The Lone Ranger
01-07-2007, 05:38 AM
Some Thoughts on the Way of the Sword
To attempt to come to grips with the sword in all its implications is to explore peril, fear, and wonder in a fundamental way. The sword is a physical entity whose utilization demands an intense discharge of psychic energy. At the same time that it enhances our power, it also makes us vulnerable to others similarly armed. Because it is a weapon, it confronts us with the terror of mortality and consideration of moral action, often making the linkage between the two painfully real and present.
The sword, as a Yagyu swordsman once said, can both give life and take life. To take up training in the sword, then, is to confront life itself.
- John J. Donohue, Complete Kendo
Kendo means literally "the way of the sword", and has its origin in the martial art developed by the samurai in battlefield combat and in duels. It refers to a way of life shaped by the discipline cultivated through its practice, a discipline that produces perseverance, alertness and concentration. Above all, it requires great introspection, or looking into oneself. When samurai face each other, fear inevitably arises. But from where does this fear come? From the opponent? From the oncoming sword thrust? No - fear arises within oneself. To conquer an opponent, one must first conquer oneself - that is, one must first conquer the ego within oneself. The ultimate objective of kendo is to internalize challenges. This is the essence of kendo.
Conquering the ego produces mushin - a Buddhist term most commonly used in Zen. Mushin refers to an altered state of consciousness, a state of mind which distinguishes kendo from sport. Of course, sportsmen must conquer fear, and those in the creative arts also experience an altered state of consciousness. But mushin in kendo requires meditation based upon Buddhist philosophy. This is what makes kendo unique. Kendo is not just an art of self-defense - it is designed to create a new human configuration.
- from the dust jacket of Kendo: Its Philosophy, History and Means to Personal Growth, by Minoru Kiyota
The purpose of practicing Kendo is:
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 his country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture,
And to promote peace and prosperity among all people.
- All Japan Kendo Federation
Some time ago, a friend of mine and I were discussing my disappointment regarding the behavior and attitude of a high-ranking karateka (one who studies karate). This man was a third-degree black belt, so he must have spent a considerable amount of time studying karate. Presumably, this included some time studying the philosophies behind the martial arts. Yet he had been behaving quite rudely and arrogantly toward some younger students. "He should know better," and "Why did his instructors let him reach such a level with such a poor attitude?" were my expressed opinions.
After all, most of the Okinawan, Japanese, and Chinese martial arts have strong Buddhist underpinnings, and include a philosophical position which stresses that one should strive to behave responsibly, courteously, and respectfully at all times.
My friend, who is himself a second-degree black belt in Kyokushin karate, replied, "Michael, you have to understand that 90 percent of black belts are assholes." While I think he was being perhaps a bit too harsh, I have to admit that he had a point. In the United States, it seems that martial arts instructors typically spend little or no time teaching their students the philosophy behind the martial arts. My first kendo instructor, a native Japanese, once expressed outright disgust with the way most martial arts are taught here in the U.S. According to him, the average Japanese sensei wouldn't even consider teaching a student how to fight until and unless the student had demonstrated that (s)he had a sufficiently serious, humble, and respectful attitude. And he's by no means the only Japanese martial artist I've encountered who has expressed dismay at how most American instructors seem to ignore the philosophical underpinnings of the traditional martial arts styles.
Well, be that as it may, my admittedly limited experiences have led me to the conclusion that there are four primary types of martial artists. I should stress that these categories are not mutually exclusive, though.
The first - and here in the U.S., the rarest I think - is the philosopher. To him or her, the point of studying the martial arts is self-improvement. As far as the philosopher is concerned, you study the martial arts in order to learn self-discipline, self-confidence, and a "proper" attitude toward life. After all, you cannot hope to master a martial arts style without learning self-discipline in the process. Ideally, that same self-discipline will be used to make yourself into a better person - a more respectful, courteous, and sympathetic person. Plus, the exercise is good for you. Whether or not the martial arts style in question is useful for self-defense purposes is more or less irrelevant to the philosopher, since the point is to learn self-discipline, not how to fight effectively.
The second kind of martial artist is the pragmatist. The pragmatist believes that the primary value of martial arts training is to learn self-defense, and/or to improve your physical health through exercise. The value of learning self-defense isn't necessarily in learning how to fight, but in learning to be alert and self-confident, so that you can avoid fighting whenever possible.
The third kind of martial artist is the fighter. Some people, in my experience, quite enjoy fighting. Perhaps they enjoy the challenge of it, and look upon fighting as a way to test themselves. Some of these people use the martial arts as a way of channeling their aggressive nature in positive ways. In any event, just because someone enjoys fighting doesn't mean that (s)he is arrogant or bullying by nature, or that (s)he doesn't respect others as equals. Nor does it mean that the person in question has a violent disposition.
Finally, there are the lovers of power. Sadly, there are those who enjoy dominating others, and who look upon the martial arts as a means of gaining power. Such people typically care little or nothing for such things as courtesy and respect toward those whom they regard as inferiors - they may go through the motions when it's required, but their hearts aren't in it, so to speak. There seem to be a lot more of these people in the martial arts community than I'd like to think, unfortunately.
Different martial arts styles (and different schools within a particular style) tend to produce martial artists of different dispositions. This shouldn't be surprising, since some martial arts styles are utterly useless for self-defense, or at least, they're highly impractical if self-defense is what you're wanting to learn. (It's hardly likely that I'll ever have to use a sword to defend myself against a similarly-armed attacker, for instance.) Such styles naturally attract few pragmatists and even fewer lovers of power.
Kendo is definitely one of those styles with little in the way of self-defense applicability. So why study it? In my opinion, the best reason is this: to become a better person.
[B]What is Kendo?
