what modern Budo should be

A summary of the goals of Kendo is provided by the All Japan Kendo Federation and reads as follows:






The concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character



through the application of the principles of the katana.





The purpose of practicing Kendo is:



To mold the mind and the body,



To cultivate a vigorous spirit,



And through correct and rigid training,



To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo,



To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,



To associate with others with sincerity,



And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.





Thus will one be able to love his country and society, to



contribute to the development of culture, and to promote



peace and prosperity among all peoples.



Modern Kendo is quite different today from the philosophical ideals spoken of above by the Japan Kendo Federation. The greatest example of this difference, perhaps the best (or worse) example of modern kendo, depending on one’s point of view is Kendo training and practice at the local club level, more often than not, a school Kendo club and thus part of the school and its education program. What is it that the Kendo-ka (Kendo students) are taught in the Kendo clubs? Quite simply it is to win! The entire focus of their studies is only on winning: the techniques of how to strike as fast as possible and win.It is in this drive to win, that the Kendo-ka are taught and graduated without having an idea of the true thought and spirit of Kendo.



The “ritual” practices upon entering the dojo and at the beginning a training session, the manners displayed by senpai and kouhai (sensei and pupil) or between students when sparring, barely keep the spirit of Budo and Bushido alive in Kendo. A large proportion of today’s students (and alarmingly many of today’s teachers) are not even clear on the true origins (and thus significance) of such rituals and thus consider them of little or no value – a waste of training time. It is partly the teacher’s fault, for teaching Kendo without a good understanding or “feel” for Budo or Bushido, and thus, passing on their own ignorance to their students.



Modern sensei, at the club or school level, see their job as being to simply teach to win and as a result, bring recognition to their club, their school, and themselves. To them, this is the true meaning of Kendo, the “Way of the Sword.’ The problem becomes repetitive and self-perpetuating: sensei lack proper knowledge or training, they pass their ideas on to their pupils, some of whom in turn become sensei.



A quick and simple definition of the principles of Budo could look something like this:



To have a sense of loyalty To respect good manners To play fair To always act in an honorable way To be strong, both physically and mentally Historically, one could also insert the words “Japan” or “for Japan” to the above because Kendo has its roots deep in Japanese history and culture; indeed, the Japanese people are Japan and hence, Budo reflects that nation. We should train in Budo with a special pride in Japanese history, culture and as a nation.



It was indeed a tragedy, however, when at the end of World War II, true Kendo suffered a terrible demise along with much of the country and its culture. General Douglas MacArthur, and his GHQ (General Headquarters of the occupation), in his almost unilateral attempt to dismantle or destroy Japanese culture, was also obsessively concerned with any possible “rebirth” of Japanese militarism, and thus he regarded anything that dealt with the Japanese sword, Nihontou, sword fighting, Bushido, Budo, or Samurai (Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo was also banned and almost every copy destroyed) as indicative of Japanese militarism. As a result, Kendo, Judo, Naginata (use of the long-handled sword), Kyudo and many other forms of martial arts and Budo were banned and any instructor who showed any tendency toward Japanese nationalism or militarism was almost certainly forbidden to engage in any form of instruction. Clearly, Budo and Bushido, Samurai spirit were what made the Japanese “Japanese” and thus was clearly responsible for such things as “sneak attacks” and Kamikaze. The ban lasted until well into 1948.



It is said that at some schools of Kendo, the sensei and kendo-ka (pupils) actually made a bonfire of their bogu (chest protectors) as a protest. Without doubt, they and many other people wanted to keep Kendo alive and it was taught “underground”. At the same time, it gradually became clear to the American authorities that the fundamental positive aspects of Budo had really no direct effect on Japanese expansionism that partially led to the war, nor to the excesses of the war itself. Martial arts also began to become popular with American servicemen who were stationed in Japan. The net result was that as the 1940s drew to a close, in an conscious effort to try and preserve some remnants of true Kendo, a more “modern” sport, akin to European fencing, was brought forward under the title of “Kendo” in order to gain some form of support from GHQ.



Yet, the “new” Kendo was far removed from the old: kendo without a sword, kendo without Budo or Bushido. MacArthur and GHQ, despite the re-institution of democracy in Japan and bringing western culture and values to Japan, had succeed quite well at dismantling Japan of its culture and heritage and thus robbed the Japanese people of much which makes them “Nihonjin” (Japanese). The sense of a “Japanese Nation” or “Japanese Society” has been severely damaged or lost entirely.



Yet, the “winds of change” or at least a breeze may have begun to blow. The Japanese people are beginning to drift back to ideals of true Japanese spirit, as indicated by the All Japan Kendo Federation, that we must train and practice Kendo and devote ourselves to making Budo and Bushido part of the Japanese spirit and character, which is so important in the formation of the nation, Japanese society, and the community, at passing that on to future generations. To do this requires serious study, thought, and change. What form will a “new” Kendo take, what will be its ultimate goals. No one can really yet know the answer, but we hope that as a new Kendo evolves, each of us will be led to thinking about Budo and Bushido and a sensible approach to both.