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78-701: The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) promotes and popularises kendō , iaidō and jōdō . The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) has been member of the International Kendo Federation (FIK) since it was founded in 1970. The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) is a member of the Japanese Budo Association (Nippon Budo Shingikai) and the Nippon Budokan Foundation. The first All Japan Kendo Championship were conducted in 1953. A census of members of

156-462: A datotsu-bui of the opponent's kendo-gu with the shinai making contact at its datotsu-bu , the competitor displaying high spirits, correct posture and followed by zanshin . Datotsu-bui or point scoring targets in kendo are defined as: Datotsu-bu of the shinai is the forward, or blade side ( jin-bu ) of the top third ( monouchi ) of the shinai . Zanshin ( 残心 ) , or continuation of awareness, must be present and shown throughout

234-637: A final battle , the Battle of Shiroyama, Imperial Army troops under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo and marines under the command of Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi outnumbered Saigō 60-to-1. However, Yamagata was determined to leave nothing to chance. The imperial troops spent several days constructing an elaborate system of ditches, walls and obstacles to prevent another breakout. The five government warships in Kagoshima harbor added their firepower to Yamagata's artillery , and began to systematically reduce

312-423: A motodachi . This is a process that requires patience. The kendōka and motodachi practice the technique slowly at first; as familiarity and confidence build, they increase the speed to the level used in matches and competitions. These attack techniques are used to create an opening in an opponent by initiating an attack, or striking boldly when the opponent has created an opening. Such techniques include: This

390-654: A civil war than a rebellion. Ravina prefers the English name "War of the Southwest." Western interpretations include the 2003 American film The Last Samurai directed by Edward Zwick , which combines into a single narrative historical situations belonging both to the Boshin War , the Satsuma Rebellion, and other similar uprisings of ex-samurai during the early Meiji period. Also, the song Shiroyama in

468-406: A compromise of ten practice moves ( kata ) for police training. This integration effort led to the development of modern kendo. In 1878, Kawaji wrote a book on swordsmanship, Gekiken Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Swordsmanship), stressing sword styles should not disappear with modernization, but should be integrated as necessary skills for the police. He draws a particular example from his experience with

546-458: A detachment with two infantry brigades and 1,200 policemen behind the rebel lines, so as to fall on them from the rear from Yatsushiro Bay . Imperial forces landed with few losses, then pushed north seizing the city of Miyanohara on March 19. After receiving reinforcements, the imperial force, now totaling 4,000 men, attacked the rear elements of the Satsuma army and drove them back. Tabaruzaka

624-414: A flotilla of small ships filled with armed men attempted to board Takao by force, but were repelled. The following day, Hayashi declared to Oyama that he could not permit Kawamura to go ashore when the situation was so unsettled, and that the attack on Takao constituted an act of lèse-majesté . On his return to Kobe on February 12, Hayashi met with General Yamagata Aritomo and Itō Hirobumi , and it

702-513: A garment separated in the middle to form two wide trouser legs. A cotton towel ( 手拭い , tenugui ) is wrapped around the head, under the men , to absorb perspiration and provide a base for the men to fit comfortably. Kendo training is quite noisy in comparison to some other martial arts or sports. This is because kendōka use a shout, or kiai ( 気合い ) , to express their fighting spirit when striking. Additionally, kendōka execute fumikomi-ashi ( 踏み込み足 ) , an action similar to

780-496: A loss, except the railroad, telegraph and military industries. He also cancelled scholarships for Japanese students abroad and fired foreign experts. Meanwhile, the remnants of the militaristic faction that supported Saigo's invasion proposal evolved into Japanese right-wing groups such as the genyosha and kokuryūkai . The rebellion also effectively ended the samurai class, as the new Imperial Japanese Army built on heimin conscripts had proven itself in battle. More critically,

858-437: A point to be awarded. Play is stopped after each point is awarded. Kendo competitions are usually a three-point match. The first competitor to score two points, therefore, wins the match. If the time limit is reached and only one competitor has a point, that competitor wins. In the case of a tie, there are several options: The All Japan Kendo Championship is regarded as the most prestigious kendo championship. Despite it being