"Kendo" literally means "the way of the sword." In its broadest sense, kendo refers to any and all of the numerous systems of Japanese sword techniques that have been developed over the ages. Some of those are still practiced today, including iaido and kenjutsu.
Iaido is a sword discipline that concentrates on the techniques and esthetics of drawing the long sword (katana). It doubtless sounds strange to most people that there would be an entire discipline that focuses simply on how to draw a sword, but it must be remembered that the samurai warriors developed this to such an art that a good swordsman could draw his sword and kill his enemy in the same motion. For a good illustration of this, watch the ending of Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro. In it, two master swordsmen engage in a duel. They stand a couple of paces apart, each waiting for the other to make his move. Then, with blinding speed, Toshiro Mifune's character, Sanjuro, draws his katana, slashing open his opponent's chest as he does so, and killing him. The samurai had perfected the "quick draw" long before American gunfighters.
Kenjutsu is a discipline that attempts to keep alive the sword-fighting skills and styles of the samurai warriors. Students of kenjutsu, like students of iaido, typically use either wooden swords called bokken or real swords to practice. Neither practitioners of iaido nor of kenjutsu practice striking actual opponents, for obvious reasons. Instead, kenjutsu practitioners learn to use the sword through cutting and thrusting against water-soaked and rolled mats, and against bamboo poles called tameshigiri.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/bogu_parts.jpg"Kendo," in its modern meaning, grew out of kenjutsu. Kendoka (those who study kendo) wear protective armour called a bogu (patterned after the armour worn by the samurai), and spar with bamboo "swords" called shinai. Kendo has strict rules, and only certain (well-armoured) parts of the opponent's body are considered legitimate targets for a strike. As such, kendo is practiced for exercise and for learning self-discipline, rather than as a serious effort to learn how to fight effectively with a sword.
The protective armour worn by a kendoka consists of several parts, including the men, kote, do, and tare. The men is a helmet that protects the head, face, shoulders, and throat. The kote are heavy gloves that protect the hands and wrists. The do is a breastplate, traditionally made of bamboo, that protects the chest and torso. A tare hangs from the waist like a heavy apron, and protects the hips, groin, and upper thighs.
[B]The History of Kendo
During the early tenth century, professional warriors called bushi, tsuwamono, mono-no-fu, or samurai arose in Japan. Most of the samurai served a feudal lord, and by the twelfth century, the title of "samurai" had become semi-hereditary. That is, the samurai had risen to occupy a prominent position in Japanese society, and most samurai were the sons of samurai. It wasn't impossible for a commoner to become a samurai, but given Japan's rigid class system, it was all but unheard-of.
As the samurai came to prominence, they developed an unwritten code of conduct called bushido, "the way of the warrior." It would be quite naive to think that the average samurai truly devoted himself to unswervingly following the path of bushido, but one cannot hope to understand the samurai - nor the underlying philosophy of kendo - without some appreciation of bushido. So, more on that in a moment.
Over the centuries, numerous schools of fencing arose, to teach aspiring samurai how to fight effectively with the katana. The problem, though, was that there was simply no way for a student of swordplay to truly test his skill except against a live opponent. But even when students wore padding and used bokken, they were often seriously injured or even killed while sparring. Most fencing schools taught their students by having them practice kata - a series of carefully-designed drills intended to teach students how to hold and swing the sword. More advanced students could "perfect" their techniques against trees. Needless to say, no matter how much time the student spent practicing kata and cutting up trees, he often fared quite poorly when finally confronted with an actual opponent.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/shinai_parts.jpgAround the eighteenth century, the shinai was developed, along with armour suitable for sparring practice. (This armour was the precursor to the bogu). Finally, students could practice against actual opponents without fear of injury.
In 1868, the Emperor Meiji was restored to the throne after almost 700 years of rule by the military. The Emperor wished to reform Japanese society - still in a feudal state at the time - along the lines of the industrialized Western powers. As such, the samurai class was officially abolished, since the samurai were seen as an undesirable relic of the old days. Naturally, the practice of swordsmanship began to decline.
However, in 1887, uprisings against the government began to occur, as many Japanese began to question the wisdom of abandoning so much of traditional Japanese culture and values in favor of Western notions. Even as Japan became wealthier and more militarily powerful, many Japanese began to study the sword arts as a way of preserving their traditional values. So, kendo became linked with Japanese nationalism. In 1939, as Japan prepared to enter World War II, kendo became a required course for all boys.
After the war, the American Occupation outlawed kendo, on the grounds that it promoted militaristic attitudes. Some Americans living in Japan showed an interest in studying kendo, however, and a few dojos remained open even during the Occupation. Theoretically, they were allowed to remain open so that American students could study kendo, but naturally quite a few Japanese wandered into the dojos to practice as well.
In 1952, the All Japan Kendo Federation was formed, on the principle that kendo should be taught not as a serious martial art per se, but as a means of keeping alive the spirit and ideals of bushido. As such, the AJKF emphasized that kendoka should strive to live up to the ideals of bushido, while avoiding the militaristic mindset that had become associated with the sword arts. In short, AJKF promoted kendo as a means of self-improvement rather than a fighting style, and that is how it is chiefly seen today.
[B]So, What is Bushido About?
The code of bushido was influenced by Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. The code varies somewhat over time, but at its core it insists that a true samurai should always strive to live according to a strict code of personal honour, and that death was preferable to behaving dishonourably. Bushido emphasizes justice, courtesy and respect toward others, compassion, loyalty, honesty, sincerity, and self-sacrifice. Though exact interpretations vary, there are eight principles of bushido that are generally agreed upon - jin, gi, chu, ko, rei, chi, shin, and tei.
Jin is often translated as "compassion" or "mercy." Ideally, a samurai was supposed to treat others with compassion, and to help those in need without thought of reward.
