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i think was cheating becuse another sword 3x three times lower weight xD easy beating a poor beginner whos use this heavy practice bamboo barbell vs rubber plastic no weight shit bro this unfair
@@alexyj5315 in terms of real fighting yes! but to compare a sport with a martial art is always tricky. For one it is clear to see that the kendoka is much more explosiv in his movements and through that also lands a view strikes. i’m practicing both and also liked the match
To my understanding, Kendo's a *sportified* version of Kenjutsu, which means a lot of its techniques come from Kenjutsu, which's why it managed to get the occasional hit on the Kenjutsu guy; but *as* a sportified version of it, Kendo has a lot of *rules* practitioners have to follow, like only hitting *specific* parts of the body, that just don't even *exist* in a *real* fight, which *Kenjutsu* was practiced for, and so isn't even *supposed* to follow. That's why if I got the chance to practice one of them for *real* combat, I'd go with Kenjutsu.
as far as i can tell, nowadays kenjutsu focuses a lot on the sword techniques and typically your using a katana that can cut, so you end up practicing the techniques on rolled up bamboo mats. its pretty hard to spar (and probably not very safe) to spar with cutting katana, so i don't really know how often kenjutsu practitioners spar (also outside of Japan its pretty hard to find a Kendou dojo let alone a Kenjutsu one). in terms of practicality it would seem that one would have to really do both, since Kendou would help with understanding distance as well as the environment around you relative to you and your opponent, while the kenjutsu dojo would get your techniques down. we say all this then some dude who practices teppoudou shows up and says hi lol.
@@andrewle7429 many types of kenjutsu schools spar with bokken. while cutting practice is done with uchigatana, technique practice is mostly done with iaito.
Nice to see the difference. Kenjutsu aims to hurt - or kill - the opponent, while Kendo is about scoring points. Hard to compare though because that's two completely different philosophies.
@@Mustard_Dispenser Most of the cases yes. But there's a distinct difference. Factors such as edge alignment and the area of strike plays a crucial role in scoring and actually slashing through.
@@v_fencer yes, but I think that the kendoka has more mat time. Live experience is more important than anything else, he’s developed the muscles and fight iq.
@@Mustard_Dispenser Well yes, but no. There are few valid Kendo strikes the Kendoka pulled out that lacks structure and commitment for the strikes to be cutting strike. For ex, around 1:32 it's actually pretty clear that it's a totally failed cutting strike if he's holding a real sword, even if he landed it. And it's more of problem with Kendo as a sport-leaning martial art, not the problem of the Kendoka.
@@tatumergo3931 >Kenjutsu or more aptly named kobudo is aimed at one simple thing. Kill the enemy and survive in the battlefield.... I'm not sure if that's really accurate. Most surviving koryu we have today were founded during the relatively peaceful Tokugawa period, which was also the period during which Japanese sword arts evolved towards spirituality, pacification and during the later stages of the period - sportification. I'm sure there are some schools around that fit your description, but they're not that common. Some schools also claim a lineage all the way back to the sengoku period, but besides a few exceptions those claims can be a little dodgy. >So how does that translate into combat? Well for one thing you don't worry about parrying attacks. The main objective in kenjutsu is to attack simultaneously at the incoming attack. I'm sure that is true for some schools, but again it might be quite an overgeneralization.
You're just about the only channel I trust for videos that display one type of art vs. another. You guys seem to be able to line up roughly-equitable opponents to make the videos with, and evade making any sort of weird or biased commentary or displays of ego. I love it. Thank you so much!
It seems that kendo training reinforces a consciousness at the tip of the blade and kenjutsu reinforces a consciousness encompassing the whole edge. Really cool to see in action.
The principles of Kendo are a limited version of Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu specifically this ryuha style is called Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, considered the oldest Ryu of Japanese Swordsmanship and the purest. Many current ryuhas have a traced lineage to Katori, Kendo derrives from it but because of its focus on -do Martial arts principle it is limited in what techniques can be used and is considered a sport (yet obviously practical).
@@outboundflight4455 Thank for the learned response. I know Kendo is limited in its application and very much a sport form, and yet, I see it on this channel pull off some very decisive head snipes.
@@troyfiss9332 kendokas have the nastiest Men, Kote and Do cuts because that's all they are allowed to do. So can't really sell them short. At the end of the day in any swordfight it comes down to who is gonna land a true solid killing blow first...and it's down to the millisecond. Will both fighters end up getting cut up... probably. But one is definitely gonna die.
Thats right in Kendo we are only allowed to use the tipo of the sword, if you pay attention in the video you can maybe see a withe band on the Shinai, that represents the fraction that he can use.
This is amazing... and clearly shows that how Kendo has evolved with the goal to score points while Kenjutsu's goal is clearly to deliver a killing blow.
@@SamuraiSwordperson Iaijutsu is quick draw sword sheathing technique. If applied correctly it's just as lethal as a full Kendo Men cut coming at your head.
@@outboundflight4455 well yeah I practice it too. It's just that kendo would have the advantage of having the point in your face already. I think such a discipline would be employed as a last resort rather than walking up to another samurai with the sword in the saya still. Or maybe if your yari broke and you had to pull the katana out real quick
@@SamuraiSwordperson I practice both Koryu Iaijutsu and Kendo and I agree with you. If I'm gonna engage in a fight best bet I'm unsheathing immediately. It creates you taking control of the kamae.You can still apply Iai techniques but obviously only the "kenjutsu" ones with the blade drawn already.
As a 24th generation inheritor of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Owari/Shunpunkan Branch, I say that we need to respect both kenjutsu and kendo. Kendo focuses upon the athleticism and spirit of its origins, which is admirable. Practitioners of kenjutsu carry on the traditions of the past and keep it alive in the present. The kendoka has great athleticism from the constant training, and all the strikes that were performed would be effective in combat. However the weight, balance, and structure of a shinai is very different from an actual nihonto. If the kendoka were armed with an actual weapon, they will need to retrain their arms and hands. Also, kendoka go for a strike and basically run though their opponent. This is fine in sports, but this will get you killed in an actual duel. You will need to kill your opponent on the first strike if you attack like a kendoka. You learn in kenjutsu to strike once or twice and then move apart quickly out of striking distance. Their defense and parrying in kendo is also limited as there are no techniques to guard the feet or back. The offensive ability is amazing, but no fight is won purely by offense. On the other hand, most koryu incorporate little to no sparring. This makes kenjutsu feel more like an art form instead of having practical combat usage. When you put the two together, the practitioner of kendo may win purely through their athleticism. Fortunately, my branch of koryu spars very often while also learning kata. Kendo and kenjutsu have their own purpose which differs. We should not be so overly judgmental over who and what would win because we cannot truly know the outcome unless both had a real katana in their hands. Let us just appreciate the beauty of both.
What does it mean to be the 24th generation inheritor of your branch? Did you receive menkyo from the 23rd soke? Am I misinterpreting something here? Does YSR spar? I have never heard of this before. I am aware that your style's founder is credited with inventing the (fukuro) shinai which he used as a non leathal dueling weapon. I am also aware that it is used in your kata. Is sparring a derivation on the kata, or something else? Thanks, I am very curious.
@@Ianmar1 Thank you for your questions, and pardon my extremely late reply. I will someday inherit all the teachings from my shihan. He is not the soke of Yagyu, but he comes from a branch of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, and is very close to the current soke. When I inherit all of his teachings, I will be 24th generation from his line, which if you go back a couple generations ties into the main Yagyu line. I have undergoing training at the moment, so I have not received my menkyo. The main Yagyu line now focuses mainly on kata、but the Shunpunkan branch in Nagoya that I am at spars like crazy. We practice kata to learn proper form and technique, but we do lots of sparring to actually to truly make our minds and bodies battle ready. We use equipment similar to that of a kendoka. Our speciality is actually the sliding spear technique. The Owarikan Ryu sliding spear is so devaststing to the body that we use very heavy gear when sparring.
It's cool seeing the fleeting momens of similarity before the divergences. Nice that there are kenjutsu schools who pressure test their stuff and are willing to come out and spar with other arts.
@@lucascastro2802 what I don't understand is why iaido schools are one of the ones where there is little if ANY 'pressure testing'. It seems like a highly necessary component of achieving real mastery but you don't see iaidoka sparring or performing tameshigiri. If I was learning the art of the quick draw, I would want to know whether or not my techniques were likely to work in a life or death situation, no matter how unlikely it IS that I would ever face it in real life. I am curious to hear anyone's opinion on this matter.....
@@davidbennett1357 A lot of traditional martial arts believe in forms and "muscle memory" as the most important part of becoming a proficient fighter. You see it in karate, aikido, for example
@@nick-sherer well, then even better, I've been smacked by a bamboo sword myself without protections. It hurts, a lot(if you are lucky not to get a broken bone)
Been doing Kenjutsu for a few years now, and I remember a story about what the rules used to be like in Kendo. There was this guy who practiced Kenjutsu and I think at the time you could still represent a Kenjutsu school in a Kendo tournament. So he joins the tournament, and in his first round he went up against someone who practiced Kendo. Like in this video the Kendo guy was aiming for his opponents head, but Kenjutsu guy caught Kendo man's hand, through him over his shoulder and tagged him with his stick. Kenjutsu man was disqualified, because he was under the assumption going in that the rules were as they always were, meaning pretty much anything goes. So now Kendo has some very restrictive rules in regards to what hits count, so it doesn't encourage much diversity in how to attack. Anyway rant over, have a great day or night everyone, stay fresh🙂
Kendo has had those strict rules on what it counts as a strike since it got reinstated as a sport after it's ban during the allied occupation of Japan. It seems that kenjutsu guy was just someone that applied to a tournament without knowing the rules, broke a bunch of them and got disqualified for it. The rules with regards to what constitutes a valid strike weren't changed because of him. If there were any changes because of him, they may have been about who some organization is letting compete in their tournament.
