Kendo
The origins
Kendo is a traditional japanese art of fencing, the origins of which can be found already in the 9th century a.d. Old myths and novels telling of war are giving us a picture of the early form of the Kendo of today, which formerly was an art of self-defense and attacks. In this sense this art was neither Kendo nor Ken-Jitsu but a merely technique for fighting with a sword. The fights were fought with an early form of the Katana that had a straight blade. When fighting the warriors were pushing, beating and stabbing, similar to the european style of fighting with a sword. At a later date the art of cutting was developed. The development of a slightly curved blade was a prerequisite for this. This happened in the 9th century a.D. Only now Kendo, which was also named as Heihô, Ken-Jitsu or Geki-Ken, began.
In the 17th century, the Tokugawa-Era, Kendo was principally used for the formation of the Samurai, the japanese knights. At this time the word and the meaning of Kendo was often mixed up with Bushido (the way of the warrior), an inherent part of the japanese intellectual history. It encompassed beside the fighting techniques also the development of mental power. For the education of a Samurai this meant for him to strive for moral objectives such as the love for other people (Zin), the act of courtesy (Rei), fairness (Gi), intelligence (Chi) and faith (Chin). The melting of Kendo together with Buddhism and Confucianism found here its climax.
The Kendo of today was developed in the middle of the 18th century. Chuzo Nakanishi, master of the Itto-Ryu-school, and Shirozaemon Naganuma, master of the Zikishinkage-School, developed the Kendo armour, consisting of Men (a helmet), Kote (gloves), Do (a cuirass) and Tare (a protection for the hips) as well as a bamboo-sword called Shinai. The practical training as well as the training for competitions didn't consist any mor only of studying the Kata-forms, but was trained according to sportive aspects.
In the Meiji-Era (1868-1912) Kendo was often scrutinized. The Meiji-restauration changed the political structure in many ways, the modernization of the society and an opening to the "rest of the world" happened fast. As a consequence of this the class of the Bushi (Samurai), whose privilege was the permission to practice Kendo, lost its reputation and its rank in society. With all these changes Kendo became in the beginning of this era considered as outdated and sometimes teachers who were caught teaching Kendo were put into jail. the new sovereigns and the beginning of the industrialization called for more modern aims and ways of thinking than these of the Samurai. The old system of classes in the society was abolished, the Samurai were deprived of their social rank and their supremacy. In the year 1876 with the Haitou-Rei, a law, the Samurai were deprived of their last and most important symbol, the wearing of a sword. This led to riots which however were bloodily broken down.
During the Meiji-Era however two great wars took place, the first against China (1894) and the second against Russia (1904). At this time Kendo experienced a never expected renaissance. People reoriented themselves to national values . In 1896 the first japanese Budo-association was founded, Dai Nihon Butoku Kai. In 1911 Kendo was introduced in schools. By doing this a first step to modern Kendo was made.
In 1911 the Budo-association elaborated a simplification of the practiced Kata-forms and reduced their number to 10 basic forms, still taught today, the Nihon-Kendo-Kata. Step by step Kendo was modernized in a way that it even became a national sport.
During the second world war Kendo was abusively put into the service of the militarism. The power of Kendo should be used for war activities and was meant to strenthen the loyalty to the emperor. For these purposes it became major subject for all male pupils from the fifth class on. But also all men fit for military service were taught Kendo to strengthen their bellicosity. Allt his led to the fact that the mental background of Kendo became neglected.
This however changed after the second world war. As loser Japan had to accept an American directive that forbid Kendo as a root for militarism. Also the Budo-association Dai Nihon Butoku Kai was forbidden because it was seen as a possible means to reestablish national pride. In secret however Kendo continued to be practiced.
With the peace treaty of 1951 and the new national independance this ban was abolished. In October 1952 a nw Budo-association, the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei, as a sector of the Japanese sports association, the Nihon Taiiku Kyokai, was founded. From state side Kendo was fostered reluctantly. In schools it was introduced as optional subject only in 1953 The Japanese Ministry for the Education decreed however that Kendo had to be named as Shinai-Kyogi (Shinai-sports). Only in 1957 Kendo could be named again as Kendo. Some years later it again became an obligatory Budo-subject in schools. For the first time Kendo could be studied at universities.
After these times of changes since the Meiji-Era it was reestablished and acknowledged in the own country. Kendo developed to a sport that could be practiced also in clubs. Also women and children began to learn Kendo. Moreover Kendo became known and grew more and more popular outside Japan and hundreds of thousands parcticed Kendo in numerous countries. This internationalization found its climax in worl championships that are organized by the International Kendo Federation -IKF-. Nowadays millions of people are going the way of Kendo.
From: Akio Higuchi, The Gate to Kendo, Wiesbaden 1985.