[Jwskwhdo]

Havn't seen it in action, but alot of the bogu stores out here carry "sports chanbara" equipment. Those foam swords look like fun to fool around with yours buddies, but there are like $100 bucks each.

Also alot of the budo cataloges (kendo, judu, karate) also have a small sports chambara section in the back. They usually wear what looks like karate gi, and a padded helmet, with a clear plactic face guard.

[CibQueersejer]

With the danger of being flamed for minding your business whilst sitting on your righteous high horse I will bite. (this was a joke before you get your underwear in a knot)
http://www.internationalsportschanbara.net/index2.html
Above is the page of official chanbara association. The rules are a bit like Kendo with all the strokes but if you ever get the chance to watch a match it's more like anything goes. The size of the "shinai" can be adjusted because you can inflate it. There are also Naginata and Kodachi to complete the armory.
There are federations all over the world and some "iffy" Kenjutsu folk offer this as part of their curriculum. I don't know if they do this to pay some more bills or as a proof that their ryu works for real I don't know.
In France for instance there are quite a few who practice this and they are part of the French Judo Federation. (Kendo and Naginata as well)
At one time in a thread here where we were musing that Kendo should be an Olympic Sport and if so how would it affect Kendo in general. At one time I made the suggestion that Kendo should remain Kendo and that Chanbara should be an Olympic Sport. It would provide an outlet for those who wanted to compete in the Olympics. http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/sho...light=Olympics
If you like you can read it here.
So that's Chanbara for you. How's your Kendo nowadays?

[Adamdjeffe]

ACE! That looks even better stress relief than kendo (and everyone knows that it is!) - I want one of those padded stick things... I can batter people without hurting them

[12Cickprior]

Chanbara refers to old Japanese samurai movies, their equivalent of westerns. The idea is to be able to do movie-style fighting, or something. Basically they were invented as a fun thing for kids to do, hopefully they would go on from there to develop interest in kendo. Now some american boneheads are trying to promote it as some sort of serious alternative to kendo. It's all crap. Take a 2 week course, be a "sensei".

[Vobomei]

oooh... my sempai used to tell me off for having "movie star kamae" in kata (I think he meant I was standing like a twatty westerner in a samurai movie who thinks they can do martial arts)

talking of funny things, Some guy handed me a flyer in Nottingham city centre today advertising a "Bushido Academy of japanese martial arts" who specialise in "Aikido-te". I howled with laughter. Looks like one guy in his living room! Might scan the flyer and post it, just so people ca have a laugh - the guy is holding his "sword" (wall - hanger) like a baseball bat, and seems to be trying to do flying Tae Kwon Do (erm... not Japanese!!) kicks in hakama, which are a strange union jack pattern... dodgy or what!

[zoolissentesy]

point taken

[Preorbtat]

**Cough**Cough*
Shinkendo!
*Cough*

Actually shinkendo is a gendai kenjutsu school. What I've seen (not much to honest) is pretty impressive. They focus a lot on Tameshigiri/toyama ryu. So comparing them to sports Chanbara is not fair.

Chanbara is like a pathetic form of kendo. It's really sad that some people actually see it as a MA. I would be surprised if it will become a part of those XMA type of tournaments. They already have gymnastics with swords, so why no chambarra?