It's interesting that the kenjutsu practitioner begin to find his most success when he started using different stances. Initially he was losing when he used a similar stance to the kendo guy but when he switched it up and started using stances that the kendo guy was not familiar with is when he began to score some hits back.
Well yeah, kendo is fundamentally based on 3 of kenjutsus stances and practicioners spend all of their time practicing those 3. The motions might not have any of the draw cuts from kenjutsu but the strikes are arguably even further refined, perhaps even as a result of ignoring the other attacks. There's basically only one thrusting attack in kendo but it gets drilled incredibly hard as a result and used reflexively when it's the right response. It doesn't come out often but when it does, it's brutal (and usually a punish for a bad call) The broader kenjutsu guy facing the kendo guy in the same stance is like a guy who plays the whole roster challenging a character specialist to a mirror match, he's just not going to as good at that specialty because he hasn't put in the same time but can pick others that have a match up advantage.
This was like watching a live-action episode of Rurouni Kenshin. I could hear the inner monologues of the fighters in between the action and the background music from that show as I watched and it was amazing. Great swordmanship from both participants!
I have heard asked: "isn't it stupid to start a fight with the sword sheathed?" Well, imagine yourself walking down a dark street and being ambushed; practicing unsheathing (or battou jutsu) with that in mind does not sound as stupid now, does it. A katana was a sidearm in the battlefield and a selfdefense item outside it. If you had to reach for it, there was a HIGH chance you needed to do it fast and with precision. Not every fight was a duel.
And another note about battojutsu - in Japan, when two people fought with sword, the one legally considered to have started the fight was the first one to show even an inch of his blade. The instant someone does that, others can consider it an assault and are fully within their rights to kill him as self defense. Hence the tendency to wait until the very last moment to draw. It also reflects in the way katanas were worn. In a tense situation, the way the sheath is positioned at the belt could be adjusted to have he sword hilt quite far in front of the body (as seen in the video at 1:45) enabling drawing the sword in a way that relies less on pulling it out of its sheath, and more on pulling the sheath of it. This way, the sword can be moved more than halfway the distance it takes to draw it, before actually starting to take the sheath off, formally starting a fight.
@@SirConto That actually explains why the sageo is mostly a fashion accessory in many iai schools while its original purpose was to secure the sword in place. Can’t push the saya out like that if the sageo is tight.
I felt like rooting for the kenjutsu practitioner, but the moment the other guy avoided both of his opponent's scabbard and sword attacks and came out on top was truly something to behold.
that's because he didnt have the sword chambered in striking position, it was pointed forward , so to cut with it, he had to turn it which slowed hiom down giving his opponent time to react, this wouldnt have happened if the tip of the sword was pointed back, which is the proper basic stance for nito ryu.
Just remember that even in a style that has dual strikes, like sword and scabbard, a single weapon user is still usually faster because of the lag time between muscles and brain. If you do not train your flow to dual wield on muscle memory, it's better to just use the scabbard as a shield or distraction to get into the cut. Now, if you're a dual wielding master on the other hand...
From what I saw, the sword user was trying to use his scabbard to keep the kendo stick down while striking with his sword. But the kendo user did a quick top block and went for the kill. I'm just an amateur in swordfight but I think maybe it would have worked if the sword went sideway instead. But that really requires quick reaction speed/skill that can only be honed through combat experience
Wow! I used to fence foil and saber in high school, and I am struck with how often the Kenjutsu fighter uses a lot of "opposition" attacks! (One binds the blade while attacking.) This was emphasized by my coach at one time! What's fascinating for me, is the aspect of starting with a sheathed blade! Not only is this very practical for self defense in a "civilian" historical context, but it also obscures the intent of binding the blade! Very fascinating!
Wow the difference in body mechanics is clear. Kendo is fast hits, trying to tap your opponent but kenjutsu is clearly trying to cut through the opponent. It's amazing to see how how martial arts diverged
Dude, kendo strikes are powerful and able to amputate. Its the only fencing combat sport that checks cutting power and edge aligment. Please see Hogu Couple video with Blademan B (kenjutsu fighter from this video) on test cutting and try some kendo, before saing those dumb things.
@@Druid_Ignacy Kendo isn't the only fencing sport that checks cutting power and edge alignment (and even still I've seen flat strikes considered valid on this channel) you also have HEMA with bladed weapons that does that
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 It does not. I train it, and love it, but HEMA does it occasionally, and we don't have so well developed ways to check it as kendo does.
@@Druid_Ignacy I train it and we do that sort of thing also, in kendo, they count as valid hit when the shinai wrap around the oppoent blade and hit the opponent as a valid hit, that's not proper edge aligment nor cutting power
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 I wouldn't be so sure if kendo count that as a hit. I see kendo judging as ,,attack has to be perfect to count", which means parry does not have to be perfect, and hema judging as ,,parry has to be perfect to or else hit counts", which means attack doesn't have to be. These both approaches are ,,realistic" if you will and serve well as training tool, however kendo has much more developed system of measuring cut power and edge alingment and they stick to it much more strictly than any other sport.
Watching this as a HEMA practitioner, I find it interesting how close the resting measure is in Japanese swordsmanship. For example, at 0:25, the kendo fighter is able to land an overhand strike in two tempos (reposition sword to high guard, strike) before the kenjustu fighter is able to even register what's happening. You can see the Kenjustu fighter go for a hanging parry eventually, which he lands on the third attempt, but he's having to rush to regain the initiative. If the fighters were each an additional pace away from each other, that two tempo action wouldn't be viable, as the reposition to high guard would telegraph the kendo fighter's intention, giving the kenjutsu fighter more time to respond, and maybe even size the initiative with a quick thrust to the high point-forward guard (seen in 2:44), which would still keep the kenjutsu fighter covered from the afterblow. Anyway, fun video as always! I love seeing the different approaches to swordfighting developed by different cultures
My suspicion (as a relative latecomer to HEMA) is that the kendo fighter has more experience. Overall he seemed very good at controlling the measure and the pace and adapted quickly to unfamiliar elements. Is it just me, or was the start of the exchange around 1:20 very reminiscent of rapier, at least to start?
@@gatling216 The kendo fighter definitely has more sparring time under his belt from the look of it, especially against different fighters. Not surprising, since he has an entire channel dedicated to it. As for the exchange at 1:20, you're right to see rapier in it. The kendo fighter is doing what in Italian fencing is called a cavatzione, a disengagement of the point to gain an advantage of angle or leverage. This is a pretty common thing to do when both fencers are seeking openings from a point forward position, so with rapiers, of course, this maneuver is a staple.
@@FigureOnAStick Glad to know I’m not going crazy. I’m still fairly new, at least to the practical side. It’s nice to see that some principles seem to be fairly universal.
@@gatling216 Not crazy at all, it seems you've got a good eye! You'll find as you become more experienced that much of the differences between different styles is not so much the mechanics, but rather the historical/cultural contexts of the arts and the different intentions for which they were developed (battlefield combat, personal self-defense, dueling, sport, spiritual practice, etc.)
I’m learning a German style that revolves around an excessively long blade and a 2 handed hilt, on account of the fact that I’m 2 meters tall and I’ve yet to find a more traditional guard I can fit my hand inside without rubbing my knuckles raw. But as my instructor is fond of saying, there are only so many good ways to shove a pointy bit of metal into another person. It makes sense that different traditions would come to the same solutions, adapted to fit the tools and use cases.
....mmh? When does any of this look like an anime? I mean its all these super powers and kicks that launch ppl in the air and thru walls on anime. Also they don't use the weapons the right way... Where is the anime in this film?
@@omargahanna195 felt - simple past tense of "to feel", regarding sensations and experience. Look - visual representation for comparing similarities in appearance. In anime, entire episodes exist where you can feel the tension, calculations and energy even before the first strike. In some cases, the best soundtracks can be heard during these moments, especially with samurai anime. Anime - animations with larger than life effects such as super powered events. Live action anime - real life attempt at capturing the artform of anime Try again later. Use your fingers to point and sound out each word to get an objective feel for what is being said.
I had a Japanese history professor who told our class that in a samurai duel there was a 75% chance of death. How can that be? Because 100% of the losers died and 50% of the winners died later from wounds.
I study kenjutsu and in my opinon the only reason why the winner of said fights came out with zero injury is because of a difference in skill, and by difference I mean a large one.
@@Boasill many martial arts doesn't usually spar, like kung fu. It is a very powerful martial art but practicioners doesn't spar and practice actual fighting with it. Spar is important and should happen from day 1 of training in my opinion.
