32-462: Kenjutsu ( 剣術 ) is an umbrella term for all ( ko-budō ) schools of Japanese swordsmanship , in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration . Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum. Kenjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan, means "methods, techniques, and
64-486: A bokken can be more dangerous, as the injuries caused are often unseen and inexperienced practitioners may underestimate the risk of harm. It is not a sparring weapon, but is intended to be used in kata , and to acclimate the student to the feel of a real sword. For sparring, a bamboo shinai is typically used instead, for obvious safety reasons. In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) introduced
96-455: A boat to the duel. At the duel, Sasaki was armed with his large nodachi , yet Musashi crushed Sasaki's skull with a single blow from his bokken , killing him. While many elements of the story are likely apocryphal, the potential danger of a bokken from the legend is real. Before the Meiji era, bokken were very likely manufactured by woodworkers not specialized in bokken manufacture. At
128-415: A handguard in order to match the school's characteristic approach to combat. Alternatively, Kashima Shin-ryū practitioners use a thicker than average bokutō with no curvature and with a rather large hilt. This of course lends itself well to Kashima Shin-ryū's distinct principles of combat. Some schools practice with fukuro shinai (a bamboo sword covered with leather or cloth) under circumstances where
160-653: A set of basic exercises using a bokutō called Bokutō Ni Yoru Kendō Kihon-waza Keiko-hō . This form of practice is intended primarily for kendo practitioners up to Nidan ranking, but can be beneficial for all kendo students. Suburitō (素振り刀) are bokken designed for use in suburi . Suburi (素振り), literally "bare swinging," are solo cutting exercises. Suburitō are thicker and heavier than normal bokken and users of suburitō must therefore develop both strength and technique. Their weight makes them unsuitable for paired practice and solo forms. Miyamoto Musashi 's bokken made of an oar in his legendary duel with Sasaki Kojiro
192-436: A sharp metal sword, both for the user and other practitioners nearby. While its use has several advantages over use of a live edged weapon, it can still be deadly, and any training with a bokken should be done with due care. Injuries occurring from bokken are very similar to those caused by clubs and similar battering weapons, and include compound fractures, ruptured organs, and other such blunt force injuries. In some ways,
224-499: A tsuba (hilt guard) is added. The All Japan Kendo Federation specify the dimensions of bokken for use in the modern kendo kata, called Nippon kendo kata . Bokken are traditionally composed of red oak or white oak . White oak varieties are slightly more expensive and prestigious. Other common tree varieties used included ebony , biwa , and sunuke in Japan, and hickory , persimmon , ironwood , and walnut for trees native to
256-484: A youth battalion that committed mass suicide nearby during the 1868 Battle of Aizu . During the late Showa era in the 1970s and 1980s, these suicides were romanticized as a bold and heroic act, and bokken marked with their emblem sold well. The "standard bokken ", mostly used in kendo , iaido , and aikido , was created by master Aramaki Yasuo, in collaboration with the All Japan Kendo Federation in
288-510: Is also used to describe these ancient arts. Kobudō (古武道) can be translated as 古 (old) 武 (martial) 道 (way) "old martial art"; the term appeared in the first half of the seventeenth century. Kobudō marks the beginning of the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) also called the Edo period, when total power was consolidated by the ruling Tokugawa clan. The term often refers to martial arts established before
320-496: Is more strongly associated with kendo and is mainly practiced by students or the police force. Although kendo is common in Japan, it is also practiced in other countries around the world. It is thought likely that the first iron swords were manufactured in Japan in the fourth century, based on technology imported from China via the Korean peninsula . While swords clearly played an important cultural and religious role in ancient Japan, in
352-485: Is spelled "boken" in English. Bokken are traditionally composed of red oak or white oak , although any hardwood can be used. In comparison, practice swords made of flexible, soft wood such as bamboo are referred to as shinai . It is hard to determine precisely when the first bokken appeared due to secrecy in ancient martial arts training and loose record-keeping. While various mock weapons were surely used during
