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Reflections of Kokichi EDO
Brief bio of Kokichi Edo:
Further reading:
Video:
The essence of kendo is omoiyari (mutual care and respect). You cannot win without knowing yourself and your opponent.
The former champion, slight of stature, has not taken dan examinations beyond rokudan nor competed in recent years.
But he didn’t turn his back on kendo world out of disgust.
Through scientific training, Kanazawa University achieved remarkable results among national universities. Confidently, he acts as an alumnus of the Student Kendo Federation.
He has raised critical issues in this journal and addressed the "Requests from Three School-Related Organisations."
His incisive critiques stem from his ceaseless dedication to refining kendo rather than defending himself — a testament to his unwavering focus.
The interview occurred before that year’s All Japan Championships. Edo sensei recognised Masahiro Miyazaki’s strength and predicted his victory. Edo sensei himself belonged to kendo’s first postwar generation, winning third place in his 1961 debut. He sees parallels between Miyazaki and himself — both catalysts for change alongside contemporaries like Tetsuaki Kuwahara (21, prior-year winner) and Tadao Toda (23, following-year winner).
Since Miyazaki’s victory, the kendo world has shifted positively. Before, only large, powerful players won. Miyazaki, of average build, triumphs through technique, strategy, and tactics — his hallmark is speed. He is a fast-attacking type who hits with fast pace. I believe he retains winning potential.
Tadanori Yamashita (Chukyo University) also shows promise. Takahiro Nabeyama might had thrived last ten years but with Miyazaki’s rise that altered kendo’s world — Nabeyama’s timing seems not good enough.
Powerful champions like Hironobu Yamada, Kiyonori Nishikawa, and Akira Hayashi were formidable, but room exists for Miyazaki’s kendo.
Nostalgia for "the old days" grows with age, which is not limited only to kendo. Kendo, which is rooted in sword combat, risks losing its essence, as swords become obsolete so there are certainly problems with the change, not just nostalgia. While changes pose challenges, senseis like Edo sensei who grew up after the war, especially those who are instructors in universities and other places, are the ones who calmly grasp the flow of the times and the changes that come with it. Among them, Edo sensei is the one who always thinks about what specific improvements should be taken yet honours the tradition.
For example, Nihon Kendo Kata must be preserved as cultural heritage. I think, deeper research into its essence is fundamental.
Nowadays many kenshi mechanically repeat kata. We must clarify and learn: Which school inspired ippon-me? Why jodan? Why do we aim kote in ippon-me? Why waki-gamae in yonhon-me? How do all of these relate to practical kendo?
I learned kata from Uekichi Sato sensei, the top disciple of Saburo Takano sensei, during his tenure at Chukyo University. When I performed ippon-me, he corrected, "Edo-kun, that is wrong." No matter how many times I did it, he kept telling “Wrong" leaving an explanation behind. When sensei was about to retire, he finally told me, "Edo-kun, I have no choice but to teach you."
The explanation was simple enough: I retreated too early. One must draw the opponent in, letting them step in completely without any chance to alter their movement and only then respond avoiding their attack. Simple, yet true kata.
Sato sensei would strike yokomen or thrust during nihon-me: He said that it just so happened that we had agreed to strike kote, but in essence yokomen strike or thrust are equally valid. Kata done under such circumstances and with such spirit mirrors real combat pressure. It loses meaning without practicality. Five-six kata like this during a winter practice drenches me entirely. People are often scared of me performing kata even with a bokuto.
Although Edo sensei employs sports science, he honours his budo roots, preserves its essence, and thinks how to incorporate its elements.
Kendo’s budo value lies in teaching people from a young age rules, respect, empathy, and restraining selfishness —fostering growth step by step. Unlike purely recreational sports, where one can just enjoy, kendo is about the joy of spiritual cultivation and discipline blending the fun of competing.
Overemphasising spirit prematurely is counterproductive. To appreciate kendo’s depth, one must fall in love with it first. Thus, it is essential especially for children that budo knowledge and elements layered gradually with maturity.
Today, advanced understanding is demanded too early. We need age-specific goals (youth/adult/senior) with feasible methods and judging criteria.
Competitors at a level when they can participate in Meijimura tournament should achieve spiritual heights enabling self-judgement where they could just bow ("mairimashita") and say “I give up”, even without anyone to judge. Yet we fall short. Hachidansha practitioners (hanshi) should humbly withdraw if their kendo falters.
Budo spirit extends beyond kendo if people are serious about doing other sports they will develop budo-like way of thinking. Consider Katsuya Nomura who after winning the first place of the Japan Series this year did not get carried away proclaiming that it had become more dangerous. He said that to avoid being deemed arrogant. That is bushido. Many embody this without practising kendo.
We must spread our wisdom and get better together to realise kendo’s ideals act. Despite kendo principles, its implementation fails. A kenshi over 50 should be recognisable even if they are not wearing bogu, I would like people to say, "Oh, that person practices kendo. There's something different about them."
Kendo Nippon September issue’s "Proposals for 21st-Century Kendo" featured Edo sensei’s call for "concrete metrics to achieve ideals." He stresses first making kendo engaging — backed by sports science.
My theory: "Avoid sparring only stronger opponents." Training with slightly weaker partners builds confidence in landing strikes. I won often but occasionally lost and analysing losses — this fuels growth. Constant defeat breeds discouragement.
I started kendo during my second year of a junior high school at a small dojo with 100 members. For two months, we drilled only okuri-ashi. Our sensei brilliantly motivated us. It was fun. When I struck him once, he exclaimed, "Ah, you got me!"— igniting my passion.
This bred my ambition for improvement. When I asked my sensei how to improve, he said: "Do long jumps and suburi”. I swung 1,000 times daily post-practice until my graduation; about 600 standard ones, and then 400 jumping swings. Looking back, I think this was very effective. It also made sense in a physiological way.
The more matches I played, the more I won, and I became more and more absorbed in kendo. It was so fun I could not quit. During my high school years, Haruo Maeda (Kokushikan University alumnus) excelled. We often practised sanbon shobu together. Top schools always prioritised sanbon shobu trainings.
My winnings delighted seniors and teachers, and me. Additionally I started to train by myself more and more, inspired by other sports. It is true what they say: “Passion breeds mastery”; without passion, one quits.
I always tell my students that mediocre test scores draw parental ire. The students who come to my school are gifted in science, so I presume that they are motivated to study because they were praised up until a high school. The identical principle applies to kendo.
At Kanazawa University, under Edo sensei’s coaching, Yoko Hotta won the All Japan Women’s Student Championship in 1985. Recently, Yoshiko Oda has reached second place twice in a row. Women’s team in particular has achieved impressive results, whereas men’s individuals and teams have been recognised nationwide. His methodology blending experience, sports science, and research collaboration in the field drives this success.
Kendo is not defined by solely wearing bogu.
