08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL LUCION

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

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08020507 Hung Ming Chiu01 introduction

•Kendo•Ken (劍 ) = Sword•Do (道 ) = Way of life

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08027951 Tang Hiu Tung01 introduction

Fencing• old French “defens”• “ the way of defending”• around1200BC

• in a craving in Egypt• modern fencing/Olympic fencing

• started in early 19th century

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

The Heian Period (794-1185)

> Downfall of the aristocratic order

and the emergence of samurai class

The Kumakura, Muromachi and

Azuchi-Momoyama

Period (1185-1603)

>Invasion from the Mongols – Swords versus

bows and arrows.

The Warring –States and Tokugawa

Bakufu (1490-1868)

> Founding of kendo schools> Bushido in feudalism.

> Modern kendo took forms.

Modern Period (1868- )

> Kendo was standardized>Transformed

into a sport

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02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

Kendo• The Heian Period (平安時代 ) (794-1185)Witnessed a shift of power from aristocrats to warriors.• The katana (太刀 ) was influenced by the

Chinese blade (唐刀 )

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02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

Kendo• Mongols’ invasion in the 13th century of Japan

boosted the development of kendo and other martial arts.

• Japan has had the world’s best sword craftsmanship of the time, fighting against bows.

• Kendo changed from individual ritual duels to military fights.

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

• Introduction of muskets by the Portuguese in the 16th century required flexible combat.

• Many famous schools of kendo was founded: Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武藏 ) was the founder of the two-sword kendo.

• Bamboo swords and protective gears was introduced in the 17th century.

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

• During the modern period, kendo was standardized in terms of points to be hit, costume, equipment.

• During the early Meiji Period, Westernization led to the abandoning of Japanese sword in favor of Western saber.

• Kendo was included into school curriculum since 1890s for the sake of promotion of Bushido militarism.

• Kids are nowadays encouraged by parents to learn kendo for self-discipline.

• Police are required to practice kendo, as well as judo.

02 history anddevelopment

Fencing

08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

Early period in Egypt, Greece and Rome

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Modern(19th century)

• Invention of gun power amour s disappeared

• Development of weapon to a lighter and smaller one

• Italian and Spanish way spread through France

• 13-14th forbid dueling and school of fencing

• 15th : legal to run school of fencing

• 16th Letters Patent given

• Demonstration in public and even in theatre

• French school: DuelingDefence

• Modification of rules

• German school: invention of cut fencing

• Codified rules

• Mentality changes

• Nobleswriters and middle class

• Fencer development stress: technique

• From art to sport: trinity of weapons

• Invention of the push button

Similarities• Originated from other

countries.• Belonged to privileged

class as a combating skills.

• Transformed due to the invention of gunpowder.

• Promoted at school in modern time.

• Developed from skills to art to sport

Differences• Some forms of fencing is

originated from fighting on horseback, while kendo is basically a ground combating skills.

• Fencing was spread over Europe. Kendo was played in Japan before contemporary.

• Government sometimes indirectly encouraged development of fencing while kendo was made into the syllabus

02 history anddevelopment

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

03 Equipments08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

Weapons:• Shinai (竹刀 ) for Keiko (稽古 )• Bokuken (木刀 )for Kata (形 )

Costume:• Dogi (道著 )• Hakama (袴 )

Protective gears:• Men (面 )• Kote (小手 )• Do (胴 )• Tare (垂 )

Fencing equipments

03 Equipments08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

1. Jacket2. Glove3. Body wire4. Épées5. Breeches6. Mask7. Plastron

Epee

03 Equipments08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

• Origin

• Weight

• Shape of guard

• Way of scoring

• Method of attack

Different in

03 Equipments08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

Comparison: head gear and weapon

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

04 Game rules and regulations

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

• Modern kendo is standardized to hit men (面 ), kote (小手 ), do (胴 ) and tsuki (突刺 ) at the throat only.

• Ki-ai (氣合 ) and zanshin (殘心 ) are the specials of kendo an other forms of Japanese martial arts.

• Kendo is allowed of semi-body contact, action called tsuba-seriai.

• Individual or team matches.• Played on a square wooden floor ranging 9-11m

square.• Nito-kendo is an alternative. • Kata practice remind kendo stems from combating

techniques.

08027951 TANG HIU TUNG, SAMANTHA08020507 HUNG MING CHIU, MITCHEL

Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

04 Game rules and regulations

• Different scoring area for different type of fencing:• Different scoring system: right of way• Different method of attack:

– Foil and epee: thrusting– Sabre: thrusting and cutting

• Individual or team matches.• Played on on a rectangular strip of floor that is 5.9 to

6.6 ft (1.79 to 2.01 m) wide and 46 ft (14.02 m) long

08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

05 Ideology and philosophy

08020507 Hung Ming Chiu

• Kendo has philosophical foundation of Zen Buddhism (禪宗 ).

• At the time of Tokugawa Shogunate, Confucianism was extracted to shape Bushido (武士道 ).

• During Meiji Period, thinker and statesman Nitobe Inazo (新渡戶稻造 ) wrote a book on Bushido in English.

05 Ideology and philosophy

• Chivalry and Nobility during Middle ages• “the art of hitting without being hit”• Link with courage• Olympic sports: sportsmanship• Search for classical fencing

– Treat fencing as dueling– Reject electronic scoring – Following rules of 19th or pre 19th century

08027951 Tang Hiu Tung

Final conclusion• Both Kendo and fencing sports• Kendo: striking for being an event in

Olympics game• Fencing: some seek its pre-Olympics

model to treat it as art for a lack of philosophy in modern fencingYoutube Video: Kendo vs. Fencing

The End