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936-465: A private letter to Prince Arisugawa, restating his reasons for going to Tokyo. His letter indicated that he was not committed to rebellion and sought a peaceful settlement. The government, however, refused to negotiate. In order to cut Saigō off from his base, an imperial force with three warships, 500 policemen, and several companies of infantry landed in Kagoshima on March 8, seized arsenals, and took Satsuma's governor into custody. Yamagata also landed

1014-618: A register of dan graded members of the AJKF, lists (as of September 2007) 1.48 million registered dan graded kendōka in Japan. According to a survey conducted by AJKF, the number of active kendo practitioners in Japan is 477,000, including 290,000 dan holders. From these figures, AJKF estimates that the number of kendōka in Japan is 1.66 million, with over 6 million practitioners worldwide, with registered dan holders and active kendo practitioners without dan grade. In 1975,

1092-512: A rising-slide motion, with the right ( ura ) or left ( omote ) side of the shinai . Then strike in the direction of their shinai , or at the opening resulting from their composure's collapse. This technique needs to be smooth. That is, do not separate the rising-slide motion and the upward-sweeping motion or it will not be successful. Valid strikes include: men-suriage-men , kote-suriage-men , men-suriage-do , kote-suriage-kote , and Tsuki-suriage-men . This waza knocks an opponent's shinai to

1170-462: A stamp of the front foot, during a strike. Like some other martial arts, kendōka train and fight barefoot. Kendo is ideally practiced in a purpose-built dōjō , though standard sports halls and other venues are often used. An appropriate venue has a clean and wooden sprung floor , suitable for fumikomi-ashi . Kendo techniques comprise both strikes and thrusts. Strikes are only made towards specified target areas ( 打突-部位 , datotsu-bui ) on

1248-476: A strike after responding or avoiding an attempted strike by the opponent. This can also be achieved by inducing the opponent to attack, then employing one of the Ōji-waza . Avoiding an attack from another, then instantly responding. Here, timing has to be correct. A response that is too slow or fast may not be effective. Therefore, close attention to an opponent's every move is required. If struck by an opponent's shinai , this technique sweeps up their shinai in

1326-518: A total of 45,920 infantry. An engineer company contained 150 men. The engineers had 10 companies, giving a total of 1,500 engineers. The train companies contained 80 men. There were a total of six companies giving a total of 480 men. There were also nine coastal artillery battalions of 100 men, a total of 900 men. The mobile artillery consisted of 12 mountain gun batteries with 1,920 men and six field gun batteries with 780 men, with each battery containing 12 guns. A total of 2,700 men with 108 guns were in

1404-571: A voluntary surrender of swords, the government banned the use of swords by the surviving samurai and initiated sword hunts . Meanwhile, in an attempt to standardize the sword styles ( kenjutsu ) used by policemen, Kawaji Toshiyoshi recruited swordsmen from various schools to come up with a unified swordsmanship style. This led to the rise of the Battotai (抜刀隊, lit. Drawn Sword Corps ), consisting mainly of sword-wielding policemen. However, it proved difficult to integrate all sword arts, leading to

1482-442: Is a technique used when one's opponent has weak kisei (spirit, vigor) or when they yield an opening under pressure. Always hold kisei and strike quickly. Body and shinai will lose balance as the initiator strikes or when being attacked. This technique takes advantage of this to help execute a strike. A good example is Hikibana-kote when a strike is made to an opponent's kote as they feel threatened and raise their kensen as

1560-487: Is also the most recent civil war fought in Japan. Although Satsuma had been one of the key players in the Meiji Restoration and the Boshin War , and although many men from Satsuma had risen to influential positions in the new Meiji government , there was growing dissatisfaction with the direction the country was taking. The modernization of the country meant the abolition of the privileged social status of

1638-547: Is attributed to Naganuma Shirōzaemon Kunisato ( 長沼 四郎左衛門 国郷 , 1688–1767) during the Shotoku Era (1711–1715). Naganuma developed the use of this armor and established a training method using bamboo swords. Yamada Heizaemon Mitsunori (Ippūsai) ( 山田平左衛門光徳(一風斎) , 1638–1718) , third son of Naganuma and the 8th headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu, is credited with improving

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1716-411: Is broken. This technique involves striking the opponent as they are about to strike. This is because their concentration will be on striking and their posture will have no flexibility to respond. Thus debana-waza is ideal. This can be to any part of the opponent's body, with valid strikes being: debana-men , debana-kote , and debana-Tsuki . These counter-attack techniques are performed by executing