Essentially strength training boosts striking speed. Our tests showed girls match boys if they hold shinai of different size. Moreover, the striking speed of girls has increased due to their physical training. Boys must improve their speed capabilities further. It is hard to make boys understand the theory, though.
My curiosity to scientific problems ignited during my days as an assistant professor at Chukyo University when I saw PE coach performing sawdust running and circuit training drills, which I adopted myself. My breakthrough occurred after Hidezo Mitsuhashi (colleague of mine at Chukyo University) introduced me to prof. Hideji Matsui (nowadays director of the Aichi Prefecture Sports Science Center) who signed me up to a weekly research group led by prof. Tamotsu Hoshikawa at Nagoya University. Exposure to other sports’ researchers reshaped my perspective of kendo.
Nowadays I employ eye-tracking to study dynamic vision for better understanding where players look to anticipate is men or kote strike coming. Another focus of mine is quantitative analysis of a kenshi’s movements in order to determine their pros or cons. Ideally I want to advance my research to the point where a single photo will reveal flaws.
We tested rapid attacking pace during shiai. It proved to be successful strategy for men last year. The idea is to land hasty attacks while the opponent idles. The opponent has to keep up defending allowing you to fight at your own pace. After a year or two of trainings, the results have proved it.
However, the successes alone is not much of proof. It is necessary to collect a lot of data, so if one flaw is corrected the systematisation is procured for better understanding whether it was corrected due to the student's personal input or because of his teacher’s. The certain degree of correlation can emerge only due to loads of data. Even if a sensei possesses knowledge that knowledge dies with them, thus students are used as a tool to give it shape.
It is crucially how such results can be applied in practice. Otherwise, the future discussion is futile.
He competed in All Japan Kendo Championships preliminaries until his mid-40s, inspired during his 20s by veteran champions like Tadashi Sakakibara and Moriharu Suzuki who competed during their 40’s in the Aichi Prefecture preliminaries. Now, he no longer enters tournaments, including championship qualifiers, nor has he tested beyond rokudan.
When I became little older, I participated in a teacher's tournament, despite numerous strikes shimpan ignored them. My disappointment with the poor judgement made me quit. Notwithstanding I struck effectively pursuant to the conditions of yuko-datotsu, such as ki-ken-tai-ichi and hasuji-tadashiku, they were judged on vague "lack of dignity". For instance, they called series of kote-dō waza "undignified."
I struck exposed targets, highlighting to my opponents their flaws, which has offered them something to reflect on.
Modern referees only pay attention to the actions of the one who lands a strike. They dismiss yuko-datotsu because of what they assume as a poor technique. However, what about the opponent who failed to stop such technique? They criticise Miyazaki for lack of momentum completely ignoring that his strikes land on the opponent. I think the ingenuity lies in preventing this approach.
Ignoring an ippon prevents the person who was struck from reflecting on his vulnerabilities and can breed arrogance. Even at the All Japan Kendo Championships, shimpan must easily award ippon for strikes that meet all criteria of yuko-datotsu.
I will never compete in a shiai judged by a shimpan again. I know when the difference between winning and losing, so I do not think there is any need for a shimpan. I believe this is the path leading to the budo idea of spiritual discipline.
I approached my dan grades humbly. During my high school I passed sandan exam, even then I did not think I had the proper ability for it. When I was taking rokudan exam, I thought I should be ready for nanadan to pass.
Lacking higher dan grade has built up my confidence that I am still good at kendo. I guess Hidezo Mitsuhashi may have had some influence over me. Dan grades are means of encouragement for amateurs, and as an expert, I can seriously pursue kendo even without such focus. I am sure there is no need in taking exam ever again because I have already achieved success.
On the other hand, since I lack specific rank, I have to practice even more to gain recognition. If I think of myself having the strength that of nanadan, I have to practice that much. Even now, when it comes to shobu, I would not lose easily to opponents my age. Nowadays I practice kendo hitting different targets, but that is fine to me. I want to go through that and reach my destination without forcing myself to change the way how it is now.
One can feel the love for kendo in each word Edo sesnei speaks. Moreover, you can feel his pride in having devoted his life to studying kendo to the core.
I can describe all that is good about kendo with one word – omoiyari. Even if you are fighting a battle of skill with your opponent he is not your enemy, you are fighting someone who shares the same love for kendo. The victorious one must feel compassion for the defeated. It is not enough to be satisfied with your sole win. One of the conditions yukodatotsu is zanshin. That is what zanshin means.
Kendo teaches to read your opponent’s thoughts, whether they are stepping back or trying to use waza. Notwithstanding with your skills improvement, if you do not read your opponent, you will not be victorious. In my opinion, this approach can lend you a hand of employing such way of thinking beyond kendo. Kendo’s good side is that it cultivates this kind of mindset.
Surely, you must keep training your mental state in order to win shiai. This understanding originates from budo. While teaching my students, I tend to say, "You have to win." This does not simply mean taking over your opponent; it means taking over yourself first place, which requires mental training.
I am absolutely sure the student union is kendo’s future. Both personally and as a member, I shared my opinion with All Japan Kendo Federation, and I believe that many improvements have been made already and it is about time to put them into practice.
There is a lot of energy among the student union alumni. They express their opinions enthusiastically. During keiko or social gatherings, the only difference is East and West but otherwise everyone is equal. Hachidan and kyudan senseis are not allowed to sit in kamiza. Even at referee seminars nanadan Minami Kawakami is in charge of everything, while hachidansha always keep mumbling "Why aren't you wearing men?". I cannot afford to be so arrogant.
The student union is currently planning a new tournament. We are considering new initiatives such as an open participation and nito-ryu section, but rather than being solely run by students, we anticipate involving alumni for the half of the tournament. It will take a year or two at least, since the student union just have started.
I am proud I have been thinking about kendo all the time. No matter how much you love kendo, there are always times when you hate it. I have felt that plenty of times. However, what would be left without kendo, nothing. I was blessed with great teachers, I am lucky enough not to quit because of them. I want to share the same feeling with students, but sometimes I ought to act as a bit more like a university professor. Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed while jogging with students, but I keep doing it nevertheless, while thinking about it not just as a kendo exercise, but rather that sharing the same spirit, so even if I am falling behind, I keep running…
The original article was published in Kendo Nippon magazine on December, 1993. The English translation © 2025 by Andrew Bragin, KAMINARIKAN is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
◂ BACK TO BLOG
- Born in Aichi Prefecture on October 10, 1939. Resided in Ishikawa Prefecture. Although he was less than 160 cm tall, he overwhelmed his opponents with his spring-like instantaneous power and exceptional sense of victory. After distinguishing himself at Chukyo University, he advanced to the finals of the All-Japan Student Championships in all four years at Chukyo University, and won the first Japan twice. He also had a strong presence as a leader with theories based on scientific research. In April 1979 (Showa 54), he was assigned to Kanazawa University, where he led a local national university to become a national kendo powerhouse for both men and women.
- He passed away on April 21, 2023. He was 83 years old.
