[pongeystrhjst]

Hi I have always been fascinated with Kendo and looking to join a club in my city.

To be honest when I think of Kendo, I imagine "The Last Samurai" or some other wooden sword dramatic fighting movie. Im sure all you Kendo pro's just rolled your eyes at this point.

On the other hand I watch the videos on Youtube and of course its completely different.

But, really I want to know, those who practice the art, is it like how Hollywood portrays it, or has it been over romanticized?

What is Kendo to you, and what is it like to practice the art?

[rionetrozasa]

Well...Yes.... lot of kendoka did roll their eyes, But alot of them also can relate to the feeling of not knowing what was like until doing it yourself. As for me I have never seen a movie where Kendo was depicted let alone accurately. Maybe i missed that one. To me kendo is the challenge. The challenge to do something well, to learn something that to me is completely foreign, To get up and walk the next morning. Theres something very beautiful about watching a good sensei effortlesly move in and strike a men or do shot. Fast as lightning, yet they seem not to be near as out of breath as I am. Its almost magical. Its frustrating, rewarding, exhausting and energizing all at the same time. It is undescribeable. As someone in the industry i would like to see someone capture Kendo the way it feels not looks. If you do you would surely be awarded an oscar for your efforts. Its that deep.

[alex_loudermilk]

I haven't seen the last samurai but I am pretty sure that it has been "over romanticized". It's a film and so fights have to look super cool, super action and super dramatic. For example in a not choreographed fight you wouldn't turn around that mutch because you can't be sure that your opponent waits until you finished, he would rather just cut your neck. Or what about saltos, they look great but you wouldn't do a salto with a sword.

And in kendo, we have some rules that make the fight "less hollywood": For example the targets are restricted. Or you do lots of straight big swings and not just wave around. And you use a certain stance.
And it's sort of another mentality: In kendo, you don't want to hurt someone. Of course, during the fight you want to win, but there is some ettiquette like bowing and it's not about hurting seriously. And after the fight you shake hands, laugh together or whatever. So you aren't enemies, you are training partners part-time opponents.

So yes, kendo is more like the videos on youtube. When you watch for example the all japan kendo championship it gives you an idea of how kendo looks on a very high level.

For me, kendo is what exhaustes me, but what makes me smile.
What I like best is the focus you have: It's just you, your body, your sword, and your training partner. No unnecessairy thougts like: "ooh dentist tomorrow. or still some homework to do." or what ever

Training is based on lots of repetition. A lot of the time you will just do big, straight swings, learn how to walk, stick with the basics. But with time passing you learn more difficult things like kirikaeshi (think of it as a hitting exercise with a partner, a fixed form to do and you can work out athousand things here: perfect timing, perfect footwork, perfect breathing, speed and so on) and after a certain time (variing from one month to more than one year) you will get into armour, that's when you can start actually fighting.
It might sound a little repetitiv, but I wasn't into bogu (armour) for one year and I hardly ever thougt that training was boring, because there is so mutch to correct, to learn and to practice.

And also people are very friendly, funny and interesting.

But in addition to what I said, and what others will say, only you can find out if you like hitting people with bamboo sticks So go for it! Try it. Most of the clubs will have cheap beginners courses or will make you join the normal classes, but with special instruction.

I hope you enjoy it!

[Smittoh]

I think the closest you get is watching Bamboo Blade! That what got me into Kendo.

[AnthonyKing]

Only being involved for a year and a half, I'm uncertain of how qualified I am to answer. I did find a short film about Kendo, though. Being so new, I can't quite tell if it's accurate, but from all the reactions of more experienced Kendoka I've seen, it seems pretty good. It's called "4th Dan". It's not dubbed in English, but it does have English subtitles, and it's not very dialogue heavy anyway. You can enjoy it without understanding. I hope it helps to answer your question. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxp7gmJHNjw

[FreeOEMcheapestPHOTOSHOP]

The Last Samurai did not feature kendo.

[HaroldMY]

Only being involved for a year and a half, I'm uncertain of how qualified I am to answer. I did find a short film about Kendo, though. Being so new, I can't quite tell if it's accurate, but from all the reactions of more experienced Kendoka I've seen, it seems pretty good. It's called "4th Dan". It's not dubbed in English, but it does have English subtitles, and it's not very dialogue heavy anyway. You can enjoy it without understanding. I hope it helps to answer your question. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxp7gmJHNjw

I thought that was fun, but I've never hallucinated phantom kenshi during training, nor been afraid to face their phantom ass in jigeiko. It should be called the Third Dan, though. (spoilers!)

