What is the difference between Chinese swordsmanship and Japanese kendo?

Chinese Swordsmanship and Japanese Kendo Comparison

People's understanding of the traditional Chinese sword, there are two extreme views: one is that the Chinese sword art is so subtle and magical that all similar martial arts in the world in the face of the Chinese sword art, are not enough to lightly talk about the opponents to clean up; the second is to be presumptuous, that the Chinese sword is a flowery frame, unbearable. These two views are wrong. Traditional Chinese swordsmanship has its own profound theories, unique techniques and feats, and a wealth of practical experience. Kendo is one of the outstanding legacies of Japanese traditional culture and has a long history. As a weapon on the battlefield, the Japanese sword (kendo) continued to be practiced until the end of World War II (which ended in 1945). Kendo was transformed into a competitive sport and is still enjoyed by the people of Japan

today.

Kendo has a strong practicality, and fighting to win is the purpose of its development. Kendo can be practiced for physical exercise, self-defense and self-defense skills, and to cultivate a brave and strong will and an understanding of traditional Japanese culture. Kendo is a compulsory subject in Japanese universities and high schools. Kendo has a very high status in Japan and is honored as a national skill along with Judo, and the people are proud to have a high level of kendo.

The art of kendo is contrasted to emphasize the characteristics of Chinese swordplay.

In Japanese history, the samurai class in ancient Japan was a ruling class that gained dominance by conquering other lords with their superior kendo skills. Therefore, from the very beginning, kendo was characterized by an offensive stance, with a style of technique that was fierce and courageous, subduing people with guts and strength.

Today's Japanese Kendo no longer takes the form of fighting with steel swords (Japanese swords), but uses bamboo swords. The bamboo sword consists of four bamboo pieces, which are held in place by a leather wrapped head, a center hoop, a hand guard plate and a hilt. The specifications of Kendo swords have been standardized into three specifications for college students, high school students, and middle school bulls, with a length of about 1 to 1.18 meters. Kendo is a two-handed grip, so the hilt is longer, and the two-handed grip is designed to enhance the power of the fighting thrust. For players in the competition to play a full range of chopping and stabbing fighting techniques and safety, kendo competition using specialized protective gear, including: mask (helmet), carcass armor (chest protector), protective clothing, gloves and so on. Protective gear is relatively bulky.

Kendo technology is mainly two-handed sword chopping and stabbing. Defensive techniques are picking the sword, dodging, and blocking. Stance and footwork is mainly two people relative frontal attack and defense, so the stance and footwork movement is not large. In offense, the sword is often lifted over the top of the head in order to increase the power of the blow. As can be seen from the above introduction, the development, technical style and cultural tradition of Japanese kendo is completely different from that of Chinese swordsmanship. The fundamental differences are as follows:

1. Different historical and cultural backgrounds

Chinese swordsmanship was already utilized in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770 to 221 BC) from the chariot and foot battles between two armies. At that time, the formation battle was won by the art of war, that is to say, strategically winning, emphasizing the battle of wits rather than the battle of bravery. This kind of strategic environs want to penetrate into the single soldier's swordsmanship is inseparable from the traditional Chinese cultural background. Traditional Chinese philosophical thinking does not worship the strong, and the moral concept is to support the weak. This is reflected in the swordsmanship of the time. It is not about strength, it is not about intelligence, it is not about courage, it is about winning with the weak. At that time, there were many examples of the battle of the few over the many, the weak over the strong. The training of single soldiers focuses on mobility and flexibility, so the weapons and armor equipment are relatively light. Swordsmanship was also very versatile.

Japanese culture developed late, in the Middle Ages (late twelfth to sixteenth centuries A.D.), the emergence of samurai culture and Zen thought. An account of Zen and samurai culture in A Cultural History of Japan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 1987 edition) states, "After the civil wars of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the power of the samurai class was greatly strengthened, and it began to innovate and make its own contribution to the culture of the mainly aristocratic people. Samurai culture reached its zenith in the Muromachi period (1333-1573)." It is also written, "Zen Buddhism differs from other sects of Buddhism in that it emphasizes personal practice and discipline. The art of the Song and Yuan dynasties, which Zen monks brought back to Japan from China along with Zen teachings, was more focused on enlightenment than on worship. Such new characteristics of Zen were easily adopted by the samurai culture.

Japan's warrior culture had no parallel in China. Religion in China has never been characterized by firm beliefs or convictions. For example, one believes in Buddha without understanding it, and speaks of the Way without understanding it; gods and Buddhas are regarded as tools for blessing one's family with riches, success and fame, peace of mind, and even for seeking a noble son. Blessing a party, then build temples and statues; do not bless the disturbance of the temple to destroy the statues. Therefore, Zen Buddhism has not had much political and cultural influence in China. The culture of martial arts and Zen Buddhism is strongly expressed in kendo, so the technical style of kendo is desperate, fierce and brutal. This was true not only in the civil wars of medieval Japan, but also in the modern Japanese wars of aggression against foreign countries, most notably the wars of aggression against China.