Gi is often translated as "righteousness." A samurai should always strive to do what is right, regardless of whether or not this is the popular or easy thing to do.
Chu means "loyalty." A samurai should always be loyal to his master. One could argue about how appropriate a "virtue" this is. After all, can one remain honorable if (s)he willingly serves a master (s)he knows to be dishonorable? [Not in my opinion.]
Ko refers to respect and responsibility toward one's parents. A samurai should respect and care for his parents and other relatives.
Rei is often translated as "courtesy." A samurai should always treat others with courtesy and respect.
Chi is sometimes translated as "intelligence," though "wisdom" is probably a better translation. A samurai should seek to broaden his knowledge and experience, and so gain wisdom.
Shin means "truthfulness." A samurai should always strive to be truthful and trustworthy in his dealings with others.
Tei means to care for the elderly and for those in need. (Some leave this one out, as it's pretty-much the same thing as jin.)
Because modern kendo is specifically intended to train students in "proper" behaviors and attitudes, there is an extremely strong emphasis upon proper behavior in the dojo, and almost every aspect of kendo is steeped with meaning.
For example, kendoka wear a pleated skirt called a hakama. The seven pleats are supposed to represent the seven virtues of bushido. Since the samurai's life depended upon his ability to use and maintain his sword, the sword was the symbol of the samurai, and was said to represent his soul. Similarly, the shinai is treated as the "soul" of a kendoka. For that reason, it is considered grossly inappropriate to lean against a shinai, to step over it, to lean it against something with the "point" facing downward, or to otherwise treat it with anything other than sincere respect. If another kendoka asks to borrow your shinai, you should present it to him or her while holding it horizontally with both hands, as you bow.
Kendoka should always behave respectfully toward others. Failure to show proper respect to anyone else in the dojo will get you punished, and failure to behave in a properly courteous and respectful manner toward anyone can get you disqualified in a tournament. Before sparring with a partner, you bow to show respect, and you thank him or her, because (s)he is helping to train you, and is thus doing you a service. It's only proper to show your gratitude, therefore. After you finish sparring, you again bow and thank each other.
The idea is that by practicing something over and over, it becomes second nature. Therefore, the primary philosophy behind modern kendo is that one should practice behaving courteously and respectfully toward others with the same dedication and intensity that is devoted to mastering the use of the shinai. In time, it is thought, a courteous, respectful, and generous attitude toward others becomes a fundamental part of one's mental makeup.
And so one becomes a better person.
[B]How Does One Practice Kendo?
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/kenshi.jpgThere are strict rules regarding sparring in kendo, and strikes are allowed only against those parts of your opponent's body that are armoured. There are four legal attacks in kendo - men, kote, do, and tsuki. A "men" strike, as you might imagine, is a strike to your opponent's men. A "kote" strike is a strike against your opponent's kote, and a "do" strike is a strike against your opponent's do. A "tsuki" strike is a thrusting attack aimed at the front of your opponent's do, or at the ago, the stiff flap that hangs down from the men and protects the throat. The tsuki attack is rarely used, because it's difficult to execute, and because it's somewhat dangerous. An improperly executed tsuki attack could seriously injure an opponent, even through armour. (A shinai is nowhere near as flexible as the foils used in Western-style fencing.) For this reason, it is considered rude to use a tsuki attack when sparring, though it's not illegal.
Though it's a rather stylized form of "combat," kendo is supposed to reflect actual sword-fighting techniques, at least to the degree that safety allows. As such, for an attack to be counted as successful, it's not sufficient to simply execute a strike that hits your opponent in the proper place, you must hit him or her properly. More precisely, you must strike in such a way that had you been using a real katana against an armoured opponent, your strike would have disabled or killed him.
The shinai has a string running most of its length called a tsuru. Just as the shinai represents a sword, the tsuru represents the "back" of the "blade" of the sword. So, one always holds the shinai with the tsuru facing up, so that the "cutting edge" is facing downward. The jinbu is opposite the tsuru, and represents the cutting edge of the sword. A strike (except the tsuki, of course) is not successfully executed unless the jinbu strikes your opponent. But kendo grew out of techniques for fighting armoured opponents, and a katana couldn't cut through a samurai's armour unless it struck with sufficient power. Only the end of the blade moves fast-enough to have a chance to cut through armour. So, in kendo, it's not enough to hit with the jinbu in the right spot, you must hit with the right part of the jinbu. The last 1/3 or so of the jinbu is referred to as the monouchi, and this is the "striking part" of the shinai. Only this portion of the
shinai can deliver a legal "killing" strike.
It's a great deal more difficult to successfully land a legitimate blow on a target than most people would expect. Especially if your target is trying to prevent you from doing so.
In kendo, one almost always holds the shinai with both hands, which gives more power and leverage than a one-handed grip. The left hand grips the shinai near its base and provides the power, while the right hand is just behind the tsuba (the hand guard), and provides control. The shinai is almost always held along the center-line of the body, because if it's held to either the right or the left, you'll be vulnerable to attack. (For example, if I hold my shinai so that it's on my right, then my left side is unprotected.)
There are five stances or "kamae" in kendo. These stances involve holding the shinai in a particular position, so as to prevent your opponent from successfully attacking, while allowing you the opportunity to attack him or her. There are numerous variations of each kamae, of course.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/kamae.jpg
By far the most commonly observed kamae is chudan no kamae, or the "middle stance." The hands are held in front of the stomach, and the shinai is angled so that the tip is at about the level of your opponent's throat. The shinai is aligned along the center-line of your body. This is an extremely effective defensive position, but it allows you to attack as well. If you have a good chudan, it's quite difficult for an opponent to get past your guard. This is so because from chudan you can quickly move the shinai to the right or left to counter an attack from either side, or upward or downward to counter attacks from those quarters.
