Japanese Budō (Martial Ways)

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1 Japanese Budō (Martial Ways) The martial ways of Japan as we know them today are called budo and they are derived from fighting techniques that were used in the battlefields of feudal Japan known as bujutsu. The history of these fighting skills is quite extensive and examples are featured in ancient tales from over 2000 years ago. Their teaching started to become more organized with the sudden rise to power of the samurai in the 10th century. Although they kept a strong Japanese spirit at their base, social constraints and the pressures of the times forced bujutsu or fighting techniques into making a transformation. Techniques for battle were no longer needed and so, in order that the teachings be preserved, bujutsu were developed into budo or martial ways. These new systems focused on physical discipline and personal cultivation rather than battlefield effectiveness. After the late 19th century, budo further developed into forms of physical education that still continue to provide a valuable means of physical and mental training for the general public today. Common teachings found in Japanese martial ways include: train the mind and body and be courteous, strive for unification of the body, mind and spirit and always show respect to others. Whether in training or competition, a martial artist should not concern themselves with results, but should always make their utmost effort and perform with correct posture, attitude and etiquette. One should win with modesty, lose with grace and understand that the greatest battle is ultimately with oneself. The place where Japanese martial ways are practiced is called a dojo, and both teacher and students alike make an effort to keep the training area clean, quiet, safe and solemn in order to develop courtesy and maximize the self-development of those who practice there. In recent years, many countries around the world have begun to recognise and value the special qualities of Japanese martial ways and have made them a part of their own country s culture. 1

2 Kyūdō About Kyūdō Kyudo is the martial art of Japanese archery, which practitioners shoot a stationery target. The ultimate objective of kyudo is to battle one s own ego. Archers give themselves completely to each shot but take strikes and misses in their shooting. The origin of the bow and arrow can be traced back to primitive times when man hunted animals for survival, but the Japanese bow s universally unique shape is partly aesthetic-based. There are many requirements for shooting correctly in kyudo. One must maintain a straight posture, spread the arms apart equally, open the chest broadly and channel ones energy into the lower abdomen in an attempt to unify oneself with the bow and target. At full-draw one must momentarily pause to heighten ones level of spiritual concentration before calmly, accurately and decisively releasing the bow string. If all of these conditions are met, there is no reason why the arrow should not find its mark. Even if the archer gives their all, but misses the target, the introspection and evaluation of their performance forms an important part of their mental training. This aspect of kyudo is one of the main reasons that it is held in such high regard. Due to the recent overseas popularity of kyudo, the International Kyudo Federation was established in May

3 Aikidō About Aikidō Aikido is a modern martial way which was created by Ueshiba Morihei. He borrowed movements from traditional arts, added his own teachings and philosophies and stressed the importance of wa (harmony or balance). Depending on the situation, this wa can mean harmony of the body and mind, harmony between people, and harmony between mankind and nature. Aikido does not involve using strength or taking advantage of your opponent s weaknesses to gain victory; the aim is to become one with the opponent s attacking energy and to rise above petty violence. Due to this philosophy, there is no competition in the aikido created by Ueshiba. Regular training involves repeatedly practicing techniques with a partner in order to develop the body and mind. The pace and difficulty-level can be varied for each practitioner. The basic motions of aikido include irimi (entering) movements, where the defender steps inwards and to the side of the attacker, and tenkan (turning) movements, where the defender applies pivoting principles to the redirect the attacker s energy. These largely circular motions are part of the wa-approach of aikido, and are intended to avoid direct collision with the attack. Aikido is now practiced in 95 countries around the world, proof of the international appeal of aikido teachings and principles. 3

4 Kendō About Kendō Kendo is a martial way and sport where competitors wearing protective armour score points against each other by striking designated body targets with bamboo swords. The origins of kendo can be traced back to Japan s warring states period, when swords were one of the main weapons used on the battlefield. The predecessor to today s kendo armour was developed in the mid-18th century and created a boom in sparring with bamboo swords. Modern kendo practitioners wear a head-guard and mask, padded gloves, chest protector and padded apron. The bamboo sword is called a shinai and is made of four separate bamboo slats. It is meant to represent the katana (samurai sword), the highly-prized sidearm of Japan s traditional warrior class. Kendo is not merely about learning how to win in a sword fight; it is a martial way where the focus is to discipline the character and develop the body and mind through training. One of the main character- istics of kendo is that it has managed to maintain a strong sense of cultural tradition and spirituality. The number of kendo practitioners around the world increases every year and currently there are 52 countries and regions affiliated under the International Kendo Federation. The World Kendo Championships are held every three years, the most recent being in Tokyo in

5 Karatedō About Karatedō Karatedo is an unarmed Japanese martial art that enjoys immense popularity all over the world. The majority of karatedo training involves kata, practicing rehearsed solo patterns or forms, and kumite, fighting drills or free sparring with a partner. Kata has generally been devised by the founder of a particular style or by influential successors of that founder. The sequences of movements involve combinations of punches, strikes, blocks and kicks in response to various attack and defence scenarios. By practicing kata over and over, the body is strengthened, and a strong sense of perseverance is instilled in the practitioner. Kumite involves two practitioners competing for points by attempting to strike the designated target areas of their opponent s body. This kind of training develops knowledge to overcome the opponent and fighting spirit. The object of training in karatedo is to develop the body and mind so as to build character, increase confidence and foster a sense of harmony in the practitioner. Currently there are 187 countries and regions affiliated under the World Karate Federation, and it is estimated there are over 50 million people practicing Karate worldwide. The WKF is aspiring to have Karate included as an official Olympic sport. 5