1794-607: Is held every year, except in those years in which there is a world championship. Kendo is also one of the martial arts in the World Combat Games . Technical achievement in kendo is measured by advancement in grade, rank or level. The kyū ( 級 ) and dan ( 段 ) grading system, created in 1883, is used to indicate one's proficiency in kendo. The dan levels are from first-dan ( 初段 , sho-dan ) to tenth-dan ( 十段 , jū-dan ) . There are usually six grades below first-dan, known as kyu . The kyu numbering

1872-535: Is in reverse order, with first kyu ( 一級 , ikkyū ) being the grade immediately below first dan, and sixth kyu ( 六級 , rokkyū ) being the lowest grade. There are no visible differences in dress between kendo grades; those below dan-level may dress the same as those above dan-level. Satsuma Rebellion The Satsuma Rebellion , also known as the Seinan War ( Japanese : 西南戦争 , Hepburn : Seinan Sensō , lit.   ' Southwestern War ' ) ,

1950-428: Is meant to represent a Japanese sword ( katana ) and is made up of four bamboo slats which are held together by leather fittings. A modern variation of a shinai with carbon fiber reinforced resin slats is also used. Age Group Shinai Size Kendōka also use hard wooden swords ( 木刀 , bokutō ) to practice kata . Kendo employs strikes involving both one edge and

2028-490: Is widely practiced within Japan and has spread to many other nations across the world. Swordsmen in Japan established schools of kenjutsu (the ancestor of kendo). These continued for centuries and form the basis of kendo practice today. Formal kendo exercises known as kata were developed several centuries ago as kenjutsu practice for warriors. They are still studied today, in a modified form. The introduction of bamboo practice swords and armor to sword training

2106-501: The All Japan Kendo Federation developed and published "The Concept and Purpose of Kendo" (reproduced below). Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana . Kendo is practiced wearing a traditional Japanese style of clothing, protective armor ( 防具 , bōgu ) and using one or, less commonly two, shinai ( 竹刀 , shinai ) . The shinai

2184-476: The Satsuma Rebellion . The Junsa Kyōshūjo (Patrolman's Training Institute), founded in 1879, provided a curriculum that allowed policemen to study gekiken during their off-hours. In the same year, Kawaji wrote another book on swordsmanship, Kendo Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Kendo), defending the significance of such sword art training for the police. While Junsa Kyōshūjo remained active only until 1881,

2262-467: The gold standard and causing the government to print paper currency . Economic effects of the Satsuma Rebellion resulted in the passing of the Act of February 4, 1877, which reduced the land tax from 3% to 2.5%. The Rebellion reduced Japan's yearly expenditure from £13,700,000 to £10,250,000, and it raised Japan's national debt from £28,000,000 to £70,000,000. The costs of pacifying the former samurai led to

2340-487: The Imperial Army was likewise depleted, and fighting was suspended for several weeks to permit reinforcement. When the offensive was resumed, Saigo retreated to Miyazaki , leaving behind numerous pockets of samurai in the hills to conduct guerrilla attacks . On July 24, the Imperial Army forced Saigō out of Miyakonojō , followed by Nobeoka . Troops were landed at Ōita and Saiki north of Saigō's army, and Saigō

2418-505: The Meiji government becoming virtually bankrupt; the government was forced to sell off state-owned enterprises such as factories and mines to politically-connected merchants and former officials at low prices, leading to the instant formation of large industrial firms or zaibatsu . These state-owned industries had been operating at a loss, and Finance Minister Matsukata Masayoshi decided to sell all of these to politically connected capitalists at

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2496-484: The Meiji government dispatched Hayashi Tomoyuki , an official with the Home Ministry with Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi in the warship Takao to ascertain the situation. Satsuma's governor, Oyama Tsunayoshi , explained that the uprising was in response to the government's assassination attempt on Saigō, and asked that Admiral Kawamura (Saigō's cousin) come ashore to help calm the situation. After Oyama departed,

2574-482: The Satsuma army 7:1. Most of Saigō's remaining forces either surrendered or committed seppuku . However, Saigō burned his private papers and army uniform on August 19, and slipped away towards Kagoshima with his remaining able-bodied men. Despite Yamagata's efforts over the next several days, Saigō and his remaining 500 men reached Kagoshima on September 1 and seized Shiroyama , overlooking the city. Saigō and his remaining samurai were pushed back to Kagoshima where, in