- His philosophy of "勝つための思いやり" [omoiyari for victory] remains influential in kendo pedagogy today.
- Representative Director of Nihon Budo Shugakuin, NPO
- Professor Emeritus, Kanazawa University
- All Japan Student Kendo Championship: 1st place: twice, 2nd place: twice
- Tokai Student Kendo Championship, 1st place: 4 times
- All Japan Kendo Championship: the 13th Championship: 2nd place; the 9th, 10th, 11th Championships: 3rd place
- All Japan Teachers Kendo Championship: the 9th Championship: 1st place; the 7th, 11th Championships: 2nd place
Further reading:
Video:
- The famous Edo sensei’s shiai using katate-jodan-no-kamae against jodan-shenshu — All Japan champion of 1971.
* * *
The essence of kendo is omoiyari (mutual care and respect). You cannot win without knowing yourself and your opponent.
The former champion, slight of stature, has not taken dan examinations beyond rokudan nor competed in recent years.
But he didn’t turn his back on kendo world out of disgust.
Through scientific training, Kanazawa University achieved remarkable results among national universities. Confidently, he acts as an alumnus of the Student Kendo Federation.
He has raised critical issues in this journal and addressed the "Requests from Three School-Related Organisations."
His incisive critiques stem from his ceaseless dedication to refining kendo rather than defending himself — a testament to his unwavering focus.
The interview occurred before that year’s All Japan Championships. Edo sensei recognised Masahiro Miyazaki’s strength and predicted his victory. Edo sensei himself belonged to kendo’s first postwar generation, winning third place in his 1961 debut. He sees parallels between Miyazaki and himself — both catalysts for change alongside contemporaries like Tetsuaki Kuwahara (21, prior-year winner) and Tadao Toda (23, following-year winner).
Since Miyazaki’s victory, the kendo world has shifted positively. Before, only large, powerful players won. Miyazaki, of average build, triumphs through technique, strategy, and tactics — his hallmark is speed. He is a fast-attacking type who hits with fast pace. I believe he retains winning potential.
Tadanori Yamashita (Chukyo University) also shows promise. Takahiro Nabeyama might had thrived last ten years but with Miyazaki’s rise that altered kendo’s world — Nabeyama’s timing seems not good enough.
Powerful champions like Hironobu Yamada, Kiyonori Nishikawa, and Akira Hayashi were formidable, but room exists for Miyazaki’s kendo.
Nostalgia for "the old days" grows with age, which is not limited only to kendo. Kendo, which is rooted in sword combat, risks losing its essence, as swords become obsolete so there are certainly problems with the change, not just nostalgia. While changes pose challenges, senseis like Edo sensei who grew up after the war, especially those who are instructors in universities and other places, are the ones who calmly grasp the flow of the times and the changes that come with it. Among them, Edo sensei is the one who always thinks about what specific improvements should be taken yet honours the tradition.
For example, Nihon Kendo Kata must be preserved as cultural heritage. I think, deeper research into its essence is fundamental.
Nowadays many kenshi mechanically repeat kata. We must clarify and learn: Which school inspired ippon-me? Why jodan? Why do we aim kote in ippon-me? Why waki-gamae in yonhon-me? How do all of these relate to practical kendo?
I learned kata from Uekichi Sato sensei, the top disciple of Saburo Takano sensei, during his tenure at Chukyo University. When I performed ippon-me, he corrected, "Edo-kun, that is wrong." No matter how many times I did it, he kept telling “Wrong" leaving an explanation behind. When sensei was about to retire, he finally told me, "Edo-kun, I have no choice but to teach you."
The explanation was simple enough: I retreated too early. One must draw the opponent in, letting them step in completely without any chance to alter their movement and only then respond avoiding their attack. Simple, yet true kata.
Sato sensei would strike yokomen or thrust during nihon-me: He said that it just so happened that we had agreed to strike kote, but in essence yokomen strike or thrust are equally valid. Kata done under such circumstances and with such spirit mirrors real combat pressure. It loses meaning without practicality. Five-six kata like this during a winter practice drenches me entirely. People are often scared of me performing kata even with a bokuto.
Although Edo sensei employs sports science, he honours his budo roots, preserves its essence, and thinks how to incorporate its elements.
Kendo’s budo value lies in teaching people from a young age rules, respect, empathy, and restraining selfishness —fostering growth step by step. Unlike purely recreational sports, where one can just enjoy, kendo is about the joy of spiritual cultivation and discipline blending the fun of competing.
Overemphasising spirit prematurely is counterproductive. To appreciate kendo’s depth, one must fall in love with it first. Thus, it is essential especially for children that budo knowledge and elements layered gradually with maturity.
Today, advanced understanding is demanded too early. We need age-specific goals (youth/adult/senior) with feasible methods and judging criteria.
Competitors at a level when they can participate in Meijimura tournament should achieve spiritual heights enabling self-judgement where they could just bow ("mairimashita") and say “I give up”, even without anyone to judge. Yet we fall short. Hachidansha practitioners (hanshi) should humbly withdraw if their kendo falters.
Budo spirit extends beyond kendo if people are serious about doing other sports they will develop budo-like way of thinking. Consider Katsuya Nomura who after winning the first place of the Japan Series this year did not get carried away proclaiming that it had become more dangerous. He said that to avoid being deemed arrogant. That is bushido. Many embody this without practising kendo.
We must spread our wisdom and get better together to realise kendo’s ideals act. Despite kendo principles, its implementation fails. A kenshi over 50 should be recognisable even if they are not wearing bogu, I would like people to say, "Oh, that person practices kendo. There's something different about them."
Kendo Nippon September issue’s "Proposals for 21st-Century Kendo" featured Edo sensei’s call for "concrete metrics to achieve ideals." He stresses first making kendo engaging — backed by sports science.
My theory: "Avoid sparring only stronger opponents." Training with slightly weaker partners builds confidence in landing strikes. I won often but occasionally lost and analysing losses — this fuels growth. Constant defeat breeds discouragement.
I started kendo during my second year of a junior high school at a small dojo with 100 members. For two months, we drilled only okuri-ashi. Our sensei brilliantly motivated us. It was fun. When I struck him once, he exclaimed, "Ah, you got me!"— igniting my passion.
This bred my ambition for improvement. When I asked my sensei how to improve, he said: "Do long jumps and suburi”. I swung 1,000 times daily post-practice until my graduation; about 600 standard ones, and then 400 jumping swings. Looking back, I think this was very effective. It also made sense in a physiological way.
The more matches I played, the more I won, and I became more and more absorbed in kendo. It was so fun I could not quit. During my high school years, Haruo Maeda (Kokushikan University alumnus) excelled. We often practised sanbon shobu together. Top schools always prioritised sanbon shobu trainings.
My winnings delighted seniors and teachers, and me. Additionally I started to train by myself more and more, inspired by other sports. It is true what they say: “Passion breeds mastery”; without passion, one quits.