Less common than chudan is jodan no kamae, or the "upper stance." In jodan, the arms are raised such that the shinai is held directly above your head. You can't effectively defend yourself from this position, so jodan is normally seen only momentarily as you're moving in to attack your opponent, and you've raised your shinai to deliver a men or kote strike.
Even less common is gedan no kamae, or the "lower stance." The shinai is lowered so that the tip is pointing more or less at your opponent's knees. Though it can be used to defend against a low attack, gedan leaves you vulnerable to men, kote, and tsuki attacks, so is not a good defensive position. Moreover, it's all but impossible to launch an attack from gedan, except for a tsuki attack. Gedan is sometimes used by an experienced kendoka to lure a less-experienced opponent into an attack.
A kamae that's almost never seen in modern kendo is hasso no kamae. This is similar to jodan, but the hands are placed just above the right shoulder, so that the shinai is on the right side, instead of directly over the head. This stance arose because the large helmets worn by samurai made it difficult or impossible to raise the hands above the head. The promotional posters for practically every "swordfighting" movie I've ever seen feature some guy staring grimly at the camera while holding a sword (or lightsaber) in hasso. Why, I can't imagine, since it's a pointless stance unless you're wearing a great big helmet. It looks cool though, I suppose. In Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader seemed to use hasso a lot, as I recall. So did Qui-Gonn Jinn in The Phantom Menace. Vader at least had an excuse, since he wore a helmet.
A kamae that's even rarer than hasso is waki gamae, the "hidden stance." To execute this stance, you start from gedan, and turn the shinai so that it's behind you, and so hidden from your opponent's view. The proper term for employing this stance against any remotely competent opponent is "suicide." You can neither attack nor defend from this stance. Waki gamae is an insult to your opponent. If you deliberately adopt it, you're basically saying, "I'm so confident of my abilities that I'm going to put myself into this ridiculous position, and I'll still beat you." Either that or, "I'm an idiot; please kill me."
If you've seen the Highlander movies or the Star Wars movies, you probably figure that you have a pretty good idea of what a swordfight between two people armed with katanas or similar swords looks like. You'd be quite mistaken. In an actual duel between two good swordsmen, there's generally exactly one blow exchanged. What definitely does not happen is a lot of banging-together of the swords, like you see in the movies. A sword duel involves as much psychology as athleticism.
An opponent with a good chudan is very difficult to attack. So, most strategy involves somehow getting your opponent out of chudan. You can try to intimidate your opponent by yelling at him or otherwise trying to break his concentration. Usually, this doesn't work though, because your opponent expects you do something like that. But there are times. Once, I faced a Japanese girl who couldn't possibly have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet and wearing her bogu to boot. We took up positions. Without warning, she SCREAMED at me! This tiny slip of a girl produced a volume of sound that must surely have had people in the next county wondering who was being murdered. I was so stunned that she hit me twice before I even realized that she'd moved.
If screaming at your opponent doesn't work, and if you're not a lot faster than him or her, you simply must get your opponent out of chudan if you expect to make a successful attack. Paradoxically, one of the most effective ways to do so is to get him to attack you. To attack you, your opponent must lower his own guard. That is the moment to attack - when he's momentarily vulnerable. Needless to say, it takes good timing. So, one common tactic is to deliberately leave an apparent weakness in your defense, and lure your opponent into attacking there. When he moves to attack you, hit him while he's vulnerable.
So, in an actual swordfight, there's not a lot of banging-together of swords. The two warriors face each other, each of them almost certainly in chudan no kamae. Each of them studies the other, looking for a weakness in his defense that can be exploited. Each attempts to clear and calm his mind, so that he won't be distracted by stray thoughts or emotions - and so that he can react instantly to his opponent's actions. But is that really a weakness in his defense, or is he setting a trap and trying to lure his opponent into attacking there? Sooner or later, one of them will attack. If he correctly identified a weakness in his opponent's defense, his opponent will probably be "crippled" or "killed" by the attack. If he fell into a trap, he'll probably be "crippled" or "killed" by his opponent's counterattack. Either way, the movements are quick and subtle, and it's usually over quite quickly. It bears little resemblance to what you typically see in the movies.
[B]So, What Are My Feelings Regarding Kendo?
I can honestly say that every experienced kendoka whom I've ever met has struck me as being a very decent person, both in and out of the dojo. One could argue that people who don't appreciate the philosophy of kendo don't stick it out for very long, and there's certainly some truth to that. Certainly, the kendo instructors I've dealt with have always made it very clear that they will absolutely not tolerate disrespectful or discourteous behavior in their presence. Still, I think that there's value to the notion that mastery of an art (not necessarily a martial art) teaches you self-discipline and self-respect, which can be used to improve your life in other ways - and that constant practice of courtesy and respect toward others can make you a better person.
I do think that over the years, I've become less self-centered and more aware of others. Attempting to master a difficult and demanding discipline will teach you pretty darn quickly that you have flaws and limitations. It can be an awfully humbling experience. I think that I've become a more compassionate and respectful person over the years, as well. Maybe the constant emphasis on "proper" behavior has made me less quick to judge, and quicker to empathize. I suspect so. I hope so.
Whatever else might be true, I think that a philosophy which teaches that you should always strive to treat others well is a good one. And if kendo has indeed helped me to become a better person, then I'm glad of it.
Or, maybe it's just that I just like to hit people with sticks.
