HKBU POLS 3620 Presentation: Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

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


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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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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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.





• 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.





• 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.


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





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


Comparison: head gear and weapon



04 Game rules and regulations


• 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.



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


05 Ideology and philosophy


• 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


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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST1wRzfgmI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST1wRzfgmI

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HKBU POLS 3620 Presentation: Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing

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Transcript of HKBU POLS 3620 Presentation: Cultural and Ideological Comparison of Kendo and Fencing