Kendo

History

“The kendo oldest, is respected and most popular of the modern disciplines of the Budo” indicates to us in 1983 Donn F. Draeger, one of the specialists in the martial arts Japan board.

After one long period of wars and the unification of the country by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan enters one era of peace which will last more than 260 years, the time of Edo (1600-1868), during which the kenjutsu which lost in practice its finality on the battle fields takes its rise in the training of the leading caste, that of the bushi (or will samurai). The kenjutsu is then one of 18 martial arts which the bushi must practice. Many treaties on the saber are published at that time in Japan the such " Gorin No sho" of Miyamoto Musashi or the Hagakure of Yamamoto Jocho. Of " saber for tuer" the kenjutsu evolves to the " saber for vivre" (katsujinken) by the study of which the practitioner forges his personality. In order to facilitate the practice hitherto a41dernier $c-b1, e,10 $c-b26 ce $c-b16 $c-b43, bn,84 limited to kata with the wood saber (bokken) or with the real saber, Naganuma Shiro develops at the beginning of the XVIIIe century the saber in bamboo (Shinai /shina I) and various protections (bogu) in order to authorize strike real during the attacks. Parallel to the improvement of the material which takes the final form that we know to him today little before the end of the Edo era, the kenjutsu evolves to its modern form, the kendo.

With the Revolution Meiji (1868), the port of the saber is prohibited by imperial decree in 1876, the caste of the samurais is dissolved and martial arts fall in disuse with the introduction from the Western military techniques. Martial arts, whose kenjutsu, reappear however since 1878 in the police academies and the first federation of martial arts, the " Nihon Butokukai" is created in Kyoto within the dojo Butokuden in 1895. It is about at the same time, into 1899, qu ' is translated into English the book " Bushido" of Nitobe Inazo (1862-1933) which will largely contribute to make known abroad Japanese martial arts. Until called kenjutsu there, it is in 1912 qu ' it is done for the first time mention of the kendo in the publication of the " Nihon Kendo No Kata" (Kata for Kendo). The Occident discovers the kendo as of the 19th century through accounts of voyages. In 1899, a first demonstration of kendo takes place in France at the time of the visit of the creator of the modern judo, Kano Jigoro.

The defeat of Japan in 1945 in general carries a severe blow to Japanese martial arts and the kendo in particular, persons in charge according to the American occupant to convey a militarist ideology via Bushido. The kendo will be interdict besides after the war, but its sporting practice will continue under the name of " competition with the shinai" until in 1952 date on which the Japanese Federation of Kendo (Japanese Zen Kendo Renmei) is constituted. With this occasion, Masters are dispatched abroad, in France in particular. Let us quote here main Mochizuki Minoru, in particular 4th daN of kendo. Under the control of these Japanese Masters, sometimes rival, France begins the practice of the kendo as of the beginning of the Années 1950 under the aegis of the French federation of Aikido, Taï-Jitsu and Kendo which organizes the first championship of France of kendo in 1959.

International federation of Kendo (FIK)

The International federation of Kendo (FIK) was created in 1970 by the 17 countries and founders federations. In 2006, the FIK counted 47 members. The purpose of it is international expansion of the kendo and the associated disciplines (iai and jodo). For this reason it organizes the championships of the world of kendo (World Kendo Championship WKC), of the training courses of arbitration, publishes guides and rules for the competitions and the passages of ranks, dépèche of the delegations of professors through the world, and of the experts for more or less long stays near the federations which make the request of it. It also organizes gifts of material to the federations under development.

The members of the FIK are the national federations (one by country) or regional in a certain number of particular cases (Hawaii, Taiwan, Hong-Kong, Macau, Aruba). The largest foreign federation after Japan (approximately 1,000,000 of practitioners) is that of Korea (approximately 500,000 practitioners). In Europe the most important federation of kendo is the French federation: the National committee of Kendo (CNK) of the FFJDA (approximately 5000 members practitioners).

The head office of the FIK is in Tokyo with the Japanese federation (ZNKR) and chair it in is the president of the ZNKR.