Photo Credits:
[B]Bogu parts:
http://www.kendo-reutlingen.de/ausruestung.html
Kamae: modified from Minoru Kiyota's Kendo: Its Philosophy,
History and Means to Personal Growth
Kenshi sparring: All Japan Kendo
Federation (http://www.kendo.or.jp/)
Shinai parts: modified image from the
Oregon State University
Kendo Club (http://oregonstate.edu/groups/kendo/index.htm)
To attempt to come to grips with the sword in all its implications is to explore peril, fear, and wonder in a fundamental way. The sword is a physical entity whose utilization demands an intense discharge of psychic energy. At the same time that it enhances our power, it also makes us vulnerable to others similarly armed. Because it is a weapon, it confronts us with the terror of mortality and consideration of moral action, often making the linkage between the two painfully real and present.
The sword, as a Yagyu swordsman once said, can both give life and take life. To take up training in the sword, then, is to confront life itself.
- John J. Donohue, Complete Kendo
Kendo means literally "the way of the sword", and has its origin in the martial art developed by the samurai in battlefield combat and in duels. It refers to a way of life shaped by the discipline cultivated through its practice, a discipline that produces perseverance, alertness and concentration. Above all, it requires great introspection, or looking into oneself. When samurai face each other, fear inevitably arises. But from where does this fear come? From the opponent? From the oncoming sword thrust? No - fear arises within oneself. To conquer an opponent, one must first conquer oneself - that is, one must first conquer the ego within oneself. The ultimate objective of kendo is to internalize challenges. This is the essence of kendo.
Conquering the ego produces mushin - a Buddhist term most commonly used in Zen. Mushin refers to an altered state of consciousness, a state of mind which distinguishes kendo from sport. Of course, sportsmen must conquer fear, and those in the creative arts also experience an altered state of consciousness. But mushin in kendo requires meditation based upon Buddhist philosophy. This is what makes kendo unique. Kendo is not just an art of self-defense - it is designed to create a new human configuration.
- from the dust jacket of Kendo: Its Philosophy, History and Means to Personal Growth, by Minoru Kiyota
The purpose of practicing Kendo is:
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 his country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture,
And to promote peace and prosperity among all people.
- All Japan Kendo Federation
Some time ago, a friend of mine and I were discussing my disappointment regarding the behavior and attitude of a high-ranking karateka (one who studies karate). This man was a third-degree black belt, so he must have spent a considerable amount of time studying karate. Presumably, this included some time studying the philosophies behind the martial arts. Yet he had been behaving quite rudely and arrogantly toward some younger students. "He should know better," and "Why did his instructors let him reach such a level with such a poor attitude?" were my expressed opinions.
After all, most of the Okinawan, Japanese, and Chinese martial arts have strong Buddhist underpinnings, and include a philosophical position which stresses that one should strive to behave responsibly, courteously, and respectfully at all times.
My friend, who is himself a second-degree black belt in Kyokushin karate, replied, "Michael, you have to understand that 90 percent of black belts are assholes." While I think he was being perhaps a bit too harsh, I have to admit that he had a point. In the United States, it seems that martial arts instructors typically spend little or no time teaching their students the philosophy behind the martial arts. My first kendo instructor, a native Japanese, once expressed outright disgust with the way most martial arts are taught here in the U.S. According to him, the average Japanese sensei wouldn't even consider teaching a student how to fight until and unless the student had demonstrated that (s)he had a sufficiently serious, humble, and respectful attitude. And he's by no means the only Japanese martial artist I've encountered who has expressed dismay at how most American instructors seem to ignore the philosophical underpinnings of the traditional martial arts styles.
Well, be that as it may, my admittedly limited experiences have led me to the conclusion that there are four primary types of martial artists. I should stress that these categories are not mutually exclusive, though.
The first - and here in the U.S., the rarest I think - is the philosopher. To him or her, the point of studying the martial arts is self-improvement. As far as the philosopher is concerned, you study the martial arts in order to learn self-discipline, self-confidence, and a "proper" attitude toward life. After all, you cannot hope to master a martial arts style without learning self-discipline in the process. Ideally, that same self-discipline will be used to make yourself into a better person - a more respectful, courteous, and sympathetic person. Plus, the exercise is good for you. Whether or not the martial arts style in question is useful for self-defense purposes is more or less irrelevant to the philosopher, since the point is to learn self-discipline, not how to fight effectively.
The second kind of martial artist is the pragmatist. The pragmatist believes that the primary value of martial arts training is to learn self-defense, and/or to improve your physical health through exercise. The value of learning self-defense isn't necessarily in learning how to fight, but in learning to be alert and self-confident, so that you can avoid fighting whenever possible.
The third kind of martial artist is the fighter. Some people, in my experience, quite enjoy fighting. Perhaps they enjoy the challenge of it, and look upon fighting as a way to test themselves. Some of these people use the martial arts as a way of channeling their aggressive nature in positive ways. In any event, just because someone enjoys fighting doesn't mean that (s)he is arrogant or bullying by nature, or that (s)he doesn't respect others as equals. Nor does it mean that the person in question has a violent disposition.
Finally, there are the lovers of power. Sadly, there are those who enjoy dominating others, and who look upon the martial arts as a means of gaining power. Such people typically care little or nothing for such things as courtesy and respect toward those whom they regard as inferiors - they may go through the motions when it's required, but their hearts aren't in it, so to speak. There seem to be a lot more of these people in the martial arts community than I'd like to think, unfortunately.
Different martial arts styles (and different schools within a particular style) tend to produce martial artists of different dispositions. This shouldn't be surprising, since some martial arts styles are utterly useless for self-defense, or at least, they're highly impractical if self-defense is what you're wanting to learn. (It's hardly likely that I'll ever have to use a sword to defend myself against a similarly-armed attacker, for instance.) Such styles naturally attract few pragmatists and even fewer lovers of power.
Kendo is definitely one of those styles with little in the way of self-defense applicability. So why study it? In my opinion, the best reason is this: to become a better person.
[B]What is Kendo?
"Kendo" literally means "the way of the sword." In its broadest sense, kendo refers to any and all of the numerous systems of Japanese sword techniques that have been developed over the ages. Some of those are still practiced today, including iaido and kenjutsu.
