Electrification of Kendo
Aloha!
Speaking as the senior Fencing Master for Hawaii, & with 52 years of experience, I can tell you that using electronic weapons has definitely damaged the sport of fencing -- perhaps fatally.
I am probably most disgusted that foil & epee fencers can "whip" their blades around & get "valid" touches on their opponent's back! Of course, in a real battle, they wouldn't last more than a few seconds, but that doesn't seem to bother the fools at the international fencing federation.
As far as kendo, if any of you have watched a slow-motion video of a solid men or do, you won't be surprised when I mention that there is almost as much "whippiness" with a shinai as there is with a foil.
I certainly hope that kendo will not go the same way.
Ken Goldstein
Ken Goldstein
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Judo Kodansha/MJER Iaido Kodansha/Jodo Oku-iri
Fencing Master/NRA Instructor
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it'll annoy enough people to be worth the effort."