Can Kendo be used as a self defence?

[Masahikokobe]

Yeah i was thinking, could it? Cause i was almost mugged couple of weeks ago (long story and for poeple who live in sydney dont go to beverly hills after 9pm) and the guy who tried to mug me goes to my high school and im not going to seek revenge.

[Enderin]

well...

if you have a sword with you, and you know how to use it (you do kendo for enough time) i guess you could... but with a sword i mean, bokken / katana
not shinai because thats not painful enough to cause any demage

[satoshi]

I think you do develop awareness about things that goes on around you, so one may be able to avoid unwanted troubles. Perhaps footwork and sense of distance are helpful as well.

[Enderin]

Zanshin is also important, few days ago we went to a kendo demonstration at Jerusalem, and we had all our equipment at one place, so we had to participate the demonstration and also guard our equipment so my sempai told me guard the equipment with Zanshin, I thought to myself, hi! thats a pretty good way to practice zanshin

I think its the first time i understood Zanshin and its meaning, so you could use Zanshin to be aware of everything and be ready, it might sound alittle stupid, but it gives you a very good chance to practice kendo zanshin and also, fun :)

[GrandCentral9]

A shinai hit to an unprotected head or wrist would hurt quite a bit... If you used enough power, you could also probably crack some ribs. The human skeleton is a fragile thing.

[Enderin]

oh btw, about revange, hire a ninja!

[yangs]

In sense of developing your own body, kendo could use as a self defence. However, Kendo today (especially the one use in Shiai) does not have much power in real life fighting. First, it does not have any cut below wist and not much cuts horizontally. Second, swords are not everwhere, you won't be carying your sword everywhere you go.

I and one of my friend who practice nanchaku and we fought each other. He wears kendo armor without kote and uses a foamed nanchaku so we can both strike each other. If face to face from a normal kendo distance, I basically won every time. However, he then start to attack my legs with his body crouched. Or douge down every time I attack him. And I have a hard time wining him. There are too many restrictions in kendo today which make it not capable of using in real life fight.

[Nanbanjin]

Yeah i was thinking, could it? Cause i was almost mugged couple of weeks ago (long story and for poeple who live in sydney dont go to beverly hills after 9pm) and the guy who tried to mug me goes to my high school and im not going to seek revenge.

You have more chance of suffering ill health or dying from obesity than you do from being beaten up. Keep up the kendo to keep obesity at bay if nothing else.

[darkluc3]

but with a sword i mean, bokken / katana
not shinai because thats not painful enough to cause any demage


hehe try a tsuki with the shinai and you'll se if it doesn't cause any damage :D
(i think a good tsuki could also kill...)

[Enderin]

hehe try a tsuki with the shinai and you'll se if it doesn't cause any damage :D
(i think a good tsuki could also kill...)
well thats true, but its very painful and unnice to do a tsuki to someobody

*angel face*

[DCPan]

Read the review of "Dueling with O-Sensei" in the current issue of Kendo-World.

Ellis Amdur covers the "what if there are thugs" bit quite nicely.

To find out more, try Edgework - Crisis Intervention Training (http://www.ellisamdur.com/)

[Hai_hai]

Yeah i was thinking, could it? Cause i was almost mugged couple of weeks ago (long story and for poeple who live in sydney dont go to beverly hills after 9pm) and the guy who tried to mug me goes to my high school and im not going to seek revenge.
The answer is no. You would want to study hand-to-hand combat-based martial art for self-defense.

[Nishi]

The answer is no. You would want to study hand-to-hand combat-based martial art for self-defense.

Agreed, you should be looking toward hand-hand stuff! (brazilian jui-jitsu IMO).

[Will]

Obviously we all keep forgetting the teachings of Sensei Brian Wilkes and his Street Kendo instructional video

http://espytv.com/mpegs/Street%20Kendo.mp4

[AGLkenshi]

Once me and a friend tried some kendo "experiments" (you know, the kind that if your sensei saw he would beat you up and tell you to work on kirikaeshi :) ) and one of them was what if a guy with a knife broke into your house and you had a bokken lying around your bedroom, how would you defend yourself?
So I had a shinai, and my friend was holding some small piece of something or other as the "knife" and he came at me like a common thug with a knife. The interesting thing was, as a kendoist we are not too worried about being in close contact (tsubazeri, etc) although in any real fight, it would be a pretty bad situation to be in, especially with live blades. And though a men hit to the head could potentially knock the other guy out, it seemed the best thing to do was wait for his lunge (the atgtacker probably would not be too afraid of some guy in his pajamas with a wooden stick) and hit a good kote to disarm him as soon as possible. If you miss that opportunity and let him get inside the bokken, you are pretty much screwed, so keep him at bay.

of course its hard to say for sure without trying the actual situation, but its interesting to think about.

[Kozushi]

If you have anything to use as a weapon: like a bottle or stick or knife or hammer or something, your kendo strength and speed with help you hit very fast and hard. Of course Kendo is useful for self-defence!
Remember, indoors the Samurai used the wakizashi, not the katana. One handed weapons are better for indoors self-defence.