@@MinadoCoelho maybe not day 1 but everyone who has learned the basics should in my opinion practice soft to medium intensity sparring at least once a week and hard sparring once in a month to have at least a little grasp of their actual skill level
@@OG_Jin_Bling Note that Kenjutsu is actually an umbrella term so when saying Kenjutsu you can be refering to many different arts. As Kenjutsu was used by the samurai to kill in battle, it is based around practical sword combat, it has many stances and even some grappling. Attacks are meant to kill, depending on tthe school you may also learn to attack or counter while drawing your sword. As it was mainly used while wearing armor, it doesn't favor unarmed strikes or weak sword attacks, as there are many stances there are also many footwork patterns and such, it is very flexible in that matter as you can move in many ways without it being wrong, you may attack any part of the body. Kendo is the Budo of Kenjutsu, meaning that it is not meant to be used to fight but for sport. Attacks are just meant to hit your opponent (note how Kendokas will just flick their Shinainat their opponents head, which would not do a lot of damage in a real fight, let alone against an armored opponent) and not to actually kill/disable them, it basically has one/two stances, the footwork is average, they do only move in certain ways, and the practitioners may only hit the head, throat, the wrists, and some parts of the body. Even tho it seems like i'm saying that Kenjutusu is superior, i'm not. Because both of them are better at what they are meant for. Kenjutsu to kill and disable, while Kendo for sport. As you can see on this video, Kenjutsu can also work for sport but what you choose is on you. Hope i helped
@@jestfullgremblim8002 Watching again, I noticed the tapping of the strikes. Even though it's more of a sport, it reminds me of another video talking about the katana, and that while it's not sharper or stronger and not the best for thrusting, it is able to make devasting cuts from just the tip of the sword.
@@OG_Jin_Bling i mean, that's kinda right (you got the "it's not sharper" kinda wrong tho, Katanas are usually sharper than other swords) it can make good cuts from flicks. But this is why i mentioned that Kenjutsu practitioners actually train to fight armored opponents, a flick would not damage samurai armor. Also, i don't think that a flick to the head in Kendo style would be able to kill someone, it's just seems unlikely to go throught the skull, i'm no sword expert thought, so i could be wrong.
@@OG_Jin_Bling are you planning in practicing one of the two arts? If so, it is up to you. It's the almost the same case with Jujutsu and Judo, Kenjutus has more techniques and it's supposed to teach you how to kill (you can still kill with Kendo but it's not made for that) yet Kendokas spar more and have a safer way of training too, which mean that they can get better and better without being injured. These arguments also aply to Jujutsu and Judo, not with Taijutsu and Taido tho
This is actually rather interesting. Both of these disaplines started out from the same place, and diverged to fit specific roles. One diverged and became a sport, while the other diverged and became a self defense system for a newly emerging world. It seems clear to me the one designed with combat in mind is better in a fight...not all that surprising, as it enfisizes defense during and after the attack rather than just during. In sport, it does not matter much if you turn your back after a strike, but it does matter in combat.
Running past after an attack, turning the back to the opponent as kendokas do is specifically supposed to prevent follow up attacks. And when done right, it tends to achieve that, since it can be very fast. But, it's really not unusual for kendokas to start doing it too slow. Even for really good and high ranking ones. Fact to the matter is, that doing it properly is very exhausting. You could probably pull it off in a fight, but if you try to do it dozens of times through a number of rounds of sparring, you'll run out of stamina pretty fast. So people start to slack off on it. And often it becomes something of a habit too. Kendo rules also somewhat enable it, since it's not allowed to hit someone in the back. And sometimes even encourage it a bit, since in a match, stepping out of bounds of the arena is a foul, and if you move past your opponent at full speed, you might end up having trouble stopping and turning in time.
You can definitely tell that Kenjutsu was built for combat once the practitioner started using the different varieties of techniques. Very similar to what you might find in European Sword Fighting manuals and HEMA. You see similar guard positions and similar usage of opportunistic and full strength strikes. However it is very clear that Kendo was derived from Kenjutsu technique. It's almost like looking at the difference between a rapier/saber duel vs fencing. Real Combat Technique requires trying to maim or kill which is born out in the different styles. Its very fascinating. Though the kenjutsu Techniques remind me greatly of Longsword or more specifically Messer technique. That makes sense though, the blade shapes of the Messer and Katana/Tachi are virtually identical (though construction may differ). The Katana and Messer were developed around similar time periods too! Amazing bit of convergent evolution for swordmaking! It is also clear that the Kendo practitioner has more sparring time under his belt. He reacts faster and makes better judgements. This really shows that experience is as important as technique.
He really did Nito-Ryu with the saya! Hahaha also that iai-draw attack was chef's kiss! Thanks for the video guys awesome demonstration. I think kenjutsu scored more points because they have more free movements in slashes as opposed to the 4 kendo targets. Great video I love this content, keep it up!
This reminds me of something I heard along the way in the HEMA community; if a German and an Italian were to fight, the German would lose but the Italian would die.
for someone who watch a lot of this channel's video. this episode is just like when the protagonist of anime(kendo guys) fight with his evil self(or evil twins) who used the same technique as protagonist. but more brutal, more dirty. (or if this were game. this just like the stage where player fight with their character as a boss, aka mirror match. just your character as a boss have more move than the one you control)
He did the Battosai thing with the scabbard. I love how the kenjutsu changes form everythime. I tried Kendo once and feels like a cowboy gun duel but with bamboo swords or shinai
I like to see it like boxing. One guy may have a huge arsenal, but the other guy has an amazing jab. Bruce Lee - Fear the man that practices the same kick a million time, not the one who knows a million kicks.
Just to add to these two, I think that it's the difference between "combat sports" vs traditional martial arts. Traditional martial arts might have a lot of techniques, but techniques are nothing if you can't use them irl. Combat sport might be limited for safety, but pressure tested. That being said, if the kenjutsu guy spars more, then that versatility gives more edge. Although as far as I know, some strikes from kenjutsu are banned to be used on kendo for safety so he might limit himself for sparring.
Kendo guy just used chudan no kamae. He could have used jodan no kamae or nito ryu, but most kendokas just focuses on improving their chudan. Kendo kata also teach some usage of waki or haso no kamae, though they're of no use in kendo keiko. Anyway, I think in this kind of sparring it could be used. But again, most kendokas prefer just to keep using chudan no kamae.
It’s still impressive how well kendo holds up against a usage of a sword art that is meant to be more about landing fatal hits. Especially when you see comments on kendo saying that it’s completely unpractical in actual katana usage due to its nature of favoring on just getting the first hit for the sake of a sport. It’s still not the most optimal way of using a sword, but it’s still not a pushover. I would bet money that in a fight to the death duel between someone who’s never held a katana and someone who has practiced kendo, that the kendo player will win almost every fight.
Ok, really, when the Kenjutsu fighter sheathed his sword, that was an epic flex move. And the fact one is a full warrior-combat focused art while the other is a more point-scoring sports art, the difference in dynamic and lethality are very apparent.
honestly, this video is quite special for me(along with muay Thai match.) not only it's prove my thought that some flashy move from anime, movie can be usable for combat(0:02,1:42 iai quick draw from most Japanese games-manga-anime , 0:08,1:01/1:03 ,1:32/1:34 neck slicing - rurouni kenshin the beginning, 3:00 use sheathe as second attack - rurouni kenshin 1 ). it also show the difference between sport and real combat techniques. just like muay Thai and normal boxing. the other one have many move and suitable for combat. and the other one have fewer move and used for sport.(another example is just like dog and wolf. both of them is similar. but the other one is more badass)
i may be a bit biased but.. in kendo there are 4 target zones, men (head, here means top of the head), kote (the wrist), do (the belly) and tsuki (basically the larynx) if u just take those targets in consideration, kenjitsu made 3 hits, (the neck doesnt count as tsuki). as many people pointed out, kendo is institutionalized (especially after WW2) and is more like "japanese fencing". Thats why the Kendoka has troubles protecting everything else than this 4 zones. He is speciallized in these zones and as u can see, he can defend them. Kenjutsu on the other hand seems more like a "kill the target no matter what". something like slicing the back is not occuring in kendo. i think kenjutsu looks pretty cool and sure is fun. its a legitamite sport and has its benefits of its own personally i do kendo (didnt know kenjutsu existed till now :D ) and i think its a very nice sport which provides sooo much benefits like cardio-endurance and lung volume (try screaming 4 minutes in a gi geiko, the 1v1 fights), muscle-endurance ( pulling 50 practice swings in a row x3 does train your body) and personal benefits like soul balance and self esteem, courage and attention keeping.
The cut to the back was a kaeshi gyaku dou (which missed) ... we have that in kendo too. The kenjutsu guy here was a kendo sandan (now yondan) whereas his kendo opponent was a kendo shodan (now nidan).
i've practiced kendo for a year when i was little. this was fun to watch and i think it ended up exactly as i predicted. more strikes from kendo and more slashes with kenjutsu.
This was amazing to watch, considering I practice both of this and also iaido, form was great, the strikes were great, and amazing foot work, especially for one using kenjutsu,props to his foot work. The guy using kendo did good as well. Congrats to both of you. ❤ keep on doing the do.
