The Way of Kendo and Kenjitsu: Soul of the Samurai

by Darrell Max Craig

Overview

The old Kendo teachers loved to ask their new students "What is Kendo?" Then they would sit back and listen to them philosophize about the way of the sword.The question is like a Zen question. If you find an answer, it will always be wrong for there is no answer.Kendo is something different to each and every student who picks up a Japanese sword. Old Kenjitsu had no rules. Modern Kendo sometimes described as sport Kendo, does. This is the difference between the two.To learn Kendo properly you must not think of it or practice it as a sport. You must think of it as a way of life. When taking up Kendo the student must keep in mind that the Japanese sword is like no other sword in the world and the skills required to master it are as ancient as time itself.This book addresses advance level Kendo skills including equipment, exercises, wazas and the last three katas of the All Japan Kendo Federation, which uses the short sword (Wakizashi).Equipment of Kendo and its careAdvanced WazaFundamental MovementsAll Japan Kendo Federation Short Sword (Kodachi) KatasAbout the Samurai and his swordsSword CollectingSword Nomenclature

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594390029
Publisher:	YMAA Publication Center
Publication date:	04/01/2004
Pages:	278
Product dimensions:	7.25(w) x 9.38(h) x (d)

About the Author

Darrell Max Craig is a highly regarded teacher of many of Japanese martial arts, and a pioneer in their development in the West for over forty years. He holds multiple black belts and is a U.S. Kendo champion, leading the U.S. Kendo team to the world championships. In 1973 he was awarded the title of “Shihan,” or “Master Teacher.” Among his many books on the subject is the widely praised The Heart of Kendo. He lives in Houston, Texas.

Table of Contents

	Dedication	vii
	Preface	ix
Chapter 1	Introduction	1
Chapter 2	Kihon Shitaku-Equipment	7
	The Shinai
	The Tare and the Do
	The Kote
	Storing the Bogu
	The Hakama and the Uwagi
	The Tenegui
Chapter 3	Advanced Waza	47
	Fundamental Movements
	Wazas
Chapter 4	The All Japan Kendo Federation Short Sword (Ko-dachi) Katas	103
	A Samurai and a Ronin
	The Place of Kata in Kendo
	Ipponme
	Nihonme
	Sambonme
Chapter 5	Ancient Kenjitsu Kata Circle Center	153
	Hon-Maru
	Hokushin Itto Ko-dachi Kata
Chapter 6	The Samurai And His Swords	175
	The Samurai Warriors
	The Muromachi Period
	The Edo Period
Chapter 7	Some Aspects of Swords and Sword Collection	191
	Nomenclature
	Katana for the Beginner Collector
	Fakes and Forgeries
	Polishing
	Maintenance, Displaying, and Shipping
Chapter 8	Closure	215
	Glossary: General Kendo Terms Japanese English Glossary	227
	References	263
	Index	266

Editorial Reviews

"For those of you who are interested in Japanese swordsmanship and the Samurai, you will find this book an excellent how-to manual. It is full of interesting and valuable information...I found this book fascinating and motivating. My youngest son became inspired by reading this book...It's a must have for your Martial Arts library."

Norm Leff