Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art of sword fighting. The traditional Japanese swordsmanship or Kenjutsu serves as a platform of Kendo.

Its meaning “Way of the Sword” is best shown in the physically and mentally challenging activity of Kendo combining strong martial arts values having sports-like physical elements.

Concepts of Kendo

The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) developed and published “The Concept and Purpose of Kendo” shown below:

Concept

Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana.

Purpose

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.
Thus will one be able:
To love ones country and society;
To contribute to the development of culture;
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.

The History of Kendo

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), sword fencing along with horse riding and archery were the primary martial pursuits of the military clan. The strong influence of Zen Buddhism contributed to the development of Kendo. An individual combat can easily pressure a samurai to disregard his own life in the midst of a battle. The samurai were taught to practice discipline based on the Buddhist concept of the illusory nature of the distinction between life and death.

Those swordsmen instituted schools of kenjutsu (the ancestor of Kendo), which continued for centuries up to the present practice of kendo today. The names of the schools show the essence of the originator’s enlightenment.

The Ittō-ryū, or the Single sword school, reflects the founder’s illumination that all possible cuts with the sword emanate from and are contained in one original essential cut. The Mutō-ryu, or the swordless school expresses the comprehension of the originator Yamaoka Tesshu, that “There is no sword outside the mind”. The Munen Musō-ryū, which means “No intent, no preconception”, conveys the understanding that the essence of kenjutsu goes as far as the reflective thought process. The formal kendo exercises known as kata were developed several centuries ago as kenjutsu practice for warriors until the present time, although in a modified form.

The Shotoku Era (1711-1715) introduced bamboo practice swords (shinai) and armour (bōgu) to “ken” training, attributed to Naganuma Sirōzaemon Kunisato. Naganuma developed the protective equipment called kendo-gu or bogu. He also established a training method using the shinai.

In addition, the inscription on the gravestone of Yamada Heizaemon Mitsunori’s (Ippūsai) (山田平左衛門光徳(一風斎), 1638 - 1718) third son Naganuma Sirōzaemon Kunisato (長沼 四郎左衛門 国郷, 1688-1767), the 8th headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu, states that his exploits included improving the bokuto and shinai; and refining the armor by adding a metal grill to the head piece and thick cotton protective coverings to the gauntlets (kote). Kunisato inherited the tradition from his father Heizaemon in 1708, and the two of them worked hard together to improve the bogu until Heizaemon’s death.

The modern kendo would not have been as refined if not for the contribution of Kunisato and Heizaemon. Kendo started to make its modern appearance during the late 18th century. The use of the shinai and armour made it possible to deliver strikes and thrusts with full force without injuring one’s enemy. These advances, along with the development of set practice formats, set the foundations of modern kendo.

The concepts mushin (無心 むしん), or “empty mind”, are adapted from Zen Buddhism and are considered imperative for the achievement of high-level kendo. Fudoshin (不動心 ふどうしん?), meaning “unmoving mind”, is a conceptual attribute of the deity Fudo Myo-O, one of the five “Kings of Light” of Shingon Buddhism. Fudōshin, entailed that the kendoka should not be confused by delusions of anger, doubt, fear, or surprise arising from the opponent’s actions. It is possible to embark on a similar quest, in the modern time, for spiritual enlightenment as followed by the samurai of old.

The year 1895 saw all martial disciplines and systems in Japan to be solidified, promoted, and standardized made possible by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK). The DNBK changed the name of Gekiken (Kyūjitai: 擊劍; Shinjitai: 撃剣, “hitting sword”) to kendo in 1920. The occupying powers in Japan in 1946 banned Kendo along with other martial arts. This was part of “the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra nationalistic persons” in response to the wartime militarization of martial arts instruction in Japan. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950. Its comeback was initially called Shinai Kyougi “Shinai Competition” and then as Kendo from 1952.

The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) was founded in 1952, immediately following the restoration of Japanese independence and the succeeding removal of the ban on martial arts in Japan

The International Kendo Federation (FIK) an international federation of national and regional kendo associations and the world governing body for kendo was founded in 1970. The FIK is a non-governmental organization that aims to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo.