Iaido is a sword discipline that concentrates on the techniques and esthetics of drawing the long sword (katana). It doubtless sounds strange to most people that there would be an entire discipline that focuses simply on how to draw a sword, but it must be remembered that the samurai warriors developed this to such an art that a good swordsman could draw his sword and kill his enemy in the same motion. For a good illustration of this, watch the ending of Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro. In it, two master swordsmen engage in a duel. They stand a couple of paces apart, each waiting for the other to make his move. Then, with blinding speed, Toshiro Mifune's character, Sanjuro, draws his katana, slashing open his opponent's chest as he does so, and killing him. The samurai had perfected the "quick draw" long before American gunfighters.
Kenjutsu is a discipline that attempts to keep alive the sword-fighting skills and styles of the samurai warriors. Students of kenjutsu, like students of iaido, typically use either wooden swords called bokken or real swords to practice. Neither practitioners of iaido nor of kenjutsu practice striking actual opponents, for obvious reasons. Instead, kenjutsu practitioners learn to use the sword through cutting and thrusting against water-soaked and rolled mats, and against bamboo poles called tameshigiri.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/bogu_parts.jpg"Kendo," in its modern meaning, grew out of kenjutsu. Kendoka (those who study kendo) wear protective armour called a bogu (patterned after the armour worn by the samurai), and spar with bamboo "swords" called shinai. Kendo has strict rules, and only certain (well-armoured) parts of the opponent's body are considered legitimate targets for a strike. As such, kendo is practiced for exercise and for learning self-discipline, rather than as a serious effort to learn how to fight effectively with a sword.
The protective armour worn by a kendoka consists of several parts, including the men, kote, do, and tare. The men is a helmet that protects the head, face, shoulders, and throat. The kote are heavy gloves that protect the hands and wrists. The do is a breastplate, traditionally made of bamboo, that protects the chest and torso. A tare hangs from the waist like a heavy apron, and protects the hips, groin, and upper thighs.
[B]The History of Kendo
During the early tenth century, professional warriors called bushi, tsuwamono, mono-no-fu, or samurai arose in Japan. Most of the samurai served a feudal lord, and by the twelfth century, the title of "samurai" had become semi-hereditary. That is, the samurai had risen to occupy a prominent position in Japanese society, and most samurai were the sons of samurai. It wasn't impossible for a commoner to become a samurai, but given Japan's rigid class system, it was all but unheard-of.
As the samurai came to prominence, they developed an unwritten code of conduct called bushido, "the way of the warrior." It would be quite naive to think that the average samurai truly devoted himself to unswervingly following the path of bushido, but one cannot hope to understand the samurai - nor the underlying philosophy of kendo - without some appreciation of bushido. So, more on that in a moment.
Over the centuries, numerous schools of fencing arose, to teach aspiring samurai how to fight effectively with the katana. The problem, though, was that there was simply no way for a student of swordplay to truly test his skill except against a live opponent. But even when students wore padding and used bokken, they were often seriously injured or even killed while sparring. Most fencing schools taught their students by having them practice kata - a series of carefully-designed drills intended to teach students how to hold and swing the sword. More advanced students could "perfect" their techniques against trees. Needless to say, no matter how much time the student spent practicing kata and cutting up trees, he often fared quite poorly when finally confronted with an actual opponent.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/shinai_parts.jpgAround the eighteenth century, the shinai was developed, along with armour suitable for sparring practice. (This armour was the precursor to the bogu). Finally, students could practice against actual opponents without fear of injury.
In 1868, the Emperor Meiji was restored to the throne after almost 700 years of rule by the military. The Emperor wished to reform Japanese society - still in a feudal state at the time - along the lines of the industrialized Western powers. As such, the samurai class was officially abolished, since the samurai were seen as an undesirable relic of the old days. Naturally, the practice of swordsmanship began to decline.
However, in 1887, uprisings against the government began to occur, as many Japanese began to question the wisdom of abandoning so much of traditional Japanese culture and values in favor of Western notions. Even as Japan became wealthier and more militarily powerful, many Japanese began to study the sword arts as a way of preserving their traditional values. So, kendo became linked with Japanese nationalism. In 1939, as Japan prepared to enter World War II, kendo became a required course for all boys.
After the war, the American Occupation outlawed kendo, on the grounds that it promoted militaristic attitudes. Some Americans living in Japan showed an interest in studying kendo, however, and a few dojos remained open even during the Occupation. Theoretically, they were allowed to remain open so that American students could study kendo, but naturally quite a few Japanese wandered into the dojos to practice as well.
In 1952, the All Japan Kendo Federation was formed, on the principle that kendo should be taught not as a serious martial art per se, but as a means of keeping alive the spirit and ideals of bushido. As such, the AJKF emphasized that kendoka should strive to live up to the ideals of bushido, while avoiding the militaristic mindset that had become associated with the sword arts. In short, AJKF promoted kendo as a means of self-improvement rather than a fighting style, and that is how it is chiefly seen today.
[B]So, What is Bushido About?
The code of bushido was influenced by Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. The code varies somewhat over time, but at its core it insists that a true samurai should always strive to live according to a strict code of personal honour, and that death was preferable to behaving dishonourably. Bushido emphasizes justice, courtesy and respect toward others, compassion, loyalty, honesty, sincerity, and self-sacrifice. Though exact interpretations vary, there are eight principles of bushido that are generally agreed upon - jin, gi, chu, ko, rei, chi, shin, and tei.
Jin is often translated as "compassion" or "mercy." Ideally, a samurai was supposed to treat others with compassion, and to help those in need without thought of reward.
Gi is often translated as "righteousness." A samurai should always strive to do what is right, regardless of whether or not this is the popular or easy thing to do.
