Battojutsu

Battojutsu (抜刀術 battōjutsu) is a Japanese martial art involving the katana. While related to (and often confused with) iaido and kendo, battojutsu focuses primarily on cutting technique (for use in Tameshigiri), both drawing and out of the sheath. (Iiaido concerns itself with drawing, striking with, and sheathing the sword, and kendo encompasses both areas to some degree, but also concentrates on sporting combat.) The Art of sword drawing using a single cutting motion Other related archives

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Kendo (剣道 Kendō, 劍道) , which is the modern martial art of Japanese fencing, developed from traditional techniques of Japanese swordsmanship known as kenjutsu. Since 1975 the goal of Kendo has been stated by the All Japan Kendo Federation as "to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana (the Japanese standard two handed sword)". However, Kendo combines martial arts values with sport elements, with some practitioners ...

Including:

• Kendo - History
• Kendo - Modern Kendo
• Kendo - Ranking

Read more here: » Kendo: Encyclopedia - Kendo

Kendo, "The Way of The Sword", embodies the essence of the Japanese fighting arts. Since the earliest samurai government in Japan, during the Kamakura period (1185-1233), sword fencing, together with horse riding and archery, were the main martial pursuits of the military clans. In this period Kendo developed under the strong influence of Zen Buddhism. The samurai could equate the disregard for his own life in the heat of battle, which was considered necessary for victory in individual combat, to the Buddhist concept of the illusory nature o ...

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Kendo, Kendo - History, Kendo - Modern Kendo, Kendo - Ranking

Read more here: » Kendo: Encyclopedia II - Kendo - History

Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. Photograph by Felice Beato. Bushido (Japanese: 武士道; bushidō, "way of the warrior"), is a way of life, somewhat analogous to the European concept of chivalry. It includes elements of a philosophy, except that is it generally not textual in nature, and it involves, but is not equivalent to, a code of conduct. Bushido developed between the 11th to 14th centuries and was formalized during the opening years of the Tokugawa shogunate for the members of the Samurai class. According to t ...

Including:

• Bushido - History
• Bushido - Bushido ethics
• Bushido - Seven virtues associated with bushido
• Bushido - Major figures associated with bushido

Read more here: » Bushido: Encyclopedia - Bushido

Achievement in Kendo is signified by advancement in rank, or dan, with the eighth rank (hachi-dan) currently the highest rank attainable through testing. Higher dan is awarded on an honorary basis as recognition to one's lifetime contribution to the advancement of Kendo as an art. Additionally there are six ranks below dan known as kyu. The number preceding the kyu is the number of ranks it is below the first dan rank (sho-dan). Sho-dan is equivalent to a first degree blackbelt. In kendo t ...

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Kendo, Kendo - History, Kendo - Modern Kendo, Kendo - Ranking

Read more here: » Kendo: Encyclopedia II - Kendo - Ranking

In modern kendo, there are two types of attacks - strikes and thrusts. Strikes are allowed against only certain areas on the body. The valid targets are men (top of the opponent's head), sayu-men or "yoko-men"(the left and right side of the opponent's head), right kote, or wrist at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position (such as jodan), the left or right do (in tournament situations points are rarely awarded for striking the left side of the opponent's do). Thrusts are only al ...

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Kendo, Kendo - History, Kendo - Modern Kendo, Kendo - Ranking

Read more here: » Kendo: Encyclopedia II - Kendo - Modern Kendo

In the year 1256 CE, the Shogunal Deputy in Kyoto, Hojo Shigetoki (1198-1261 CE) wrote a letter to his son and house elders of his clan. The letter, now known as "The Message Of Master Gokurakuji," emphasized the importance of loyalty to one's master: When one is serving officially or in the master's court, he should not think of a hundred or a thousand people, but should consider only the importance of the master. Nor should he draw the line at his own life or anything else he considers valuable. Even if the master is being phlegmatic and one goes unrecognized, he should know that he will surely have the divine protect ...

See also:

Bushido, Bushido - History, Bushido - Bushido ethics, Bushido - Seven virtues associated with bushido, Bushido - Major figures associated with bushido

Read more here: » Bushido: Encyclopedia II - Bushido - History

Bushido expanded and formalized the earlier code of the samurai, and stressed frugality, loyalty, mastery of martial arts, and honor to the death. Under the Bushido ideal, if a samurai failed to uphold his honor he could regain it by performing seppuku (ritual suicide). In an excerpt from the chapter "AN ACCOUNT OF THE HARA-KIRI" in Mitford's "Tales of Old Japan", the author describes a friend witnessing an act of Seppuku: "There are many stories on record of extraordinary heroism being displayed in the hara-kiri. The case of a young ...

See also:

Bushido, Bushido - History, Bushido - Bushido ethics, Bushido - Seven virtues associated with bushido, Bushido - Major figures associated with bushido

Read more here: » Bushido: Encyclopedia II - Bushido - Bushido ethics