Why No Sparring?

*The content of this video is based on personal studies and experience. There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects.

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[honeyjuice]

remember what shanks said: when you draw your weapon, you're ready to put your life on the line

[raymondsosnowski]

When I started kendo & ZNKR iaido in the mid-1990s, the older sensei, who did both, would say the arts were like 2 wheels joined by the same axle. Recall that the when kendo was first formulated, they used bokuto, when that proved too injury-prone, they switched to the fukuro shinai which has been replaced by the standard kendo shinai. Unfortunately that synergistic link has been broken as practitioners tend to specialize in just one art. This may be further exacerbated by the prevalence of "high-school" kendo practices ('kendo-robics') in over 99% of dojo to emphasized shiai waza (and 'kendo no kata' being sidelined as a pesky promotion requirement).

[alejandrobarrientos]

There are schools outside Japan that train ancient kenjutsu techniques, with kata using bokuto, and spar with bogu and shinais.
They seek to preserve the tradition, and also to put the techniques into application, maintaining safety for the practicioners.

[jaketheasianguy]

Weapon law in japan make it impossible to spar with blunt steel katana, and bokuto don't flex so people throat will get crushed by a full power tsuki. There's synthetic option which is safe and have feeling close to steel, but silly tradition get in the way so traditionalist rejected them

[haraffael]

Thats why you practice multiple arts, so you can adapt all.
Kendo (or Kunjutsu) trains you to react correctly in an extremely short time, Iaijutsu (or also Iaido) trains you to use a real blade (and as such the proper handlig without hurting yourself) and then you combine it.

[RvnKnight]

I always understood that any sparring was done with boken or shinai. Steel for sparring was too impractical due to its rarity.

[jessmith]

I use a steel katana in sparring and admit I dont do the iado portion of it. But I have found a fascination with fighting katana users amongst hema and african sword groups. So its probably more cultural

[agricolaurbanus]

I think this is very reasonable an explanation.

[zircunious]

Think of it as a gun in a way. You only pull out a gun when you mean to end a threat. Ergo you only unsheath a sword when its time to lay down your life.

[bobreal]

Keep up the great work always informative. Love the contrast and explanations between Japanese culture and western ideas!!!!

[Book-bzns]

HEMA comes from a different culture and tradition entirely.
What the differences are between that and the way the Japanese schools do it don't seem to matter in the end. Somebody ends up dead.
For me, im happy that Japan has their own way.
Variety is the spice of life.

[yourmaid]

also having to have armor for sparring makes it less available to public due to cost

[sean]

Thank you for the enlightenment on my cultural background. Even if I am only 25% Japanese, I feel... stronger for this knowledge. 🙏

[Hrafnskald]

I always appreciate learning the cultural context behind a practice :)

[Toxicgamerdog]

I think its fine to do hema style stuff, you could use polypropylene blades like a lot of hema schools do. I think they already make ones shaped like katana.

[deadchivalry]

I'm going to offer a counter to what you said.

Samurai did spar. It was called gekiken. There's some debate about whether it was a part of kenjutsu training, an optional activity after the kenjutsu training, or something that the swordsmen did in their own time outside of training. However it definitely did happen.

At some point (probably around the dissolution of the samurai and the resultant sword hunts) kenjutsu and gekiken split. Kenjutsu became a system focused on spiritual and personal development. Gekiken became a sport and eventually developed into modern kendo.

I've been told that there's a growing number of japanese kenjutsu students who want to reintroduce sparring into kenjutsu. This is largely rejected by a lot of western practitioners who like to act "more Japanese than the Japanese."

[johnrivers]

Well that gives more historical context to the first episode of Shonan

[Man_f_Culture]

I think it would be cool to see. I know it's dangerous, but I also enjoy seeing the guys fight with dulled weapons wearing knights armor.

[lesmorel]

The cultural rules of Japan are hard to learn. So much that you learn visiting Japan! Soooo much that we could learn. I loved Japan! And costums, don't get me started!!!

[TheEricjfowler]

Where can I get an English version of the sutures please and thank you love your podcast. Love your reels. Very informed that I learn more from that that I have and all my years of studying.