Japanese Government to Send Teachers to the Dojo

[Ron Beaubien]

Hello,

I saw the following in today's newspaper, and thought that some of you would be interested as well.

Regards,

Ron Beaubien

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Govt plans to send teachers to the dojo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The government's plan to make martial arts a compulsory subject at middle schools has a small snag--not enough physical education teachers have the skills or experience to properly instruct students in these arts.

In a bid to improve the abilities of teachers in charge of martial arts at public middle and high schools, the government plans to set up "martial arts promotion associations" comprising experts in martial arts education in each prefecture from next academic year, according to sources.

The government also is considering allowing teachers to study instructional methods at private dojo or sports-science universities that offer martial arts courses.

A proposal to make martial arts compulsory was included in an interim report on school teaching guidelines released on Oct. 30 by the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to Education, Science and Technology Minister Kisaburo Tokai.

The panel suggested the measure could be implemented in the 2011 academic year at the earliest. However, Tokai has suggested this date could be brought forward to the 2009 academic year.

Middle school students can select the martial art they wish to study, with the current school teaching guideline mentioning judo, kendo and sumo as examples of martial arts. Some schools teach naginata (pike sparring), kyudo archery and karate, but kendo and judo are the most widely taught.

If martial arts are made compulsory, a number of students, mostly girls, are expected to opt for naginata or kyudo classes.

The ministry deemed it necessary to create a learning environment where physical education teachers acquire expertise and knowledge of a wider range of martial arts.

The ministry has allocated about 50 million yen in its budget request for next fiscal year for setting up the associations and training teachers at universities.

(Nov. 25, 2007)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national...25TDY02307.htm

[Josh Reyer]

I love Japanese budo, but man, I tell you, the idea of compulsory martial arts gives me the pre-war willies....

[Cady Goldfield]

I wouldn't worry, Josh. As long as the training isn't militaristic ("bootcamp") in nature, which doesn't seem to be the case anywhere in Japan these days, what's the problem? Judo, kendo, kyudo and even naginata aren't exactly realistic combat arts, particularly the way they're taught and trained now. They're decidedly sport, sport-like or even just aesthetic exercise (naginata). Nothing like the old jutsu from which they came.

[Kachimushi]

Judo, kendo, kyudo and even naginata aren't exactly realistic combat arts, particularly the way they're taught and trained now. They're decidedly sport, sport-like or even just aesthetic exercise (naginata). Nothing like the old jutsu from which they came.

I don`t train in any of those arts mentioned, at least not in Atarashii Naginata which is what is taught at schools (aside from occasionally playing with the judo and kendo clubs at my school), so this is nothing personal. However, I was interested in why kendo was classified as a sport or sport-like, while naginata was "just an aesthetic exercise" (aside from "rhythm naginata", of course). Not doing them, I can`t make an argument either way, but I know that some of the people that I train with would disagree.

I look forward to hearing your opinions.

[Cady Goldfield]

Hi Paul,
Kendo is a sportified adaptation taken from sword arts. Whereas in kenjutsu, the focus would be on cutting viable targets, and real combat strategies and tactics, as well as body-awareness training and body skills, kendo is based on earning points by hitting a very limited selection of "approved" targets. I've seen kenjutsu students utterly "school" kendo people because there is just no comparison between actual martial sword, and sport modeled after sword.

Many years ago, I was interested in learning naginata, and did research into existing schools. What I discovered is naginata, though "traditionally" considered a woman's art, in reality was once regarded as very "masculine" and was incorporated into the weaponry of some still-existing koryu weapons systems. But while hidden away in an unobtrusive dojo somewhere in Japan there are some people who practice a genuinely martial naginata as part of a larger koryu, for the most part the existing known schools of naginata are more of a "reduced" version for the proper training of young ladies and women for grace, agility, determined focus, and other qualities not directly combat-oriented in nature. This is not to say that many of its practitioners don't take their craft seriously, and have a martial demeanor. But they are not generally considered to be based or focused on the truly martial as their aim. That's all.

There's nothing wrong with any of these arts that have been sportified to make them more acceptable in modern society, as well as part of fitness regimens. Modern judo is jujutsu with the deadly stuff removed so it can be practiced by kids and adults alike, for fun, sport and fitness. Kendo likewise was modeled after kenjutsu, but with the deadly stuff removed (and a flexible shinai instead of a live blade or hardwood bokuto) so it can be practiced for sport, fitness and fun without slicing off or crushing limbs and facial features.