2652-404: The Satsuma forces dug into the rock-hard icy ground around the castle and tried to starve the garrison out in a siege. The situation was especially desperate for the defenders as their stores of food and ammunition had been depleted by a warehouse fire shortly before the rebellion began. During the siege, many Kumamoto ex-samurai flocked to Saigō's banner, swelling his forces to around 20,000 men. In

2730-412: The art with Japanese wooden and bamboo swords, according to his gravestone's inscription. He is also credited with refining the armor by adding a metal grille to the headpiece (面; men ) and thick cotton protective coverings to the gauntlets that cover the wrists and hands (小手; kote ). Naganuma Sirozaemon Kunisato ( 長沼四郎左衛門国郷 , 1688–1767) inherited the tradition from his father Heizaemon in 1708, and

2808-479: The bullet wound and then had his head removed by Beppu in order to preserve his dignity. After Saigo's death, Beppu and the last of the "ex-samurai" drew their swords and plunged downhill toward the Imperial positions and to their deaths. With these deaths, the Satsuma rebellion came to an end. Financially, crushing the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government a total of ¥420,000,000 (£8,400,000), forcing Japan off

2886-424: The confession, it was widely believed in Satsuma and was used as justification by the disaffected samurai that a rebellion was necessary in order to "protect Saigō". Fearing a rebellion, the Meiji government sent a warship to Kagoshima to remove the weapons stockpiled at the Kagoshima arsenal on January 30, 1877. This, accompanied by an elimination of samurai rice stipends in 1877, provoked open conflict. Outraged by

2964-446: The conscripted and service for 20 years in the national militia for those not chosen for active service. A cavalry squadron contained 150 in wartime. However, due to difficulties in securing horses suited for modern war, only three squadrons were available, for a total of 450 cavalrymen (including the Imperial guard squadron). An infantry regiment had three battalions of 1,088 men and 16 battalion staff each. 14 such regiments existed for

3042-519: The defeat of the samurai displayed the power of modern artillery and rifles, against which a banzai charge had no appreciable effect. On 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously. Statues in Ueno Park , Tokyo and near the ruins of Kagoshima Castle stand in his memory. Saigō Takamori was labelled as a tragic hero by the people, and his actions were considered an honorable example of bushido and Yamato-damashii . In English,

3120-418: The defensive. On February 19, the first shots of the war were fired as the defenders of Kumamoto Castle opened fire on Satsuma units attempting to force their way into the castle. Kumamoto Castle, built in 1598, was among the strongest in Japan, but Saigō was confident that his forces would be more than a match for Tani's conscripts, who were still demoralized by the recent Shinpūren rebellion . On February 22,

3198-547: The end of the Edo period , the use of bamboo swords and armor as a form of practice became popular. Modern kendo techniques, such as Suriage-Men and Oikomi-Men, were originally Hokushin Ittō-ryū techniques, were named by Chiba Shūsaku. After the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s, Sakakibara Kenkichi popularized public gekiken for commercial gain, resulting in increased interest in kendo and kenjutsu. In 1876, five years after

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3276-404: The execution of the strike and the kendōka must be mentally and physically ready to attack again. In competition, there are usually three referees ( 審判 , shinpan ) . Each referee holds a red flag and a white flag in opposing hands. To award a point, a referee raises the flag corresponding to the color of the ribbon worn by the scoring competitor. Usually, at least two referees must agree for

3354-616: The forty-seven prefectural associations affiliated to the AJKF made in March 2006 showed there were 1,429,718 members including 401,121 women and about half are dan graded. Kend%C5%8D Kendo ( 剣道 , Kendō , lit. 'sword way', 'sword path' or 'way of the sword') is a modern Japanese martial art , descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts , swordsmanship ), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai ) as well as protective armor ( bōgu ). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship exercises, and today, it

3432-478: The government's tactics, 50 students from Saigō's academy attacked the Somuta Arsenal and carried off weapons. Over the next three days, more than 1000 students staged raids on the naval yards and other arsenals. Presented with this sudden success, the greatly dismayed Saigō was reluctantly persuaded to come out of his semi-retirement to lead the rebellion against the central government. In February 1877,