I should clarify my earlier post. If you expect kendo to be anything like the training sequences in The Last Samurai, you may well be disappointed.

[searkibia]

Like pretty much every martial art in history, Kendo is treated with little concern for accuracy by hollywood, because, frankly, most martial arts make for poor fight scenes except for wushu and the like. Heck, even boxing scenes are wildly innacurrate.

Really, getting people to tell you what kendo means to them will provide you with little benefit. Even the videos on youtube don't really paint an accurate picture. Go to a class and find out what kendo means to you. If you don't like it, then at least you can scratch it off your list of things to try.

[thierabess]

Hi I have always been fascinated with Kendo and looking to join a club in my city.

If you need help locating the nearest dojo please let us know

To be honest when I think of Kendo, I imagine "The Last Samurai" or some other wooden sword dramatic fighting movie. Im sure all you Kendo pro's just rolled your eyes at this point.

there was no kendo in the last samurai. Kendo is not practiced using wooden swords but using a shinai which is made of 4 pieces of bamboo. Wooden swords or bokken are only used for pre-arranged forms called 'kata'. A strike with a wooden sword as depicted in movies such as that would leave a person with shattered bones or worse.

On the other hand I watch the videos on Youtube and of course its completely different.

But, really I want to know, those who practice the art, is it like how Hollywood portrays it, or has it been over romanticized?

Hollywood has never really portrayed kendo, so not really, however generalizing more yes sword fighting is romanticized in all cinema

What is Kendo to you, and what is it like to practice the art?

Kendo is my stress relief valve, and a way for me to try and better myself and my character. Being a generally tactical and manipulative person kendo presents a interesting challenge for me in that you cant play a match out like you would in chess, you have to be active and reactive and planning does little good despite my attempts to over think waza (techniques) and feints. I can honestly say that kendo has made me a better more well rounded person but I wont get into specifics. For me practice is fun, challenging and social, and I enjoy a bit of physical exertion, as well as the opportunity to try and steer kohai in the right direction by being a good example.

[tutkarussia]

Hollywood movies like 'The Last Samurai' are escapist entertainment, something to watch with a couple of beers and a takeaway meal. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this, just don't expect to see anything portrayed accurately whether it be historical or otherwise.

[Machater]

James Bond: Moonraker was on TV the other day. Bond was sneaking around a precious Venetian glassware exhibition room when all of a sudden the never-says-a-word-assassin-asian-henchman comes out of nowhere in kendo kit and proceeds to attack 007 with a shinai that still had the factory ties still on. The movements included olympic fencing style balustre-lunges and were nowhere near actual kendo movements. In the end Bond defeats the assassin, though the assassin could never kill Bond with a shinai anyway.

I remember also that one episode of the Gung Ho TV series (about Japanese managers trying having culture clashes with their American workers after having been convinced to buy out a decrepit car factory that was going to shut down) where two of the Japanese managers were practicing kendo and the "winner" was the nastier manager that no one liked (I think I remember he used the shinai to sweep the nice manager's legs).

If Hollywood does depict kendo (rather than some warped idea of kenjutsu), usually they play on the fact that the bogu can look sinister and the movements are superficially wild and aggressive. So whoever is in kendo kit is probably a maniacal bad guy. It's not just Hollywood, but also Madison Avenue (i.e. Nike advert with faceless evil kendo armor chasing soccer/football players).

I'm not sure how romantic this attitude is.

[curcercanty]

I remember also that one episode of the Gung Ho TV series (about Japanese managers trying having culture clashes with their American workers after having been convinced to buy out a decrepit car factory that was going to shut down) where two of the Japanese managers were practicing kendo and the "winner" was the nastier manager that no one liked (I think I remember he used the shinai to sweep the nice manager's legs).

I'm sure that program rings a bell with me, waqs that in the 80's? I'm off to wikipedia for the info.

