Kendo is not only fighting with
Two sets of Kata
The word “Kata” in Japanese means “form”, “shape”, or “appearance”. In martial arts, Kata designates a sequence of predetermined gestures and techniques to retrace a specific attack and the
Today, we practice two different official styles of Kata in modern Kendo:
• Nihon Kendo Kata
• Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon Waza Keiko Ho
NIHON KENDO KATA (SET OF 10)
The older of the two mentioned Kata, Nihon Kendo Kata, is a summary of the most important sword-schools of ancient Japan. It has been defined as such back in 1912. For this reason, it is rather a collection of different styles than a homogeneous concept. The first seven katas are fought with two long swords (daitō), while the last three are long sword against short sword (daitō vs. kodachi)
You can download a pdf – file (in
There are a bunch of youtube videos as well, but I advise you to check out the official ones. I found this clearly explained video in
BOKUTŌ NI YORU KENDO KIHON WAZA KEIKO HO (SET OF 9)
The other official style is called Bokutō ni
Here is a detailed instruction (in
Here is the official Video (Japanese Language) Please try and repeat the speaker’s Although it is in Japanese, the videos are detailed enough that you can easily guess the meaning. The three main benefits mentioned in the
- 1. To have kendo practitioners understand the concept of a Japanese sword (nihontō)
- 2. To have kendo practitioners learn kendo basic movements by bokutō and make it possible to learn more advanced techniques.
- 3. To make it easier to shift to Nihon Kendo Kata.
I have also found this beautiful version of two Japanese female Senseis. I really like how they pass on the feeling, rhythm