I always tell my students that mediocre test scores draw parental ire. The students who come to my school are gifted in science, so I presume that they are motivated to study because they were praised up until a high school. The identical principle applies to kendo.
At Kanazawa University, under Edo sensei’s coaching, Yoko Hotta won the All Japan Women’s Student Championship in 1985. Recently, Yoshiko Oda has reached second place twice in a row. Women’s team in particular has achieved impressive results, whereas men’s individuals and teams have been recognised nationwide. His methodology blending experience, sports science, and research collaboration in the field drives this success.
Kendo is not defined by solely wearing bogu.
Essentially strength training boosts striking speed. Our tests showed girls match boys if they hold shinai of different size. Moreover, the striking speed of girls has increased due to their physical training. Boys must improve their speed capabilities further. It is hard to make boys understand the theory, though.
My curiosity to scientific problems ignited during my days as an assistant professor at Chukyo University when I saw PE coach performing sawdust running and circuit training drills, which I adopted myself. My breakthrough occurred after Hidezo Mitsuhashi (colleague of mine at Chukyo University) introduced me to prof. Hideji Matsui (nowadays director of the Aichi Prefecture Sports Science Center) who signed me up to a weekly research group led by prof. Tamotsu Hoshikawa at Nagoya University. Exposure to other sports’ researchers reshaped my perspective of kendo.
Nowadays I employ eye-tracking to study dynamic vision for better understanding where players look to anticipate is men or kote strike coming. Another focus of mine is quantitative analysis of a kenshi’s movements in order to determine their pros or cons. Ideally I want to advance my research to the point where a single photo will reveal flaws.
We tested rapid attacking pace during shiai. It proved to be successful strategy for men last year. The idea is to land hasty attacks while the opponent idles. The opponent has to keep up defending allowing you to fight at your own pace. After a year or two of trainings, the results have proved it.
However, the successes alone is not much of proof. It is necessary to collect a lot of data, so if one flaw is corrected the systematisation is procured for better understanding whether it was corrected due to the student's personal input or because of his teacher’s. The certain degree of correlation can emerge only due to loads of data. Even if a sensei possesses knowledge that knowledge dies with them, thus students are used as a tool to give it shape.
It is crucially how such results can be applied in practice. Otherwise, the future discussion is futile.
He competed in All Japan Kendo Championships preliminaries until his mid-40s, inspired during his 20s by veteran champions like Tadashi Sakakibara and Moriharu Suzuki who competed during their 40’s in the Aichi Prefecture preliminaries. Now, he no longer enters tournaments, including championship qualifiers, nor has he tested beyond rokudan.
When I became little older, I participated in a teacher's tournament, despite numerous strikes shimpan ignored them. My disappointment with the poor judgement made me quit. Notwithstanding I struck effectively pursuant to the conditions of yuko-datotsu, such as ki-ken-tai-ichi and hasuji-tadashiku, they were judged on vague "lack of dignity". For instance, they called series of kote-dō waza "undignified."
I struck exposed targets, highlighting to my opponents their flaws, which has offered them something to reflect on.
Modern referees only pay attention to the actions of the one who lands a strike. They dismiss yuko-datotsu because of what they assume as a poor technique. However, what about the opponent who failed to stop such technique? They criticise Miyazaki for lack of momentum completely ignoring that his strikes land on the opponent. I think the ingenuity lies in preventing this approach.
Ignoring an ippon prevents the person who was struck from reflecting on his vulnerabilities and can breed arrogance. Even at the All Japan Kendo Championships, shimpan must easily award ippon for strikes that meet all criteria of yuko-datotsu.
I will never compete in a shiai judged by a shimpan again. I know when the difference between winning and losing, so I do not think there is any need for a shimpan. I believe this is the path leading to the budo idea of spiritual discipline.
I approached my dan grades humbly. During my high school I passed sandan exam, even then I did not think I had the proper ability for it. When I was taking rokudan exam, I thought I should be ready for nanadan to pass.
Lacking higher dan grade has built up my confidence that I am still good at kendo. I guess Hidezo Mitsuhashi may have had some influence over me. Dan grades are means of encouragement for amateurs, and as an expert, I can seriously pursue kendo even without such focus. I am sure there is no need in taking exam ever again because I have already achieved success.
On the other hand, since I lack specific rank, I have to practice even more to gain recognition. If I think of myself having the strength that of nanadan, I have to practice that much. Even now, when it comes to shobu, I would not lose easily to opponents my age. Nowadays I practice kendo hitting different targets, but that is fine to me. I want to go through that and reach my destination without forcing myself to change the way how it is now.
One can feel the love for kendo in each word Edo sesnei speaks. Moreover, you can feel his pride in having devoted his life to studying kendo to the core.
I can describe all that is good about kendo with one word – omoiyari. Even if you are fighting a battle of skill with your opponent he is not your enemy, you are fighting someone who shares the same love for kendo. The victorious one must feel compassion for the defeated. It is not enough to be satisfied with your sole win. One of the conditions yukodatotsu is zanshin. That is what zanshin means.
Kendo teaches to read your opponent’s thoughts, whether they are stepping back or trying to use waza. Notwithstanding with your skills improvement, if you do not read your opponent, you will not be victorious. In my opinion, this approach can lend you a hand of employing such way of thinking beyond kendo. Kendo’s good side is that it cultivates this kind of mindset.
Surely, you must keep training your mental state in order to win shiai. This understanding originates from budo. While teaching my students, I tend to say, "You have to win." This does not simply mean taking over your opponent; it means taking over yourself first place, which requires mental training.
I am absolutely sure the student union is kendo’s future. Both personally and as a member, I shared my opinion with All Japan Kendo Federation, and I believe that many improvements have been made already and it is about time to put them into practice.
There is a lot of energy among the student union alumni. They express their opinions enthusiastically. During keiko or social gatherings, the only difference is East and West but otherwise everyone is equal. Hachidan and kyudan senseis are not allowed to sit in kamiza. Even at referee seminars nanadan Minami Kawakami is in charge of everything, while hachidansha always keep mumbling "Why aren't you wearing men?". I cannot afford to be so arrogant.
The student union is currently planning a new tournament. We are considering new initiatives such as an open participation and nito-ryu section, but rather than being solely run by students, we anticipate involving alumni for the half of the tournament. It will take a year or two at least, since the student union just have started.
I am proud I have been thinking about kendo all the time. No matter how much you love kendo, there are always times when you hate it. I have felt that plenty of times. However, what would be left without kendo, nothing. I was blessed with great teachers, I am lucky enough not to quit because of them. I want to share the same feeling with students, but sometimes I ought to act as a bit more like a university professor. Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed while jogging with students, but I keep doing it nevertheless, while thinking about it not just as a kendo exercise, but rather that sharing the same spirit, so even if I am falling behind, I keep running…
The original article was published in Kendo Nippon magazine on December, 1993. The English translation © 2025 by Andrew Bragin, KAMINARIKAN is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
◂ BACK TO BLOG
Reflections of Kokichi Edo
Short bio of Kokichi Edo:
Further reading:
Video:
The essence of kendo is omoiyari (mutual care and respect). You cannot win without knowing yourself and your opponent.
