[nerrttrw]

I found this clip at the venerable YouTube and it made me think of how much Western fencing has changed and I started to wonder how kendo would be affected should it ever become an Olympic sport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dCa7_BlCVs

[AngegepeM]

we would have blonde hot chicks on our teams???

great!!!

[effenseshoora]

They all look like a bunch of Spoiled Brat Nancy-Boys to me.

[Bbjhjxfy]

Yes, the shallow male side of me definitely sees the value of having hot fencing women in kendo...!

On the serious side, though, that clip highlighted the brash attitudes of the coaches and the players. Note how they gave attitude to the judges which is a "hanging offense" in kendo!

While I don't think kendo would evolve in the way international sport fencing has, I do believe that directing kendo to the way of a "sport" and away from its' "budo" origins would bad.

In closing, though, yes those women were good-looking and it was fun to watch!

[Creva4k]

I don't think kendo will be changed. those high ranking Sensei were once young people like us. Of course, they want to "rebel" against the old system like young people do now. However, I believe they found out something deeply inside kendo that changed their mind and want to keep Kendo as it is. Do you think the next generation will do differently?

[carreraboyracer]

why change a tradition. the whole point is it is traditional.

[forebirdo]

Do you think the next generation will do differently?

Some people overe here think so... especially with the increasing activity of non-Japanese in the kendo world. After all, look what we did to judo.

[invest7manager]

Eh what did americans do to judo?

[VanDerSmok]

Eh what did americans do to judo?

It wasn't just the Americans. Actually it was mostly the Dutch I think...

b

[LongaDonga]

I reckon that not every sport is suitable for the Olympics. It's well known that some of the judo people feel that judo has taken steps backward because of it. Even TKD is boring to watch...with people hopping around doing nothing (quite common as the competitors head to the final rounds). I've never liked fencing in the olympics too because I'd expected Zorro-style epic sword fight not the "you poke me I poke you" competition which is what it is now (I think in saber there's slashing action but I don't know for sure).

Without re-igniting the kendo in olympics issue, I believe that we're safe for now with FIK already taken defensive measures.

[Manteiv]

Ummm...

1. Old perverted guys would hump the lady kendoka when they were celebrating.
2. People would rip off their men and scream like they forced a two foot wide dump out, every time they scored.
3. I would punch people in the back of their head when they turned their back to me and celebrated their ippon.
4. I would be arrested at every tournament.

Sounds like we don't need to go down that fencing road.

[houkbsdov]

Ummm...

1. Old perverted guys would hump the lady kendoka when they were celebrating.
2. People would rip off their men and scream like they forced a two foot wide dump out, every time they scored.
3. I would punch people in the back of their head when they turned their back to me and celebrated their ippon.
4. I would be arrested at every tournament.

Sounds like we don't need to go down that fencing road.

5.Teammates patting your backside(NFL,MLB)

No thanks...

[Immusaatmonna]

In my humble opinion there is no way that kendo could possibly remain unchanged given the political and commercial realities of olympic organizing committees. It happened to judo, it happened to Tae Kwan Do, it happened to fencing, etc., etc. While the olympics certainly are about the purity (?) and love of sport, there is also no question that it's about big business too.

[AlexanderDrew]

They all look like a bunch of Spoiled Brat Nancy-Boys to me.

are you SURE??

look ive also found a hasegawa fencing helmet

BUT
in the other hand i think im in love... that remindsme some old story... ohhhh

[Qwjyrgij]

In my humble opinion there is no way that kendo could possibly remain unchanged given the political and commercial realities of olympic organizing committees. It happened to judo, it happened to Tae Kwan Do, it happened to fencing, etc., etc. While the olympics certainly are about the purity (?) and love of sport, there is also no question that it's about big business too.

Why should kendo change? It's never about the $$.

[55TRATTERENRY]

Kendo has changed though.

[Rndouglas]

Why should kendo change? It's never about the $$.

I read nysamurai to mean "If kendo became Olympic..."

b

[ZwHRoTTn]

I read nysamurai to mean "If kendo became Olympic..."

b

Ah in that case I won't touch on it then. Already covered ad nauseum elsewhere.

[Ad0i89Od]

Eh what did americans do to judo?

Heh heh, the Royal WE huh? I wonder what its like to be American?

Anyway...

I agree that kendo is safe from the Olympics so thats not a particular issue. But as Lloromannic has said it HAS changed in the last while, definetly physically at least (Im talking about Japan here). Just have a look at some video from 30 years ago, and then again today. Its become more athletic and precise. The kendoka that get sent abroad to teach tend not to be the young-strong people who are leading this change btw... but thats yet another thread.

The issue im on about, however, is the change in the meaning and the role of kendo, especially for those outside of Japan. Over here kendo is embodied in society, especially education and the workplace. Although attitudes in kendo will probably change, there is a stable infrastructre that sees that kendo will remain mostly as it is.

This does not exist elsewhere and thus the meaning/role of "kendo" has taken on a different flavour abroad. At a time when the kendo population abroad is rocketing, this might - eventually - undermine the role of Japan in international kendo and hence, the root of kendo. I think that this is where *some Japanese kenshi are seeing a potential problem. All this without touching the Olympics.

(*I say some, cos the majority of japanese kenshi arent not even aware of international kendo)

Want to write more but ive a bit of the flu just now... so im gonna sit down.

[TeLMgNva]

look...

i think that we just cant say "kendo wont change trough time becouse it is traditional..." becouse it has already changed. becouse of a lot of reasons, money is one of it. i think changes are good when we are talking about improving stuff. as an example, not all of us can buy a "traditional" hand made bogu, thats why exists the machine stitched bogu cheaper and gives you enough protection to practice kendo without much problem. some people may think that a machine sitched bogu is not an improvement becouse it isnt "traditional" but what the hell! the lower price allows many people practice kendo that otherwise would have been impossible.

the same thing here, sadly the reality of our world is that we live in a society ruled by money, and im sure that there are a lot of talented boys that just cant practice becouse they dont have the money. keeping a sport sponsored allows that possibility, goubernamental money dedicated to sports could also support kendo in many countries only becouse kendo would be more important becouse of the olimpic stuff, also universities can allow practice of kendo in their campus, there are a lot of educational places like schools or universities that just dont do it becouse it "isnt a competitive martial art like TKD or judo". besides, kendo is a very attractive sport (sword stuff ate cool) whats better to keep kinds in social risk (yes, poor people exists) away from drugs than practicing a sport?? thats why goverments support sports, so if you can doit in someway that averyone can practice would be great.

changes arent good or bad, what we do with that changes is what matters. i dont really think that we will ever see that kind of behaviour in a kendo match, becouse kendo is not fencing and we are teach that its is disrespectfull to argue the judges ot to celebrate an ippon, and if it happens it is only becouse we allow it to happen.

besides there is the issue of the "competitive kendo v/s traditional kendo" and if kendo goes olimpic it would be only competitive. whats wrong about that??! whats wrong about someone training to win a tournament if you dont like it, well you practice "traditional" kendo the way you like it, live and let live. if someone has a bad behaviour with kendo thats only becouse his sensei allows it.