Japanese styles of swordsmanship
Kenjutsu
(?術)
Woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada I
(unsigned, the print is the upper part of a "two scenes" print; only the lower part is signed).
The actors Seki Sanj?r? III and Band? Sh?ka I as Inukai Genpachi and Inuzuka Kiba in a stage adaptation of
Satomi Hakkenden
, performed at the Ichimura theatre in 1852.
|
Focus
| Weaponry
|
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Country of origin
| Japan
|
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Olympic sport
| No
|
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Kenjutsu
(
?術
)
is an umbrella term for all (
ko-bud?
) schools of
Japanese
swordsmanship
, in particular those that predate the
Meiji Restoration
. Some modern styles of
kendo
and
iaido
that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum.
[1]
Kenjutsu, which originated with the
samurai
class of feudal Japan,
[2]
means "methods, techniques, and the art of the Japanese sword". This is opposed to
kendo
, which means "the way of the sword" and uses a bamboo sword (
shinai
) and protective armour (
b?gu
).
[3]
The exact activities and conventions undertaken when practicing
kenjutsu
vary from school to school, where the word school here refers to the practice, methods, ethics, and metaphysics of a given tradition, yet commonly include practice of battlefield techniques without an opponent and techniques whereby two practitioners perform
kata
(featuring full contact strikes to the body in some styles and no body contact strikes permitted in others). Contact striking during kata is used for example in
Ono Ha Itt?-ry?
.
Although kata training has always been the mainstay, in later periods, schools incorporated
sparring
under a variety of conditions, from using solid wooden
bokut?
to the use of a bamboo sword (
shinai
) and armor (
b?gu
).
[3]
: XII, XIII
In modern times sparring in Japanese
martial art
is more strongly associated with kendo and is mainly practiced by students or the police force. Although kendo is common in Japan, it is also practiced in other countries around the world.
History
[
edit
]
Early development
[
edit
]
It is thought likely that the first iron swords were manufactured in Japan in the fourth century, based on technology imported from
China
via the
Korean peninsula
.
[4]
: 1
While swords clearly played an important cultural and religious role in ancient Japan,
[4]
: 5, 14
in the
Heian period
the globally recognised curved Japanese sword (the
katana
) was developed and swords became important weapons and symbolic items.
[4]
: 15
The oldest schools in existence today arose in the
Muromachi period
(1336 to 1573), known for long periods of inter-state warfare. Three major schools emerged during this period.
[3]
: XII
These schools form the ancestors for many descendent styles, for example, from Itt? ry? has branched Ono-ha Itt? ry? and Mizoguchi-ha Itt?-ry? (among many others).
On the island of Okinawa, the art of Udundi includes a unique method of both Kenjutsu and
Iaijutsu
. This is the only surviving sword system from Okinawa. It was the martial art of the noble Motobu family during the Ryukyu Kingdom.
[5]
Edo period
[
edit
]
During the
Edo period
schools proliferated to number more than 500,
[3]
: XIII
and training techniques and equipment advanced. The 19th century led to the development of the bamboo practice sword, the
shinai
, and protective armor,
bogu
. This allowed practice of full speed techniques in sparring, while reducing risk of serious harm to the practitioner.
[6]
Before this, training in Kenjutsu had consisted mainly of basic technique practice and paired
kata
, using solid wooden practice swords (
bokut?
) or live blades.
[3]
: XIII
Decline
[
edit
]
Beginning in 1868, the Meiji Restoration led to the breakup of the military class and the modernization of Japan along the lines of western industrial nations. As the
samurai
class was officially dissolved at this time,
kenjutsu
fell into decline, an unpopular reminder of the past.
[3]
: XIII, XIV
This decline continued for approximately 20 years, until rising national confidence led to an increase of the uptake of traditional sword arts again, particularly in the military and the police.
In 1886 the
Japanese Police
gathered together
kata
from a variety of
kenjutsu
schools into a standardised set for training purposes.
[7]
: 11
This process of standardization of martial training continued when, in 1895, a body for martial arts in Japan, the
Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
, was established. Work on standardizing
kenjutsu
kata
continued for years, with several groups involved
[7]
: 11, 12
until in 1912 an edict was released by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. This edict highlighted a lack of unity in teaching and introduced a standard core teaching curriculum to which the individual
kenjutsu
schools would add their distinctive techniques. This core curriculum, and its ten
kata
evolved into the modern martial art of
kendo
.