The former champion, slight of stature, has not taken dan examinations beyond rokudan nor competed in recent years.
But he didn’t turn his back on kendo world out of disgust.
Through scientific training, Kanazawa University achieved remarkable results among national universities. Confidently, he acts as an alumnus of the Student Kendo Federation.
He has raised critical issues in this journal and addressed the "Requests from Three School-Related Organisations."
His incisive critiques stem from his ceaseless dedication to refining kendo rather than defending himself — a testament to his unwavering focus.
The interview occurred before that year’s All Japan Championships. Edo sensei recognised Masahiro Miyazaki’s strength and predicted his victory. Edo sensei himself belonged to kendo’s first postwar generation, winning third place in his 1961 debut. He sees parallels between Miyazaki and himself — both catalysts for change alongside contemporaries like Tetsuaki Kuwahara (21, prior-year winner) and Tadao Toda (23, following-year winner).
Since Miyazaki’s victory, the kendo world has shifted positively. Before, only large, powerful players won. Miyazaki, of average build, triumphs through technique, strategy, and tactics — his hallmark is speed. He is a fast-attacking type who hits with fast pace. I believe he retains winning potential.
Tadanori Yamashita (Chukyo University) also shows promise. Takahiro Nabeyama might had thrived last ten years but with Miyazaki’s rise that altered kendo’s world — Nabeyama’s timing seems not good enough.
Powerful champions like Hironobu Yamada, Kiyonori Nishikawa, and Akira Hayashi were formidable, but room exists for Miyazaki’s kendo.
Nostalgia for "the old days" grows with age, which is not limited only to kendo. Kendo, which is rooted in sword combat, risks losing its essence, as swords become obsolete so there are certainly problems with the change, not just nostalgia. While changes pose challenges, senseis like Edo sensei who grew up after the war, especially those who are instructors in universities and other places, are the ones who calmly grasp the flow of the times and the changes that come with it. Among them, Edo sensei is the one who always thinks about what specific improvements should be taken yet honours the tradition.
For example, Nihon Kendo Kata must be preserved as cultural heritage. I think, deeper research into its essence is fundamental.
Nowadays many kenshi mechanically repeat kata. We must clarify and learn: Which school inspired ippon-me? Why jodan? Why do we aim kote in ippon-me? Why waki-gamae in yonhon-me? How do all of these relate to practical kendo?
I learned kata from Uekichi Sato sensei, the top disciple of Saburo Takano sensei, during his tenure at Chukyo University. When I performed ippon-me, he corrected, "Edo-kun, that is wrong." No matter how many times I did it, he kept telling “Wrong" leaving an explanation behind. When sensei was about to retire, he finally told me, "Edo-kun, I have no choice but to teach you."
The explanation was simple enough: I retreated too early. One must draw the opponent in, letting them step in completely without any chance to alter their movement and only then respond avoiding their attack. Simple, yet true kata.
Sato sensei would strike yokomen or thrust during nihon-me: He said that it just so happened that we had agreed to strike kote, but in essence yokomen strike or thrust are equally valid. Kata done under such circumstances and with such spirit mirrors real combat pressure. It loses meaning without practicality. Five-six kata like this during a winter practice drenches me entirely. People are often scared of me performing kata even with a bokuto.
Although Edo sensei employs sports science, he honours his budo roots, preserves its essence, and thinks how to incorporate its elements.
Kendo’s budo value lies in teaching people from a young age rules, respect, empathy, and restraining selfishness —fostering growth step by step. Unlike purely recreational sports, where one can just enjoy, kendo is about the joy of spiritual cultivation and discipline blending the fun of competing.
Overemphasising spirit prematurely is counterproductive. To appreciate kendo’s depth, one must fall in love with it first. Thus, it is essential especially for children that budo knowledge and elements layered gradually with maturity.
Today, advanced understanding is demanded too early. We need age-specific goals (youth/adult/senior) with feasible methods and judging criteria.
Competitors at a level when they can participate in Meijimura tournament should achieve spiritual heights enabling self-judgement where they could just bow ("mairimashita") and say “I give up”, even without anyone to judge. Yet we fall short. Hachidansha practitioners (hanshi) should humbly withdraw if their kendo falters.
Budo spirit extends beyond kendo if people are serious about doing other sports they will develop budo-like way of thinking. Consider Katsuya Nomura who after winning the first place of the Japan Series this year did not get carried away proclaiming that it had become more dangerous. He said that to avoid being deemed arrogant. That is bushido. Many embody this without practising kendo.
We must spread our wisdom and get better together to realise kendo’s ideals act. Despite kendo principles, its implementation fails. A kenshi over 50 should be recognisable even if they are not wearing bogu, I would like people to say, "Oh, that person practices kendo. There's something different about them."
Kendo Nippon September issue’s "Proposals for 21st-Century Kendo" featured Edo sensei’s call for "concrete metrics to achieve ideals." He stresses first making kendo engaging — backed by sports science.
My theory: "Avoid sparring only stronger opponents." Training with slightly weaker partners builds confidence in landing strikes. I won often but occasionally lost and analysing losses — this fuels growth. Constant defeat breeds discouragement.
I started kendo during my second year of a junior high school at a small dojo with 100 members. For two months, we drilled only okuri-ashi. Our sensei brilliantly motivated us. It was fun. When I struck him once, he exclaimed, "Ah, you got me!"— igniting my passion.
This bred my ambition for improvement. When I asked my sensei how to improve, he said: "Do long jumps and suburi”. I swung 1,000 times daily post-practice until my graduation; about 600 standard ones, and then 400 jumping swings. Looking back, I think this was very effective. It also made sense in a physiological way.
The more matches I played, the more I won, and I became more and more absorbed in kendo. It was so fun I could not quit. During my high school years, Haruo Maeda (Kokushikan University alumnus) excelled. We often practised sanbon shobu together. Top schools always prioritised sanbon shobu trainings.
My winnings delighted seniors and teachers, and me. Additionally I started to train by myself more and more, inspired by other sports. It is true what they say: “Passion breeds mastery”; without passion, one quits.
I always tell my students that mediocre test scores draw parental ire. The students who come to my school are gifted in science, so I presume that they are motivated to study because they were praised up until a high school. The identical principle applies to kendo.
At Kanazawa University, under Edo sensei’s coaching, Yoko Hotta won the All Japan Women’s Student Championship in 1985. Recently, Yoshiko Oda has reached second place twice in a row. Women’s team in particular has achieved impressive results, whereas men’s individuals and teams have been recognised nationwide. His methodology blending experience, sports science, and research collaboration in the field drives this success.
Kendo is not defined by solely wearing bogu.