@@kurage_medusa of course, but this training sword has Demon Slayer or One Piece style design on the blade. I'm not sure if it is Demon Slayer or One Piece tho
I used to learn Kendo - in Thailand with a Japanese 5th Dan Sensei. And was also a fencing team captain! (foil) at 16 years old. Shinai=Foil (point-scoring practice weapons). Fighting with a katana, or a real epee, rapier etc. is quite another business ! A single live blade/point strike that gets past your armour is probably the end of the fight/life. All good fun though, thanks for the video and may the force be with us all!
Very interesting comparison here. I've always wanted to see the comparison between this. Despite being apple & orange, both can be fatal if both side use a steel pipe in fight.
I looked a lot of it at 0.25 speed. It really shows what is - to my humble and subjective opinion - my problem with kendo. Most strikes with real swords would barely scratch the skull bone; these are lightning fast attacks but there isn't much strength and stop very very early. The miss at 1:32 really shows this, with a strike aimed to enter a skull, the kendoka would've hit the neck or something... I think. n_n
@@soru6768 OK, it doesn't look like it (on slow motion we can see his feet don't touch the ground when he strikes, only after), but you probably know better than me. n_n (To me it looks like maybe it's the theory but some of his actual moves wouldn't incapacitate the opponent.)
@@soru6768 I trust you, you guys know better than me. n_n Has he ever tried like bamboo or matt cutting but with these exact moves (the exact same move as his first 面)? Or does he uses different moves (with more amplitude and going deeper) when practicing bamboo/matt/things cutting ? I'd be very interested to see the difference, if you are willing to make a video on it. ^^
Kendo's main weakness: CAN'T CROSS YOUR F()/#&" FEET!!!! Jokes aside this was an interesting experiment. Kendo is meant to score points, so it aims at the parts where you got protection which doesn't really makes sense when you´re trying to kill someone, kenjutsu in the other hand is all about cutting whenever possible specially aiming to the soft parts of the armor.
Im no weapons expert but it seems to me that the kendo person is been helded by the rules of kendo. The "aim for the head" make it kind of predictible, so after the first point the kenjutsu person pretty much always know where the strike is gonna come. As i sayied, im no weapons expert, but i can make a paralel with muay thai that is the martial art i do. If my oponent only strike with jabs and straights on 1/2 combos he is gonna have a really hard time trying to hit me, so with the kendo person stands it looks, att least to me, that there is only 2 options of attack: slice from up or a thrust, but the kenjutsu person keep changing its stands making way more dificult to the other person to predict what is going to happen.
Here it is proven that Kenjutsu is real swordsmanship, the Kendo is just a competitive sport. The Kendo guy won when he won because the Shinai is much longer than the Bokken.
For me kendo is about sport, but kenjutsu is about art and technique. I like more kenjutsu becouse of its spectacularity, beauty and real art of katana.
There is a reason to compare the two because Kendo techniques would get you killed in a real sword fight as it’s a sport, Kenjutsu which is the actual sword art the Samurai used, is far superior. Like the Kendo guy charging at the opponent the way he does is plain suicidal.
I love to see these. Some great hits for both sparring partners! What kind of sword simulator is the kenjutsu guy using? What is that made of? It looks cool, whatever it is.
I'm sorry for Google Translate. I am Japanese and have experience in kendo. It is a mistake to compare kendo that hits a specific place with kendo that hits everywhere. It's fun to see this as a performance.
It's really cool seeing how the kendoka is all about the light taps, pulling punches, and evading afterward. Very interesting seeing the sport vs the more re-creational style.
Those "taps" are quite technical and take a few years to learn. If you can do one against a resisting opponent and you know the first three kata, that is enough to pass our shodan (equivalent to black belt) exam. The kenjutsu on display here appears (to others, I have never trained it) to be derived from Katori Shinto Ryu which is a living tradition not a re-construction.
I like how you can clearly see the difference The kendo practitioner is seen aiming at parts of the body that earn points in a match, meanwhile you see the kenjutsu practitioner pull out some sneaky moves that would do a lot of damage in a real fight, like at 1:13
Yep, and the Kendoka’s techniques would get him killed in a real sword fight like trying to charge his opponent the way he was doing, Kenjutsu is the actual sword art used by the samurai.
really interesting to see I kinda have the feeling that Kendo is a bit too predictable as it mostly comes to the same cut to the head But I havent sparred with a Kendo fighter yet so it might be very different in the actual fight
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hey whats the kenjutsu video use? whats a light weighted sparring katana called?
E
i think was cheating becuse another sword 3x three times lower weight xD easy beating a poor beginner whos use this heavy practice bamboo barbell vs rubber plastic no weight shit bro this unfair
Как показала практика ИСБ и средневековые европейские мужики , перебьют всех этих японцев с их криками )
Hello😃I am the kenjutsu fighter who appeared in the video⚔ Thank you weaponism. I have more various kenjutsu video😄
Hello, what is the sword that you are using in the video? It would be interesting to pick one up for sparring. Thanks!
which ryuha are you training and I also would like what type of sparring blade this is?
Kenjutsu is much better than kendo
You are very skilled my friend 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@alexyj5315 in terms of real fighting yes! but to compare a sport with a martial art is always tricky. For one it is clear to see that the kendoka is much more explosiv in his movements and through that also lands a view strikes. i’m practicing both and also liked the match
To my understanding, Kendo's a *sportified* version of Kenjutsu, which means a lot of its techniques come from Kenjutsu, which's why it managed to get the occasional hit on the Kenjutsu guy; but *as* a sportified version of it, Kendo has a lot of *rules* practitioners have to follow, like only hitting *specific* parts of the body, that just don't even *exist* in a *real* fight, which *Kenjutsu* was practiced for, and so isn't even *supposed* to follow. That's why if I got the chance to practice one of them for *real* combat, I'd go with Kenjutsu.
The Japanese police use kendo as a training method.
as far as i can tell, nowadays kenjutsu focuses a lot on the sword techniques and typically your using a katana that can cut, so you end up practicing the techniques on rolled up bamboo mats. its pretty hard to spar (and probably not very safe) to spar with cutting katana, so i don't really know how often kenjutsu practitioners spar (also outside of Japan its pretty hard to find a Kendou dojo let alone a Kenjutsu one). in terms of practicality it would seem that one would have to really do both, since Kendou would help with understanding distance as well as the environment around you relative to you and your opponent, while the kenjutsu dojo would get your techniques down.
we say all this then some dude who practices teppoudou shows up and says hi lol.
I like your choice of word for Kendo, "sportified".
@@tyronekim3506 I'm glad you do.
@@andrewle7429 many types of kenjutsu schools spar with bokken. while cutting practice is done with uchigatana, technique practice is mostly done with iaito.
Nice to see the difference. Kenjutsu aims to hurt - or kill - the opponent, while Kendo is about scoring points. Hard to compare though because that's two completely different philosophies.
I’ve always thought that scoring a point with a real sword would be pretty devastating.
@@Mustard_Dispenser Most of the cases yes. But there's a distinct difference. Factors such as edge alignment and the area of strike plays a crucial role in scoring and actually slashing through.
@@v_fencer yes, but I think that the kendoka has more mat time. Live experience is more important than anything else, he’s developed the muscles and fight iq.
@@Mustard_Dispenser Well yes, but no. There are few valid Kendo strikes the Kendoka pulled out that lacks structure and commitment for the strikes to be cutting strike. For ex, around 1:32 it's actually pretty clear that it's a totally failed cutting strike if he's holding a real sword, even if he landed it. And it's more of problem with Kendo as a sport-leaning martial art, not the problem of the Kendoka.
@@tatumergo3931 >Kenjutsu or more aptly named kobudo is aimed at one simple thing. Kill the enemy and survive in the battlefield....
I'm not sure if that's really accurate. Most surviving koryu we have today were founded during the relatively peaceful Tokugawa period, which was also the period during which Japanese sword arts evolved towards spirituality, pacification and during the later stages of the period - sportification.
I'm sure there are some schools around that fit your description, but they're not that common. Some schools also claim a lineage all the way back to the sengoku period, but besides a few exceptions those claims can be a little dodgy.
>So how does that translate into combat? Well for one thing you don't worry about parrying attacks. The main objective in kenjutsu is to attack simultaneously at the incoming attack.
I'm sure that is true for some schools, but again it might be quite an overgeneralization.
You're just about the only channel I trust for videos that display one type of art vs. another. You guys seem to be able to line up roughly-equitable opponents to make the videos with, and evade making any sort of weird or biased commentary or displays of ego. I love it. Thank you so much!
It seems that kendo training reinforces a consciousness at the tip of the blade and kenjutsu reinforces a consciousness encompassing the whole edge. Really cool to see in action.
The principles of Kendo are a limited version of Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu specifically this ryuha style is called Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, considered the oldest Ryu of Japanese Swordsmanship and the purest. Many current ryuhas have a traced lineage to Katori, Kendo derrives from it but because of its focus on -do Martial arts principle it is limited in what techniques can be used and is considered a sport (yet obviously practical).
@@outboundflight4455 Thank for the learned response. I know Kendo is limited in its application and very much a sport form, and yet, I see it on this channel pull off some very decisive head snipes.
@@troyfiss9332 kendokas have the nastiest Men, Kote and Do cuts because that's all they are allowed to do. So can't really sell them short. At the end of the day in any swordfight it comes down to who is gonna land a true solid killing blow first...and it's down to the millisecond. Will both fighters end up getting cut up... probably. But one is definitely gonna die.
