Among the commemorated martial arts that originated centuries ago in Japan is Kendo that is translated as the way of the sword and its practitioners are called Kendoka. Just like its ancient days today many people engage in Kendo training including an estimated eight million population seven based the Japan alone undergo using the Shinai or swords made of split bamboo and shielding armour, bogu.
Over centuries, the art was abolished and re-launched over and over with the rising and falling of Japanese governments and another distinguished feature in its history is establishment of training schools. There exist many characters as major contributors in development of Kendo, while other legends earned the status celebrated today, after receiving ardent training in the game. Similarly, it is not easy to substantiate the exact originator of modern Kendo among them. In the least, some of the prominent figures mentioned in both early and modern development and practice of the martial art might be analyzed briefly based on the particular contributions they made.
When analyzing the early emergence and expansion of Kendo it is impossible to ignore the foundation of the art that is still elementary in modern training, Kenjutsu. It is defined as the Samourai (ancient Japanese government) sword art that was studied and practiced by its warriors. So in other words by the ends of twelfth and beginnings of thirteenth century Kendo was being practiced under the control of Zen Buddhism. Notice that no specific character is mentioned as the originator so far only Kenjutsu schools establishments by swordsmen are emphasized.
A lot of expansion must have happened before 1711 when one of the first prominent leaders of the game is mentioned, Naganuma Sirozaenmon Kunisato. This man is celebrated today in the history of the game for the invention of protective device aforementioned called bogu and a training sword shinai both of which are instrumental till now. Modernization of Kendo started then because the practitioners would play without harming each other and Heizaemon, Naganuma’s father is confirmed to have nurtured the skill of his son till his demise.
A number of outstanding modern legends of Kendo that came after the eighteenth century are renowned mostly for engaging in thorough and dedicated training offered by masters of the game and as a result won awards. In other words, modern Kendo is more of a sport and people participate in tournaments to establish their expertise.
Yamaoka Tesshu born in the line of Samourai family is highly recognized as an expert in a number of fencing styles learnt from Asari his teacher. He opened his own school and one of his prominent students was Emperor Meiji during the nineteenth century.
Torao Mori Sensei is the essence of Kendo tutoring in the twentieth century and therefore an incredible legend that helped shape and gauge several people’s expertise later. The mention of his name also come hand in hand with the introduction of Kendo in United States and indeed in 1937 when he met with Dr Gordon Warner in Los Angeles. It is not clear from whom Torao Mori also a business graduate at the University of Southern California learnt his fencing skills.
Dr Warner, an American Kendo legend history after meeting this Japanese expert is very captivating and sad at the same time but the initial impression he created in front of his teacher and mentor, Torio is said to have been based on strong physique and mental devotion to the study of this martial art. With plenty of success surrounding him during the later years the exact thing that made him a legendary is his first win in Osaka, Japan in 1957 even after loosing one leg in the battle earlier against Japanese opposition. His success progressed further after this, trained under different instructors also and is attributed to Kendo club UC Berkeley existing to this day.
Sensei Masashi Shikai also a modern Kendo legend was a student of Torao Mori Sensei and started training at Chuo Kendo Dojo in 1964 at only fifteen years of age. The man is revealed to have strong character and determination to accomplish everything he started. It is no wonder Shikai participated as a member of USA Team in first to fourth World Kendo tournaments, its Captain during the sixtieth and as its Manager at the thirteenth world championships. Much of his training is confirmed to have taken place at Songyon-Kwan University based in Seoul while with the U S army in South Korea and can thus be claimed to have transcended the Samourai strength of character of ages away.