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{{AfDM|page=Traditional Kendō|logdate=2009 April 20|substed=yes }}
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{{Infobox martial art term
| pic = Kenjyutsu-meiji-jidai.JPG
| piccap =
| kanji = 剣道
| hiragana = けんどう
| Hepburn = Kendō
| Kunrei-shiki = Kendō
}}
'''Traditional Kendō''' or '''Classical Kendō''', is the traditionally oriented form of Kendō.<ref>Draeger, Dann F. and Robert W. Smith (1969): ''Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts''. Kodansha International, Tokyo; p. 91-92.</ref> The term 'Kendō' in this context means 'the way of the sword' in Japanese and is the martial system which was created out of the sword techniques used by the [[samurai|samurai warriors]] of [[feudal Japan]].
The literature describes that Traditional Kendō is still an important model for many Kendō groups and is closest in theory, method, and symbolic content to the classical martial arts before the [[Meiji Restoration]].<ref>Dann, Jeffrey (1978): ''Kendo in Japanese Martial Culture''. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, USA; pp. 171, 200.</ref><ref>Knutsen, Roald (2004): ''Rediscovering Budo''. Global Oriental, Kent, United Kingdom; pp. 34-35.</ref>
== History ==
{{Infobox martial art
| logo =
| logocaption =
| logosize =
| image = FENCING_AT_AN_AGRICULTURAL_SCHOOL.jpg
| imagecaption = Traditional Kendō is deeply rooted in the classical Japanese martial culture.
| imagesize = 300px
| name = Traditional Kendō (剣道)
| aka = Classical Kendō (剣道)
| focus = Weapons: [[Katana]], [[bokken]] and [[shinai]]
| hardness = Contact and non contact<br>depented of weapon
| country = {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]]
| creator = Abe Goradaiyu (founder of Abe ryū), see text
| parenthood = [[Kenjutsu]] (剣術)
| famous_pract =
| olympic = No - will never be - see text
| website =
}}
Historically, the Traditional Kendō was designed and taught by the founder of [[Abe Ryū]] (Japanese sword fighting school) in the seventeenth century.<ref>Tominaga, Kengo (1973): ''Kendo Gohyakunen Shi (A Five Hundred Year History of Kendo)''. Hakusui Shoten, Tokyo; p. 20.</ref><ref>Draeger, Donn (1974): ''Modern Bujutsu & Budo - The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan''. Weatherhill, USA; p. 77.</ref>
According to Ueno<ref name="EMF">上野 靖之 (1966) ''剣道教典 (Educational Model Fencing)'' 尚武館刊. p.180</ref>, Abe-ryu was the first sword fighting school to call what they taught Kendō rather than [[Kenjutsu]] although the term had appeared earlier than that, and there is no direct connection between this and the [[modern kendo]] promoted after the [[Meiji Restoration]], it was just one of many names used for sword training in that period.
In the early 1700s, several sword schools in [[Edo period]] began experimenting with protective gear to allow their students to spar with one another at full speed and power without injury.<ref>Friday, Karl F. (1997): ''Legacies of the Sword''. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu; p. 118.</ref>
[[Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna|Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Hidetsuna (Nobutsuna)]] is believed to have been the first famous swordsman to adopt the bamboo practice sword (fukuro-shinai or hikihada) in the late sixteenth century. Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato, of the [[Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū|Jikishin-kageryū]], is usually credited with introducing head and wrist protection in the 1710s.<ref>Friday, Karl F. (1997): ''Legacies of the Sword''. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu; p. 119.</ref>
== Budo reference and training methods==
Traditional Kendō base the practice upon classical budō where it's essential to try to understand its basic spirit and NOT to overvalue its by-product, technical skill, nor concentrate upon the individual's self-perfection as the end point of training. In this matter classical dō form can not house a sport entity.<ref>Draeger, Dann F. and Robert W. Smith (1969): ''Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts''. Kodansha International, Tokyo; p. 92.</ref><ref>Draeger, Donn (1973): ''Classical budo - The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan''. Weatherhill, USA; pp. 123-125.</ref> The classical budō form is created by active people who sought to relate creative activities to the ideals of the past, the classical budō is therefore deeply rooted in the culture of feudal-age [[Japan]]. <ref>Draeger, Donn (1973): ''Classical Budo -The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan''. Weatherhill, USA; pp. 33-34.</ref>
Reigi (etiquette) is very important within traditional Kendō, without reigi there is no tradition. This is the legacy of the bujutsu and budō past.<ref>Knutsen, Roald (2004): ''Rediscovering Budo''. Global Oriental, Kent, United Kingdom; pp. 85-86.</ref>
Within Traditional Kendō there is a concern with combative realism with the [[Katana|sword]] exercised in the form of [[kata]] training plus the philosophical aspects and training methods characteristic of traditional martial culture.<ref>Draeger, Donn (1974): ''Modern Bujutsu & Budo - The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan''. Weatherhill, USA; pp. 97, 104-105, 111.</ref><ref>Dann, Jeffrey (1978): ''Kendo in Japanese Martial Culture''. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, USA; pp. 201-203.</ref>
Traditional Kendō emphasises self-cultivation through training in combat readiness with the [[Katana|sword]], as defined by the tenets and traditional practices of classical Japanese martial culture, some will call parts of this culture [[martial arts]]. Training is divided into a number of stage and types which represent a progreession of learning for the beginner as well as model to return to for the advanced practitioner.<ref>Dann, Jeffrey (1978): ''Kendo in Japanese Martial Culture''. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, USA; pp. 177, 200.</ref>
The students are also practising with [[shinai]] (bamboo sword) and protective [[Bogu|armour]] (bōgu) in order to spar with one another at full speed and power.<ref>Friday, Karl F. (1997): ''Legacies of the Sword''. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu; p. 118.</ref>
==Structure and organisation==
Classical and modern disciplines differ not only in their age of origin but also in their social structure, training methods, and purpose.
The classical martial arts and ways are not typically organised in national or international [[federation]]s, but organised around [[autonomous]] local social units which refers to an unbroken transmission of teaching down through successive generations, the
ryū.<ref>Draeger, Dann F. and Robert W. Smith (1969): ''Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts''. Kodansha International, Tokyo; p.
84.</ref><ref>Dann, Jeffrey (1978): ''Kendo in Japanese Martial Culture''. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, USA; pp. 19-20,
23.</ref><ref>Knutsen, Roald (2004): ''Rediscovering Budo''. Global Oriental, Kent, United Kingdom; pp. 15, 33.</ref><ref>Skoss, Diane (1997): ''Sword & Spirit - Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan, Volume 2''. Koryu Books, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, USA; p. 151.</ref>
All over Japan, the classical disciplines, of either type, are to be found in quite local areas of the countryside. The classical disciplines are characteristically small in number and membership and have tended to be dominated by individuals of warrior ancestry (buke), even into the present day.<ref>Dann, Jeffrey (1978): ''Kendo in Japanese Martial Culture''. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, USA; pp. 19-20.</ref><ref>Knutsen, Roald (2004): ''Rediscovering Budo''. Global Oriental, Kent, United Kingdom; pp. 32-33.</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Dai Nippon Butoku Kai]
*[[Iaijutsu]]
*[[International Martial Arts Federation]]
*[[Kendo around the world]]
*[[Kenjutsu]]
*[[Kumdo]]
== External links==
*[http://www.kendo-uk.org/ British Kendo Renmei]
*[http://www.kendo-dk.org/ Danish Traditional Kendo Federation]
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Kendo]]
[[Category:Japanese swordsmanship]]
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