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The Japanese Art of Chanbara Promises Safe Sparring
for All Martial Artists
If you want to walk anywhere in the world without risking injury to your
feet,
have two options. You can carpet the surface of the earth and walk barefoot,
or you can put shoes on your feet and walk on whatever surface lies in front
of you. Obviously, the first option is nonsensical while the second is quite
practical.
Why is it, then, that when martial artists engage in weapons sparring, they
insist on covering every square inch of every legal target on their body so
it can be struck with an unpadded weapon? Why not simply cover the hard
surfaces of the weapon and leave the body unprotected and unencumbered?
The latter philosophy lies at the heart of the Japanese art known as
chanbara.
More than 160,000 practitioners in 30 countries now regularly don a helmet,
pick up a padded sword and have at it. They are building their
self-confidence and staying fit, and all their frustrations fade as they
unleash full-power blasts nonstop. They are keeping the samurai spirit
alive.
Recent History
Thirty years ago, Tanabe Tetsundo and a few of the top swordsmen in Japan
got together. Although they were a traditional bunch, they admitted that
their society was changing rapidly and what people learned 100 years ago
might not appeal to a 20th-century Japanese teen-ager. The masters ended up
creating a school of thought called goshindo (self-defense way), which was
later nicknamed "chanbara" (Is a very old term used in Japan. A loose
translation means swashbuckling or full-contact weapons sparring. All
Japanese know this term and apply it in their vocabulary, as Americans would
say cowboys and Indians. For example: Their version of a Western Movie would
be a Chanbara Eiga. All Japanese children have played chanbara by picking up
a stick and pretending they were a famous samurai.
Tanabe's aim was to take a sport that had been reserved for the upper class
easy and make it affordable for the masses. With a little innovation and
some help from science and technology, he designed a system in which the
weapons were padded and the combatants were not, thus allowing them to move
with total freedom. The only equipment required for participation was a
helmet and a padded weapon.
The sport swept across Japan like wildfire; it was even recognized by
Department of Education there. Part of the reason for that success is
chanbara's lack of restrictions. It teaches that there's no incorrect way to
fight. One combatant may practice kendo while his opponent uses techniques
from European fencing. Both can train with the same weapons and compete
under the same rules--with no fear of injuring the other person.
In the United States, chanbara has become an affordable alternative to
kendo, which never really got off the ground mostly because the high cost of
the requisite protective gear. More and more American students are finding
it easy, enjoyable and inexpensive to learn how to wield the weapons of war
without all the bloodletting.
Favored Weapons
Q: Which weapons do students prefer to use?
All students go right for the 40-inch choken (long sword).
The padded version of the Samurai Sword
Q: Which weapons sell the best?
The choken (long sword) as well as the 24-inch kodachi (short sword) sell
the best, since they go hand in hand with sword and weapons sparring.
Q: Which weapon is best for beginners?
The kodachi 24-inch sword is best for beginners. This is the most forgiving
sword and can be used correctly with only a small amount of training. After
the student has an understanding of the kodachi he/she can easily go on the
longer range weaponry without poor and uncontrolled habits. Children in
Japan all start out with the short sword (Kodachi).
Q: What are the differences between wielding a sword and a spear?
There is a big difference. The spear is an easy weapon to learn, but
requires much more energy to wield correctly. The striking points are
different too since the spear is mostly a thrusting weapon that comes in at
a very fast (blinding) speed. The spear usually is worked off the side and
generally the thrusting power comes off the hip. The sword also can be used
for thrusting. Although, using a Japanese sword to thrust opens up the
combatant and has a much greater chance to be put into difficulty (being hit
with a counter). The sword is much more versatile and can be used in most
all-combative situations with long and short-range weapons. There are 5
basic strikes that are learned. From there, hundreds if not thousands of
variations are used. 1. Mein or head strike 2. Kote or wrist strike 3. Do or
stomach strike 4. Ashi or leg strike 5. Tsuki or thrust (which is usually
aimed to the upper chest or neck). The spear is only a long range weapon and
if or when an opponent gets at least half way down the spear's length its
time to change weapons or run. That is why Japanese women were trained in
the naginata, which is a sword with a spear handle. Usually was a length of
210-centimeters.
