Street Fight and Kendo:
Is it practical?

Is kendo applicable in a street fight?

I had a very interesting question about kendo.

The question was posted at one of my youtube videos, how to strike small kote in kendo.

The question was:

"Sir i want to ask if kendo is applicable in street fighting. If yes, in what way??"

My answer was:

"Kendo is not applicable in street fighting. If a UFC guy comes to me, I will not grab a stick. I will run away. Forget about using kendo in street fighting."

This is a very rare question in Japan, but I think it is very common in other countries. Maybe there are many instructors who get this kind of question, so I would like to share my thoughts.

1. We don't have a stick with us all the time.

Even if I love kendo and kendo is my life, I don't carry my sword or shinai or bokuto with me all the time. So I cannot perform my special kendo moves in a fight.

2. Unless our opponent has a weapon, any stick as long as shinai is not suitable for a fight.

It is a stick, not a sword. If our opponent doesn't chicken out after our striking him/her, then we will get beaten.

3. We don't learn how to fight or how to beat our opponent.

We never learn how to take others down with a stick. How can we beat others with a stick when we don't know where to strike in a fight? 

4. After all, kendo is not for fighting.

Why should we go back down the path and choose the techniques to kill others from the way of the sword?

Why should we worry about getting into a fight when we learn how to control ourselves?

Be Wise

There is a story I heard or read, I cannot remember, about how a samurai should be. It goes like this.

There is a horse in your way. What would you do?

If you are a normal person, you would keep going and die by a kick of the horse without even noticing the kick.

If you are good in kendo, you would keep going and react to the kick so you wouldn't get hurt.

If you are a grand master of kendo, you would turn around and find another way.

We all know that a horse tends to kick with her back legs. Why do we risk our lives walking close to a horse?

Avoiding danger is a kendo teaching.

Kendo should make us wise not get us into trouble. So if someone comes to you and ask if kendo is applicable in street fighting, please say no.

And tell him/her, kendo will train our sense to avoid danger and help us become wiser. Wisdom is the most effective self-defense, I think.

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