Kenjutsu
is Japanese martial art meaning "Art Of The Sword" - specializing in the use
of the Japanese sword katana(long sword)
with a
bokken(wooden sword) Generally,
kenjutsu takes the form of partnered practice exercised through kata
(pre-arranged forms, as opposed to competition, solo, or freestyle
practice). Kenjutsu is the core means by which koryū train their students to
employ the Japanese swords against a variety of classical weapons, while
indoctrinating the student in the combative mindset of the school.
Therefore, kenjutsu can be seen as an integral aspect of all classical
Japanese sword school curricula.
Today most koryu schools continue to employ
kenjutsu as part of their curriculum. Some are even thriving on a relatively
small scale. Schools (or ryū) such as Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Kashima
Shinto-ryū, Kashima Shin-ryū, Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū, Hyoho Niten
Ichi-ryū are some of the more famous still existing.
Some of these schools trace their lineage to the early years of the Tokugawa
shogunate. Many other schools can legitimately trace their history from the
founder dating back to the 14th century, such as Maniwa Nen-ryū (founded:
1368) or Tatsumi-ryū (founded: Eishō era 1504-1521) or Kashima Shin-ryū
(founded: ca. 1450).
Confusion with other practices: Kenjutsu should not be confused with
Iaidō or Iaijutsu,
where the former being a modern development with both sporting, artistic,
and meditative features. The role of iaijutsu is as a practice performed
against an opponent who is visualized most often to be armed with a sword.
There is often strong biomechanical symbiosis between the iaijutsu and
kenjutsu of most schools. Iaijutsu allows the practitioner to perfect the
execution of techniques, body position and displacement which he will later
employ in his kenjutsu without the stresses of a partnered kata. Iaijutsu
therefore remains a distinct and yet a complementary practice to kenjutsu in
most schools.
Another general distinction between iaijutsu and kenjutsu is the condition
of the sword at the start of the kata. In iaijutsu, the sword starts in the
sheathed position with the emphasis on the draw as well as the few initial
cuts. Traditionally, koryū focus on shifting smoothly in the pace of
execution within the iaijutsu kata with little focus is given to the speed
of draw. This is contrasted with kenjutsu, where the sword begins
unsheathed, and the emphasis is on both attack and defense. This distinction
is however not consistent as some kenjutsu kata start with the sword
sheathed.
Equipment: The equipment employed in kenjutsu has changed little within the
last five hundred years. One of the more common training tools is the bokken
(wooden sword). For various reasons, many schools make use of very
specifically designed bokken, altering its shape, weight and length
according to the ryu's specifications. For example, bokken used within Yagyu
Shinkage-Ryu are relatively thin and without a handguard in order to match
the school's characteristic approach to combat. Alternatively, Kashima
Shin-ryū practitioners utilize a thicker than average bokken with no
curvature and with a rather large handguard. This of course lends itself
well to Kashima Shin-ryū's distinct principles of combat.
Some schools employ a fukuro
shinai (a bamboo sword covered with leather or
cloth) under circumstances where the junior student lacks the ability to
safely control a bokken at full speed or as a general safety precaution. It
should be noted that the practice of using a bamboo sword was not adopted
from kendo. In fact, the fukuro shinai dates as far back as the 15th
century.
Nitojutsu: A distinguishing feature of many
kenjutsu syllabus is the use of a paired ōdachi and kodachi or shotō
commonly referred to as nitōjutsu or two sword methods. The most famous
exponent of nitōjutsu was Miyamoto Musashi, also known as 'The God of
the Sword' a legendary but real Samurai who wrote The Five Rings, a tale of
his warriorship and his skill in double swordmanship, to which he attributed
his success in over 60 duels to the death, (1584 – 1645) the founder of
Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū. Nitōjutsu is not however unique to Hyoho Niten
Ichi-ryū, nor was nitōjutsu the creation of Musashi. Both Tenshin Shōden
Katori Shinto-ryū were founded in the early Muromachi period (ca. 1447), and
Tatsumi-ryu founded Eishō period (1504-1521), contain extensive nitōjutsu
curricula while also preceding the establishment of Musashi’s Hyoho Niten
Ichi-ryū.