The World Kendo Championships are an FIK event and have been held every three years since 1970.

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Did you know that homosexuality or pederasty has long been celebrated in samurai society?

Japan has records that show the prevalence of homosexuality dating as far as ancient times. Its history accepts love between me as the purest form of love.

Homosexuality had never been taken as a sin in Japanese society and religion. It was not restricted by any specific legal prohibition. The exposure to Western religious thought has influenced the way homosexuality is viewed by the Japanese government and by the population since the end of the nineteenth century.

Meaning

Wakashudo also known as shudo means the “the way of the young” or more exactly, “the way of young (waka) men (shu). The “do” is related to a Chinese word “tao”, considered to be a structured discipline and body of knowledge, also as a path to awakening.

The older samurai in the shudo relationship was called the nenja while the younger one is the wakashu.

Origin of Wakashudo

The term first appeared during the 17th century. It is then followed in the Japanese homosexual tradition by the love relationships between bonzes and their acolytes known as chigo. The supposed founder of homosexual love in Japan is Kuka, also known as Kobo Daishi. Kuka us the founder of the Shingon school of thought who is said to have brought over from the mainland, along with the teachings of the Shingon or the teachings of male love. Mount Koya is the location of Kobo Daishi’s monastery serves as a byword for male love up to the end of the premodern period.

Cultural aspects

The practice was upheld in high esteem thus encouraged especially within the samurai class. It was taken as beneficial for the youth, to teach him virtue, honesty, and the appreciation of beauty. Its value was different with the love of women, which was condemned for feminizing men.

Substantial historical and fictional literature of the period commended the beauty and courage of boys faithful to Wakashudo. The modern historian Jun’ichi Iwata drew up a list of 457 titles from the 17th and 18th centuries. It was then considered as a “corpus of erotic pedagogy.”

The rise in power and influence of the merchant class also saw the adaptation of the practice of shudo by the middle classes. The homoerotic expression in Japan started to be more closely linked with traveling kabuki actors known as tobiko, “fly boys,” who were taken as prostitutes.

In the Edo period (1600-1868), kabuki actors, known as onnagata when playing female roles, often worked as prostitutes off-stage. Kagema were male prostitutes who worked at specialist brothels called “kagemajaya”. Both kagema and kabuki actors were much in demand by the sophisticates of the day, who often practiced danshoku/nanshoku, or male love.

The rapid decline of sanctioned homoerotic practiced during the late 1800s happened at the start of the Mejii restoration and the growth of the Western influence.

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Yabusame is a kind of Japanese archery as a ceremonial art of shooting whistling arrows at a stationary target from the back of a galloping horse. The archer shoots a special “turnip-headed ” arrow at a wooden target.

Yabusame as an archery dates its origins at the start of the Kamakura period. It was a time when Minamoto no Yoritomo was alarmed when samurai displayed the lack of archery skills. Minamoto then organized a form of archery practice called Yabusame.

The history of bow and mounted archery in Japan

Japanese began using bows that dates back to prehistoric times specifically in the Jomon period. The long, unique asymmetrical bow style with the grip below the center emerged under the Yayoi culture (300 BC - 300 AD). Bows then became the symbol of authority and power. The legendary first emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu, is always depicted carrying a bow.

The use of the bow had been on foot until around the 4th century when elite soldiers took to fighting on horseback with bows and swords. In the 10th century, samurai would have archery duels on horseback. They would ride at each other and try to shoot at least three arrows. These duels did not necessarily have to end in death, as long as honor was satisfied. One of the most famous and celebrated incidents of Japanese mounted archery occurred during the Genpei War (1180-1185), an epic struggle for power between the Heike and Genji clans that was to have a major impact on Japanese culture, society, and politics.

At the Battle of Yashima, the Heike, having been defeated in battle, fled to Yashima and took to their boats. The Genji fiercely pursued them on horseback, but the sea halted the Genji.

As the Heike waited for the winds to be right, they presented a fan hung from a mast as a target for any Genji archer to shoot at in a gesture of chivalrous rivalry between enemies.

One of the Genji samurai, Nasu Yoichi, accepted the challenge. He rode his horse into the sea and shot the fan cleanly through. Nasu won much fame and his feat is still celebrated to this day.