Chu means "loyalty." A samurai should always be loyal to his master. One could argue about how appropriate a "virtue" this is. After all, can one remain honorable if (s)he willingly serves a master (s)he knows to be dishonorable? [Not in my opinion.]
Ko refers to respect and responsibility toward one's parents. A samurai should respect and care for his parents and other relatives.
Rei is often translated as "courtesy." A samurai should always treat others with courtesy and respect.
Chi is sometimes translated as "intelligence," though "wisdom" is probably a better translation. A samurai should seek to broaden his knowledge and experience, and so gain wisdom.
Shin means "truthfulness." A samurai should always strive to be truthful and trustworthy in his dealings with others.
Tei means to care for the elderly and for those in need. (Some leave this one out, as it's pretty-much the same thing as jin.)
Because modern kendo is specifically intended to train students in "proper" behaviors and attitudes, there is an extremely strong emphasis upon proper behavior in the dojo, and almost every aspect of kendo is steeped with meaning.
For example, kendoka wear a pleated skirt called a hakama. The seven pleats are supposed to represent the seven virtues of bushido. Since the samurai's life depended upon his ability to use and maintain his sword, the sword was the symbol of the samurai, and was said to represent his soul. Similarly, the shinai is treated as the "soul" of a kendoka. For that reason, it is considered grossly inappropriate to lean against a shinai, to step over it, to lean it against something with the "point" facing downward, or to otherwise treat it with anything other than sincere respect. If another kendoka asks to borrow your shinai, you should present it to him or her while holding it horizontally with both hands, as you bow.
Kendoka should always behave respectfully toward others. Failure to show proper respect to anyone else in the dojo will get you punished, and failure to behave in a properly courteous and respectful manner toward anyone can get you disqualified in a tournament. Before sparring with a partner, you bow to show respect, and you thank him or her, because (s)he is helping to train you, and is thus doing you a service. It's only proper to show your gratitude, therefore. After you finish sparring, you again bow and thank each other.
The idea is that by practicing something over and over, it becomes second nature. Therefore, the primary philosophy behind modern kendo is that one should practice behaving courteously and respectfully toward others with the same dedication and intensity that is devoted to mastering the use of the shinai. In time, it is thought, a courteous, respectful, and generous attitude toward others becomes a fundamental part of one's mental makeup.
And so one becomes a better person.
[B]How Does One Practice Kendo?
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/kenshi.jpgThere are strict rules regarding sparring in kendo, and strikes are allowed only against those parts of your opponent's body that are armoured. There are four legal attacks in kendo - men, kote, do, and tsuki. A "men" strike, as you might imagine, is a strike to your opponent's men. A "kote" strike is a strike against your opponent's kote, and a "do" strike is a strike against your opponent's do. A "tsuki" strike is a thrusting attack aimed at the front of your opponent's do, or at the ago, the stiff flap that hangs down from the men and protects the throat. The tsuki attack is rarely used, because it's difficult to execute, and because it's somewhat dangerous. An improperly executed tsuki attack could seriously injure an opponent, even through armour. (A shinai is nowhere near as flexible as the foils used in Western-style fencing.) For this reason, it is considered rude to use a tsuki attack when sparring, though it's not illegal.
Though it's a rather stylized form of "combat," kendo is supposed to reflect actual sword-fighting techniques, at least to the degree that safety allows. As such, for an attack to be counted as successful, it's not sufficient to simply execute a strike that hits your opponent in the proper place, you must hit him or her properly. More precisely, you must strike in such a way that had you been using a real katana against an armoured opponent, your strike would have disabled or killed him.
The shinai has a string running most of its length called a tsuru. Just as the shinai represents a sword, the tsuru represents the "back" of the "blade" of the sword. So, one always holds the shinai with the tsuru facing up, so that the "cutting edge" is facing downward. The jinbu is opposite the tsuru, and represents the cutting edge of the sword. A strike (except the tsuki, of course) is not successfully executed unless the jinbu strikes your opponent. But kendo grew out of techniques for fighting armoured opponents, and a katana couldn't cut through a samurai's armour unless it struck with sufficient power. Only the end of the blade moves fast-enough to have a chance to cut through armour. So, in kendo, it's not enough to hit with the jinbu in the right spot, you must hit with the right part of the jinbu. The last 1/3 or so of the jinbu is referred to as the monouchi, and this is the "striking part" of the shinai. Only this portion of the
shinai can deliver a legal "killing" strike.
It's a great deal more difficult to successfully land a legitimate blow on a target than most people would expect. Especially if your target is trying to prevent you from doing so.
In kendo, one almost always holds the shinai with both hands, which gives more power and leverage than a one-handed grip. The left hand grips the shinai near its base and provides the power, while the right hand is just behind the tsuba (the hand guard), and provides control. The shinai is almost always held along the center-line of the body, because if it's held to either the right or the left, you'll be vulnerable to attack. (For example, if I hold my shinai so that it's on my right, then my left side is unprotected.)
There are five stances or "kamae" in kendo. These stances involve holding the shinai in a particular position, so as to prevent your opponent from successfully attacking, while allowing you the opportunity to attack him or her. There are numerous variations of each kamae, of course.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/kendo/kamae.jpg
By far the most commonly observed kamae is chudan no kamae, or the "middle stance." The hands are held in front of the stomach, and the shinai is angled so that the tip is at about the level of your opponent's throat. The shinai is aligned along the center-line of your body. This is an extremely effective defensive position, but it allows you to attack as well. If you have a good chudan, it's quite difficult for an opponent to get past your guard. This is so because from chudan you can quickly move the shinai to the right or left to counter an attack from either side, or upward or downward to counter attacks from those quarters.
