Why Kendo?

[samurai-x]

one of my kinda younger friends just asked me the reason 2 b obsessed wid kendo wen guns don take a second 2 kill!!pretty idiotic:confused2..i shooed him off but then i came 2 think on the matter-i tried 2 explain 2 him dat kendo is not used for killing but 2 protect others but just doesn't give in!!so i advised him 2 refer 2 the best site(dis one)where he'll get the answers grom the best kendo practitioners and followers....
please help ----

[KendokaJim]

First off, if you are in fact serious... kendo is not for self-defense or "protecting others" as you put it. It is for personal development and growth, nothing more. That's not to say that personal growth isn't important, but that is what I see as the "reason" for doing Kendo. It probably won't help you if someone is pointing a gun at you, except maybe to help you stay calm under the pressure. Physical conditioning is also a great benefit, and well, I think kendo looks cool, too.

[joekc6nlx]

Even Bruce Lee said the ultimate martial arts weapon was a loaded .45 automatic from across the room. There was no way he could defend against that weapon.

One other thing, Samurai-X, would you please not use chatroom typing in your posts? It's one thing to use it when you're chatting with your friends, but quite another when you are posting to a forum. Thanks in advance.

[Kirsty]

This looks like one of those "Swords vs. Guns" topics. You're thinking of real swords. In kendo, we use wooden swords and bogu so we won't get hurt. Kendo is not for protecting others or killing. And as KendokaJim already said, Kendo won't help you against a gun. If you are going to get in an argument about swords and guns, I think you should keep kendo out of it. Your friend will never agree with you. You can't prove that swords are better than guns, but you can prove that kendo is really cool. I'm not in kendo to learn self-defense. I'm in kendo because its fun and it helps me to be stronger and outgoing. And if you were wondering, I like swords a lot more than guns....obviously. ^_^

[LarsCW]

I don't see kendo as a self defense martial art, it's not like you are walking around with your shinai or a sword the whole day.

For me it's more the mental part and the physical part.

[Anime12478]

It could be self defense if someone were to walk up to you with a shinai on the street and wanted to whack you with it. But that is unlikely to happen. If it does, you'd most likely be able to beat the other person cause it's doubtful that they take Kendo anyways.

[Ninjujinkaku]

sword vs gun is like guns vs bombs, why shoot someone when you can call an airstrike and kill alot more of them?

[ChaShu]

If you consider that in most countries, carrying traditional weapons (swords, chucks, sais, even baseball bats sometimes, etc...) are generally considered illegal, then most traditional armed martial arts are not quite practical for self-defense. I believe that people take martial arts (in the traditional sense) mainly for one, or several, of five reasons:

Self-defense
Physical conditioning
Personal development/spiritual/self-discovery
Sporting Competition
"Macho" mentalities ("Hey, I've got a black belt, you know...", for example)
Of the five reasons, I believe that kenshi tend to start kendo for the bottom four reasons, but tend to stay for the middle three, as those who usually join for the macho aspect tend to balk at the work and mental component involved. If your friend is so focussed on the whole self defense aspect, tell him to check this website out:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

It will set straight the misconceptions of real life self defense on the street.

[kuzu70]

If I had a katana, I could probably block the bullets and take out a guy with a gun. After all I am pretty skilled at kendo........right!

[Neil Gendzwill]

I believe that people take martial arts (in the traditional sense) mainly for one, or several, of five reasons:

Self-defense
Physical conditioning
Personal development/spiritual/self-discovery
Sporting Competition
"Macho" mentalities
In the kendo case there are at least 3 more reasons -

interest in Japanese culture
interest in anime/manga/chambara
interest in swords in general, nihonto specifically
I've actually found very few who start up kendo for reasons 1 or 5 in your original list. People who stay long-term find their own reasons for doing so, but 2 through 4 are common, as well as finding that they like kendo in and of itself.

[Halcyon]

Don't forget the "second dojo" effect of sticking with kendo. I have to say, I've made some pretty damn good friends through kendo. And I love the fact that you can go to a totally unfamiliar city and become instantly plugged into a ready-made group of friends after you practice with them. As I like to say, there's nothing like hitting people over the head to bring them together!