6 Naginata About Naginata The naginata is a glaive-like weapon with a curved and single-edged blade fixed to one end. The weapon itself has a history in Japan spanning roughly 1000 years and gave rise to a fighting art that has managed to adapt to the times continually throughout its long history. In modern times naginata has evolved into a unique and progressive martial way. Originally used by soldiers on the battlefield, the naginata came to be used by women of warrior families as a weapon of self-defence. The physical and mental training that naginata offered became popular as a form of personal cultivation for women. The naginata, being longer than the standing height of an average person, has a long wooden grip, meaning that the weapon can be swung freely in many directions. The downside is that the weapon requires a reasonable level of handling and footwork proficiency to be manipulated effectively. Both the right or left sides of the body can be used interchangeably and so naginata practitioners are able to develop balanced physiques. There are two main types of competition in naginata. The first is engi, where two partners perform set patterns of attack and defence against each other. Another pair of competitors simultaneously perform the same patterns and referees decide which pair s performance was best. The second type of competition is shiai, where opponents wear armour and attempt to score points by striking set body targets. Naginata has a wide following; its practitioners include men and women of all ages. Its popularity overseas lead to the formation of the International Naginata Federation in 1990 and the International Naginata Championship Tournament being held once every four years. 6

7 Shorinji Kempo About Shorinji Kempo Founded in Japan in 1947 by Doshin So. Shorinji Kempo is a way of developing individuals. It is a unique combination of philosophy, mastery of techniques, and education system. Through philosophy students are taught how to nurture their own body and mind, help each other, and live happily together. Mastery of techniques enables students to enjoy advancement and growth of themselves and their partners. Education system combines this learning and mastery of techniques into an effective, mutually reinforcing spiral. A man is, by birth, capable of growing in any direction. Shorinji Kempo aims to nurture individuals striving to upgrade themselves with a strong belief in their potential who can take action in cooperation with others to build a peaceful society that would be both materially and spiritually rich. 7

8 Jūdō About Jūdō Judo is a martial way and sport practiced around the world by men and women of all ages. The founder, Kanō Jigorō, created judo in 1882 from various styles of jūjutsu. To do this, he incorporated the most useful techniques from each style, added some of his own creation, and developed a new art with a curriculum of theory and technique appropriate for modern times. This new system included competition, physical and mental training, and a philosophy of self-improvement. The art was originally called Nihon-den Kōdōkan Jūdō but it is now commonly referred to simply as judo. Kanō taught that the ultimate goal of training in judo is to maximize the power of the body and mind so that one may contribute to the betterment of the world. Correspondingly, his mottos were maximum efficiency and mutual prosperity. The techniques of judo include grappling, throwing and striking; however striking is not permitted in free sparring and competition. Judo became an official Olympic sport and made its first appearance in the 1964 Games in Tokyo. There are currently 200 countries and regions affiliated under the International Judo Federation. 8

9 Jūkendō About Jūkendō Jukendo is a martial way based on fighting with bayonets. Practitioners wear armour and compete with wooden rubber-capped replica-rifles by making thrusting attacks to their opponent s chest, side, throat, hand and shoulder. Jukendo is a modern martial way but its origins can be traced back to battlefield spear fighting techniques and it has also taken great influence from the martial way of kendo. Jukendo is a forceful and aggressive art where attacking and withdrawing motions form the majority of movements. The thrusting attacks in jukendo are called tsuki-waza and must be performed to a valid target with spirit, correct posture and correct weapon angle. After withdrawing from the attack the practitioner must maintain zanshin, or a state of mental and physical readiness. To make an attack in which spirit, weapon and body become one is called ki-ken-tai-itchi. Learning how to perform the attack- ing motion is simple enough, but the timing and intricacies of making a successful attack with correct ki-ken-tai-itchi are quite complex. The main focus of jukendo is to foster in oneself the warrior virtues of honesty, politeness, courage, self-control and strength, so as to become a steadfast individual capable of contributing to society. 9

10 Kobudō Kobudo is one of the names used to categorize the older martial ways of Japan. Some scholars trace the origins of kobudo back to the 6th century AD, however the techniques and strategies of the majority of the kobudo arts that still exist today originally developed during the Muromachi Period around the 1380 s. Warriors organized these techniques and strategies into curricula and created ryūha, or schools of military studies. In the latter half the Edo Period (mid 18th century), records show that there were over 500 schools of swordsmanship. If we also consider that archery, horsemanship, spearmanship and hand-to-hand combat were also in their heyday at this time, then the number of military schools available must have been quite staggering. The founders of these schools would often develop a comprehensive curriculum combining swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat and spearmanship, for example. However, long periods of peace continued and combat-effectiveness began to take lower priority. So that the arts could be passed on to their next successor, a common practice was to make records of the various fighting skills in scrolls. Schools teaching various fighting skills would catalogue each of the skill areas into separate scrolls. Over time and through the generations, the overall curriculum of these schools tended to become somewhat disjointed; the result being the emergence of schools that would specialize purely in swordsmanship or purely in grappling, for example. Many arts that still exist today and specialize in one specific aspect of combat are often the products of this process. In many areas of Japan there still exist schools of martial ways that maintain the philosophies and practices of their school s traditional founders and preserve the techniques and forms through the generations with minimal alteration. These schools are distinct from modern schools of budo and are often referred to as kobudō or koryū bujutsu schools. Broadly speaking, kobudo schools were devised for killing-efficiency on the battlefield. Modern budo arts on the other hand, have been made into safer-to-practice versions of these originals by creating rules and banning dangerous and lethal techniques. Competition is a feature of many modern budo arts but the majority of kobudo schools consider that free exchanges of techniques are too dangerous. Kobudo arts are properly acknowledged as being the source of many popular modern budo arts such as kendo and judo and so, in their own right, kobudo are important historical assets and part of the cultural heritage of Japan. 10