Less common than chudan is jodan no kamae, or the "upper stance." In jodan, the arms are raised such that the shinai is held directly above your head. You can't effectively defend yourself from this position, so jodan is normally seen only momentarily as you're moving in to attack your opponent, and you've raised your shinai to deliver a men or kote strike.
Even less common is gedan no kamae, or the "lower stance." The shinai is lowered so that the tip is pointing more or less at your opponent's knees. Though it can be used to defend against a low attack, gedan leaves you vulnerable to men, kote, and tsuki attacks, so is not a good defensive position. Moreover, it's all but impossible to launch an attack from gedan, except for a tsuki attack. Gedan is sometimes used by an experienced kendoka to lure a less-experienced opponent into an attack.
A kamae that's almost never seen in modern kendo is hasso no kamae. This is similar to jodan, but the hands are placed just above the right shoulder, so that the shinai is on the right side, instead of directly over the head. This stance arose because the large helmets worn by samurai made it difficult or impossible to raise the hands above the head. The promotional posters for practically every "swordfighting" movie I've ever seen feature some guy staring grimly at the camera while holding a sword (or lightsaber) in hasso. Why, I can't imagine, since it's a pointless stance unless you're wearing a great big helmet. It looks cool though, I suppose. In Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader seemed to use hasso a lot, as I recall. So did Qui-Gonn Jinn in The Phantom Menace. Vader at least had an excuse, since he wore a helmet.
A kamae that's even rarer than hasso is waki gamae, the "hidden stance." To execute this stance, you start from gedan, and turn the shinai so that it's behind you, and so hidden from your opponent's view. The proper term for employing this stance against any remotely competent opponent is "suicide." You can neither attack nor defend from this stance. Waki gamae is an insult to your opponent. If you deliberately adopt it, you're basically saying, "I'm so confident of my abilities that I'm going to put myself into this ridiculous position, and I'll still beat you." Either that or, "I'm an idiot; please kill me."
If you've seen the Highlander movies or the Star Wars movies, you probably figure that you have a pretty good idea of what a swordfight between two people armed with katanas or similar swords looks like. You'd be quite mistaken. In an actual duel between two good swordsmen, there's generally exactly one blow exchanged. What definitely does not happen is a lot of banging-together of the swords, like you see in the movies. A sword duel involves as much psychology as athleticism.
An opponent with a good chudan is very difficult to attack. So, most strategy involves somehow getting your opponent out of chudan. You can try to intimidate your opponent by yelling at him or otherwise trying to break his concentration. Usually, this doesn't work though, because your opponent expects you do something like that. But there are times. Once, I faced a Japanese girl who couldn't possibly have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet and wearing her bogu to boot. We took up positions. Without warning, she SCREAMED at me! This tiny slip of a girl produced a volume of sound that must surely have had people in the next county wondering who was being murdered. I was so stunned that she hit me twice before I even realized that she'd moved.
If screaming at your opponent doesn't work, and if you're not a lot faster than him or her, you simply must get your opponent out of chudan if you expect to make a successful attack. Paradoxically, one of the most effective ways to do so is to get him to attack you. To attack you, your opponent must lower his own guard. That is the moment to attack - when he's momentarily vulnerable. Needless to say, it takes good timing. So, one common tactic is to deliberately leave an apparent weakness in your defense, and lure your opponent into attacking there. When he moves to attack you, hit him while he's vulnerable.
So, in an actual swordfight, there's not a lot of banging-together of swords. The two warriors face each other, each of them almost certainly in chudan no kamae. Each of them studies the other, looking for a weakness in his defense that can be exploited. Each attempts to clear and calm his mind, so that he won't be distracted by stray thoughts or emotions - and so that he can react instantly to his opponent's actions. But is that really a weakness in his defense, or is he setting a trap and trying to lure his opponent into attacking there? Sooner or later, one of them will attack. If he correctly identified a weakness in his opponent's defense, his opponent will probably be "crippled" or "killed" by the attack. If he fell into a trap, he'll probably be "crippled" or "killed" by his opponent's counterattack. Either way, the movements are quick and subtle, and it's usually over quite quickly. It bears little resemblance to what you typically see in the movies.
[B]So, What Are My Feelings Regarding Kendo?
I can honestly say that every experienced kendoka whom I've ever met has struck me as being a very decent person, both in and out of the dojo. One could argue that people who don't appreciate the philosophy of kendo don't stick it out for very long, and there's certainly some truth to that. Certainly, the kendo instructors I've dealt with have always made it very clear that they will absolutely not tolerate disrespectful or discourteous behavior in their presence. Still, I think that there's value to the notion that mastery of an art (not necessarily a martial art) teaches you self-discipline and self-respect, which can be used to improve your life in other ways - and that constant practice of courtesy and respect toward others can make you a better person.
I do think that over the years, I've become less self-centered and more aware of others. Attempting to master a difficult and demanding discipline will teach you pretty darn quickly that you have flaws and limitations. It can be an awfully humbling experience. I think that I've become a more compassionate and respectful person over the years, as well. Maybe the constant emphasis on "proper" behavior has made me less quick to judge, and quicker to empathize. I suspect so. I hope so.
Whatever else might be true, I think that a philosophy which teaches that you should always strive to treat others well is a good one. And if kendo has indeed helped me to become a better person, then I'm glad of it.
Or, maybe it's just that I just like to hit people with sticks.
Photo Credits:
[B]Bogu parts:
http://www.kendo-reutlingen.de/ausruestung.html
Kamae: modified from Minoru Kiyota's Kendo: Its Philosophy,
History and Means to Personal Growth
Kenshi sparring: All Japan Kendo
Federation (http://www.kendo.or.jp/)
Shinai parts: modified image from the
Oregon State University
Kendo Club (http://oregonstate.edu/groups/kendo/index.htm)