Thats right in Kendo we are only allowed to use the tipo of the sword, if you pay attention in the video you can maybe see a withe band on the Shinai, that represents the fraction that he can use.
@@aic8489 correct. Which is the true cutting area of the blade called the Monouchi.
This is amazing... and clearly shows that how Kendo has evolved with the goal to score points while Kenjutsu's goal is clearly to deliver a killing blow.
Can't believe he pulled off the sword draw like that. Fucking sick
I always had doubts about iaido vs kendo but it is awesome seeing it applied
Dude really fights like in anime and makes it work
@@SamuraiSwordperson Iaijutsu is quick draw sword sheathing technique. If applied correctly it's just as lethal as a full Kendo Men cut coming at your head.
@@outboundflight4455 well yeah I practice it too. It's just that kendo would have the advantage of having the point in your face already. I think such a discipline would be employed as a last resort rather than walking up to another samurai with the sword in the saya still. Or maybe if your yari broke and you had to pull the katana out real quick
@@SamuraiSwordperson I practice both Koryu Iaijutsu and Kendo and I agree with you. If I'm gonna engage in a fight best bet I'm unsheathing immediately. It creates you taking control of the kamae.You can still apply Iai techniques but obviously only the "kenjutsu" ones with the blade drawn already.
As a 24th generation inheritor of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Owari/Shunpunkan Branch, I say that we need to respect both kenjutsu and kendo.
Kendo focuses upon the athleticism and spirit of its origins, which is admirable. Practitioners of kenjutsu carry on the traditions of the past and keep it alive in the present.
The kendoka has great athleticism from the constant training, and all the strikes that were performed would be effective in combat. However the weight, balance, and structure of a shinai is very different from an actual nihonto. If the kendoka were armed with an actual weapon, they will need to retrain their arms and hands.
Also, kendoka go for a strike and basically run though their opponent. This is fine in sports, but this will get you killed in an actual duel. You will need to kill your opponent on the first strike if you attack like a kendoka. You learn in kenjutsu to strike once or twice and then move apart quickly out of striking distance.
Their defense and parrying in kendo is also limited as there are no techniques to guard the feet or back. The offensive ability is amazing, but no fight is won purely by offense.
On the other hand, most koryu incorporate little to no sparring. This makes kenjutsu feel more like an art form instead of having practical combat usage. When you put the two together, the practitioner of kendo may win purely through their athleticism. Fortunately, my branch of koryu spars very often while also learning kata.
Kendo and kenjutsu have their own purpose which differs. We should not be so overly judgmental over who and what would win because we cannot truly know the outcome unless both had a real katana in their hands. Let us just appreciate the beauty of both.
What does it mean to be the 24th generation inheritor of your branch? Did you receive menkyo from the 23rd soke? Am I misinterpreting something here?
Does YSR spar? I have never heard of this before. I am aware that your style's founder is credited with inventing the (fukuro) shinai which he used as a non leathal dueling weapon. I am also aware that it is used in your kata. Is sparring a derivation on the kata, or something else?
Thanks, I am very curious.
This is a very wise position towards comparisons and both practices. Thank you.
Insightful. Ty
Bro rewrote the bible
@@Ianmar1 Thank you for your questions, and pardon my extremely late reply.
I will someday inherit all the teachings from my shihan. He is not the soke of Yagyu, but he comes from a branch of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, and is very close to the current soke.
When I inherit all of his teachings, I will be 24th generation from his line, which if you go back a couple generations ties into the main Yagyu line.
I have undergoing training at the moment, so I have not received my menkyo.
The main Yagyu line now focuses mainly on kata、but the Shunpunkan branch in Nagoya that I am at spars like crazy.
We practice kata to learn proper form and technique, but we do lots of sparring to actually to truly make our minds and bodies battle ready. We use equipment similar to that of a kendoka. Our speciality is actually the sliding spear technique. The Owarikan Ryu sliding spear is so devaststing to the body that we use very heavy gear when sparring.
It's cool seeing the fleeting momens of similarity before the divergences. Nice that there are kenjutsu schools who pressure test their stuff and are willing to come out and spar with other arts.
"Pressure testing" is just a standard element of the normal training progression in kata-based schools.
海外の剣道動画、とても刺激になります！コロナで稽古足りず、すぐヘトヘトになってましたが、私も剣道頑張ろう🔥✨
@@Veepee92 A lot of kata-based schools do not promote pressure testing tho
@@lucascastro2802 what I don't understand is why iaido schools are one of the ones where there is little if ANY 'pressure testing'. It seems like a highly necessary component of achieving real mastery but you don't see iaidoka sparring or performing tameshigiri. If I was learning the art of the quick draw, I would want to know whether or not my techniques were likely to work in a life or death situation, no matter how unlikely it IS that I would ever face it in real life. I am curious to hear anyone's opinion on this matter.....
@@davidbennett1357 A lot of traditional martial arts believe in forms and "muscle memory" as the most important part of becoming a proficient fighter. You see it in karate, aikido, for example
3:13 That parry + counterattack was cool
I love the kendo guy's dedication to role playing taking the hits and falling over.
He took a blunted sword to the foot. Even if it was dull, I bet that stung like hell.
He took a sparring metal katana on the ankle, unprotected.
That shit must have hurt like shit
@@cintaratna6083 That is not a metal sword.
@@cintaratna6083 its a bamboo blade
@@nick-sherer well, then even better, I've been smacked by a bamboo sword myself without protections.
It hurts, a lot(if you are lucky not to get a broken bone)
Been doing Kenjutsu for a few years now, and I remember a story about what the rules used to be like in Kendo.
There was this guy who practiced Kenjutsu and I think at the time you could still represent a Kenjutsu school in a Kendo tournament. So he joins the tournament, and in his first round he went up against someone who practiced Kendo. Like in this video the Kendo guy was aiming for his opponents head, but Kenjutsu guy caught Kendo man's hand, through him over his shoulder and tagged him with his stick.
Kenjutsu man was disqualified, because he was under the assumption going in that the rules were as they always were, meaning pretty much anything goes. So now Kendo has some very restrictive rules in regards to what hits count, so it doesn't encourage much diversity in how to attack.
Anyway rant over, have a great day or night everyone, stay fresh🙂
I heard a similar stories, but where the kenshi was disqualified for choking the kendoka out either with the do-mune or the men-himo.
@@Ianmar1 wow, I never imagined it would go that far
@@mitchelldavis1180 Check out Haga-ha kendo, they use an older ruleset 😁
Kendo has had those strict rules on what it counts as a strike since it got reinstated as a sport after it's ban during the allied occupation of Japan.
It seems that kenjutsu guy was just someone that applied to a tournament without knowing the rules, broke a bunch of them and got disqualified for it.
The rules with regards to what constitutes a valid strike weren't changed because of him. If there were any changes because of him, they may have been about who some organization is letting compete in their tournament.
I can't help myself but Kendo looks really pathetic compared to Kenjutsu. I've seen the real demonstration of Kendo too but still...
It's interesting that the kenjutsu practitioner begin to find his most success when he started using different stances. Initially he was losing when he used a similar stance to the kendo guy but when he switched it up and started using stances that the kendo guy was not familiar with is when he began to score some hits back.
Well yeah, kendo is fundamentally based on 3 of kenjutsus stances and practicioners spend all of their time practicing those 3. The motions might not have any of the draw cuts from kenjutsu but the strikes are arguably even further refined, perhaps even as a result of ignoring the other attacks. There's basically only one thrusting attack in kendo but it gets drilled incredibly hard as a result and used reflexively when it's the right response. It doesn't come out often but when it does, it's brutal (and usually a punish for a bad call)
The broader kenjutsu guy facing the kendo guy in the same stance is like a guy who plays the whole roster challenging a character specialist to a mirror match, he's just not going to as good at that specialty because he hasn't put in the same time but can pick others that have a match up advantage.
"Be water my friend"
@@CtrlAltRetreat A jack of all traits is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one
@@elrinconnacho "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Bruce Lee
This was like watching a live-action episode of Rurouni Kenshin. I could hear the inner monologues of the fighters in between the action and the background music from that show as I watched and it was amazing.
Great swordmanship from both participants!
I have heard asked: "isn't it stupid to start a fight with the sword sheathed?"
Well, imagine yourself walking down a dark street and being ambushed; practicing unsheathing (or battou jutsu) with that in mind does not sound as stupid now, does it. A katana was a sidearm in the battlefield and a selfdefense item outside it. If you had to reach for it, there was a HIGH chance you needed to do it fast and with precision. Not every fight was a duel.
And another note about battojutsu - in Japan, when two people fought with sword, the one legally considered to have started the fight was the first one to show even an inch of his blade.
The instant someone does that, others can consider it an assault and are fully within their rights to kill him as self defense. Hence the tendency to wait until the very last moment to draw.
It also reflects in the way katanas were worn. In a tense situation, the way the sheath is positioned at the belt could be adjusted to have he sword hilt quite far in front of the body (as seen in the video at 1:45) enabling drawing the sword in a way that relies less on pulling it out of its sheath, and more on pulling the sheath of it.
This way, the sword can be moved more than halfway the distance it takes to draw it, before actually starting to take the sheath off, formally starting a fight.
