Kendo [Hardcover]

Kiyota (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0710304749 | ISBN-13: 978-0710304742 | Publication Date: January 7, 1995 | Edition: 1

This work considers an ancient yet timeless art and its profound philosophy, which aims to enhance personal growth through the cultivation of body and mind. Kendo is the modern version of Japanese swordsmanship, and modern kendo, which transmits the ancient swordsman tradition and life-view, has attracted many practitioners. Its aim is to tame the ego and discover the true self, but this process goes far beyond the realm of the intellect, and penetrates the sphere of what the Buddhists and kendo practitioners refer to as "mushin" - an altered state of consciousness. "Kendo" is a two-edged sword; it can be used for destructive purposes or for constructive purposes (katsujin-ken). It is in this area of human thought that kendo discipline bears distinct meaning today - an area of thought realized through an existential paradox; that the discipline of destruction forms the basis of the discipline of construction. The manner in which one responds to this paradox is the essence of "bushido" - the way of those who practice kendo. This seminal work describes the discipline of swordsmanship cultivated by the samurai in medieval and pre-modern Japan, and shows the relevance of the discipline today. Buddhism was a major influence on kendo and in this work Buddhist philosophy and socio-political history are used as a background to facilitate a better understanding of kendo as a popular culture and a direct means to personal growth.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0710304749
• ISBN-13: 978-0710304742
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,694,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly work, May 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Kendo (Hardcover)

First the warning: DO NOT buy this book if you're after a reference book on technique -- you'd be very sadly disappointed, and considering the price of this book, it could be a rather costly mistake. This is not to say that the book is bad - quite to the contrary, on topics that the author covers he does so rather well. My only real complaint is that it is slightly uneven, different themes are not very well related and connected.

The book is broken down to five major chapters:

I. What is Kendo? II. The Impact of Buddhist Thought on the Development of Swordmanship III. The Development of Swordmanship IV. The Development of Bushido, the Code of the Samurai V. The Modern Period

The first chapter is one of the best overviews of fundamental kendo concepts that I have seen anywhere, dealing with issues like mushin, ki-ken-tai-ichi, kiai, zanshin, suki and dojo reigi. The author has explained and evaluated those concepts through a buddhist point of view, which in my opinion proved to be a very good approach.

The second paragraph takes this approach further and deals with general issues of buddhist thought and meditation as a way of achieving mental calm and thus being closely related to japanese sword arts.

The next two chapters dive into history, and take a seriously dedicated reader to work through. And the last chapter attempts to sum it all up, but doesn't quite manage it.

There's a lot of interesting information in there for serious and dedicated reader -- but it's probably not enough to justify the hefty price but to select few. However, if you are really interested in the development of the swordmanship in medieval Japan, it might be just your cup of tea.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM KENDO?, June 22, 2001

By 

Joaquim Coelho (Lisboa, Portugal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kendo: Its Philosophy, History and Means to Personal Growth (Paperback)

When you start reading this book you almost feel like facing a kendoka with a very strong kamae. He reaches you easylly but you cannot, no matter what, reach him. It's not a book about kendo techniques, kata or whatever. It's about everything else that's around kendo. It's roots, it's principles, and yes, as Minoru puts it in the cover, it's philosophy. It's hard too read, specially if you're a westerner kendo student, practicing it as if you were doing aerobics or tae-bo. So, my advice is: wait a year or two until you realize if kendo is really your DO.