3510-445: The initiator pushes forward. This provides a surprise attack by lifting the shinai over the initiator's shoulder before striking. Here a skillful use of the kensen and spirited attack is crucial for effective katsugi-waza or luring the opponent into breaking their posture. There are two types. The first is for moving to the next waza after a failed first strike, and the second holds the opponent's attention and posture to create

3588-467: The likely outcome of his being assassinated by Korean nationalists. Saigō expected both that a war would ultimately be successful for Japan and also that the initial stages of it would offer a means by which the samurai whose cause he championed could find meaningful and beneficial death. When the plan was rejected, Saigō resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima , as did many other Satsuma ex-samurai in

3666-537: The main Satsuma army arrived and attacked Kumamoto Castle in a pincer movement . Fighting continued into the night. Imperial forces fell back, and acting Major Nogi Maresuke of the Kokura Fourteenth Regiment lost the regimental colors in fierce fighting. However, despite their successes, the Satsuma army failed to take the castle and began to realize that the conscript army was not as ineffective as first assumed. After two days of fruitless attack,

3744-481: The meantime, on March 9, Saigō, Kirino, and Shinohara were stripped of their court ranks and titles. On the night of April 8, a force from Kumamoto Castle made a sortie, forcing open a gap in the Satsuma lines and enabling desperately needed supplies to reach the garrison. The main Imperial Army, under General Kuroda Kiyotaka with the assistance of General Yamakawa Hiroshi , arrived in Kumamoto on April 12, putting

3822-651: The military and police forces. To help support and employ these men, in 1874 Saigō established a private academy known as the Shi-gakkō in Kagoshima. Soon 132 branches were established all over the prefecture. The “training” provided was not purely academic: although the Chinese classics were taught, all students were required to take part in weapons training and instruction in tactics. Saigō also started an artillery school. The schools resembled paramilitary political organizations more than anything else, and they enjoyed

3900-620: The mobile artillery. The imperial guard, a force drawn from the pro-imperial forces of the Boshin War, was organised into two regiments of infantry (4,384), one cavalry squadron (150), one artillery battalion (12 guns and 290 men), one engineer company (150), and a train company (80 men), giving a total of 5,054 men. In 1871, the imperial government organised the Rasotsu, which expanded rapidly from its original 3,000 to 18,000 in 1877. These policemen were militarised and saw action throughout

3978-406: The most common name for the war is the "Satsuma Rebellion". Mark Ravina, the author of The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori , argued that "Satsuma Rebellion" is not the best name for the war because the English name does not well represent the war and its Japanese name. Ravina said that the war's scope was much farther than Satsuma, and he characterizes the event as being closer to

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4056-506: The national championship for only Japanese kendōka , kendo practitioners all over the world consider the All Japan Kendo Championship as the championship with the highest level of competitive kendo. The World Kendo Championships have been held every three years since 1970. They are organised by the International Kendo Federation (FIK) with the support of the host nation's kendo federation. The European championship

4134-418: The now heavily outnumbered Satsuma forces to flight. On March 4, Imperial Army General Yamagata ordered a frontal assault against Tabaruzaka, guarding the approaches to Kumamoto, which developed into an eight-day-long battle. Tabaruzaka was held by some 15,000 samurai from Satsuma, Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi against the Imperial Army's 9th Infantry Brigade (some 9,000 men). At the height of the battle, Saigō wrote

4212-413: The opening for a second strike. The former requires a continuous rhythm of correct strikes. The latter requires continuous execution of waza , to take advantage of the opponent's opening. This can be used if one's opponent's stance has no opening when the opponent tries to attack. The opponent's shinai is either knocked down from above or swept up from below with a resulting strike just when their stance

4290-405: The opponent parries their shinai with the initiator's. They then flip over (turn over the hands) and strike their opposite side. Valid strikes include: men-kaeshi-men , men-kaeshi-kote , men-kaeshi-do , kote-kaeshi-men , kote-kaeshi-kote , and do-kaeshi-men . A scorable point ( 有効打突 , yūkō-datotsu ) in a kendo competition ( tai-kai ) is defined as an accurate strike or thrust made onto