Q: Which weapons are used for which targets and at which ranges?
Short and long swords use the same basic 5 point areas either at a meet or
in battle.
1. Mein or head strike 2. Kote or wrist strike 3. Do or stomach strike 4.
Ashi or leg strike 5. Tsuki or thrust (which is usually aimed to the upper
chest or neck). The short sword is mostly a one handed sword and the long
sword generally uses 2 hands to control correctly unless the combatant is
trained in Jodan and can use the long sword with one hand which is very
difficult. A short sword which is usually 60 centimeters (24-inches) can
also be called a wakizashi. (The short swords used by the samurai class)
This was for more in-fighting, but was not a warring weapon like the long
sword. Just imagine that you were in the United States civil war and you had
a pistol and rifle. You would use the rifle mush more, but if something
became of your rifle you would naturally go to the pistol. The Japanese
Katana or choken was the samurai's rifle and the wakizashi or kodachi was
the samurai's pistol, as a matter of speaking. Of course, there are many
more weapons like the knife or tanto for very close in-fighting and the
staff and spear, which are the longest-range weaponry. The spear is mostly
thrust to the head, neck chest, and stomach as with the staff. Now, the
staff in this day and age has many applications and can be used to strike
many parts of the body, but still uses the 5 basic strike areas.
*NOTE: the staff was considered a spear with the tip broken off. In the
United States many practice with the staff and all are quite good/excellent.
But many take the staff which was a longer range weapon and turn it into a
medium range weapon. The Japanese call this, "the kayak paddle method" which
leaves one open and can be easily put into difficulty.
Q: Best Techniques
Head shots vs. body shots
To the Japanese the head shot was the most sought after strike which gives
most combatants a closer feeling of "the spirit of the thing". All kendo and
sword arts in Japan start out with the Mein or head strike, and then work
the other parts of the body as the student becomes proficient. As a sword
instructor, your job would be to get hit by all your students. Because if
they cannot hit you correctly who can they hit correctly? This is also
called a "physical game of chess" therefore; all strikes to the body or head
have to be perfected. The legs are easy to hit!! As with the arms.
Q: Slashes: what are they?
Slashes still use the basic 5 strike areas, which are mostly all slashes. 80
to 90 percent of the time are slashes or cuts.
Q; Thrusts: what are they?
Tsuki or the thrust has the head, neck, chest and are incorporated into
various techniques. Again, a thrust tends to open up your defenses and have
a greater chance to be put into difficulty. Therefore, one needs to add an
additional 30% of speed and agility to the technique to get in take the shot
and get out without being hit with a counter attack.
Q: What is the role of footwork?
A very important aspect and I could explain this for hours. The art of the
sword is very fast and minute telegraphing from the body opens your
defenses. Therefore, it is best to get into the opponents circle of
influence without moving one's upper body. All stances are basic kendo
stances, which enable the combatant to attack at distances up to 10 feet
without body language or telegraphing. The Japanese explain this by saying;
have one foot always in front of the other and never cross over your feet
like one does with walking. Most always have your right foot forward and
your left foot in the back and inch forward, sideways, backwards until you
get into their circle and then attack. If you do this correctly you will
never trip, fall and or slip.
Q: One-handed techs vs. two-handed techniquess?
All combatants should be proficient with both hands. Just in case one is
lost. And of course, there are thousands of techniques. Go to our web site
and check out the PDF files on how to handle the sword at
www.samuraisports.com. As a general rule one handed techniques are faster
and two-handed techniques are stronger. Both one and two-handed techniques
are a must in the Japanese sword. This still all relates to chanbara where
one country might encourage one-handed techniques and another might
encourage two-handed techniques. Who is better? Go to a chanbara tournament
and test the technique.
Q: Is sparring composed of mostly offense, or is there also a lot of
defense?
It is very difficult to block a weapon. Therefore, it is best to get out of
the way and not get hit at all. Just imagine getting hit in a head on
collision by a car when you are in a big truck. No matter how safe the
bigger vehicle is you will be put into difficulty. If one has a very strong
offensive technique all opponents will have to evade. Here in the United
States many schools teach an abundance of blocking and counters which takes
twice as much time to move correctly. With weaponry especially, the sword
all combatants are taught to come in hard and fast.
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