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**BruceQW** · 11-12-2007, 07:58 PM

I watch around 20 kendo videos last night online. Around 5 or so where Kendo Vs other wepon arts. Every one the kendo guys got their arses handed to them? WTF? Is there any data on this anywhere? Id think kendo would be a better sword form and art than most other ones. I mean they even found a one handed midevil sword fighter.

A shinai is not the same as a katana being longer, straighter, fatter, having more wind resistance etc, and the targeting in kendo is not the same as classical swordsmanship, there are none of the rising cuts to the thigh or the ever popular slash across the face as seen in iaido etc - so kendo vs XXXX has no real relationship to katana vs XXXX...

This is most clearly seen in the fencing vs kendo ones - the 17th century Spanish / Dutch / English had no illusions that going one on one with a sword against the Japanese was not a good thing to do in terms of life expectancy even if you win, better to stand off and use canon - but in the modern sports versions there is usually no contest and the foil wins.

On the other hand it is not suprising that katana should lose one on one to naginata or spear or bow or teppo, skill being equal in an open space or the Japanese would not have used those other weapons as the major battlefield weapons and would have just used swords.

Aden

11-12-2007, 07:58 PM	#13
BruceQW Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	I watch around 20 kendo videos last night online. Around 5 or so where Kendo Vs other wepon arts. Every one the kendo guys got their arses handed to them? WTF? Is there any data on this anywhere? Id think kendo would be a better sword form and art than most other ones. I mean they even found a one handed midevil sword fighter. A shinai is not the same as a katana being longer, straighter, fatter, having more wind resistance etc, and the targeting in kendo is not the same as classical swordsmanship, there are none of the rising cuts to the thigh or the ever popular slash across the face as seen in iaido etc - so kendo vs XXXX has no real relationship to katana vs XXXX... This is most clearly seen in the fencing vs kendo ones - the 17th century Spanish / Dutch / English had no illusions that going one on one with a sword against the Japanese was not a good thing to do in terms of life expectancy even if you win, better to stand off and use canon - but in the modern sports versions there is usually no contest and the foil wins. On the other hand it is not suprising that katana should lose one on one to naginata or spear or bow or teppo, skill being equal in an open space or the Japanese would not have used those other weapons as the major battlefield weapons and would have just used swords. Aden
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