Kendo History
Kendo is a Japanese martial art whose origins can be traced to when sword fighting in Japan began during the 3rd and 4th centuries. However, modern kendo fighting comes roughly from the mid-19th century. It’s development and gradual evolution came from many different kenjutsu or fighting samurai methods that differed in each province of Japan.
The development of kendo was influenced by Jikishinkage-ryū, Akanishiha Ittō-ryū, and Hokushin Ittō-ryū, which all feature some sort of sword fencing or free dueling seen in the peaceful Edo Period. These three schools of sword fighting contributed greatly to current-day kendo.
One of Kendo’s main influences, and possible creators, is Naganuma Shirozaemon. He is believed to have invented the protective equipment and the shinai bamboo sword that partly replaced the wooden bokken around the beginning of the 18th century. Then a student of Ono Chuichi, a popular Kendo trainer named Nakanishi Chuta, improved the boku gear set and created the four-segment shinai used in kendo today.
Naganuma Shirozaemon, a Kendo practitioner in the 19th century that contributed to the Meiji Restoration – Credits: Wiki Media
Chiba Shūsaku Narimasa, the founder of the fencing school Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō, highly popularized the kendo style of fencing. Because of his school’s popularity and safety, many followed his way and used kendo armor and swords instead of real swords to prevent injury.
With the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s rule in the Edo period, a ban on samurai led to kendo being used by the police to achieve better discipline and add a touch of Japanese tradition. It was added as a compulsory subject in Japanese schools around 1911 as a way to increase the nationalism of Japan’s youth and to show obedience to their emperor.
After World War II, many Japanese martial arts were banned because some were linked with helping the Japanese national government train their soldiers and youth. The kendo style was reintroduced in 1952 after three years of Shinai Kyōgi, a similar sword sport. With the lifting of this ban, the All-Japanese Kendō Federation association was founded and removed previous fighting styles in Kendo, such as grapples, throws, ground combat, and foot sweeps that could lead to injury. Then modern kendo emerged and is still used today.