The FIK once organizes every 3 years the championships of the world of Kendo alternatively in a Member State of the zones Americas, Asia and Europe. The first championships of the world took place with Sapporo in 1970. These championships include/understand an individual championship (man) and a championship by team main roads (men). The championship by man team is the competition headlight of the championships of the world. In 2000 took place with Santa-Clara (the USA) the first individual championships and by team female. For the first time, in 2006 with the 13th championships of the world in Taipei (Taiwan), the championship of the world by man team has escaped with the Japanese beaten in semi-final by the USA. Holding of the title is today Korea which beat the USA finally.

Paris accommodated the championships of the world 2 times, in 1985 and 1994.

Since 2006 the FIK is member of the GAISF (General Assembly off International Sport Federation) and for this reason obtains a regulation anti-doping.

Basic concepts

General information

The kendo is a form of fencing to the saber with two hands where thanks to the use of material adapted (arms in bamboo, armor of protection) the attacks are carried out in a real way.

There exists also a practice with 2 shinai called Nito heiress of the school with two sabers allotted to Miyamoto Musashi.

The practitioners are called kendoka (not very used in Japan) or kenshi.

The kendo is practiced in a dojo (Dōjō): a room equipped with a floor or in gymnasia when floors are not available.

There does not exist category of weight and the practitioners do not carry any sign external of their rank.

Kikentai itchi

The basic concept of the kendō is the ki ken tai No itchi (気剣体の一致) or Kikentai itchi , in other words the unit between:

the spirit ( ki ), which indicates the determination in the attack. The ki appears by the Kiai , the cry which the combatant pushes when it carries an attack;
the saber (ken) , which represents the blow carried. That Ci must be delivered with the valid part of the shinai ( mono uchi ) correctly directed (the " tranchant" shinai in front of " couper" the part touched) on a valid part ( datsu bui ) of the armor of the adversary;
and the body (tai) which indicates the engagement of the body represented by a striking of the front foot on the ground which must be carried out in same time as the cut and the kiai;

A blow is valid in kendo only when the combatant carries out these three actions at the same moment. Valid striking ( yuko datotsu ) is sanctioned by a point ( ippon ) in competition. The evaluation of the Ippon by the referees is a difficult exercise. This is why the latter are 3 and must be themselves of the experienced practitioners of high-level.

Kiai

The Kiai is a cry obtained by a strong ventral expiry. It makes it possible to release the efforts at the time of the attack. If it does not bear this name, one often sees of it the demonstration in the tennis players during the striking of the ball or at the haltérophiles during wrenching of the weights. In kendo one teaches with the beginners to shout the name of the part aimed by striking (kote, men, C) to develop the kiai. With the wire of the progression, the cry will be replaced by a more personal kiai.

The Kata are an exception. In the latter, the blows are not systematically accompanied by a kiai, but the last blow is traditionally accompanied by “Ya! ” (uchidachi) and of “To! ” (shidachi) .

Points of attack

In kendo, by convention for a sporting practice, only certain parts of the body can be touched so that the blow is regarded as valid. The four main targets are: the Head (men) , the Wrist S (kote) , the side S (dō) and the throat (tsuki) .

Guards

The combatants face by holding the shinai with two hands (the right hand close to the guard and the left hand at the end of the handle) point towards the throat of the adversary. This fundamental guard (called chudan No kamae) makes it possible to strike while advancing of a step.

There also exists of other guards of which a high guard in which the practitioner carries his shinai to the top of his head (jodan No kamae).

For the practice with 2 sabers (nito) the combatant holds a shinai in each hand: a length and a court.