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#1732902739965384-599: The Heian period the globally recognised curved Japanese sword (the katana ) was developed and swords became important weapons and symbolic items. The oldest schools in existence today arose in the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), known for long periods of inter-state warfare. Three major schools emerged during this period. These schools form the ancestors for many descendent styles, for example, from Ittō ryū has branched Ono-ha Ittō ryū and Mizoguchi-ha Ittō-ryū (among many others). On
416-520: The Japanese Police gathered together kata from a variety of kenjutsu schools into a standardised set for training purposes. This process of standardization of martial training continued when, in 1895, a body for martial arts in Japan, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai , was established. Work on standardizing kenjutsu kata continued for years, with several groups involved until in 1912 an edict
448-778: The Meiji Restoration of the 19th century. Since the Muromachi period , swordsmanship , jūjutsu , martial arts , archery , artillery , etc. have been technicalized and systematized as various schools. The term Kobudō (古武道, ancient martial arts) contrasts with Gendai budō ("modern martial arts") or shinbudō ("new martial arts") which refer to schools developed since the Meiji era . Whereas modern martial arts are designed to develop humanistic ideals through physical and mental training, focusing on sports-related competitions and constructing technical systems (e.g., jūdō and kendō ) that encourage team work, socially healthy values, and prosperity. The old historical martial arts intention
480-527: The shinai , and protective armor, bogu . This allowed practice of full speed techniques in sparring, while reducing risk of serious harm to the practitioner. Before this, training in Kenjutsu had consisted mainly of basic technique practice and paired kata , using solid wooden practice swords ( bokutō ) or live blades. Beginning in 1868, the Meiji Restoration led to the breakup of the military class and
512-415: The 1950s and was the first standardized bokken ever created. The bokken is used as an inexpensive and relatively safe substitute for a real sword in several martial arts such as aikido , kendo , iaido , kenjutsu , and jodo . Its simple wooden construction demands less care and maintenance than a katana. Training with a bokken does not carry the same mortal risk associated with that of
544-592: The art of the Japanese sword". This is opposed to kendo , which means "the way of the sword" and uses a bamboo sword ( shinai ) and protective armour ( bōgu ). The exact activities and conventions undertaken when practicing kenjutsu vary from school to school, where the word school here refers to the practice, methods, ethics, and metaphysics of a given tradition, yet commonly include practice of battlefield techniques without an opponent and techniques whereby two practitioners perform kata (featuring full contact strikes to
576-554: The beginning of the 20th century, bokken manufacture started more formally, mainly in Miyakonojō , a city on Kyushu Island. The four remaining bokken workshops of Japan are located in Miyakonojō. Another notable spot where bokken were manufactured and sold as tourist souvenirs was Aizuwakamatsu . The resulting bokken were frequently inscribed with the markings of the Byakkotai ,
608-483: The body in some styles and no body contact strikes permitted in others). Contact striking during kata is used for example in Ono Ha Ittō-ryū . Although kata training has always been the mainstay, in later periods, schools incorporated sparring under a variety of conditions, from using solid wooden bokutō to the use of a bamboo sword ( shinai ) and armor ( bōgu ). In modern times sparring in Japanese martial art
640-465: The describing of the ancient weapons systems of Okinawa. Bokken A bokken ( 木剣 , bok(u) , "wood", and ken , "sword") (or a bokutō 木刀 ) is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu . It is usually the size and shape of a katana , but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō . Some ornamental bokken are decorated with mother-of-pearl work and elaborate carvings. Sometimes, it
672-728: The earlier periods of Japanese history, usage of bokken in their modern form first emerged during the Muromachi Period (1336–1600) for the training of samurai warriors in the various ryū (schools of martial arts and swordsmanship) of the era. If a steel katana is repeatedly used, it can easily become nicked and the edge flawed, potentially leading to a broken expensive sword. Bokken are safer than fighting with real swords, and are considerably more durable. A wielder can make contact with other trainee's swords with little fear of damage. While bokken are safer for sparring and practice than katana, they are still lethal weapons in