Essentially strength training boosts striking speed. Our tests showed girls match boys if they hold shinai of different size. Moreover, the striking speed of girls has increased due to their physical training. Boys must improve their speed capabilities further. It is hard to make boys understand the theory, though.
My curiosity to scientific problems ignited during my days as an assistant professor at Chukyo University when I saw PE coach performing sawdust running and circuit training drills, which I adopted myself. My breakthrough occurred after Hidezo Mitsuhashi (colleague of mine at Chukyo University) introduced me to prof. Hideji Matsui (nowadays director of the Aichi Prefecture Sports Science Center) who signed me up to a weekly research group led by prof. Tamotsu Hoshikawa at Nagoya University. Exposure to other sports’ researchers reshaped my perspective of kendo.
Nowadays I employ eye-tracking to study dynamic vision for better understanding where players look to anticipate is men or kote strike coming. Another focus of mine is quantitative analysis of a kenshi’s movements in order to determine their pros or cons. Ideally I want to advance my research to the point where a single photo will reveal flaws.
We tested rapid attacking pace during shiai. It proved to be successful strategy for men last year. The idea is to land hasty attacks while the opponent idles. The opponent has to keep up defending allowing you to fight at your own pace. After a year or two of trainings, the results have proved it.
However, the successes alone is not much of proof. It is necessary to collect a lot of data, so if one flaw is corrected the systematisation is procured for better understanding whether it was corrected due to the student's personal input or because of his teacher’s. The certain degree of correlation can emerge only due to loads of data. Even if a sensei possesses knowledge that knowledge dies with them, thus students are used as a tool to give it shape.
It is crucially how such results can be applied in practice. Otherwise, the future discussion is futile.
He competed in All Japan Kendo Championships preliminaries until his mid-40s, inspired during his 20s by veteran champions like Tadashi Sakakibara and Moriharu Suzuki who competed during their 40’s in the Aichi Prefecture preliminaries. Now, he no longer enters tournaments, including championship qualifiers, nor has he tested beyond rokudan.
When I became little older, I participated in a teacher's tournament, despite numerous strikes shimpan ignored them. My disappointment with the poor judgement made me quit. Notwithstanding I struck effectively pursuant to the conditions of yuko-datotsu, such as ki-ken-tai-ichi and hasuji-tadashiku, they were judged on vague "lack of dignity". For instance, they called series of kote-dō waza "undignified."
I struck exposed targets, highlighting to my opponents their flaws, which has offered them something to reflect on.
Modern referees only pay attention to the actions of the one who lands a strike. They dismiss yuko-datotsu because of what they assume as a poor technique. However, what about the opponent who failed to stop such technique? They criticise Miyazaki for lack of momentum completely ignoring that his strikes land on the opponent. I think the ingenuity lies in preventing this approach.
Ignoring an ippon prevents the person who was struck from reflecting on his vulnerabilities and can breed arrogance. Even at the All Japan Kendo Championships, shimpan must easily award ippon for strikes that meet all criteria of yuko-datotsu.
I will never compete in a shiai judged by a shimpan again. I know when the difference between winning and losing, so I do not think there is any need for a shimpan. I believe this is the path leading to the budo idea of spiritual discipline.
I approached my dan grades humbly. During my high school I passed sandan exam, even then I did not think I had the proper ability for it. When I was taking rokudan exam, I thought I should be ready for nanadan to pass.
Lacking higher dan grade has built up my confidence that I am still good at kendo. I guess Hidezo Mitsuhashi may have had some influence over me. Dan grades are means of encouragement for amateurs, and as an expert, I can seriously pursue kendo even without such focus. I am sure there is no need in taking exam ever again because I have already achieved success.
On the other hand, since I lack specific rank, I have to practice even more to gain recognition. If I think of myself having the strength that of nanadan, I have to practice that much. Even now, when it comes to shobu, I would not lose easily to opponents my age. Nowadays I practice kendo hitting different targets, but that is fine to me. I want to go through that and reach my destination without forcing myself to change the way how it is now.
One can feel the love for kendo in each word Edo sesnei speaks. Moreover, you can feel his pride in having devoted his life to studying kendo to the core.
I can describe all that is good about kendo with one word – omoiyari. Even if you are fighting a battle of skill with your opponent he is not your enemy, you are fighting someone who shares the same love for kendo. The victorious one must feel compassion for the defeated. It is not enough to be satisfied with your sole win. One of the conditions yukodatotsu is zanshin. That is what zanshin means.
Kendo teaches to read your opponent’s thoughts, whether they are stepping back or trying to use waza. Notwithstanding with your skills improvement, if you do not read your opponent, you will not be victorious. In my opinion, this approach can lend you a hand of employing such way of thinking beyond kendo. Kendo’s good side is that it cultivates this kind of mindset.
Surely, you must keep training your mental state in order to win shiai. This understanding originates from budo. While teaching my students, I tend to say, "You have to win." This does not simply mean taking over your opponent; it means taking over yourself first place, which requires mental training.
I am absolutely sure the student union is kendo’s future. Both personally and as a member, I shared my opinion with All Japan Kendo Federation, and I believe that many improvements have been made already and it is about time to put them into practice.
There is a lot of energy among the student union alumni. They express their opinions enthusiastically. During keiko or social gatherings, the only difference is East and West but otherwise everyone is equal. Hachidan and kyudan senseis are not allowed to sit in kamiza. Even at referee seminars nanadan Minami Kawakami is in charge of everything, while hachidansha always keep mumbling "Why aren't you wearing men?". I cannot afford to be so arrogant.
The student union is currently planning a new tournament. We are considering new initiatives such as an open participation and nito-ryu section, but rather than being solely run by students, we anticipate involving alumni for the half of the tournament. It will take a year or two at least, since the student union just have started.
I am proud I have been thinking about kendo all the time. No matter how much you love kendo, there are always times when you hate it. I have felt that plenty of times. However, what would be left without kendo, nothing. I was blessed with great teachers, I am lucky enough not to quit because of them. I want to share the same feeling with students, but sometimes I ought to act as a bit more like a university professor. Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed while jogging with students, but I keep doing it nevertheless, while thinking about it not just as a kendo exercise, but rather that sharing the same spirit, so even if I am falling behind, I keep running…
The original article was published in Kendo Nippon magazine on December, 1993. The English translation © 2025 by Andrew Bragin, KAMINARIKAN is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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- Born in Aichi Prefecture on October 10, 1939. Resided in Ishikawa Prefecture. Although he was less than 160 cm tall, he overwhelmed his opponents with his spring-like instantaneous power and exceptional sense of victory. After distinguishing himself at Chukyo Sho, he advanced to the finals of the All-Japan Student Championships in all four years at Chukyo University, and won the first Japan twice. He also had a strong presence as a leader with theories based on scientific research. In April 1979 (Showa 54), he was assigned to Kanazawa University, where he led a local national university to become a national kendo powerhouse for both men and women.
- He passed away on April 21, 2023. He was 83 years old.