Equipment

Weapons

the Katana (刀) is the saber which the samurais used. Today, their manufacture is regulated by the Japanese government in terms of quality and quantity. Those are used today only for the iaidô. For the kata of kendo one uses sometimes, during the demonstrations, of the sabers equipped with the nonsharp factitious blades called habiki.

the Shinai (竹刀) is a saber made up of four slats of Bambou S attached between them. The shinai represents the katana and for this reason is judicious to have an edge, the opposite part with the wire (tsuru) which maintains the assembly of the shinai. The valid blows must be carried with this correctly directed edge. The length and the weight of the shinai vary with the category (man/woman, adolescent/adult child/) of the practitioner. In practice with 2 sabers (nito) the combatant uses 2 shinai different length. There exist also composite material shinaïs (carbon fiber). More resistant, they require less maintenance than the shinaïs in bamboos. The shinaï must be, in a preoccupation with a prevention of the accidents, correctly maintained. For that it must be inspected before each use and if need be, dismounted in order to sandpaper or to change a damaged blade.

the bokutō or Bokken is a version out of wooden of the katana. Of aspect, it is closer to this last than the shinai. It was formerly used for the drive, but it was replaced today by the shinai. The bokutō remains however employed for the execution of the kata.

Armor

The Bogu is the armor protecting mainly the parts of the body concerned and limiting thus, just like the shinai, the risks of wounds at the time of the drive or the combat. It is composed of the following elements:

men (面): mask equipped with a metal grid covering the face and the head, the shoulders and the throat.
kote (甲手): gloves protecting the wrists and part of the front armlevers.
C (胴): drill plate protecting the belly on the level from the coasts and which goes up to the chest.
tare (垂): protection covering the stomach and the top of the thighs.

The flexible parts of the armours are made stuffed and surpiqués fabrics of cotton reinforced by leather parts (generally of deer), very the tinted indigo one.

The grid of the men ( mengane ) is made out of metal (Duraluminium, Titane etc).

The C is made out of glass fiber or, for best the bogu , out of slats of bamboo, covered with leather even of skin of line (shagreen). and enamelled.

Parallel to the " dan" there exists a scale of titles of teachers: " Renshi" , " Kyoshi" and " Hanshi" , the title of Hanshi (Main) being highest. The titles are delivered on written examination but the candidate must fill a certain number of conditions of which the rank: 6th daN at least for Renshi, 7th daN for Kyoshi and 8th daN for Hanshi.

Passage de rank

The ranks sanction the success with an examination including/understanding a written test (until the 5th daN), a practice exam made up of 2 one minute old combat approximately thirty with 2 different candidates, and a test of kata where according to the rank introduced the candidate will have to carry out a part or totality of the kata of kendo.

The jury is made up inspectors of which the number (5 or 7) and rank (minimum 5th daN) is function of the rank presented. The rank is granted in the majority of the voices of the jury.

In addition to a minimum age for the first daN, the principal condition to have a rank is the seniority in the rank acquired. This seniority increases with the rank presented. It at least takes 2 years for one 2nd daN which has just obtained its rank to present the 3rd daN and 6 years with one 6th daN to be able to present the 7th daN. The minimum duration between ranks is divided by 2 for the candidates of more than 60 years.

Combat and arbitration

At the end of the international rules the combat or shiai are exploited in 3 points maximum (Sanbon shobu) one duration 5 minutes inside a surface of combat (shiai-OJ) of 11m on side. The winner is the first to mark 2 points before the end of the prescribed time, or that which marked 1 point at the end of time. In the event of equality and in individual match, a prolongation (encho) takes place, unbounded time, until one of the combatants marks a point. In combat by team the match null at the end of the prescribed time do not give place to prolongation, but an additional combat can take place between representatives of the 2 teams at the conclusion of the engagements if the teams are with equality. The exits of the shiai-OJ, the loss of Shinai, the behaviors violent one or misfits, are sanctioned by a warning (hansoku). 2 hansoku give a point to the adversary.

These general rules can be adapted (in particular duration) according to the formulas of competition and the age of the candidates.

In competition, the arbitration is ensured by three referees, each one of them carrying a red flag and a white flag. Each combatant carries attached to the back a ribbon of red or white color. One of the referees is the principal referee or central referee (Chushin), and the two others (Fukushin) assist it. It is Chushin which gives the orders of beginning and of end of the engagements, announces the points and gives the warnings. So that a point is granted, two referees at least must raise the flag of the color of the combatant who marked a point.

See too

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