4368-493: The opponent's neck, thrusting techniques in free practice and competition are often restricted to senior dan graded kendōka . Once a kendōka begins practice in armor, a practice session may include any or all of the following types of practice: Techniques are divided into shikake-waza (仕掛け技; to initiate a strike) and ōji-waza (応じ技; a response to an attempted strike). Kendōka who wish to use such techniques during practice or competitions often practice each technique with

4446-469: The other domains for support, and no troops were left at Kagoshima to secure his base against an attack. To aid in the air of legality, Saigō wore his army uniform. Marching north, his army was hampered by the deepest snowfall Satsuma had seen in more than 50 years, which, because of the similarity to the weather that had greeted those setting out to enact the Meiji Restoration nine years earlier,

4524-511: The police continued to support such practice. The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) was established in 1895 to promote martial arts in Japan. It changed the name of the sporting form of swordsmanship, gekiken , ( Kyūjitai : 擊劍 and Shinjitai : 撃剣 , "hitting sword") to kendō in 1920. Kendo (along with other martial arts) was banned in Japan in 1946 by the occupying powers. This was part of "the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic persons" in response to

4602-511: The rebel positions. After Saigō rejected a letter dated September 1 from Yamagata drafted by a young Suematsu Kenchō asking him to surrender, Yamagata ordered a full frontal assault on September 24, 1877. By 6 a.m., only 40 rebels were still alive. Saigō was severely wounded. Legend says that one of his followers, Beppu Shinsuke , acted as kaishakunin and aided Saigō in committing seppuku before he could be captured. However, other evidence contradicts this, stating that Saigō in fact died of

4680-455: The rebellion. During the conflict, the government side expended, on average, 322,000 rounds of ammunition and 1,000 artillery shells per day. The forces of Saigo were only partly modernised, with an ad hoc organisation made in 1877 with 6 infantry battalions of 2,000 men, each with 10 companies of 200 per battalion. There was little to no cavalry in the rebel army and only 200 gunners for the 28 mountain, 2 field and 30 mortar pieces assembled by

4758-725: The rebels. Word of Saigō's academies was greeted with considerable concern in Tokyo. The government had just dealt with several small but violent samurai revolts in Kyūshū , and they found the prospect of rebellion by the numerous and fierce Satsuma samurai, led by the famous and popular Saigō, an alarming one. In December 1876, the Meiji government sent a police officer named Nakahara Hisao and 57 other men to investigate reports of subversive activities and unrest. The men were captured, and under torture , confessed that they were spies who had been sent to assassinate Saigō. Although Nakahara later repudiated

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4836-454: The reforms, was especially concerned about growing political corruption – popular prints depicted the rebel army with banners bearing the words shinsei-kōtoku ( 新政厚徳 , lit.   ' new government, rich virtue ' ) . Saigō was a strong proponent of war with Korea in the Seikanron debate of 1873. At one point, he offered to visit Korea in person and to provide a casus belli by

4914-412: The right or left. This neutralises a potential strike and gives the ideal chance to strike as an opponent is off-balance. For success, the distance between oneself and the opponent has to be correctly perceived, and then one knocks down their shinai before their arm fully extends. Valid strikes include: do-uchiotoshi-men and Tsuki-uchiotoshi-men . This technique is a response. As the opponent strikes,

4992-484: The samurai class, and had undermined their financial position. The very rapid and massive changes to Japanese culture , language , dress and society appeared to many samurai to be a betrayal of the jōi ('expel the barbarian') portion of the sonnō jōi justification used to overthrow the former Tokugawa shogunate . Saigō Takamori , one of the senior Satsuma leaders in the Meiji government who had initially supported

5070-437: The side of the neck and shoulders. The forearms, wrists, and hands are protected by long, thickly padded fabric gloves called kote ( 小手 ) . The torso is protected by a breastplate ( 胴 , dō ) , while the waist and groin area are protected by the tare ( 垂れ ) , consisting of three thick vertical fabric flaps or faulds . The clothing worn under the bōgu comprise a jacket ( kendogi or keikogi ) and hakama ,

5148-441: The support of the governor of Satsuma, who appointed disaffected samurai to political offices, where they came to dominate the Kagoshima government. Support for Saigō was so strong that Satsuma had effectively seceded from the central government by the end of 1876. As per the 1873 conscription law, Japan was divided into six military districts with conscripts drawn by lots, with seven years service (three active and four reserve) for

