Unfortunately, there are few books on the art in english. As i write this post at work, i have dozens of kendo books standing in. Well at least that is how the instructional book says. Leading with your right foot, take three crossing steps so that you end up in issoku itto maai. The roots of kendo, the way of the sword, are to be found in kenjutsu, the art of wining a real fight with real swords. In 1911, kendo was officially introduced into the physical education curriculum of middle schools and in 1912, the nihon kendo kata, a set of regulations for kendo, was published. The definitive guide by hiroshi ozawa, the unfettered mind. An interesting book on the history and practice of kendo no kata. In addition, there is a full photo section covering all the kata from 1 to 10, and an analysis of the changes to the 2001 kendo seminar guidelines for teaching the kata. The purpose of this action was, i heard, to keep the traditional kenjutsu forms in. Many other books on theories of swordsmanship were published during the middle. In addition, probably everyone ought to have a copy of the official ajkf shiai regulations. These are generally practised with wooden swords bokuto or bokken. When looking back into the history of kendo, there are several fundamental points that cannot be overlooked.
The book starts with a brief history of kendo and its current state before. Kote nuki kote in the second kata, nihonme, uchitachi and shitachi start from chudan. The heart of kendo download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The first seven kata use tachi, a long bokken, for both student and teacher. Kata were first unified in the keishicho gekken kata or police department attacking motion kendo kata, when exemplary kenshi were hired to standardize kata instruction in 1880. This book explains the all japan kendo kata with detailed pictures for easy understanding. The kata include fundamental techniques of attacking and counterattacking, and have useful practical application in general kendo. Many books by esteemed teachers were referenced to build this comprehensive body of knowledge. The author, who is also a practicing physician, is attentive throughout to injury prevention and safetyconcerns often overlooked in martial arts manuals. This official guide to nihon kendo kata is produced by the all japan kendo federation znkr. Jokoryu, chukoryu and shintoryu the ancient, middle and new styles. Kata under the respective iaido organizations toho iaido. Excellent for the practitioner of zenkenren or shinto muso ryu jo alike. Official guide for kendo instruction, all japan kendo federation, 2011.
It also have interesting historical information with pictures. Both the student and teacher use bokken, except in some demonstrations which use blunted katana. The history of kendo international kendo federation fik. The work begins with a history of kendo in japan, followed by a study of basic equipment and its proper care and use and a detailed description of forms and rulesessential aspects of any martial art. Kata are fixed patterns that teach kendoka the basic elements of swordsmanship. All students of kendothe formal art and practice of japanese swordsmanshipwill welcome this manual by an advanced practitioner with a deep understanding of the martial art. This book explains the origins, equipment, waza techniques, and kata. This book is a must have to practice far from japan. These kata consist of twoman sets, which use techniques that have actually been tested in combat with real. Kata, are fixed patterns that teach kendoka the basic elements of swordsmanship. The last three kata use tachi for the teacher and kodachi, a shorter bokken, for student. This is very straightforward, but before getting into explanation, i would.
In general, mastery of the first three kata are required. In the past, many ryu or schools of kendo had their own set of kata that students used to learn. Mastery of kendo is achieved through training in the basics and the practice of the ten nihon kendo kata. The history of kendo kenjyutsu machidojo in japan at the beginning of meiji period 18701900 the history of kendo.
The work begins with a history of kendo in japan, followed by a study of basic. Kendothe way of the swordis one of the oldest of japans martial arts and the one most closely associated with the samurai. Immortalized in the action movies of akira kurosawa and in the bestselling novel musashi, kendo originally a form of swordsmanshiphas in recent years developed into a popular and highly competitive sport enjoyed by thousands of men and women around the world. Efforts to create a new set of kata can be regarded as symbolic of the need to unify the various schools of kenjutsu for the modernization process of kendo after the meiji era. A brief synopsis of the history of kendo by alex bennett originally published in kendo world issue 3. The definitive guide, by hiroshi ozawa, deals nicely with japanese swordsmanship, with chapters on fundamentals, appropriate stretching exercises, basic and applied techniques, the nihon kendo kata, training methods and issues one encounters in ones practice. Kendo fundamentals and waza to win by hirakawa nobuooriginally published in japanese in 1993, hirakawasenseis book has been a consistent best seller and has been through several editions. We should study kata thoroughly so that we dont forget what kendo really is. In 1912, the dainippon teikoku kendo kata later renamed to nippon. How should we view the sword within the precincts of martial history, and what. With the advancement of tenka taihei, or peace throughout. Kata were originally used to preserve the techniques and history of kenjutsu for future generations. Kendo the way of the swordis one of the oldest of japan s martial arts and the one most closely associated with the samurai.
Its principles and techniques derive from japanese unarmed combat and selfdefense techniques from pre1945 judo and aikibujutsu, taihojutsu japanese police immobilization. These are generally practised with wooden swords, bokuto or bokken. The art of japanese fencing by junzo sasamori, kendo. Nihon kendo kata kendo world keikokai 2012 youtube. The book combines literal, technical descriptions of each kata with deep backgrounds on the history, and the philosophy behind the kata. In addition, there is a full photo section covering all the kata from 1 to 10, and an analysis of the the heart of this work is the philosophy behind the creation of the all japan kendo. Immortalized in the action movies of akira kurosawa and in the bestselling novel musashi, kendooriginally a form of swordsmanshiphas in recent years developed into a popular and highly competitive sport enjoyed by thousands of men and women around the world. A comprehensive publication, illustrated with many photographs, looking at the basics of kata in addition to instructional and examination guidelines. In 1939 as japan prepared for war, kendo became a required course for all boys. Ota sensei taught, in intimate detail, each kata, instructing not only how to perform the kata but how to practice them in his absence. Inoue sensei looks at the history behind the formation of the kata using records taken at the time, and also examines the theoretical underpinnings of the kata.
Muso jikiden eishinryu school founded during the late muromachi period ca. The purpose of this action was, i heard, to keep the traditional kenjutsu forms in kendo to remember where kendo came from. The seitei kata for shinto muso ryu and the zen nihon kendo renmei. Nihon kendo kata was created by integrating many kata forms from different kenjutsu schools in 1912. When looking back into the history of kendo, there are several fundamental points that. History of kendo the way of the sword sifu och wing chun. In 1952, the all japan kendo federation was formed. Since then, kendo has spread worldwide and has become international in scope. Pdf kendo ebooks includes pdf, epub and kindle version. All students of kendo the formal art and practice of japanese swordsmanshipwill welcome this manual by an advanced practitioner with a deep understanding of the martial art. The nippon kendo kata was first formulated at the beginning of the taisho period in the early twentieth century. The first point is the advent of the japanese sword. The history of kendo international kendo federation. Twisting your bokuto slightly to the left, step forward and thrust at shidachis.
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