- His philosophy of "勝つための思いやり" [omoiyari for victory] remains influential in kendo pedagogy today.
- Representative Director of Nihon Budo Shugakuin, NPO
- Professor Emeritus, Kanazawa University
- All Japan Student Kendo Championship: 1st place: twice, 2nd place: twice
- Tokai Student Kendo Championship, 1st place: 4 times
- All Japan Kendo Championship: the 13th Championship: 2nd place; the 9th, 10th, 11th Championships: 3rd place
- All Japan Teachers Kendo Championship: the 9th Championship: 1st place; the 7th, 11th Championships: 2nd place
Further reading:
Video:
- The famous Edo sensei’s shiai using katate-jodan-no-kamae against jodan-shenshu — All Japan champion of 1971.
* * *
The essence of kendo is omoiyari (mutual care and respect). You cannot win without knowing yourself and your opponent.
The former champion, slight of stature, has not taken dan examinations beyond rokudan nor competed in recent years.
But he didn’t turn his back on kendo world out of disgust.
Through scientific training, Kanazawa University achieved remarkable results among national universities. Confidently, he acts as an alumnus of the Student Kendo Federation.
He has raised critical issues in this journal and addressed the "Requests from Three School-Related Organisations."
His incisive critiques stem from his ceaseless dedication to refining kendo rather than defending himself — a testament to his unwavering focus.
The interview occurred before that year’s All Japan Championships. Edo sensei recognised Masahiro Miyazaki’s strength and predicted his victory. Edo sensei himself belonged to kendo’s first postwar generation, winning third place in his 1961 debut. He sees parallels between Miyazaki and himself — both catalysts for change alongside contemporaries like Tetsuaki Kuwahara (21, prior-year winner) and Tadao Toda (23, following-year winner).
Since Miyazaki’s victory, the kendo world has shifted positively. Before, only large, powerful players won. Miyazaki, of average build, triumphs through technique, strategy, and tactics — his hallmark is speed. He is a fast-attacking type who hits with fast pace. I believe he retains winning potential.
Tadanori Yamashita (Chukyo University) also shows promise. Takahiro Nabeyama might had thrived last ten years but with Miyazaki’s rise that altered kendo’s world — Nabeyama’s timing seems not good enough.
Powerful champions like Hironobu Yamada, Kiyonori Nishikawa, and Akira Hayashi were formidable, but room exists for Miyazaki’s kendo.
Nostalgia for "the old days" grows with age, which is not limited only to kendo. Kendo, which is rooted in sword combat, risks losing its essence, as swords become obsolete so there are certainly problems with the change, not just nostalgia. While changes pose challenges, senseis like Edo sensei who grew up after the war, especially those who are instructors in universities and other places, are the ones who calmly grasp the flow of the times and the changes that come with it. Among them, Edo sensei is the one who always thinks about what specific improvements should be taken yet honours the tradition.
For example, Nihon Kendo Kata must be preserved as cultural heritage. I think, deeper research into its essence is fundamental.
Nowadays many kenshi mechanically repeat kata. We must clarify and learn: Which school inspired ippon-me? Why jodan? Why do we aim kote in ippon-me? Why waki-gamae in yonhon-me? How do all of these relate to practical kendo?
I learned kata from Uekichi Sato sensei, the top disciple of Saburo Takano sensei, during his tenure at Chukyo University. When I performed ippon-me, he corrected, "Edo-kun, that is wrong." No matter how many times I did it, he kept telling “Wrong" leaving an explanation behind. When sensei was about to retire, he finally told me, "Edo-kun, I have no choice but to teach you."
The explanation was simple enough: I retreated too early. One must draw the opponent in, letting them step in completely without any chance to alter their movement and only then respond avoiding their attack. Simple, yet true kata.
Sato sensei would strike yokomen or thrust during nihon-me: He said that it just so happened that we had agreed to strike kote, but in essence yokomen strike or thrust are equally valid. Kata done under such circumstances and with such spirit mirrors real combat pressure. It loses meaning without practicality. Five-six kata like this during a winter practice drenches me entirely. People are often scared of me performing kata even with a bokuto.
Although Edo sensei employs sports science, he honours his budo roots, preserves its essence, and thinks how to incorporate its elements.
Kendo’s budo value lies in teaching people from a young age rules, respect, empathy, and restraining selfishness —fostering growth step by step. Unlike purely recreational sports, where one can just enjoy, kendo is about the joy of spiritual cultivation and discipline blending the fun of competing.
Overemphasising spirit prematurely is counterproductive. To appreciate kendo’s depth, one must fall in love with it first. Thus, it is essential especially for children that budo knowledge and elements layered gradually with maturity.
Today, advanced understanding is demanded too early. We need age-specific goals (youth/adult/senior) with feasible methods and judging criteria.
Competitors at a level when they can participate in Meijimura tournament should achieve spiritual heights enabling self-judgement where they could just bow ("mairimashita") and say “I give up”, even without anyone to judge. Yet we fall short. Hachidansha practitioners (hanshi) should humbly withdraw if their kendo falters.
Budo spirit extends beyond kendo if people are serious about doing other sports they will develop budo-like way of thinking. Consider Katsuya Nomura who after winning the first place of the Japan Series this year did not get carried away proclaiming that it had become more dangerous. He said that to avoid being deemed arrogant. That is bushido. Many embody this without practising kendo.
We must spread our wisdom and get better together to realise kendo’s ideals act. Despite kendo principles, its implementation fails. A kenshi over 50 should be recognisable even if they are not wearing bogu, I would like people to say, "Oh, that person practices kendo. There's something different about them."
Kendo Nippon September issue’s "Proposals for 21st-Century Kendo" featured Edo sensei’s call for "concrete metrics to achieve ideals." He stresses first making kendo engaging — backed by sports science.
My theory: "Avoid sparring only stronger opponents." Training with slightly weaker partners builds confidence in landing strikes. I won often but occasionally lost and analysing losses — this fuels growth. Constant defeat breeds discouragement.
I started kendo during my second year of a junior high school at a small dojo with 100 members. For two months, we drilled only okuri-ashi. Our sensei brilliantly motivated us. It was fun. When I struck him once, he exclaimed, "Ah, you got me!"— igniting my passion.
This bred my ambition for improvement. When I asked my sensei how to improve, he said: "Do long jumps and suburi”. I swung 1,000 times daily post-practice until my graduation; about 600 standard ones, and then 400 jumping swings. Looking back, I think this was very effective. It also made sense in a physiological way.
The more matches I played, the more I won, and I became more and more absorbed in kendo. It was so fun I could not quit. During my high school years, Haruo Maeda (Kokushikan University alumnus) excelled. We often practised sanbon shobu together. Top schools always prioritised sanbon shobu trainings.
My winnings delighted seniors and teachers, and me. Additionally I started to train by myself more and more, inspired by other sports. It is true what they say: “Passion breeds mastery”; without passion, one quits.