During the Kamakura Period (1192-1334), mounted archery was used as a military training exercise to keep samurai prepared for war. Those archers who did poorly might find themselves commanded to commit seppuku, or ritualistic suicide.

One style of mounted archery was inuoumono - shooting at dogs. Buddhist priests were able to prevail upon the samurai to have the arrows padded so that the dogs were only annoyed and bruised rather than killed. This sport is no longer practiced.

Yabusame - the ritual mounted archery

In the Kamakura period (1192-1333) came to be practice as a divine rite offered by warriors to temples and shrines in hopes of victory of battles. The Japanese archery was designed to please and entertain the myriad of gods that watch over Japan. The people of Japan believes in it to encourage blessings for prosperity of the land, the people, and the harvest.

A yabusame archer gallops on a horse on a 255-meter long track at high speed. The archer primarily controls his horse with his knees during the time when he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow.

Upon approaching the target, he brings up his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep yell of In-Yo-In-Yo (or darkness and light). The arrow is blunt and round-shaped to yield a louder sound when it strikes the board.

The choice of a V-shaped prong is given to experienced archers. When the board is struck, it will splinter with a confetti-like material and fall to the ground. It is considered to be a highly admirable accomplishment to hit all three targets. Yabusame targets and their placement are designed to ritually copy the optimum target for a fatal blow on an opponent wearing O-Yoroi or a traditional samurai armor that has a bare space beneath the helmet visor.

Yabusame is more seen as a ritual than a sport because of its solemn style and religious aspects. It is often performed for special ceremonies or official events including entertaining foreign dignitaries and heads of state. In fact, the formal visits of American presidents Ronal Reagan and George W. Bush consist of Yabusame demonstrations. A yabusame demonstration was also bestowed to Prince Charles of United Kingdom who was reportedly fascinated and pleased with the performance.

At the present time, yabusame can be seen at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura and Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto. It is also performed in Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi, as well as other locations.

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Get in depth with horseback riding and Japanese archery all in one video.

Yabusame drivers have decades of experience to learn the art of archery. Witness how Tim Ferriss attempts to learn Yabusame (a Japanese archery) in a matter of days. Would he live up to the challenge? See it below.

Yabusame - Tim Ferriss from Kevin Rose on Vimeo.

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Learn how to fix a wobbly sword before you hurt yourself.

See it here.

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A ninja can creep behind you like a thief in the night. He can get pass you unnoticed like a ghost passing by. By then, you would have to depend on your sixth sense to get a grasp on the unseen presence. The popular name “Naruto” puts the ninja character in spotlight. Other forms of media namely epic and historical Japanese dramas, Japanese animation or anime, video games and comic books or manga. A fixed figure in costume playing goes to ninja particularly in young boys. It is one of the most favored costumes of all times. It exudes the mysterious nature especially in the Japanese military function in the olden times.

The ninja functions in a different much more versatile ways as opposed to samurai warriors. The latter are strictly bounded to their reputable image and subjected to the bushido or samurai code of conduct. Samurai warriors are not expected to fight on the front lines in wars nor engaged in direct melee attacks. Ninjas battle in sheer flexibility in espionage, secret infiltration, mission sabotaging and assassinations. There may be certain instances that they would have to engage in open combat as well.

Where did ninjas come from?
The origins of ninja are rather vague and remote from observation. The reason for this is their growth was hidden away somewhere in the dark forest and secluded places with little contacts with the outside world. It was said, however, that the existence of these trained stealth warriors surmised around the 14th century, despite of little written account about them. The word shinobi did not exist to describe a ninja-like agent until the 15th century. During the said century, it was unlikely that spies and mercenaries were seen as a specialized group, namely secretive group of agents.

The rise of mercenaries and spies sprung forth during the unrest of Sengoku period or Warring States period (1467-1568) in the Iga and Koga regions of Japan. It is from these clans that added knowledge and use of ninja mercenaries expanded. Samurai warriors adhere to the rules of bushido while ninjas are more related to ninjutsu, described as ninja’s art and a wide variety of practices related to ninja.