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#1732902739965704-431: The establishment of Musashi's school. Ko-bud%C5%8D Kobudō ( 古武道 , Old martial arts ) is a collective term for Japanese traditional techniques for the use of armour , blades , firearms , and techniques related to combat and horse riding . The kanji 古流武術 (old-school martial arts) and 古武術 (old martial arts) are other ways of writing it. The general umbrella term ko-ryū ( 古流 , "old school")
736-457: The hands of trained users. A famous legend to this effect involves Miyamoto Musashi , a ronin known to fight fully armed foes with only one or two bokken . According to the story, he agreed to a duel with Sasaki Kojiro , in the early morning on Ganryūjima , a tiny sandbar between Kyushu and Honshu. Musashi overslept the morning of the duel, and made his way to the duel late. He carved a bokken from an oar with his knife while traveling on
768-521: The island of Okinawa, the art of Udundi includes a unique method of both Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu . This is the only surviving sword system from Okinawa. It was the martial art of the noble Motobu family during the Ryukyu Kingdom. During the Edo period schools proliferated to number more than 500, and training techniques and equipment advanced. The 19th century led to the development of the bamboo practice sword,
800-407: The modernization of Japan along the lines of western industrial nations. As the samurai class was officially dissolved at this time, kenjutsu fell into decline, an unpopular reminder of the past. This decline continued for approximately 20 years, until rising national confidence led to an increase of the uptake of traditional sword arts again, particularly in the military and the police. In 1886
832-462: The school, or movements added for aesthetic reasons during the peaceful Edo period . The system of kobudō is considered in following priorities order: 1) morals, 2) discipline 3) aesthetic form. Kobudō can also be used to refer to Okinawan kobudō where it describes collectively all Okinawan combative systems. These are entirely different and basically unrelated systems. The use of the term kobudō should not be limited, as it popularly is, to
864-544: The student lacks the ability to safely control a bokutō at full speed or as a general safety precaution. In fact, the fukuro shinai dates as far back as the 15th century. A distinguishing feature of many kenjutsu syllabi is the use of a paired katana or daitō and wakizashi or shōtō , commonly referred to as nitōjutsu ( 二刀術 , two sword methods ) . Styles that teach it are called nitōryū ( 二刀流 , two sword school ) ; contrast ittō-ryū ( 一刀流 , one sword school ) . The most famous exponent of nitōjutsu
896-502: The unification of many schools to enable them to pass on the techniques and spirit of the Japanese sword. One of the more common training weapons is the wooden sword ( bokutō or bokken ) . For various reasons, many schools make use of very specifically designed bokutō , altering its shape, weight and length according to the style's specifications. For example, bokutō used within Yagyū Shinkage-ryū are relatively thin and without
928-557: Was Miyamoto Musashi (1584 – 1645), the founder of Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū , who advocates it in The Book of Five Rings . Nitōjutsu is not however unique to Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū, nor was nitōjutsu the creation of Musashi. Both Tenshin Shōden Katori Shinto-ryū were founded in the early Muromachi period (ca. 1447), and Tatsumi-ryu founded Eishō period (1504–1521), contain extensive two-sword curricula while also preceding
960-457: Was not fundamentally concerned with an outcome of winning a match as a Sports match. Training was for the sake of it and was often about life or death. Dangerous techniques that are excluded from modern martial arts include various hidden weapons, medicinal and poisoning methods, and magic. Old martial arts are linked to Zen and Buddhism . It may also include irrational movements whose original meaning have been lost even to those who are masters of
992-541: Was presumably a suburitō-sized bokken . As late as 2015, bokken were issued to the Los Angeles Police Mounted Unit for use as batons. Bokken can be made to represent any style of weapon required such as nagamaki , nodachi , yari , naginata , kama , etc. The most widely used styles are: Various koryu (traditional Japanese martial arts) have their own distinct styles of bokken which can vary slightly in length, tip shape, or in whether or not
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1024-471: Was released by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. This edict highlighted a lack of unity in teaching and introduced a standard core teaching curriculum to which the individual kenjutsu schools would add their distinctive techniques. This core curriculum, and its ten kata evolved into the modern martial art of kendo . This point could be regarded as the end of the development of Kendo. Kata was provided for
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