I always tell my students that mediocre test scores draw parental ire. The students who come to my school are gifted in science, so I presume that they are motivated to study because they were praised up until a high school. The identical principle applies to kendo.
At Kanazawa University, under Edo sensei’s coaching, Yoko Hotta won the All Japan Women’s Student Championship in 1985. Recently, Yoshiko Oda has reached second place twice in a row. Women’s team in particular has achieved impressive results, whereas men’s individuals and teams have been recognised nationwide. His methodology blending experience, sports science, and research collaboration in the field drives this success.
Kendo is not defined by solely wearing bogu.
Essentially strength training boosts striking speed. Our tests showed girls match boys if they hold shinai of different size. Moreover, the striking speed of girls has increased due to their physical training. Boys must improve their speed capabilities further. It is hard to make boys understand the theory, though.
My curiosity to scientific problems ignited during my days as an assistant professor at Chukyo University when I saw PE coach performing sawdust running and circuit training drills, which I adopted myself. My breakthrough occurred after Hidezo Mitsuhashi (colleague of mine at Chukyo University) introduced me to prof. Hideji Matsui (nowadays director of the Aichi Prefecture Sports Science Center) who signed me up to a weekly research group led by prof. Tamotsu Hoshikawa at Nagoya University. Exposure to other sports’ researchers reshaped my perspective of kendo.
Nowadays I employ eye-tracking to study dynamic vision for better understanding where players look to anticipate is men or kote strike coming. Another focus of mine is quantitative analysis of a kenshi’s movements in order to determine their pros or cons. Ideally I want to advance my research to the point where a single photo will reveal flaws.
We tested rapid attacking pace during shiai. It proved to be successful strategy for men last year. The idea is to land hasty attacks while the opponent idles. The opponent has to keep up defending allowing you to fight at your own pace. After a year or two of trainings, the results have proved it.
However, the successes alone is not much of proof. It is necessary to collect a lot of data, so if one flaw is corrected the systematisation is procured for better understanding whether it was corrected due to the student's personal input or because of his teacher’s. The certain degree of correlation can emerge only due to loads of data. Even if a sensei possesses knowledge that knowledge dies with them, thus students are used as a tool to give it shape.
It is crucially how such results can be applied in practice. Otherwise, the future discussion is futile.
He competed in All Japan Kendo Championships preliminaries until his mid-40s, inspired during his 20s by veteran champions like Tadashi Sakakibara and Moriharu Suzuki who competed during their 40’s in the Aichi Prefecture preliminaries. Now, he no longer enters tournaments, including championship qualifiers, nor has he tested beyond rokudan.
When I became little older, I participated in a teacher's tournament, despite numerous strikes shimpan ignored them. My disappointment with the poor judgement made me quit. Notwithstanding I struck effectively pursuant to the conditions of yuko-datotsu, such as ki-ken-tai-ichi and hasuji-tadashiku, they were judged on vague "lack of dignity". For instance, they called series of kote-dō waza "undignified."
I struck exposed targets, highlighting to my opponents their flaws, which has offered them something to reflect on.
Modern referees only pay attention to the actions of the one who lands a strike. They dismiss yuko-datotsu because of what they assume as a poor technique. However, what about the opponent who failed to stop such technique? They criticise Miyazaki for lack of momentum completely ignoring that his strikes land on the opponent. I think the ingenuity lies in preventing this approach.
Ignoring an ippon prevents the person who was struck from reflecting on his vulnerabilities and can breed arrogance. Even at the All Japan Kendo Championships, shimpan must easily award ippon for strikes that meet all criteria of yuko-datotsu.
I will never compete in a shiai judged by a shimpan again. I know when the difference between winning and losing, so I do not think there is any need for a shimpan. I believe this is the path leading to the budo idea of spiritual discipline.
I approached my dan grades humbly. During my high school I passed sandan exam, even then I did not think I had the proper ability for it. When I was taking rokudan exam, I thought I should be ready for nanadan to pass.
Lacking higher dan grade has built up my confidence that I am still good at kendo. I guess Hidezo Mitsuhashi may have had some influence over me. Dan grades are means of encouragement for amateurs, and as an expert, I can seriously pursue kendo even without such focus. I am sure there is no need in taking exam ever again because I have already achieved success.
On the other hand, since I lack specific rank, I have to practice even more to gain recognition. If I think of myself having the strength that of nanadan, I have to practice that much. Even now, when it comes to shobu, I would not lose easily to opponents my age. Nowadays I practice kendo hitting different targets, but that is fine to me. I want to go through that and reach my destination without forcing myself to change the way how it is now.
One can feel the love for kendo in each word Edo sesnei speaks. Moreover, you can feel his pride in having devoted his life to studying kendo to the core.
I can describe all that is good about kendo with one word – omoiyari. Even if you are fighting a battle of skill with your opponent he is not your enemy, you are fighting someone who shares the same love for kendo. The victorious one must feel compassion for the defeated. It is not enough to be satisfied with your sole win. One of the conditions yukodatotsu is zanshin. That is what zanshin means.
Kendo teaches to read your opponent’s thoughts, whether they are stepping back or trying to use waza. Notwithstanding with your skills improvement, if you do not read your opponent, you will not be victorious. In my opinion, this approach can lend you a hand of employing such way of thinking beyond kendo. Kendo’s good side is that it cultivates this kind of mindset.
Surely, you must keep training your mental state in order to win shiai. This understanding originates from budo. While teaching my students, I tend to say, "You have to win." This does not simply mean taking over your opponent; it means taking over yourself first place, which requires mental training.
I am absolutely sure the student union is kendo’s future. Both personally and as a member, I shared my opinion with All Japan Kendo Federation, and I believe that many improvements have been made already and it is about time to put them into practice.
There is a lot of energy among the student union alumni. They express their opinions enthusiastically. During keiko or social gatherings, the only difference is East and West but otherwise everyone is equal. Hachidan and kyudan senseis are not allowed to sit in kamiza. Even at referee seminars nanadan Minami Kawakami is in charge of everything, while hachidansha always keep mumbling "Why aren't you wearing men?". I cannot afford to be so arrogant.
The student union is currently planning a new tournament. We are considering new initiatives such as an open participation and nito-ryu section, but rather than being solely run by students, we anticipate involving alumni for the half of the tournament. It will take a year or two at least, since the student union just have started.
I am proud I have been thinking about kendo all the time. No matter how much you love kendo, there are always times when you hate it. I have felt that plenty of times. However, what would be left without kendo, nothing. I was blessed with great teachers, I am lucky enough not to quit because of them. I want to share the same feeling with students, but sometimes I ought to act as a bit more like a university professor. Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed while jogging with students, but I keep doing it nevertheless, while thinking about it not just as a kendo exercise, but rather that sharing the same spirit, so even if I am falling behind, I keep running…
The original article was published in Kendo Nippon magazine on December, 1993. The English translation © 2025 by Andrew Bragin, KAMINARIKAN is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
◂ BACK TO BLOG