What is the difference between aikido and kendo

Iaido holds matches too, but unlike kendo, there is no striking each other. In each grade level, players perform the regulated moves of the association or the specialized moves of their school, and they win based on the number of flags raised by the umpire. In some groups, at the higher levels there are not many players and it is difficult to organize matches, so often it ends in just exhibitions. During matches, players mainly wear the dogi and the hakama.

At the high grades, players often wear formal wear with the crest and the Sendaihira hakama. One characteristic of iaido is that at the top levels they often use true swords in their performances.

For beginners and lower graders, and in all practices, they used the iai sword which is made specifically for iaido practice. Iai swords are Japanese swords that are not true swords. It is different from replica swords which are made for the purpose of appreciation. Iai swords are strong enough not to break during practice, and do not have much fancy decorations. In fact there is not much difference between iai swords and true swords, as iai swords meet the requirements in both shape and sword parts to be considered a Japanese sword.

Aikido on the other hand is primarily an unarmed combat system based on throws, locks, grappeling and circular defensive manouvers, any sword skills learnt are mostly as an adjunct to the unarmed skills, and I believe only practiced at a high competence level. Some Kenjutsu schools exist, which teach sword fighting techniques, and several offshoots of Jujutsu include study of sword fighting techniques. These would be similar to what you may learn in advanced Aikido, or Iaido, and may include techniques for use against armored opponents, and lots of small cutting manouvers that would not count in a Kendo match.

I believe it is common for Kendo practitioners to gain kenjutsu skills if they are interested in such aspects. Iado is the art of drawing a sword. Forgot who told me that, but it works for me to aid in stabilizing myself, keeping my balance, and making it easier to move in different directions.

I noticed that most of the senior practitioners at my dojo do this naturally, and when I mentioned it, they blinked at me and said "You think too much, but I think you're right.

Re: Aikido training vs Kendo training. In my experience, which is somewhat limited in both Aikido and Kendo, I find that the biggest difference between them is in the aggression factor. While both arts encourage a calm exterior and empty mind, attacking your opponent is essential to Kendo; in Aikido it is the defense that is the entire point.

This is not to say that attack is the only element in Kendo, and that defense is not included; they are both part of the art. It is just that the aggression to attack is trained into you. Now, whether or not that is a compliment to Aikido is probably easily argued both ways, but my thoughts are that the attack training in Kendo makes for a more realistic Aikido uke - one who knows how to cut you down, as opposed to just shaking a stick at you.

It's good to have a partner who knows a kissaki from a kashira. But to address your question more specifically, the technique side of Kendo, in my experience, is very linear. So far as I have seen, tenkan is an unspoken word, and all the ashi-waza are forward or backwards.

An exception of this is sayomen-uchi training, which is a practice in hitting just to the right and left of the direct center of the kendo helmet. Aikido, on the other hand, is very circular, so you may find yourself having to break or adapt older habits if you become a Kendo player.

I would argue that Kendo would benefit any Aikidoka. Besides familiarizing yourself with the Japanese sword a little better, Kendo seems to help you get a firm grip on the idea of an aggressive opponent who is armed and willing to beat you with a stick. Oh, and it'll get you used to being hit with said stick, which can't hurt, right? Bill Landis wrote:. All times are GMT The time now is AM. AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

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You can deepen your understanding of Aikido by checking out a recent article of mine. In it, I explored its philosophy. Then I explored what he believed in and whether he was knowledgeable about other martial arts. Kendo does not use a belt system. But practitioners are ranked and tested when they are deemed competent enough. Then, they progress from one level to another.

There are two main ranks: Kyu and Dan. In addition to the two ranks, titles shogo can be earned. But, there are no outward signifiers of rank. So, an advanced kendoka and a rank beginner would look exactly the same. The Kyu being the most basic. It has 6 levels, and one starts at the 6th and progresses upward. The Kyu is followed by the Dan. It has 8 levels. In the Dan stage, one starts from the 1st level and gradually proceeds to the 8th.

There are regulations set by the International Kendo Federation. These spell out the requirements for examinations practitioners have to pass to proceed from one rank to another. Exams for kyu levels are usually administered internally by kendo clubs, while those of the dan levels are organized by national and international organizations.

The bokken sword is used in both Kendo and Aikido.