Thread: newbie to kendo
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Old 11-24-2007, 04:56 PM   #19
codecouponqw

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Cool, I hope you'll like what you see at the Kendo dojo.

Btw, Kendo is not just with a "bamboo stick". It's still a sword. Also in Kendo Katas (forms) you use either bokken or bokkuto (wooden swords) or when you're advanced you use the real swords. But for the full contact fights we use bamboo swords.
No, you never will use a real sword in kendo kata. A high ranked sensei might use a blunt sword made for kendo kata but that's for demonstration purposes only. Otherwise, all sensei use a bokuto.
Students never use a real sword. Much too dangerous!

I forgot to mention to him about the kendo kata. Ooops! Anyway, Also in kendo, there are 10 paired kendo kata and you will use only a wooden replica of a sword called a bokuto(Also bokken is correct.). There is no contact because to strike someone would either maim or kill them. That's because we don't wear bogu when doing kata.

Each kendo kata comes from a different Kenjutsu Ryu(style). So, 10 kata = 10 different examples of a koryu(old school) kenjutsu ryu.

Also you have iaido (see subforum) which is the art of the drawing of the sword It's the art of drawing and cutting in one smooth motion, actually. You're close.

, and naginata which is a samurai's lance (I think that's the proper english word, not so sure) It's not a lance. Lances were used on horseback by knights to unseat someone in a joust. The English word for a naginata is "glaive." I think "pole arm" can be used too.

and jodo, which is more or less "stick fighting". It's not stick fighting. It is learning to use a 4 foot staff against a sword. It's really neat. I've seen it in person several times. I wouldn't mind learning it myself.

For example some people focus only on the wooden swords and the training of cutting movements in a drill sort of way. You kind of messed that up a bit, no offense. In all Koryu JSA(Japanese sword arts) a person begins with a bokuto(wooden sword) and for several months to a year, uses that until their sensei tells them they may purchase an iaito(blunt edged sword) to practice with. A live(sharp) blade comes much later, like 5-6 years typically, when the sensei decides the student is capable of using one. This may be never. It all depends on the student and how hard they have worked in and outside of the dojo. Sharp swords are very dangerous to the user if they don't have the skills to properly use one.

In terms of drills, those are called kata. In iaido, there are solo kata and at the higher levels, paired kata without contact. Kenjutsu has the same type of thing. Neither has a sparring element like kendo does.

Jodo from what I've seen, has paired kata. That's all I know about it.

For naginata, I don't know what they have in terms of kata, or if they even have kata. I do know that they do spar like we do in kendo. They use special naginata without a blade to spar and also wear armour. I'm sure they do not use a naginata with a real blade in their kata if they do have kata, too. Too dangerous.

I'm also still learning about the many different kinds and I'm not sure if they fall directly under "kendo" or if they're more or less their own branch so to speak. They don't fall under the category of kendo.

Have you visited koryu.com yet? It's very helpful and has loads of information on swordarts.

Here: I bet you'll really enjoy it!

http://koryu.com/

Kaoru
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