the design resembles Samurai armor.
Bokuto
We use the bokuto to practice our Kata. Kata are prearranged forms that are half of the grading system.
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The sport of Kendo
Kendo is not only an art but it has become a very popular sport. When competing in Kendo you always show the upmost respect for your opponent. Even in competition you are still learning from one another. There are four main targets that are valid for points. The men, kote, dou and tsuki. Tsuki is a thrust to the throat. A Kendo match consists of three points and the first one to gain two points wins. A very important point that I forgot to mention is. The only way you can score a point is hitting with the manauchi ( the last third of the blade).
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I hope that you enjoyed the discussion of Kendo. I would highly recommend checking out your local dojo and give it a try. Stay tuned for more posts on this subject as my journey continues. Please follow me and give me an upvote and I'll see you soon.
Mr. Leslie
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