Hollywood romaticizes/dramatizes everything, that's it's business. 2 hours of repetitive exercise is really only of pleasure to those taking part and even then they'd argue there's a lot of suffering in the process. Really you have to go, see a lesson, feel enthused then go and take part, get past all the beginner's stuff, get into the armour, suffer the indignity of being bottom of the heap for a few months until the next beginner gets into armour. Then you need to keep coming back week in, week out whilst dealing with the setbacks and lack of progress, the injuries that crop up time and again, the days when you really can't be arsed to go to practice but you force yourself because you're letting the other members of the club down if you selfishly don't go. And after failing gradings and still going back for more practice even when every time you face someone you have no idea how to hit them, and they're beginners in bogu for the first time and you're still not progressing and you suck big time you'll realize there really isn't anything romantic about it.

Of course it can be fun and a lot of people like it, a lot of people let it own their soul, some let it borrow their soul for a short period until they become bored or lose commitment and some folk return to it years later or keep coming back to the dojo saying I'm going to start again next month [and the next and then the next]. I wonder which one will pslug be?

[SM9WI8oI]

I remember also that one episode of the Gung Ho TV series (about Japanese managers trying having culture clashes with their American workers after having been convinced to buy out a decrepit car factory that was going to shut down)

I think i remeber that now, was that where they showed up on day one expecting all the union workers to do morning taiso and they looked at them like they had just sprouted antlers?

/end threadjack

[Qxsumehj]

I'm struggling to think of a single Hollywood movie that shows any martial art with reality unless it's just a quick scene to establish character, like the 20 seconds or so of kendo in "Black Rain".

Frankly, even martial artists would be bored with a realistic depiction of any of this on screen. The best action movies IMO push enough past reality to make it fun and keep our attention but not so far that it takes us out of the moment. I think of "The Bourne Identity" as a good example of that or for sword stuff the last 10 minutes or so of "The Yakuza".

[AbraroLib]

James Bond: Moonraker was on TV the other day. Bond was sneaking around a precious Venetian glassware exhibition room when all of a sudden the never-says-a-word-assassin-asian-henchman comes out of nowhere in kendo kit and proceeds to attack 007 with a shinai that still had the factory ties still on.

Watch out Bond! He could give you a nasty bruise with that!

[idobestbuyonlinepp]

For me I believe the scene in Buckaroo Banzai where Buckaroo does iaido in the upstairs room of his double decker bus, was impressive. However, I am not focusing on the fact that he was wearing his hakama backwards...

[Klavalala]

For me I believe the scene in Buckaroo Banzai where Buckaroo does iaido in the upstairs room of his double decker bus, was impressive. However, I am not focusing on the fact that he was wearing his hakama backwards...

LOL!
any youtube link please?

[inhitoemits]

I'm sure someone has said this before, but in response to the original question:















Who cares.

[ultimda horaf]

But, really I want to know, those who practice the art, is it like how Hollywood portrays it, or has it been over romanticized?

I'm not sure if 'romanticized' is the right word. There's a running joke that asks "Why are there so many bad films?", with the answer being "Because there are so many good Networkers who want to Direct."

Unfortunately, action films for many budding 'auteurs`begin with ``Hey dude, let`s get a bunch of guys, put them into ninja suits, make them crash in through windows, and wave their swords (which in many cases end up being Chinese straight swords ...`you know....the one with those cool red tassles`), while doing jumps and flips and $%!!!!`` Same philosophy, but with a budget enough be able to hire actors/XMA guys, and you end up with Mortal Combat.

That being said, there is Hollywood...and then, there is Ridley Scott (Bladerunner, Black Hawk Down, Any Given Sunday, Troy, Kingdom Of Heaven), and if he ever does decide to direct a Samurai Epic or anything Kendo related, I`m willing to bet it is going to be good. The man really does his research to capture a sense of authenticity whether it be firefights or swordfights.

Outside of Hollywood, the best depictions of sword duels Ive seen are from the Japanese films;
1) When The Last Sword is Drawn
2) Love and Honor
3) The Hidden Blade
4) Twilight Samurai (who actually stars the village sword master in The Last Samurai)

...where they are definitely not `romanticized.

[OpVJokl8]

I'm struggling to think of a single Hollywood movie that shows any martial art with reality unless it's just a quick scene to establish character, like the 20 seconds or so of kendo in "Black Rain".

"If you pull it, you better use it." Unlikely as hell, but I loved that scene anyway.