The History Kenjutsu is a military art form which was created in Japan in the 15th century. It was primarily designed to prepare samurai, as well as ordinary soldiers for combat on the battlefield.
The main emphasis of kenjutsu centers around the practice of swordsmanship. But in some styles the practice of other battlefield-related weapons is also an integral part of their curricula. At the simplest level, it can be viewed as a collection of combat techniques for various weapons, most notably the sword.At a more complex level, it can be considered the study of the strategy both large-scale and small, offensive as well as defensive. In terms of learning to fight with a sword, kenjutsu has a more complete curriculum. Kendo of necessity limits the range of techniques and targets. Kendoka generally use shinai, which allow techniques which do not work with real swords. Kenjutsu practitioners do not usually use shinai in training, preferring to use bokken (wooden swords) or katana (steel swords) in order to preserve the cutting technique of real sword fighting. Kenjutsu training largely consists of practicing cutting technique and performing partner Kata. For safety reasons, free-sparring is seldom practiced with Bokken or katana.
It was natural for the samurais to practice everyday with their sword. To the samurai the sword was their foremost weapon and privilege - other groups in the society was forbidden to bear swords.
Furthermore the practice with the sword was much more than preparing for battle. Around the Japanese sword grew a whole philosophy. It has many names, as ken, katana, tachi, and to.
The history of Kenjutsu dates back to the late Kamakura Period ( 1192 - 1333) when the country was embroiled in a series of civil wars unparalleled in Japanese history, as the influence and authority of the ruling Ashikaga Shogunate waned and the various provincial warlords all fought one another for hegemony and control of the land. It was in this disorderly environment that the growth of the military arts blossomed, as there evolved the need for well-organized martial disciplines to train and prepare the legions of warriors and clan members for combat on the battlefields. Kenjutsu was one of the Six Ancient Martial Arts which warriors study; the others were archery, jujutsu, gunnery, horsemanship and spearman ship. But in terms of popularity and practicality, kenjutsu (swordsmanship) practitioners out numbered all others, especially with the advent of the warriors code of ethic, Bushido. The pre-eminence of the study of swordsmanship continued up until the late 20th century, when unarmed martial arts then became popular.