[Kikuchiyo]

I haven't avtually done kendo yet, but from what I've read here and in books and such, I think the best reason for doing kendo is for the spirit. That strong, aggressive, fearless spirit, which is probably the best weapon against life. That's why I want to do kendo. You can't really be proud of shooting someone, but you can be proud for having a good, strong spirit.

[ChaShu]

In the kendo case there are at least 3 more reasons -

interest in Japanese culture
interest in anime/manga/chambara
interest in swords in general, nihonto specifically
I've actually found very few who start up kendo for reasons 1 or 5 in your original list. People who stay long-term find their own reasons for doing so, but 2 through 4 are common, as well as finding that they like kendo in and of itself.
VERY valid points Neil (may I call you Neil?). I do know quite a few kenshi who had started kendo because of one of the three you've mentioned above. Reading some of the posts on the various budo forums seem to indicate that many people are in it due to media portrayals (Kill Bill, Last Samurai, Karate Kid in my day, Bruce Lee films, etc...) as well. :D

[Frame]

why do people play football? Or do any other martial art/sport?

dude for the fun of it...........

[Nabeel]

For me, the 3 reasons Neil stated for be the major reasons why I'm joining. I think he got it spot on.

As for ChaSu's points, it would be 3 and to some extend 4. I think personal development through kendo is a very subjective matter. We know that this is the 'official' purpose of kendo, but I find it hard to believe if anyone joins kendo mostly for this purpose. I think it's hard for a logical mind to comprehend self development through swinging a bamboo sword around.

For me, while I have other unrelated initial motives, I keep the official purpose of kendo in mind because self development through kendo is not something I readily understand, but want to discover and experience for myself.

[tokon]

I believe that people take martial arts (in the traditional sense) mainly for one, or several, of five reasons:

Self-defense
Physical conditioning
Personal development/spiritual/self-discovery
Sporting Competition
"Macho" mentalities ("Hey, I've got a black belt, you know...", for example)
I´m missing the most important reason for getting started with kendo!

Fun
without it, it doesn´t work.
kendo isn´t that kind of martial art lot of people do believe. it´s not a meditative meeting in which people do sit around being lost in meditation. kendo is a full-contact martial art. you can get hurt sometimes, you can get blisters on your feet and your hands, you can get hematomas, training can be somestimes really hart (sometimes you do not feel your arms anymore), and sometimes you may feel your lung burning....and without fun on the movements, without fun beating one´s weaker self every training, you will miss, and you will quit practicing kendo. fun is all and everything. and laughing with your training-mates before/during/after training is one of the best things in life.
i´ve seen people starting with kendo, because they have been enthusiastic for the japanese culture, jap. history, jap. swords, samurai/ninja-myths, or just because they love jap. comic art. some of them have started to learn japanese. it´s great, and can be a great motivation for starting, but it´s not enough. you must feel that love for that kind of intensive + hard training, and you have to do it with fun, or you won´t stand it.
of course kendo does have a lot of spirituality in it. it´s one of the most traditional ancient martial arts after kyudo. you can feel a little bit of the ghost of bushi. that kind of offensive never-giving-up ghost inside them, proud being a bushi, always being prepared to attack, to attack the opponent at his weakest moment, and not to hesitate to attack. seeing the opportunity and attacking it at the same time without thinking about it. but always under self-control, and never loosing jap. etiquette and act of courtesy. that´s the ghost of kendo; that´s how you will change practicing kendo - physically and mentally....you have a goal, then get started to achive it. don´t give up! take every chance, and don´t hesitate. it´s like in training.
beating your weaker-self during every training you will learn it. it shows you, how much you do have inside of you. and it´s hard, it´s a long and stony path, but do it with fun! it makes it easier!! ;-)

[ChaShu]

Fun! Definitely fun! I'm loving it and enjoying all of it! :D Well, except maybe for the painful walk to the locker room after practice, otherwise, tons of fun! By the way, a few months ago, there was an article called "The Black Ships Of Kendo" (http://www.kendo-world.com/articles/web/korea/index.php) on this site and, avoiding all the kendo/kumdo debates here, there was an interesting list of reasons the author believes that people join any kind of budo.

[LarsCW]

Fun it is for sure.
Tonight I have put my first shinai together, before we have been taught by our sensei so I am looking forward if i did it right.

I'm not going to use this shinai to train with till my sensei told me I did it right thou even thou everything looks right.

The fun of learning new things.