Why is there the need for ninja?
The contrasting discipline of ninjas and samurai warriors provided the needed support of daimyo or Japanese lords. It all began during the Sengoku period when Japanese lords were fighting with each other over more power and lands to conquer. The samurai warriors were incapable of actions such as ambushing and stealth attack, seen as unrespectable war deeds especially for conventional warriors. Ninja soldiers were able to answer the said demand for unconventional ways of fighting. They were willing to commit on secret missions.

Get to know ninja warrriors more.
Immerse yourself to learn more of the character of ninja on manga series such as Naruto, Basilisk and Ninja Scroll. The concepts, story, and scenario reflect what ninja soldiers are. You can also watch several ninja movies namely Shinobi and The Ninja Dragon.

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Ever wonder how to diassemble a katana the right way. Wonder no more and learn all about it in the video below.

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Katana is a sword technologically perfect in structure and so beautiful in creation that it gave rise to an autocratic creed.

Did you know that one of the real katana makers does not sleep for three days just to waatch the furnace burn the world’s sharpest sword.

Discover where the real katana swords are made in Japan in the video below.

Watch this amazing video on the making of a samurai sword called Katana.

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The art of using the Japanese weapon kusarigama is called Kusarigamajutsu (鎖鎌術:くさりがまじゅつ?).

The weapon kusarigama is made up of three parts: the kama (a wooden handle with a curved blade protruding at a right angle on one end, and a small loop at the other), and the kusari (a chain attached to the kama) and a weight at the end of the chain. The kusarigama is used by swinging in wide sweeping arcs to distract or entangle the opponent while the kama is used to deliver a deadly strike.

Kusarigamajutsu is featured in other martial arts namely Bujinkan (ninjutsu) and Shinto Muso-ryu.

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Ninjato, also known by the names of ninjaken or shinobigatana, is the most common name for the famous Japanese sword that a ninja carried. It belongs to the category of short swords, crafted with far less care than katana or tachi of the samurai. Ninja favors the straight ninjato due to its smaller size compared to the samurai katana.

Ninjato’s design

This sword comes in different shapes and sizes according to Ninja Master Dr. Masaki Hatsumi. They were much shorter than the traditional daito katana used by the samurai of feudal Japan. The shift of the weapon is straight but with a slight curve to the sword. The straight bladed, square tsuba (hand guard) is merely a product of the modern imaginative conception. There are historical accounts showed how a ninjato, unlike the katana or wakizashi, was used as a cutting weapon and not a stabbing one. It is not determined if ninjato had a kissaki or sword tip to be used as a stabbing point.

The typical ninjato carried by a ninja was very likely to have been a wakizashi shortsword fitted with a katana-length handle and placed in a scabbard or katana-length saya. The concealment of ninjato serves as a deception of one’s opponents into miscalculating how quickly it could be drawn thereby permitting one to swiftly use a battoujutsu than expected. It helps that the design of a ninjato is similar to a common sword. The extra space in the saya may also be used to conceal or store equipments or goods, namely blinding powders, tubes that act as snorkels, or shuriken. An advantage of using ninjato and other short swords was the increased ease of fighting at close quarters. Thus, ninjato is an irrevocable requirement of an assassin or intelligence gatherer.

Ninjato’s usage

Ninjato was used in a variety of ways in fighting. The weapon is razor sharp but is considered to be more of a chopping and thrusting weapon unlike its counterpart katana. The skill in wielding such a sword is very different than kendo (the martial art using a katana in combat). The art is much more fluent in employing the back of the weapon for parries, blocking, and attacking mainly the hands, ankles, and neck of the opponent.

Ninjato in modern culture

In the comic book Usagi Yojimbo, the warrior rabbit character Usagi Yojimbo uses Ninjato as his weapons of choice.  Usagi has also appeared several times in Teeane Mutant Ninja Turtles ( in the comic book, both of the animated series and the toy line), and the Turtles have appeared in Usagi Yojimbo as well.

Fictional works depicted Ninjato as a scabbard, which is often mounted across the back with the handle facing up. IT is combined with sword’s shorter length presumably allowing for a quicker draw. Further projections of this resulted to depictions of the weapon as wielded underhanded.

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