[Hai_hai]

If you have anything to use as a weapon: like a bottle or stick or knife or hammer or something...
...or donut or herring or gun.

[litige]

...or donut

My favorites, the donut choke or the poisoned kryspy kream.

[Kirin]

if you understand concept of 'saya no uchi',
you probably can avoid or wont be in ugly situations :wink:

[Melancoholic]

Kendo does help in a few ways:
---
1) increases your awareness of the opponent (zanshin)
2) increases your reflexes, speed and response to incoming attacks.
3) develops your fighting spirit (not afraid to get hit)
4) if properly armed, several ways to seriously hurt them quickly.

However, the general answer in my opinion is no. Why? The biggest reason is that self-defense is most often called upon in situations where you're not expecting. In other words, you will not have a shinai/bokkuto/katana on hand. But, assuming you did, or you have a comparable object (i.e., a pool cue), remember that all our training is one-on-one, and our locations of damage are limited by a set of rules. Lastly, kendo is kind of an all-or-nothing mindset. If our strike doesn't disable/kill, or if it misses, and the opponent gets in close, that's where kendo training ends and it's up to another martial art to help you through the fight.

[mingshi]

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."
- Obi-wan

[Nanbanjin]

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."
- Obi-wan
"These aren't the 'roids you're looking for."
- Marion Jones

[mingshi]

"These aren't the 'roids you're looking for."
- Marion Jones
WOW!! IT WORKS!!

See, I can defend myself across half of the globe!! :D

[Nanbanjin]

WOW!! IT WORKS!!

See, I can defend myself across half of the globe!! :D

I'll pay that one. Ippon!

[Paburo]

my aikido sensei used to say that the best self defense in the world was running the 100m flat in less than ten seconds. wise man indeed.

this great concept has a lot to do with those nice japanese thoughts mentioned before as 'sayanouchi' and 'mutekatsu'.

NOW, if you find yourself cornered among a bunch of dirty dangerous crooks(thus meaning you lacked zanshin and now youre gonna pay for it), this is how you can take advantage of your kendo skill.

-fumikomi their feet. specially harmful if theyre wearing sandals(beach thugs??)
-if youre on the bulky side or just plain bold macho man/tomboy girl, then tai atari like a bulldozer, and then fumikomi the enemy whilst it lies on the floor. while using...
-your powerful KIAI to cuss like no kendoka has cussed before. if they yell, yell louder and crush their self steem!
-if youre an english gentleman, or just happen to be walking with an umbrella or a walking cane... well, this point is kinda obvious. if life was an ippon shoubu, you better win this time.
-use okuri-ashi to succesfully avoid (sharp)flying objects.
-drunken style of kendo consists in smashing any given liquor bottle at hand on your opponents head while screaming MEEEEeEeEEEEeeeeeeEEEEEEEEN!

and always remember, your life is worth much more than anything you can carry on your wallet. so dont be a fool, dont carry too much cash just in case (monetary zanshin, if you may).

[Masahikokobe]

Zanshin is also important, few days ago we went to a kendo demonstration at Jerusalem, and we had all our equipment at one place, so we had to participate the demonstration and also guard our equipment so my sempai told me guard the equipment with Zanshin, I thought to myself, hi! thats a pretty good way to practice zanshin

I think its the first time i understood Zanshin and its meaning, so you could use Zanshin to be aware of everything and be ready, it might sound alittle stupid, but it gives you a very good chance to practice kendo zanshin and also, fun :)First of all what is "Zanshin", i ve only been doing kendo for..... i think 4 months.
And sorry i cant run 100 metres in 10 seconds but very wise words.

[Nanbanjin]

First of all what is "Zanshin", i ve only been doing kendo for..... i think 4 months.
And sorry i cant run 100 metres in 10 seconds but very wise words.

"Zanshin" translates to "overused kendo expression" in Japanese.
Sometimes it translates as "I don't really know". In this form it is used as a general criticism when you can't think of anything intelligent to say. If you are asked what is wrong with someone's technique adopt a solemn expression and declare "Not enough zanshin".

[Lloromannic]

Dunno about deense but it can be used as offense. Last year there was a street fight between two street vendor syndicates (they actually killed the leader of one of them). It was in broad daylight and there was one clip showed by all the tv news and newspapers. Some bloke performing a perfect men (fumikomi and all) with a long club on someone else.


Sometimes it translates as "I don't really know". In this form it is used as a general criticism when you can't think of anything intelligent to say. If you are asked what is wrong with someone's technique adopt a solemn expression and declare "Not enough zanshin". It is certainly better than the one used on my sensei: Declaring that "the match has ended" when there is still two minutes to go (he was one point down). Immediatly we protested and the time keeper sheepishly admitted that he "forgot it was a 5 minutes shiai). And then sensei's opponent did not want to return because he had "already won". Eventually he came back and lost in 10 seconds.

