Is the history of kendo in Japanese swords? !! The trajectory of kendo that changes with the times

Kendo has been popular in Japan for a long time. You can easily imagine the scene of the game with a bodice and a bamboo sword that reminds you of a samurai, but many people may not know much more than that.

Therefore, here we will introduce the history, origin, and transition of kendo in an easy-to-understand manner for each era. Please deepen your understanding of the ancient Japanese culture and the spirit of the samurai by learning about kendo.

The origin of kendo is "Japanese sword"

Kendo is closely related to the birth of the sword in Japan, as it is written as "Kendo". What is the relationship between the Japanese sword "Japanese sword" and kendo?

The relationship between the origin of kendo and Japanese swords

It is said that Japanese swords were made more than 1200 years ago in the middle of the Heian period. The curved shape called "Wantou" and the high and low shape called "Shinogi" on the blade are unique to Japan, and gradually to practice how to handle Japanese swords. It seems that kendo has also become popular.

When a samurai uses a Japanese sword in a battle, the expression "shaving the sword", which expresses how the hog is cut so much that it can be scraped, still remains today, and some people may have heard of it. It is the "Kendo" that remains in the present age that was developed to hone the sword technique that is competitive.

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Initially treated as a samurai sword and martial art

Initially, kendo was practiced as a martial art to learn sword skills so that samurai could handle Japanese swords in actual battles. In modern times, the spirituality of kendo, such as concentration and spiritual unity, is emphasized, not as a martial art, and it is popular as one of the sports.

Currently, it has spread all over the world and the competition population is increasing.

Like karate and judo, kendo is now becoming more and more competitive worldwide. The World Kendo Championship is also held once every three years, and the 2018 Korean tournament was a big tournament in which more than 50 countries including Brazil and the Netherlands participated.

The history of kendo that changes with the times

What was the meaning of kendo in each era? Let's take a step-by-step look at the transition.

Muromachi Period

In the latter half of the Muromachi period, there was a long period of constant warfare, such as the Onin War, and swordsmanship developed along with it. In addition, guns were also introduced in this era. Equipment and swordsmanship were further refined in order to protect themselves from guns and advance the battle in an advantageous manner.

Edo Period

When the era of turmoil ended and the Edo period began, swordsmanship gradually became more of a samurai spiritual training than a technique used in warfare. It can be said that it was a time when the current form of kendo was solidified, such as the use of bamboo swords for swinging through the spirit of samurai who strive for frugality and Zen teaching.

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Meiji-Taisho era

In the Meiji era, swordsmanship was temporarily sluggish due to laws such as the abolition of samurai status and the prohibition of swords, but the Metropolitan Police Department adopted kendo for the purpose of practice, and in the Taisho era, strengthened troops and practiced spiritual training by the later war. For the purpose, kendo will begin to spread again. It was also around this time that "Bushido," which was written about the spirit and swordsmanship of samurai, was translated into English and became known to the world.

After World War II

In Japan, which was under the control of GHQ immediately after World War II, there was an atmosphere in which it was not possible to openly learn kendo. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of people who love kendo, the All Japan Kendo Federation was established after independence, and the history of kendo has been preserved and continues to this day.

Modern kendo is a sport and a means of training the spirit

Modern kendo is used as a means of mental training, but it is also popular as a sport for handling bamboo swords.

Kendo is a compulsory subject in junior high school in Japan

Currently, kendo is a compulsory subject of physical education in Japanese junior high school. This is probably because the value of kendo is being reassessed as part of the education to train the spirit, in addition to the purpose of building the body as a sport. The spirit of kendo, which is polite and respectful of the other person, has a positive effect on the formation of a sensitive student personality and also helps to acquire sportsmanship.

Kendo's "attitude that values spiritual training rather than winning or losing" is also in such a place

Kendo is also a competition in which the morals of respecting the opponent and the manner of "beginning and ending with gratitude" are valued. Despite having such a long history and meeting the requirements for an event, the federation is reluctant to recognize Kendo as an official Olympic event. It may be because the spirit of politeness and politeness that flows through kendo is alive in kendo.

Including such a spiritual part, there is also an aspect that has produced many lovers all over the world.

Summary

Kendo went along with the history of Japanese swords, and after it became widespread as a evangelism of swordsmanship used in battlefields, it became established as a sport. Many people love kendo for the purpose of human formation such as etiquette and concentration, and the number of athletes is increasing all over the world. Through kendo, we can convey to the world the culture and heart that Japanese people have cherished for a long time.

This article is a partial re-edit of the article published in Nihongo Biyori by KARUTA.
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