[7]
: 11, 14
This point could be regarded as the end of the development of Kendo. Kata was provided for the unification of many schools to enable them to pass on the techniques and spirit of the Japanese sword.
[8]
20th and 21st century
[
edit
]
| This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
August 2023
)
|
With the increasing interest in Japanese martial arts outside Japan during the 20th century, people in other countries started taking an interest in kenjutsu.
[
original research?
]
Weapons
[
edit
]
One of the more common training weapons is the wooden sword
(
bokuto
or
bokken
)
. For various reasons, many schools make use of very specifically designed
bokuto
, altering its shape, weight and length according to the style's specifications. For example,
bokuto
used within
Yagy? Shinkage-ry?
are relatively thin and without a handguard in order to match the school's characteristic approach to combat. Alternatively, Kashima Shin-ry? practitioners use a thicker than average
bokuto
with no curvature and with a rather large hilt. This of course lends itself well to Kashima Shin-ry?'s distinct principles of combat.
Some schools practice with
fukuro
shinai
(a bamboo sword covered with leather or cloth) under circumstances where the student lacks the ability to safely control a
bokuto
at full speed or as a general safety precaution. In fact, the
fukuro shinai
dates as far back as the 15th century.
Nit?jutsu
[
edit
]
A distinguishing feature of many kenjutsu syllabi is the use of a paired katana or
dait?
and wakizashi or
sh?t?
,
commonly referred to as
nit?jutsu
(
二刀術
,
two sword methods
)
. Styles that teach it are called
nit?ry?
(
二刀流
,
two sword school
)
; contrast
itt?-ry?
(
一刀流
,
one sword school
)
.
The most famous exponent of
nit?jutsu
was
Miyamoto Musashi
(1584 – 1645), the founder of
Hy?h? Niten Ichi-ry?
, who advocates it in
The Book of Five Rings
.
Nit?jutsu
is not however unique to Hyoho Niten Ichi-ry?, nor was
nit?jutsu
the creation of Musashi. Both Tenshin Sh?den Katori Shinto-ry? were founded in the early
Muromachi period
(ca. 1447), and
Tatsumi-ryu
founded
Eish?
period (1504?1521), contain extensive two-sword curricula while also preceding the establishment of Musashi's school.
[9]
Notable historical Japanese practitioners
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
Sources
[
edit
]
- Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan ? 3-volume set by Diane Skoss (Koryu Books):
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Budden, Paul (2000).
Looking at a Far Mountain: A Study of Kendo Kata
. Tuttle Pub. pp. 9, 12, 14.
ISBN
978-0-8048-3245-8
.
- ^
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
, Volume 2, Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, Thomas A. Green, Authors Thomas A. Green, Joseph R. Svinth, Editors Thomas A. Green, Joseph R. Svinth, Edition illustrated, Publisher ABC-CLIO, 2010
,
ISBN
1-59884-243-9
,
ISBN
978-1-59884-243-2
P.599
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Ozawa, Hiroshi (1997).
Kendo The definitive guide
. United Kingdom: Kodansha Europe.
ISBN
4-7700-2119-4
.
- ^
a
b
c
Ozawa, Hiroshi (2008) [2005].
Swords in Ancient Japan
. Ideas and History of the Sword (in English and Japanese). Vol. 2. Japan: Kendo Academy Press. p. 1.
- ^
"About Motobu Udundi"
.
本部流 ? Motobu-ryu -
(in Japanese)
. Retrieved
2019-08-21
.
- ^
Kindersley, Dorling (2010).
Swords
. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 286.
ISBN
978-1-4053-5136-2
.
- ^
a
b
c
Budden, Paul (2000) [2000].
Looking at a Far Mountain
. United States of America: Tuttle Publishing.
ISBN
0-8048-3245-5
.
- ^
"The History of Kendo"
. All Japan Kendo Federation. Archived from
the original
on 6 February 2012
. Retrieved
19 February
2012
.
- ^
Serge Mol, 2003,
Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts
Kodansha International Ltd
,
ISBN
4-7700-2941-1
(pp.22-23)
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Kenjutsu
.