[tapioka]

-drunken style of kendo consists in smashing any given liquor bottle at hand on your opponents head while screaming MEEEEeEeEEEEeeeeeeEEEEEEEEN!


if I personally was a thug (which I am not) I'd be a little confused as to why this little twit who I am attacking is screaming "men"--this guy must have some issues with the human male species. ;)

and besides the alertness of your surroundings and zanshin that kendo builds on you, I think its philosophical teachings are somewhat helpful. for example, "there is no courage if there is no fear."

[dorkusxmaximus]

Of course you can used it as a form of self-defense! I always use kendo to protect myself from the likes of Tapioka :cool: . She's a hardcore thug :ko: . Remember Tapioka, breath, stretch, shake, let it go~ =P. i'm so going to get it tomorrow LOL. On a more serious note, the best self-defense is to run and use any means necessary to escape. That advice is given by most MAs or teachers. What's with everyone being all gung-ho about taking on the burglar/attacker anyway? It may seem cowardly and it would be way more hardcore to face your attacker. What if the attacker had a gun instead? A loss of a few posessions isn't as important as the loss of human life. Think about it. Although, I think a good Kiai and tsuki will do the trick mwahahaha.

[tapioka]

harhar, dorkus. if I'm a thug, you're a mafia leader!!! :p and yes, you are definitely paying for this tomorrow.

but ignoring that, I agree with dorkus. what if the guy is a taekwondo black belt? if it's that, against maybe a kenshi with a yard stick, I'd be a little worried...

[Masahikokobe]

Yes but the person that tried to rob me goes to my school, and it is very unlikely that he has a gun for a.... i think 17 year old. I would run but they might actually catch up to me then im in a whole world of trouble. And i hope i dont encounter him again when i dont have my shinai bag with me 8(

[dorkusxmaximus]

You found out my secret :cool: . That's why nobody punks me around except for you T_T, Tapioka.

You apparently haven't been to a school in the states =P. Anyway, why aren't you telling anybody about this? There are many ways out of a situation like this. One, is to run to a place full of people. They won't dare to touch you with wtinesses. Use your head. :smoker:

[Haowen]

Yes but the person that tried to rob me goes to my school, and it is very unlikely that he has a gun for a.... i think 17 year old. I would run but they might actually catch up to me then im in a whole world of trouble. And i hope i dont encounter him again when i dont have my shinai bag with me 8(

What kind of school is this? School for Thugs? Thieves' Guild? Just report them to someone in authority, for godssake.

If you start hitting people with weapons you'll be the one to get in trouble, regardless of whether you're being robbed or not.

[KhawMengLee]

Yeah i was thinking, could it? Cause i was almost mugged couple of weeks ago (long story and for poeple who live in sydney dont go to beverly hills after 9pm) and the guy who tried to mug me goes to my high school and im not going to seek revenge.

Well...nothing works better than your legs. Run away.

Sensei Benjamin Hazard told me that judo lets you percieve attacks at arms length but kendo allows you to percieve the attack at swords length. I suppose if you have a stick or shinai it will give you an advantage...

At the same time I was at a seminar held by the guys who train the Australian Defence force in unarmed combat and they basically say, if you can avoid the conflict, do it. If they(attacker) has a knife, run away.

[Zaphiel]

Yeah i was thinking, could it? Cause i was almost mugged couple of weeks ago (long story and for poeple who live in sydney dont go to beverly hills after 9pm) and the guy who tried to mug me goes to my high school and im not going to seek revenge.
well if you always carry a shinai around with you......:)
no .....yes you can...if you have jet learned to put ALL of your strengh in one good placed strike it can be used as self protection

[tapioka]

I agree with lotsa people here--RUN. don't even look at him, just RUN. it's harder to shoot a moving target then one that's standing in kamae with a shinai (or any sort of long weapon for that matter).

[Masahikokobe]

what happens if he is a good shot?!? yeh i already planned if he comes near me then i'll report it, cause the guy gave me his name when he was trying to mug me and he had been in suspension for a long time.

[Melancoholic]

what happens if he is a good shot?!?

Back when I was taking Tae Kwon Do, our teacher would give us snippets of self-defense advice among the lessons. One that I remember was that if someone has a gun pointed at you in their right hand, run off to their right so that they would have to move their arm outwards to shoot you. Supposedly people aim better if their shooting arm moves inward (i.e., the gun moves to the left in their right hand).

Don't know how true this is (I've never been shot at, thankfully :redface:), but maybe something to consider

[Masahikokobe]

Ill keep that in mind, thanks for the advice melancoholic-san.

[Kote-Men]

YOu dont need kendo. Just pick up this book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1581603177/qid=1094065517/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/102-2702993-3255317?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[nalogg]

YOu dont need kendo. Just pick up this book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1581603177/qid=1094065517/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/102-2702993-3255317?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
HAHA that book sounds awesome.

i gotta pick one up!