The Art of Kendo Kendo, a form of martial arts, has a lot of different movements which during execution are greatly given emphasis. The movements involved may seem easy because one can easily learn the right footwork, the right swing and the right posture. The concept of this martial art is based on reflex. The difference is that shinai, which is a form of weapon, is used as an extension of the practictioners body. For one to be able to master this, he has to practice performing these actions a thousand times over. Kendo is a Japanese style of fencing derived during the Meiji period in Japan (1868-1912), from the two-handed sword fighting techniques of the samurai. Today kendo, which means “way of the sword”, is practiced with shinai (bamboo swords), and fighters wear protective equipment covering the target areas: the head, wrists, and abdomen. The bogu (protective gear) consists of a men (face mask), a do (breastplate), kote (fencing gloves), and the tare, a kind of apron to protect the stomach and hips. Under the protective gear, kendoka (students of kendo) wear a hakama, or wide split skirt, reaching the ankles. Their uniform is the embodiment of the Samurai spirit and can be paralleled with the European knights who wear metal armors. The weapon used in Kendo is the shinai, or bamboo sword. The shinai is approximately four feet in length and is made of four carefully formed bamboo slats bound together to form hollow cylinder. A cord runs along the length of the shinai. To make a valid cut a player must strike his opponent with the side opposite the cord. In addition the point must be struck with the top third of the shinai. The concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana. Nowadays, there are Kendo dojos or schools all over the world. You would think that with this set-up, this martial art would become Westernized or tainted with impurities. That is not the case, however. The technical level of the martial art has remained excellent regardless of where a dojo is located. There is a worldwide uniformity of the basics of the art. Whether it’s in America or whether it’s in Europe, the fundamentals being taught are the same. It is only in the advanced training wherein the differences in certain schools become evident. But such disparity is not vital to the elements of the martial art. The 1970s paved the way for international competitions to become more available to Kendo followers. Nowadays, there are more than fifty countries in the international competition circuit. With Kendo, one can learn discipline, good manners, etiquette and patience which are very important virtues that we can apply in our daily lives. Though these values can be learned from other martial arts form, there is a value that you can only learn from Kendo – once you attack, you keep constant pressure by striking the opponent nonstop. In our lives, we apply this by “striking while the iron is hot”. Are you looking for Kendo equipment? You’ve got quite a range of martial arts supplies in the market to choose from, whether you want one of those martial arts uniforms or instructional materials. Explore the Internet now.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:58:20 +0000
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