What I say here can be taken as an opinion and done with as the reader wishes, but it an opinion as expressed through a certain feeling, a feeling I will do my best to both argue and transmit.
The harshness or perceived harshness of how I deliver it is
done out of compassion and in the place one a teacher would take. A teacher can
not compromise in kenjutsu as they want the student to succeed at all costs.
What is perceived as harshness is truth expressed through
compassion.
Recently there seems to be attempt to recreate what HEMA
(historical European martial arts) does with the Japanese sword arts.
People are examining scrolls (densho), reading books, and
following accounts of sword masters and recreating or creating styles of
kenjutsu off this.
I find this personally and utterly horrifying and dangerous.
A type of danger that while not intentional is still
nevertheless dangerous.
Japanese sword arts can not be recreated, invented, or
studied on one’s own as that is not how they work- kenjutsu is a Japanese construct
and as such anything outside of the construct and it is no longer “kenjutsu”.
There is noting to “historically” recreate, as Japanese kenjutsu
in its intended form still very much exists- the ryu (read school, flow, or transmission)
still exists.
So why are people who have no context, no direct experience,
no transmission (isshi-soden) creating sword arts and calling them kenjutsu,
gekka, or anything with a Japanese name?
They can not be recreated like HEMA- putting aside the
debate that the European arts can not be recreated either for a moment.
Personally I have no opinion on that, as it does not concern me.
There is the visible in kenjutsu- the postures, the cuts,
the drills, and even some of the kata, and maybe one can copy these and develop
some skills in them, but even here without a teacher the would be student is on
very dangerous territory.
Who is going to correct your mistakes?
Who is going to point out the nuances that if missed will
get you killed?
Who is going to keep you on the path?
If you don’t have these points, how are you starting your
own kenjutsu school?
How are you recreating anything that won’t get you killed?
And we are not even at the invisible aspect of kenjutsu yet…
Those aspects of training with a teacher who has the transmission,
call it rank, years under a master, menkyo kaiden, or even some form of kaiden,
anything real, who can pass the feeling of kenjutsu, the lessons that can’t be
explained or studied, but only felt in the moment.
Study the scrolls, research them, keep them academic and ask
questions, that is all valid, but to practice let alone “teach” or “found” a
sword school without the gokui or isshi-soden.
Are you crazy?
Especially when in the here and now of today so many koryu publicly
exist and offer membership?
Why would somebody make something up and pass it off as
legitimate or as “research” when it will get the student killed?
There is no compassion in that.
If you want to study the sword, study the sword.
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