A Brief History of the Development of Kendo

Around the 12th century, Japan entered a protracted period of feudal wars that lasted nearly 400 years. During that time, the technology of making and using the curved, single-edged katana (Japanese sword) developed steadily. By the time of the unification of Japan under the first Shogun at the beginning of the 17th century, the Samurai (warrior class) had become very skilled with many weapons, but the katana had become the symbol of both their status and their prowess. Bushido (the lifestyle or code of the warrior) was fully entrenched in daily culture stressing bravery, loyalty, honor, self-discipline and stoical acceptance of death.

The relative peace resulting from unification had a profound impact on the Samurai class. One of the central pillars of their lives, namely preparing for and fighting wars, was greatly reduced. It is not surprising that they sought ways to maintain their formidable martial skills. One way was to systematize their martial techniques into art forms that could be practiced hard without major injuries. This gave birth to Do (pronounced dō) forms of many of the Arts – meaning a way of living. One of these Do forms was Ken (sword) Do (way) – the Way of the Sword.

Kendo started to emerge in the 18th century with the introduction of the first bamboo swords – called shinai. These were bamboo poles about four feet long completely encased in leather. They replaced the bokken (wooden sword) and allowed warriors to strike each other at full speed without major injury. Apparently, these first shinai were not very durable and the evolution of the multi-staved shinai similar to what is used today came fairly quickly thereafter.

Still, samurai must have received their fair share of injuries because soon after the introduction of the shinai the first kote (protective gloves) appeared. A few years later the first men (helmets that look surprisingly like the protective headgear worn by modern amateur boxers) were introduced. That style lasted only a few years and was replaced by one with a metal face grill that looked very much like our modern men. The new style caught on very quickly and soon was being used in many parts of Japan. In fact, the only real change to the men in modern times is to make the grill out of lightweight metal – usually titanium alloy.

The do (chest protector) and tare (apron-like groin and thigh protector) evolved more slowly, but by the end of the 18th century, samurai warriors were practicing their skills in much the same way as we do today.

The sportive side of kendo began in the early 1950s as a way to re-introduce kendo into post-war Japanese culture. The U.S. occupation administration would not allow martial arts, but it did allow kendo to be introduced to grade schools as a sport and physical education program.

Today, kendo is practiced around the world and has managed to maintain the three pillars of discipline – Manner, Technique, and Spirit. With continued dedication from those who teach and study the art, these pillars will continue to remain the foundation for kendo into the future.