@@SirConto That actually explains why the sageo is mostly a fashion accessory in many iai schools while its original purpose was to secure the sword in place. Can’t push the saya out like that if the sageo is tight.
Exactly. Katanas were not the main battlefield weapon, that would be a Yari, Naginata or bow and arrow
@@Aerostarm Or tetsubo/kanabo
@@navigz8916 yep, those too
I love how elegant kenjustu looks on top of how effective it is
Yeah, Kendo looks like rapier fighting while kenjutsu looks like lightsaber fighting.
I felt like rooting for the kenjutsu practitioner, but the moment the other guy avoided both of his opponent's scabbard and sword attacks and came out on top was truly something to behold.
Kendo has its restrictions with technique...but it does have technique and if applied well it can be as lethal as Kenjutsu or even Iaijutsu.
that's because he didnt have the sword chambered in striking position, it was pointed forward , so to cut with it, he had to turn it which slowed hiom down giving his opponent time to react, this wouldnt have happened if the tip of the sword was pointed back, which is the proper basic stance for nito ryu.
@@kronoscamron7412 you mean the Kashira was not pointed at the kendoka?
Just remember that even in a style that has dual strikes, like sword and scabbard, a single weapon user is still usually faster because of the lag time between muscles and brain. If you do not train your flow to dual wield on muscle memory, it's better to just use the scabbard as a shield or distraction to get into the cut.
Now, if you're a dual wielding master on the other hand...
From what I saw, the sword user was trying to use his scabbard to keep the kendo stick down while striking with his sword. But the kendo user did a quick top block and went for the kill.
I'm just an amateur in swordfight but I think maybe it would have worked if the sword went sideway instead.
But that really requires quick reaction speed/skill that can only be honed through combat experience
Wow! I used to fence foil and saber in high school, and I am struck with how often the Kenjutsu fighter uses a lot of "opposition" attacks! (One binds the blade while attacking.) This was emphasized by my coach at one time! What's fascinating for me, is the aspect of starting with a sheathed blade! Not only is this very practical for self defense in a "civilian" historical context, but it also obscures the intent of binding the blade! Very fascinating!
Wow the difference in body mechanics is clear. Kendo is fast hits, trying to tap your opponent but kenjutsu is clearly trying to cut through the opponent. It's amazing to see how how martial arts diverged
Dude, kendo strikes are powerful and able to amputate. Its the only fencing combat sport that checks cutting power and edge aligment. Please see Hogu Couple video with Blademan B (kenjutsu fighter from this video) on test cutting and try some kendo, before saing those dumb things.
@@Druid_Ignacy Kendo isn't the only fencing sport that checks cutting power and edge alignment (and even still I've seen flat strikes considered valid on this channel) you also have HEMA with bladed weapons that does that
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 It does not. I train it, and love it, but HEMA does it occasionally, and we don't have so well developed ways to check it as kendo does.
@@Druid_Ignacy I train it and we do that sort of thing also, in kendo, they count as valid hit when the shinai wrap around the oppoent blade and hit the opponent as a valid hit, that's not proper edge aligment nor cutting power
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 I wouldn't be so sure if kendo count that as a hit. I see kendo judging as ,,attack has to be perfect to count", which means parry does not have to be perfect, and hema judging as ,,parry has to be perfect to or else hit counts", which means attack doesn't have to be. These both approaches are ,,realistic" if you will and serve well as training tool, however kendo has much more developed system of measuring cut power and edge alingment and they stick to it much more strictly than any other sport.
Watching this as a HEMA practitioner, I find it interesting how close the resting measure is in Japanese swordsmanship. For example, at 0:25, the kendo fighter is able to land an overhand strike in two tempos (reposition sword to high guard, strike) before the kenjustu fighter is able to even register what's happening. You can see the Kenjustu fighter go for a hanging parry eventually, which he lands on the third attempt, but he's having to rush to regain the initiative. If the fighters were each an additional pace away from each other, that two tempo action wouldn't be viable, as the reposition to high guard would telegraph the kendo fighter's intention, giving the kenjutsu fighter more time to respond, and maybe even size the initiative with a quick thrust to the high point-forward guard (seen in 2:44), which would still keep the kenjutsu fighter covered from the afterblow.
Anyway, fun video as always! I love seeing the different approaches to swordfighting developed by different cultures
My suspicion (as a relative latecomer to HEMA) is that the kendo fighter has more experience. Overall he seemed very good at controlling the measure and the pace and adapted quickly to unfamiliar elements.
Is it just me, or was the start of the exchange around 1:20 very reminiscent of rapier, at least to start?
@@gatling216 The kendo fighter definitely has more sparring time under his belt from the look of it, especially against different fighters. Not surprising, since he has an entire channel dedicated to it.
As for the exchange at 1:20, you're right to see rapier in it. The kendo fighter is doing what in Italian fencing is called a cavatzione, a disengagement of the point to gain an advantage of angle or leverage. This is a pretty common thing to do when both fencers are seeking openings from a point forward position, so with rapiers, of course, this maneuver is a staple.
@@FigureOnAStick Glad to know I’m not going crazy. I’m still fairly new, at least to the practical side. It’s nice to see that some principles seem to be fairly universal.
@@gatling216 Not crazy at all, it seems you've got a good eye! You'll find as you become more experienced that much of the differences between different styles is not so much the mechanics, but rather the historical/cultural contexts of the arts and the different intentions for which they were developed (battlefield combat, personal self-defense, dueling, sport, spiritual practice, etc.)
I’m learning a German style that revolves around an excessively long blade and a 2 handed hilt, on account of the fact that I’m 2 meters tall and I’ve yet to find a more traditional guard I can fit my hand inside without rubbing my knuckles raw. But as my instructor is fond of saying, there are only so many good ways to shove a pointy bit of metal into another person. It makes sense that different traditions would come to the same solutions, adapted to fit the tools and use cases.
This felt more like live action anime than live action anime. You can feel the energy in the still moments.
???
You good bro?
you're damn right
....mmh? When does any of this look like an anime? I mean its all these super powers and kicks that launch ppl in the air and thru walls on anime. Also they don't use the weapons the right way... Where is the anime in this film?
@@omargahanna195 felt - simple past tense of "to feel", regarding sensations and experience.
Look - visual representation for comparing similarities in appearance.
In anime, entire episodes exist where you can feel the tension, calculations and energy even before the first strike.
In some cases, the best soundtracks can be heard during these moments, especially with samurai anime.
Anime - animations with larger than life effects such as super powered events.
Live action anime - real life attempt at capturing the artform of anime
Try again later. Use your fingers to point and sound out each word to get an objective feel for what is being said.
I had a Japanese history professor who told our class that in a samurai duel there was a 75% chance of death. How can that be? Because 100% of the losers died and 50% of the winners died later from wounds.
A similar saying is prevalent in modern self-defense: In a knife fight, one dies on the scene, and the other dies in the ambulance.
I study kenjutsu and in my opinon the only reason why the winner of said fights came out with zero injury is because of a difference in skill, and by difference I mean a large one.
@@j.knoops8243 So are you conceding that if the talents were similar, the probability of a double death was increased?
@@tomhill2376 if you mean the probabillity of both fighters getting severly injured, then yes.
Oh my god at f****** last someone made a good sparring video that had a kenjutsu fighter. Not kendo, not iaido, but kenjutsu. Thank you so so so much.
It's a shame most iaido and kenjutsu school don't seem to spar that much these days
Exactly
@@Boasill yeah
@@Boasill many martial arts doesn't usually spar, like kung fu. It is a very powerful martial art but practicioners doesn't spar and practice actual fighting with it.
Spar is important and should happen from day 1 of training in my opinion.
@@MinadoCoelho maybe not day 1 but everyone who has learned the basics should in my opinion practice soft to medium intensity sparring at least once a week and hard sparring once in a month to have at least a little grasp of their actual skill level
Probably the best and most educative weapons video i've ever seen. AND less than 4 minutes. Congrats!
Yes... YES!!! As someone who has practiced both, i was super exited when i saw this video's title
What are the differences?
@@OG_Jin_Bling Note that Kenjutsu is actually an umbrella term so when saying Kenjutsu you can be refering to many different arts.
As Kenjutsu was used by the samurai to kill in battle, it is based around practical sword combat, it has many stances and even some grappling. Attacks are meant to kill, depending on tthe school you may also learn to attack or counter while drawing your sword. As it was mainly used while wearing armor, it doesn't favor unarmed strikes or weak sword attacks, as there are many stances there are also many footwork patterns and such, it is very flexible in that matter as you can move in many ways without it being wrong, you may attack any part of the body.
Kendo is the Budo of Kenjutsu, meaning that it is not meant to be used to fight but for sport. Attacks are just meant to hit your opponent (note how Kendokas will just flick their Shinainat their opponents head, which would not do a lot of damage in a real fight, let alone against an armored opponent) and not to actually kill/disable them, it basically has one/two stances, the footwork is average, they do only move in certain ways, and the practitioners may only hit the head, throat, the wrists, and some parts of the body.
Even tho it seems like i'm saying that Kenjutusu is superior, i'm not. Because both of them are better at what they are meant for. Kenjutsu to kill and disable, while Kendo for sport. As you can see on this video, Kenjutsu can also work for sport but what you choose is on you. Hope i helped
@@jestfullgremblim8002 Watching again, I noticed the tapping of the strikes. Even though it's more of a sport, it reminds me of another video talking about the katana, and that while it's not sharper or stronger and not the best for thrusting, it is able to make devasting cuts from just the tip of the sword.
