Kendo History

    Kendo is composed of two kanji: "Ken", meaning sword, and "Do", meaning 'the way/path of'. Together the term is literally the "way of the sword". It is a martial arts tradition spawned by the traditional schools of swordsmanship (ryu) of ancient Japan, and was practiced by and large by the bushi, or samurai class of the era. As practice with real blades is inherently dangerous, the schools developed a dummy sword called a shinai, and a set of protective equipment called bogu which protects the head (men), wrists (kote), chest (do), and groin (tare). Before the Showa period (1926-1989) it was customarily referred to as kenjutsu or gekken . Fencing with the single edged, straight bladed sword was probably introduced from the Sui (589-618) or early Tang (618-907) dynasties of China. The cultivation of sword skills flourished during the Kamakura shogunate (1192-1333). With the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate and relative peace until the 17th century, kenjutsu went into decline. The moral and spiritual element became prominent, drawing on Confucianism, Shinto, and Buddhism, especially Zen. Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), kenjutsu went into temporary decline, but in 1879 the Tokyo Police Force initiated kenjutsu practices as a means to nurture discipline and stamina. In 1895 the Dai Nihon Butokukai (All-Japan Martial Virtue Society) was established to encourage kenjutsu and other budo arts. At the end of WWII, occupational authorities banned kenjutsu on the basis of its militaresque origins. Yet despite this, following the end of the Occupation period in 1952, the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (All-Japan Kendo Federation) was established. By 1957 Kendo was returned to all Japanese middle schools.