Old style Kendo

Tom_Urso · **Posted:** Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:18 pm

I just found a demo from the 1950's that briefly shows how different kendo was just a few decades ago. Here you will see some grappling and take down techniques. According to my Kum Do sabumnim, chokes were also allowed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQlx6CZMOo

Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks

Casey Rogers · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:16 am

Thanks for posting the link.

The host of the TV show stated that the kihaps were yelled by either of the two kendoists when they received a valid hit. Is that true?

Tom_Urso · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:52 am

Perhaps the rules have changed in the last 50 years but I think it is more likely the host was incorrect in his explanation. The scoring in kendo/kum do is rather complicated & confusing to the spectator so rather than attempting to explain it entirely, I will just talk about the ki-hap. When I make a cut, I need to ki-hap the target area...men/mori, kote/sonmok, do/hori & tsuki/chirum. So it's not so much receiving the valid hit as it is delivering it.

Thanks

Anthony Boyd · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:40 pm

It was an interesting watch. It's too bad 'society' keeps protecting us from things like learning self-defense.

I have to admit that a part of me kept hoping they'd destroy the set as their demonstration progressed.
:wink:

Ron Mottern · **Posted:** Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:04 am

Interesting. As for the kihap, as Tom said, even a strong hit is invalid if the attack doesn't contain all three elements of correct technique, spirit and body positioning. This is why it looks like people are making scoring hits but they really aren't.

As for the sweeps, it is said that kendo practice at Yamaoka Tesshu's Muto Ryu dojo was really something to behold in the old days! Apparently, flying bodies were rather the norm. :shock:

John Jacobs · **Joined:** Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 190

Nice clip. It reminds me of the following passage from Darrell Craig's "The Heart of Kendo". He writes:

Quote:

Finally, after several months, I got the courage to ask Sensei, "How can I possibly hit your kote if you keep moving it?" He just smiled, took hold of my men (face protector), and twisted it so that I landed on my back. He quickly sat on the grille - which I was still wearing - grabbed the bottom of my do (chest armor), and proceeded to choke me unconscious with its top. I never asked many questions after that. He just led and I followed, which is really the best way.

[...]

Quote:

Shortly thereafter, we were visited by a delegation from California informing Sensei that he was teaching pre-World War II kendo that was no longer acceptable in modern shiai. I received this news happily. My days of hip throws, foot sweeps, and head twisting - at least in kendo - came virtually to a close.

Old style Kendo

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