@@OG_Jin_Bling i mean, that's kinda right (you got the "it's not sharper" kinda wrong tho, Katanas are usually sharper than other swords) it can make good cuts from flicks. But this is why i mentioned that Kenjutsu practitioners actually train to fight armored opponents, a flick would not damage samurai armor. Also, i don't think that a flick to the head in Kendo style would be able to kill someone, it's just seems unlikely to go throught the skull, i'm no sword expert thought, so i could be wrong.
@@OG_Jin_Bling are you planning in practicing one of the two arts? If so, it is up to you. It's the almost the same case with Jujutsu and Judo, Kenjutus has more techniques and it's supposed to teach you how to kill (you can still kill with Kendo but it's not made for that) yet Kendokas spar more and have a safer way of training too, which mean that they can get better and better without being injured. These arguments also aply to Jujutsu and Judo, not with Taijutsu and Taido tho
This is actually rather interesting. Both of these disaplines started out from the same place, and diverged to fit specific roles. One diverged and became a sport, while the other diverged and became a self defense system for a newly emerging world. It seems clear to me the one designed with combat in mind is better in a fight...not all that surprising, as it enfisizes defense during and after the attack rather than just during. In sport, it does not matter much if you turn your back after a strike, but it does matter in combat.
Running past after an attack, turning the back to the opponent as kendokas do is specifically supposed to prevent follow up attacks. And when done right, it tends to achieve that, since it can be very fast.
But, it's really not unusual for kendokas to start doing it too slow. Even for really good and high ranking ones. Fact to the matter is, that doing it properly is very exhausting. You could probably pull it off in a fight, but if you try to do it dozens of times through a number of rounds of sparring, you'll run out of stamina pretty fast. So people start to slack off on it. And often it becomes something of a habit too.
Kendo rules also somewhat enable it, since it's not allowed to hit someone in the back. And sometimes even encourage it a bit, since in a match, stepping out of bounds of the arena is a foul, and if you move past your opponent at full speed, you might end up having trouble stopping and turning in time.
The kenjutsu seems to have a really good spatial awareness and distance control. Love these viseos
You can definitely tell that Kenjutsu was built for combat once the practitioner started using the different varieties of techniques. Very similar to what you might find in European Sword Fighting manuals and HEMA. You see similar guard positions and similar usage of opportunistic and full strength strikes. However it is very clear that Kendo was derived from Kenjutsu technique. It's almost like looking at the difference between a rapier/saber duel vs fencing. Real Combat Technique requires trying to maim or kill which is born out in the different styles. Its very fascinating. Though the kenjutsu Techniques remind me greatly of Longsword or more specifically Messer technique. That makes sense though, the blade shapes of the Messer and Katana/Tachi are virtually identical (though construction may differ). The Katana and Messer were developed around similar time periods too! Amazing bit of convergent evolution for swordmaking! It is also clear that the Kendo practitioner has more sparring time under his belt. He reacts faster and makes better judgements. This really shows that experience is as important as technique.
He really did Nito-Ryu with the saya! Hahaha also that iai-draw attack was chef's kiss! Thanks for the video guys awesome demonstration. I think kenjutsu scored more points because they have more free movements in slashes as opposed to the 4 kendo targets. Great video I love this content, keep it up!
You mean Niten Ichi Ryu? Of course Niten is derrived from Tenchin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu
Weeb.
@@outboundflight4455 yes I believe, nito-ryu is kendo I think and niten-ichi-ryu is kenjutsu (I THINK) I don't do iaido/battodo only kendo currently!
Always remember, if "jutsu" is in the name it's made to kill, "Do" is sport.
This reminds me of something I heard along the way in the HEMA community; if a German and an Italian were to fight, the German would lose but the Italian would die.
両者"らしさ"を出してていろんな技に対する反応や有効性を試しあってるのがしびれる
Holly molly, such a variety of stances, such volatility in movement.
That dodge and attack combo at 3:14 is awesome 👌👌👌
This is exactly why I’d love to learn Kenjutsu. The techniques, concentration, coordination, and feel for it is amazing.
かっこいいなぁ…
こういう日本の文化が好き
for someone who watch a lot of this channel's video.
this episode is just like when the protagonist of anime(kendo guys) fight with his evil self(or evil twins) who used the same technique as protagonist. but more brutal, more dirty.
(or if this were game. this just like the stage where player fight with their character as a boss, aka mirror match. just your character as a boss have more move than the one you control)
Kendo would be one of the bad guy's subordinates who gets destroyed by the main character with a better technique.
these two styles seem to be evenly matched
1:47 Kenshin Himura right there. Hitten mitsurugi technique.
Amakakeru ryu no hirameki!!
Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu!
Kuzuryusen!
0:07 “locked on target”
He did the Battosai thing with the scabbard. I love how the kenjutsu changes form everythime. I tried Kendo once and feels like a cowboy gun duel but with bamboo swords or shinai
This has been my favorite one so far. Please have more Kendo vs Kenjutsu matches
0:49 after getting fed up with the overhead strikes he just hard read this it was cool nonetheless
Brilliant video!! Long-term private practitioner of Kenjutsu here. Delighted to see this. You folks are champions of the weapon arts.
Okay,.. Kenjutsu clearly has a wider variety of moves here. I'm with the Kenjutsu guy if anyone asks.
I like to see it like boxing. One guy may have a huge arsenal, but the other guy has an amazing jab. Bruce Lee - Fear the man that practices the same kick a million time, not the one who knows a million kicks.
Also, it’s very clear who has more fight experience.
Kenjutsu has a wider range of techniques. But majority of kendokas have perfected their shomen techniques
Just to add to these two, I think that it's the difference between "combat sports" vs traditional martial arts. Traditional martial arts might have a lot of techniques, but techniques are nothing if you can't use them irl.
Combat sport might be limited for safety, but pressure tested. That being said, if the kenjutsu guy spars more, then that versatility gives more edge. Although as far as I know, some strikes from kenjutsu are banned to be used on kendo for safety so he might limit himself for sparring.
Kendo guy just used chudan no kamae. He could have used jodan no kamae or nito ryu, but most kendokas just focuses on improving their chudan. Kendo kata also teach some usage of waki or haso no kamae, though they're of no use in kendo keiko. Anyway, I think in this kind of sparring it could be used. But again, most kendokas prefer just to keep using chudan no kamae.
I've never heard of Kenjutsu but I really love the style. It looked like Kenjutsu won by a land slide here...
been a fan for 2 years now. keep up the magnificent work. bravo to your whole team! cheers from the Philippines
The screams are so funny. Seriously fun watching the duels.
It’s still impressive how well kendo holds up against a usage of a sword art that is meant to be more about landing fatal hits. Especially when you see comments on kendo saying that it’s completely unpractical in actual katana usage due to its nature of favoring on just getting the first hit for the sake of a sport. It’s still not the most optimal way of using a sword, but it’s still not a pushover. I would bet money that in a fight to the death duel between someone who’s never held a katana and someone who has practiced kendo, that the kendo player will win almost every fight.
Ok, really, when the Kenjutsu fighter sheathed his sword, that was an epic flex move.
And the fact one is a full warrior-combat focused art while the other is a more point-scoring sports art, the difference in dynamic and lethality are very apparent.
2:17 this was a nice one
The camera woman is doing a great job too! Props to her!
Witnessing iai be employed whilst intense music plays is like the kendoka just activated the kenjutsu practitioner's 2nd phase.
Awesome. Respect to both.
Weaponism always coming with the actual fights! The most badass koryu channel by far!
Weaponism is a kendo channel. They frequently have koryu guests like Blademan B.
honestly, this video is quite special for me(along with muay Thai match.) not only it's prove my thought that some flashy move from anime, movie can be usable for combat(0:02,1:42 iai quick draw from most Japanese games-manga-anime ,
0:08,1:01/1:03 ,1:32/1:34 neck slicing - rurouni kenshin the beginning,
3:00 use sheathe as second attack - rurouni kenshin 1 ).
it also show the difference between sport and real combat techniques.
just like muay Thai and normal boxing. the other one have many move and suitable for combat. and the other one have fewer move and used for sport.(another example is just like dog and wolf. both of them is similar. but the other one is more badass)
i may be a bit biased but.. in kendo there are 4 target zones, men (head, here means top of the head), kote (the wrist), do (the belly) and tsuki (basically the larynx) if u just take those targets in consideration, kenjitsu made 3 hits, (the neck doesnt count as tsuki). as many people pointed out, kendo is institutionalized (especially after WW2) and is more like "japanese fencing". Thats why the Kendoka has troubles protecting everything else than this 4 zones. He is speciallized in these zones and as u can see, he can defend them.
Kenjutsu on the other hand seems more like a "kill the target no matter what". something like slicing the back is not occuring in kendo. i think kenjutsu looks pretty cool and sure is fun. its a legitamite sport and has its benefits of its own
personally i do kendo (didnt know kenjutsu existed till now :D ) and i think its a very nice sport which provides sooo much benefits like cardio-endurance and lung volume (try screaming 4 minutes in a gi geiko, the 1v1 fights), muscle-endurance ( pulling 50 practice swings in a row x3 does train your body) and personal benefits like soul balance and self esteem, courage and attention keeping.
