[avaincmolla]

How could it evolve? Well, here are some suggestions. . . (let me just caveat by saying I do NOT necessarily agree with all of these, but they are examples of what some people would like to see change):

- electronic scoring as in western fencing. In present kendo, so much is up to the whim of the shimpan, who are frequently wrong. Matches can thus wind up as popularity contests. I always here kenshi (even high ranked Japanese kenshi) complain "that shimpan is blind!" or "I didn't get the point because I'm white" or "The head shimpan was an important man, and the other two didn't want to disagree with him, so they went along with a bad call." We always make fun of the weeble-woble shimpan who raises each arm half way a dozen times while he waits to see what the other shimpan are doing and then goes along with them. Electronic scoring would eliminate this, BUT it would also detract from concepts like zanshin and reduce the sport to the act of merely hitting. However, this could be remedied by making an electronically tracked hit the MINIMUM requirement for a point, and leaving the subjective questions up to the shimpan.

- Getting rid of sankyo during matches. Bowing is enough. Sankyo is redundant.

- Allowing cheering as in other sports. This makes it better for spectators and for some competitors.

- Allowing more diversity in color and decoration in uniforms and equipment.

- Allowing the use of local language in both court commands and zekken/myong-pan identification. There's no objection reason why "hajime" is somehow superior to "begin" or whatever the Spanish equivalent is for Mexican players, etc. . .

Again, these aren't necessarily things that I advocate, just ideas that buddies of mine have kicked my way. The idea that anything reaches a penultimate pinnacle is off. Nothing is ever "perfect".