Text by Claudio Regoli

Italian fencing master against Japanese swordsmanship in 1900

The first visit of Japanese persons in Europe and Italy was the famous embassy Tensho of some Christian samurai in year 1582 when they visited the Pope in Rome and other courts in various capitals.

Kendo as we know it was started around the end of Edo era and finally established during the Meiji era, specially for the efforts of Kawaji Toshiyoshi that pushed for his study in the newly formed police academy and thence in public schools.

The first real news we have on Japanese swordsmanship in Italy happened in a theatre in northern Italy around the year 1900: when an Italian fencing master had a bout against a Japanese person, everyone using his own equipment and regulation. A jury of Italian fencing masters declared the bout to be a draw.

There has surely been some interacting during the years after 1925 when Japan, Italy and Germany were allies, but all has been lost,and we have only sparse news.

The spread of kendo in Italy

In the circles of  Martial Arts, specially Ju Jutsu, Judo and Karate, around year 1960 an interest grew for Kendo, and some dojos experimented it.

The famous Judoka ABBE KENSHIRO, who was also a Kendo, Jukendo and Aikido expert, gave us a first organized course in Kendo in Riccione in the year 1967 and in the following months in Milano in the Judo dojo Busen.

Abbe Kenshiro

A couple of years later, KIMURA HIROSHI ALEXANDER, that had come to Italy to learn Italian cooking and was at that time a sandan, started to give regular courses in Turin and Milano.whilst near Naples there were other courses with instructors coming from France.

In year 1971, thanks to the good offices of TOYOFUKU TOMONORI , a famous Japanese sculptor that lived in Milano and had restarted Kendo with Kimura sensei and Iaido under KUMAI KAZUHIKO of Hoki ryu, a delegation form ZKR came to Italy, led by KASAHARA  TOSHIAKI  in march 1974  that organized a commissIon with the first dan gradings in Italy.

TOYOFUKU TOMONORI on the cover of magazine “SAMURAI No. 8-9 – 1983″ (saurce- KENDO NELLE MARCHE”)

Kendo organizations in Italy

The officialization of the Kendo organizations was a little complicate, with AIK, a private federation on one side and FIK, linked to the Olimpic fencing Federation on the other side, both competing to be accepted in the Europen Kendo Federation that was born in that period.

To make things short, the final recognition by the EKF came in Seoul in 1988 to CIK, a confederation comprising AIK and FeNIKe.

The FIK survived for another ten years, but finally gave up and today we have just CIK organizing Kendo in Italy and this year hosting for the second time the World Kendo Championship.

Kendo’s potential and the historical fencing studies

Italian Martial Arts community is nowadays more attentive to Kendo for his potential as a fair competition among individuals, giving to the players the sensations of a real combat. Whilst Olimpic fencing has become mainly an athletic feat, with the electric score system making it mechanic and losing much of the tradition. This because to teach a jump and lunge takes less time than istructing an athlete to parry and counter.

This has lead also to a movement, accepted by the  Olimpic Federation , that studies the historical fencing, based on the treatises of masters of old, like Fiore Dei Liberi, Marozzo, Filippo Vadi, Manciolino and others. The historical fencing studies different weapons, comprised two hand swords, rapier, sword and left had dagger, and spadroon.

first Kendo events in Milano around 1974

This second World Kendo Championship organized by Italy will be a major event, with the public gaining interest in this discipline, thanks also to many actions that the Italian Federation is doing to publicize it.

Unfortunately, in Europe as in the rest of the world, Budo is becoming less popular,as young people is not attracted by the hardness and the sacrifices required. However, we are assisting to a return wave, of adult people on the verge of retirement, that has practiced Budo when young, and starts again training to complete their education.

The Italian team of THE 19TH KENDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Reported by CLAUDIO REGOLI

Claudio Regoli started when twelve, with Judo, as part of a family’s traditional military education , comprisiong fencing, horsemanship, and marksmanship. Continuing with Judo in the famous Busen of Milan, he studied other martial arts, becoming a pioneer in Aikido, in Iai and in Kendo and studying under the best teacher of various arts.

Director of two martial arts magazines, he continued in his quest with many trips in the Far East,studying also different Chinese styles and competing in various fights of Thai Boxe and Full Contact. Author of many books on Karate, Kung Fu,and Kendo, he has been involved in various defense and close combat organizations.

Head of the club of Martial Ediucation “Tengukan”, that he has led it in many international competitions, He introduced the traditional Kobudo School Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu in Italy, becoming Italian  Shibucho-Kendo nanadan, and expert of Hoplology, he goes on with teaching and his personal improvement.

Tengukan Heiho Dojo Milano

Related Article: THE 19TH KENDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN MILANO