Bokkendo – Way of the Wooden Sword

For centuries in Japan, study of the wooden sword has been a mainstay for serious martial artists searching for a quiet mind and spontaneous responses. There can be no doubt that study of the wooden sword is a study in seeing clearly and moving freely!

The bokken – old and new

At Moving Freely Martial Arts, study of the Japanese wooden sword is the third of our four disciplines. You can study and practice forms (kata) from two sources – the Japanese Kendo Federation and the traditional sword school called Shinkage Ryu. These sources will be explained in a bit more detail in the class descriptions.

Also, while the sword classes are technically study of the wooden sword, you will practice many drills that require the use of the bamboo sword (shinai). The bamboo sword allows members to practice full contact swordsmanship without the risk of breaking their training swords. Note that we do not use the full armor in any of our classes.

For more info, check these Wikipedia links: Kendo and Shinkage Ryu.

Nihon Kendo Kata

You can study the one ‘universally recognized’ form handed down by the Japanese Kendo Federation – the Nihon Kendo Kata.

Shinkage Ryu Classes

You can study any of the seven forms traditionally practiced in any Shinkage Ryu sword school

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