5226-412: The tip of the shinai or bokutō . Protective armor is worn to protect specified target areas on the head, arms, and body. The head is protected by a stylized helmet, called men ( 面 ) , with a metal grille ( 面金 , men-gane ) to protect the face, a series of hard leather and fabric flaps ( 突垂れ , tsuki-dare ) to protect the throat, and padded fabric flaps ( 面垂れ , men-dare ) to protect

5304-531: The two of them collaborated to improve what would become modern kendo training armor. Shūsaku Narimasa Chiba ( 千葉 周作 成政 , 1792–1855) , founder of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法), introduced gekiken (撃剣) (full contact duels with bamboo swords and training armor) to the curriculum of tradition arts in the 1820s. Due to the large number of students of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō at

5382-399: The wartime militarization of martial arts instruction in Japan. The DNBK was also disbanded. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950, first as "shinai competition" ( 竹刀競技 , shinai kyōgi ) and then as kendo in 1952. The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) was founded in 1952, immediately after Japan's independence was restored and the ban on martial arts in Japan

5460-412: The wrists, head, or body, all of which are protected by armor. The targets are men , sayu-men or Yoko-men (upper, left or right side of the men ), the right kote at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position, and the left or right side of the dō . Thrusts ( 突き , tsuki ) are only allowed to the throat. However, since an incorrectly performed thrust could cause serious injury to

5538-556: Was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government of Japan , nine years into the Meiji era . Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain , which had been influential in the Restoration and became home to unemployed samurai after military reforms rendered their status obsolete. The rebellion lasted from 29 January until 24 September of 1877, when it was decisively crushed, and its leader, Saigō Takamori ,

5616-429: Was caught in a pincer attack. However, the Satsuma army was able to cut its way free from encirclement. By August 17, the Satsuma army had been reduced to 3000 combatants, and had lost most of its modern firearms and all of its artillery. The surviving rebels made a stand on the slopes of Mount Enodake, and were soon surrounded. Determined not to let the rebels escape again, Yamagata sent in a large force which outnumbered

5694-495: Was decided that the Imperial Japanese Army would need to be sent to Kagoshima to prevent the revolt from spreading to other areas of the country sympathetic to Saigō. On the same day, Saigō met with his lieutenants Kirino Toshiaki and Shinohara Kunimoto and announced his intention of marching to Tokyo to ask questions of the government. Rejecting large numbers of volunteers, he made no attempt to contact any of

5772-466: Was interpreted by some as a sign of divine support. The Satsuma vanguard crossed into Kumamoto Prefecture on February 14. The commandant of Kumamoto Castle , Major General Tani Tateki had 3,800 soldiers and 600 policemen at his disposal. However, most of the garrison was from Kyūshū, while a significant number of officers were natives of Kagoshima; their loyalties were open to question. Rather than risk desertions or defections, Tani decided to stand on

5850-647: Was lifted. It was formed on the principle of kendo not as a martial art , but as educational sport and it has continued to be practiced as such to this day. The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was founded in April 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo federations, and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organization , and it aims to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo . The International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF), established in Kyoto 1952,

5928-414: Was one of the most intense campaigns of the war. Imperial forces emerged victorious, but with heavy casualties on both sides. Each side had suffered more than 4,000 killed or wounded. After his failure to take Kumamoto, Saigō led his followers on a seven-day march to Hitoyoshi. Morale was extremely low, and lacking any strategy, the Satsuma forces dug in to wait for the next Imperial Army offensive. However,

6006-540: Was shot and mortally wounded. Saigō's rebellion was the last and most serious of a series of armed uprisings against the new government of the Empire of Japan , the predecessor state to modern Japan . The rebellion was very expensive for the government, which forced it to make numerous monetary reforms including leaving the gold standard . The conflict effectively ended the samurai class and ushered in modern warfare fought by conscript soldiers instead of military nobles. It

6084-471: Was the first international organization founded since WWII to promote the development of martial arts worldwide. Today, IMAF includes kendo as one of the Japanese disciplines. Practitioners of kendo are called kendōka ( 剣道家 ) , meaning "someone who practices kendo", or occasionally kenshi ( 剣士 ) , meaning "swordsman". Additionally, the old term of kendoists is sometimes used. The Kodansha Meibo,

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