2 Comparison of Chinese Swordsmanship and Japanese Kendo

Differences in Technical Styles

The great change in Chinese swordsmanship began during the Tang Dynasty, when the sword was replaced by the sword as a weapon of war, but the sword did not disappear from the scene. The sword withdrew from the battlefield and moved to a broader stage - the folk, the so-called "Jianghu". The development of swordsmanship, not only did not weaken, but more people, many folk swordsmen to the sword to study and practice "pure fire", "out of the micro-perfection". Chinese fencing has taken a completely different path from that of Japanese kendo. The development of Chinese swordsmanship is closely related to Taoist thinking and the practice of Taoist priests. Taoist priests traveled all over the world and were the most unrestrained people, known as "idle clouds and wild cranes". Ancient Taoist priests almost all swords, so the style of Chinese swordsmanship is "idle clouds and wild cranes" type, elegant and elegant, with many changes, and a great deal of randomness. On the other hand, Japanese Kendo is monotonous, archaic and strictly adheres to a number of fixed programs, for example, every blow must be made with both hands holding the sword (knife) high above the head. This is a very unfavorable program. Therefore, the Japanese Kendo shows more ferocity and less variation. The anti-Japanese war history of the Chinese army's big sword team is to utilize this point, in the white-knife battle to win. Chinese soldiers often take advantage of the mouth of the soldiers to raise their swords over the top of the - moment to kill.

3. Difference in technical content

Chinese swordsmanship has "ten years to sharpen a sword". This is related to the traditional Chinese philosophy of "invincibility" and the requirement of having a "ten percent chance of winning" against an opponent. This requires a great deal of technical content of the sword, can not be practiced for two or three years in-depth, there is nothing to practice. We advocate practicing kung fu, practicing kung fu without practicing power, and the power is also in the kung fu. This is the "Internal Swordsmanship".

Japanese kendo is a practical technique, the moves are simple, no flashy, and can be applied within a few days of learning. Improvement depends on actual fighting experience; training is repeated a small number of standardized work; victory depends on the psychological quality of certain victory, certain death, fierce strokes, strong power and rapid speed.

4. Will cultivation is different

Chinese swordsmanship is the dominant idea of the weak over the strong, so advocate the "soft to overcome the hard", "no too much than", "stand in a position of invincibility and then seek to win! "It does not fight hard. Therefore, its victory lies in resisting a series of strong attacks at the beginning of the other side, not to be defeated, so as to win, i.e., what we have said "after the attack". All this shows the folk characteristics of Chinese swordsmanship. It should be recognized that this kind of swordsmanship is not suitable for fighting big battles, against the large array of charging battlefield.

Japanese kendo, the will to win, must die, full duel, I have no enemy, and even fight a defeat, once the strong attack is ineffective - chip, however, the spirit of the Japanese samurai will never wait to be killed, but the "beasts of prey". This is to seriously deal with.

China's martial artists, have written books and dedication, put forward the great significance of martial arts to defeat the enemy, advocating the spirit of martial arts. Taijiquan master Mr. Wu Tunan, in 1936 in the book written by the "Taiji Sword" in the preface and said: "last winter, more than the purpose of the development of light people, followed by this "Taiji Sword" book. With the gift to the people of the country, for all the good! Especially hope that the people of the country, heard the wind Xing Zhao, shouting, step up exercise. Ten years later, if and the world powers, war on the frontier, although I am scientifically backward, firearms are not refined, but the horizontal grinding into a division, the sword has a team, or can be one of the help to save the country snow shame. If we can restore the inherent spirit of our nation; to achieve the status of international freedom and equality; also the author of more than twenty years to advocate the national arts of the voluntary success of the carries on!" At that time, the Chinese military brigade is not lack of swordsmanship, the most famous such as Mr. Li Jinglin. The fact that the Chinese and Japanese armies within the battle proved that the Chinese traditional martial arts against the Japanese Kendo chopping and stabbing is practical and effective! Kendo's Achilles' heel is "over", raise the knife and chop, leaving no room for error, be chopped in the person will be headless; However, because of its ferocity, exposed to the cracks on the more and more big, once the chopping is empty, is bound to be too much force and have no room for manoeuvre, that is, "the old force has been over, the new force has not yet been born", this is the time of certain death also. This is the time of certain death. This is the fundamental reason why Kendo can be defeated. Pity! Our country today "horizontal grinding of the" great sword team "in? The Japanese Kendo still exists. This book is written with this problem, on the author's knowledge of Chinese swordsmanship of half a claw, triggering the national aspirations of the people of the strong, re-excavate the country's treasures - Chinese swordsmanship of the skill, so that the Chinese swordsmanship to be among the world's skill of the forest of sports. Shine brightly!