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KENDO ARTICLES
Japanese Warrior Terminology
It is improper to identify all bushi as samurai because the term bushi is not necessarily synonymous with samurai.
This article is concerned with terminology for figures within the military power structure varied
during specific eras.
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Japanese Women's History
A study of the social status of women in Japan's medieval and pre-modern
period which underscores the fact that social structure was not just a matter
of social class but also of gender roles, both between and within
specific social classes.
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Martial Arts and Ways
The martial arts are systems of combative training that are primarily
concerned with battlefield effectiveness while the martial ways,
although derived from the martial arts, are primarily concerned with the moral, discipline, and self-cultivation of the individual.
The philosophy of kendo in the Tokugawa period (1603-1868) was mainly based on Classical Martial Ways (ko-budo).
The term ko-budo must not be confused with 'Okinawan ko-budo' because 'Okinawan ko-budo'
is used to describe collectively all combative systems from Okinawa.
The philosophy of modern kendo is based on shin-budo which developed after the Tokugawa period.
• Developmental order of Martial Arts and Ways.
• Classification in relationship to swordsmanship prior to 1912.
Kendo in the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868)
Kendo means 'way of the sword'; the martial system which was influenced by one of the military Japanese
arts used by the samurai warriors of feudal Japan. Illustrated by sword techniques; the sword has been the centre of attention.
When the term kendo is used to refer to both classical and modern forms of swordsmanship certain conceptual and definitional problems occur because the term kendo (剣道) was recorded in the Tokugawa period (1603-1868) while the term (modern) kendo was recorded in 1912.
In mid-eighteenth century there were three weapons of sword available to
those aspiring to develop skill in kendo. These weapons were:
(1) the live blad (katana)
(2) the wooden sword (bokken)
(3) the split bamboo sword (shinai).
The different training methods were:
(a) kata (pre-arranged form) by using katana and bokken
(b) shinai-geiko (training by using shinai and armor).
Classical and modern disciplines differ not only in their age of origin but also in their social structure, traning methods, and purposes.
This article describes the evolution of Kendo:
The Evolution of Kendo.
Kendo Kata in Historical Perspective
This article discusses how far Kata transmitted traditions from the Tokugawa period (1603-1868) to the next generation:
Kendo Kata in Historical Perspective
Danish Traditional Kendo Federation
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