By Naveed Mustaghfar


You'll find many traditional fighting styles and among the well-known ones are those that involve the use of classical weapons. Shinkendo, a Japanese martial art form, is one traditional style of martial art that preserves the strategies of ancient sword fighting.

Shinkendo is targeted on teaching the samurai classical sword techniques. Although it has been centuries since the samurai fighters existed in Japan, their art of fighting has been preserved. Even though the practice of sword techniques are not intended for self-defense, they do give many other attributes and benefits associated with training in the art. Mostly, practitioners are able to improve their concentration skills and personal discipline as they gain proficiency in this battlefield art.

Shinkendo was developed by Toshishiro Obata. He perfected traditional Japanese swordsmanship by learning different styles. This is certainly considered interesting because he was primarily an Aikido student. A lot of the moves in Aikido trace their origins to sword fighting methods. Thus, it seems Obata was able to learn the art of the sword by mastering Aikido. Over time, his study expanded into many different sword arts which led to his developing expertise in the art.

Because his skill had become rather evident, he was able to found his own system. This system is, needless to say, Shinkendo which is translated as "Way of the Real Sword". The translation's symbolic meaning could have many interpretations. One interpretation could be that it's the "real" approach to practicing the art. Another way to interpret it is that it's putting in a real effort toward mastering swordsmanship.

Training in Shinkendo requires a number of classical learning techniques. A few of these methods include one- and two-step sparring, forms training, and sword exercises (including movement, drawing, and cutting objects). An actual sword is utilized by the students when they carry out cutting exercises. A wooden sword is employed by the students when they're carrying out the other training exercises. This is to promote safety and avoid serious accidents while in training.

A whole lot of coordination and accuracy should be used when handling a sword. In general, it is best for rookies to start out slow and try to get the moves down right as opposed to leaping into the more advanced moves which call for fine motor skills. Although training the basic swinging and drawing moves of Shinkendo might be tedious at first, you'll discover that they provide the basic foundation for the movements which call for more coordination later in your training. With determination and practice, the basic movements will become ingrained in you which means you should be able to use them reflexively and without thinking.

Such skill will never develop immediately but the dedication required to become highly talented will pay off in several rewarding ways. Not the least of which will be your ability to take pleasure in your accomplishments of perfecting a unique style of martial art of historical and cultural beginnings.

Japanese sword instruction is one thing of a lifelong journey. Even the masters take into account themselves to become humble students, constantly striving for perfection and constantly feeling that they can execute a cut cleaner, faster and with far more precision.

As such, even the basics are subject to continual refinement, and it truly is most undoubtedly a journey very best began with proper instruction under the watchful eye of a qualified teacher.

However for all those that are curious as to what to count on inside a JSA (Japanese Sword Art) dojo, or others using a purely academic interest, this post is at the very least, a tentative introduction to the mindsets and coaching methodologies in the arts as a whole.

Partially this can be done for safety reasons (immediately after all, its stands to purpose that a dojo filled with sword wielding students can be a dangerous spot to become!) and partially it truly is done to cultivate the best spirit of respect and reverence for the art along with the sword itself.




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