Samurai Sports
By Dana Abbott, Samurai
Sports
For
thousands of years man has flailed and slashed weapons through the air.
Mostly to defend and protect. Our
inherent DNA in our genes still stimulate our bodies and minds when a knife or
other bladed instrument is placed in our hands or in front of us.
We don't really understand why this happens or what causes this
phenomenon. But we do know this…
The inherent feeling in one way or another is in all beings.
In the early stages of
development, tools and weapons made from the earth were crude as man's
existence. Wood and stone
weapons slowly evolved into metal, thus the bronze age had begun.
This age saw great advancement in bladed weapons.
Especially, the mighty sword.
Throughout the ancient
world. The sword, one of mans most prized possessions represented
both power and wealth. Man
designed, built and studied the use of the sword.
Most all design and technique were created for the practicalities of war
and defense, that country's geography, culture and way of life.
The Japanese culture
reverend the sword and all it represented.
Throughout history Japan has always been a front-runner of martial
technique and the making of consistently well-built and sought after swords.
Japanese warlords trained their Samurai with various metals and wood practice weapons. This was difficult for most Samurai because one wrong move or poorly executed technique could result in injury or even death.
Every warlord and his
Samurai army had their own special fighting technique. These techniques were
tested out on the battlefield. The survivors later would polish the most
effective techniques and throw out the ones that proved useless.
Over centuries of civil
unrest and war a single government finally united Japan.
The Samurai no longer fought wars. But
the warrior spirit was as strong as ever. In the Edo period there were thousands
of sword schools. One of the larger schools Itto-ryu discovered and added on to
a new combative sport called Kendo that used protective gear and over time
turned it into a national sport. Now
a combatant could practice difficult technique without out the chance of great
bodily harm or death.
Kendo's weapon, the bamboo
shinai is about one meter in length spit long ways into four pieces tapered at
one end and held together by leather. This
practice sword and the combatant's protective head and body gear made for a good
game of physical chess. An excellent way to polish one's technique.
From modern Kendo came a
new era of swordplay. Through
science and technology this last century has offered the combatant a larger
selection of materials that has made sword play easier to practice and master
without pain or injury.
30 years ago Japanese
martial artists and sword masters came together and created a new way to polish
their style efficiently. The
Founder, Tanabe Tetsundo and his group of some of the strongest swordsmen in
Japan called this new school of thought, Goshindo.
These martial artists and
masters were very traditional. They also knew the times were changing and
decided to educate today's public in the way of the modern Samurai. New
materials made out of flexible plastics and the constant refining of swords for
combat in the 21st Century proved to be a stroke of genius.
Not only was Goshindo as
fast as kendo. Kendo's heavy and
cumbersome protective equipment was not needed.
A light head mask to protect the face and eyes and a sword called the
Kodachi which did not inflict injury to the combatant made such a difference
that the Japanese public embraced this new combative sport and became part of
the Japanese Department of Education.
Goshindo
also nicknamed, Chanbara gave modern man the chance to capture the rigors of
real combat without having to experience pain, suffering and long hours of
training. It’s the ultimate
physical game of chess for the martial artist or combatant. Knives, short
swords, long swords, staves, and spears flail and slash at blinding speed. In a few short breaths of trial and error one can experience
the reality of being a samurai warrior in the 21st century.
Boys against girls, adults against children Chanbara the sport that pits complete opposites together. Tall or short, big or small there are no physical advantages and limitations. Enjoy the excitement of safe and easy combative activity matching wits while honing your speed, balance, motor skills, reflexes and power. Burn that extra energy, cut out that stress. Chanbara offers the best sweat …yet.
(Please, visit the website of Abbott sensei at www.samuraisports.com )