The cut to the back was a kaeshi gyaku dou (which missed) ... we have that in kendo too. The kenjutsu guy here was a kendo sandan (now yondan) whereas his kendo opponent was a kendo shodan (now nidan).
I get it. In kendo you use banshee technique: scream at your opponent before and during striking to damage his ears, lol
Kendo: "Keep your flow, enchance your spirit, Respect your own disciplines"
Kenjutsu: "KILL THEM ALL!"
i've practiced kendo for a year when i was little. this was fun to watch and i think it ended up exactly as i predicted. more strikes from kendo and more slashes with kenjutsu.
1:22
受け流し？みたいな感じでかっこいい😊
Moral of the story: Do not ..get into a land war in Asia...and do not get into a sword fight.
It’s was really interesting to see 2 people of completely different styles adapt to each other
They're not completely different. Kendo is descendant of Kenjutsu.
This was the some of the coolest move ihave ever seen 1:51
This was amazing to watch, considering I practice both of this and also iaido, form was great, the strikes were great, and amazing foot work, especially for one using kenjutsu,props to his foot work. The guy using kendo did good as well. Congrats to both of you. ❤ keep on doing the do.
damn this is so cool
btw is that a demon slayer katana design the kenjutsu guy have ?
i'm pretty sure demon slayer swords katana are based on real ones
@@kurage_medusa of course, but this training sword has Demon Slayer or One Piece style design on the blade. I'm not sure if it is Demon Slayer or One Piece tho
I think it’s the new Tanjiro katana but only the blade part
The guy performed sun breathing
1:53 Your technique is lacking something. It yearns to bathe in the blood of your enemies, but you hold it back.
I used to learn Kendo - in Thailand with a Japanese 5th Dan Sensei. And was also a fencing team captain! (foil) at 16 years old. Shinai=Foil (point-scoring practice weapons). Fighting with a katana, or a real epee, rapier etc. is quite another business ! A single live blade/point strike that gets past your armour is probably the end of the fight/life. All good fun though, thanks for the video and may the force be with us all!
legend says he's still screaming "HEY" to this day
I can't believe they're using real swords and actually cutting each other, the bloods getting everywhere
If you use kendo right it can be really powerful technique
This is wonderful! Thank you for such a great video. Please tell us, which ryu of kenjutsu is this?
真正的剑术稽古（keiko）不是这个样子的，会使用很厚的海绵的剑互相斩击，或是更坚硬的防具，用尼龙或是金属的刀（katana）进行对决，（很像hema，或许就是hema的一种）双方会使用跟多剑道没有的技术，比如视频一开始的“受流”（ukenagashi）会使用更大并且更快的力量，但是视频的很多动作是有很意思尝试，很有创意并且很有乐趣
I like how kendo people (don’t know what they’re called, sorry) kind of trot to run around. It looks cool
They are called kendoka
Kendoka
Thank you both, I’ll feel way less stupid next time I decide to comment something lol
Plot twist: kinjutsu guy has a sharpened sword
Very interesting comparison here. I've always wanted to see the comparison between this. Despite being apple & orange, both can be fatal if both side use a steel pipe in fight.
It's very interesting to see why Kendo works and why Kenjutsu doesn't and vice versa!
ありがとうございます
They r korean bro 🤓
@@pcu_parkour9244 And you're writing in english what's the difference?
@@pcu_parkour9244 both of the arts they reference in the video come from japan
The kenjizu guy is already a died corpse after the kendo guy launched the first strike if this is a real fight
I looked a lot of it at 0.25 speed. It really shows what is - to my humble and subjective opinion - my problem with kendo. Most strikes with real swords would barely scratch the skull bone; these are lightning fast attacks but there isn't much strength and stop very very early. The miss at 1:32 really shows this, with a strike aimed to enter a skull, the kendoka would've hit the neck or something... I think. n_n
Yeah
Kendo is focused more on hitting, while with a real katana you’re willing to cut through, so the movements are different.
@@soru6768 OK, it doesn't look like it (on slow motion we can see his feet don't touch the ground when he strikes, only after), but you probably know better than me. n_n
(To me it looks like maybe it's the theory but some of his actual moves wouldn't incapacitate the opponent.)
@@guilhermeviana2198 Yes, that's my point, in less words and more clarity. ^^'
@@soru6768 I trust you, you guys know better than me. n_n
Has he ever tried like bamboo or matt cutting but with these exact moves (the exact same move as his first 面)? Or does he uses different moves (with more amplitude and going deeper) when practicing bamboo/matt/things cutting ? I'd be very interested to see the difference, if you are willing to make a video on it. ^^
Kendo guy attacking: "HAAAAAAY"
Kenjutsu guy attacking: "..."
Kendo's main weakness: CAN'T CROSS YOUR F()/#&" FEET!!!!
Jokes aside this was an interesting experiment. Kendo is meant to score points, so it aims at the parts where you got protection which doesn't really makes sense when you´re trying to kill someone, kenjutsu in the other hand is all about cutting whenever possible specially aiming to the soft parts of the armor.
Got to try this once it looks super fun
Im no weapons expert but it seems to me that the kendo person is been helded by the rules of kendo.
The "aim for the head" make it kind of predictible, so after the first point the kenjutsu person pretty much always know where the strike is gonna come.
As i sayied, im no weapons expert, but i can make a paralel with muay thai that is the martial art i do. If my oponent only strike with jabs and straights on 1/2 combos he is gonna have a really hard time trying to hit me, so with the kendo person stands it looks, att least to me, that there is only 2 options of attack: slice from up or a thrust, but the kenjutsu person keep changing its stands making way more dificult to the other person to predict what is going to happen.
Here it is proven that Kenjutsu is real swordsmanship, the Kendo is just a competitive sport. The Kendo guy won when he won because the Shinai is much longer than the Bokken.
It's a very good attempt！ May I ask you one question？
What kind of sword do you use for swordsmanship? Is it made of metal? Or is it made of plastic?
It's made from bamboo if you talk about kendo, if kenjutsu made from plastic
For me kendo is about sport, but kenjutsu is about art and technique. I like more kenjutsu becouse of its spectacularity, beauty and real art of katana.
Great video. It really shows that both are amazing arts, there are some common points, but there's no reason to compare which one is better.
There is a reason to compare the two because Kendo techniques would get you killed in a real sword fight as it’s a sport, Kenjutsu which is the actual sword art the Samurai used, is far superior. Like the Kendo guy charging at the opponent the way he does is plain suicidal.
Beautiful and skillful on both parts, well done!
I love to see these. Some great hits for both sparring partners!
What kind of sword simulator is the kenjutsu guy using? What is that made of? It looks cool, whatever it is.
I'm sorry for Google Translate. I am Japanese and have experience in kendo. It is a mistake to compare kendo that hits a specific place with kendo that hits everywhere. It's fun to see this as a performance.
茶番だね、剣術の刀の方が竹刀より軽そうだもん、竹刀やら真剣なら片手であんなぶん回せない。
居合抜きで面側頭部に当てているが構えから軌道が読まれやすい(左から右へ)ので刀を既に抜いてる相手には向かない、ここはワザと負けている。足元狙うのが有りなら剣道にも有りにしないと不公平。
足元狙うのがアリなら剣道もアリにすろってもはや剣術VS剣道の意味がないじゃないすかww
そもそも「振り回す」という考え方は武術にも武道にもないんじゃないですかねww
どうなのかね？
剣術とやらの一撃は剣道の様な渾身の一撃なのかね？
軽く見えるのですよね
ハリウッド仕込みのインチキチャンバラみたく思える
@@藤原孝郎 渾身の一撃はね〝ポヨヨ〜ン〟ってなんないよｗｗｗ
@@yujikawakami808
やはり浅いですよね
一本ではないし、ハリウッドのチャンバラみたいですよ
It's really cool seeing how the kendoka is all about the light taps, pulling punches, and evading afterward. Very interesting seeing the sport vs the more re-creational style.
Those "taps" are quite technical and take a few years to learn. If you can do one against a resisting opponent and you know the first three kata, that is enough to pass our shodan (equivalent to black belt) exam.
The kenjutsu on display here appears (to others, I have never trained it) to be derived from Katori Shinto Ryu which is a living tradition not a re-construction.
I like how you can clearly see the difference
The kendo practitioner is seen aiming at parts of the body that earn points in a match, meanwhile you see the kenjutsu practitioner pull out some sneaky moves that would do a lot of damage in a real fight, like at 1:13
Yep, and the Kendoka’s techniques would get him killed in a real sword fight like trying to charge his opponent the way he was doing, Kenjutsu is the actual sword art used by the samurai.
剣道と剣術っていう目の付け所が面白いよね
そもそも江戸時代にみんな侍は剣道してたんだからどっちがとかなくね。
love the playing around and alughing not taking it too serious , very cool video
Muito bom 🇧🇷👊🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇯🇵
Lets take a moment to appreciate that guy moving like a protagonist with a sword.
really interesting to see
I kinda have the feeling that Kendo is a bit too predictable as it mostly comes to the same cut to the head
But I havent sparred with a Kendo fighter yet so it might be very different in the actual fight