[Woody]

Speaking of naginata...Sometimes I would arrive early for my aikido class at the Okinawa Prefectural Budokan. I always enjoyed watching the naginata class going on on the second floor. While it was all ladies as near as I could tell, it still looked pretty ferocious to me.

[ZachZinn]

. I've seen kenjutsu students utterly "school" kendo people because there is just no comparison between actual martial sword, and sport modeled after sword.

Soon as you can make this same claim when talking about some school of koryu Jujutsu vs. Judo, let us know.

[Kachimushi]

There's nothing wrong with any of these arts that have been sportified to make them more acceptable in modern society, as well as part of fitness regimens. Modern judo is jujutsu with the deadly stuff removed so it can be practiced by kids and adults alike, for fun, sport and fitness. Kendo likewise was modeled after kenjutsu, but with the deadly stuff removed (and a flexible shinai instead of a live blade or hardwood bokuto) so it can be practiced for sport, fitness and fun without slicing off or crushing limbs and facial features.

I would pretty much agree with everything that you have said (but I would also have to agree with the Judo vs Jujutsu comment as well!). I was just wondering why kendo got a "sporty" vote, while naginata got an "aesthetic" one. I have seen what I consider to be martial, sporty, and aesthetic naginata during my time training here, and just wondered on what you were basing your judgements. Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

[Cady Goldfield]

Paul,
They're both practiced as sports, but naginata is supposed to instill all of the "womenly qualities" and thus is "aesthetic." That's all. Nothin' deep.

As for koryu jujutsu vs. judo, watch a clip of Mifune Kyuzo, the 10th-dan grandmaster of judo. He studied a koryu jujutsu and applied it to his judo. It made him virtually unthrowable by all other judoka, and he was famously known as "The Empty Jacket" or "The Empty Gi" because no one could get an effective grab on him.

Takeda Sokaku took the Aizu clan's koryu jujutsu -- Daito-ryu -- and added to it with his knowledge and skill from other koryu arts. He was well reputed to have taken on all comers in judo, and despite his small size was never defeated by any of them. In fact, he trashed them.

Something to consider.

[Josh Reyer]

I wouldn't worry, Josh. As long as the training isn't militaristic ("bootcamp") in nature, which doesn't seem to be the case anywhere in Japan these days, what's the problem? Judo, kendo, kyudo and even naginata aren't exactly realistic combat arts, particularly the way they're taught and trained now. They're decidedly sport, sport-like or even just aesthetic exercise (naginata). Nothing like the old jutsu from which they came.

The problem is that Japanese schools are already rather militaristic by nature (kids are taught to stand at attention on command in elementary school). The arts that are going to be taught are exactly the arts that were taught pre-war: kendo, judo, kyudo, naginata.

I don't think (or at least, I hope) compulsory budo in schools is necessarily a step back down the road to fascism, but does appear to be another in a series of steps toward nationalism that Japan has been taking of late. There's been a definite gravitation toward the right-wing, just in the last few years. Things like Shinto shrines flying the Hinomaru high, while recruiting posters for the Self-Defense Force hang near the torii. A palpable nostolgia for the Showa era. Lots of little things that are perfectly innocuous by themselves, but when looked at as a whole, kinda give me the willies.

But then, that's probably just me. Nationalism in the U.S. gives me the willies, too.

Paul,
They're both practiced as sports, but naginata is supposed to instill all of the "womenly qualities" and thus is "aesthetic." That's all. Nothin' deep.

True, but by the same token kendo is supposed to instill "manly qualities" as well.

[Ewok]

I wouldn't worry, Josh. As long as the training isn't militaristic ("bootcamp") in nature, which doesn't seem to be the case anywhere in Japan these days, what's the problem?

Too right, the real hard stuff doesn't start until they start bukatsu after school

I don't think (or at least, I hope) compulsory budo in schools is necessarily a step back down the road to fascism, but does appear to be another in a series of steps toward nationalism that Japan has been taking of late. There's been a definite gravitation toward the right-wing, just in the last few years.

While there are little things, there is nothing that I would see as "progress" towards something bigger like what has been seen in the US with clear violations of the underlying constition of supposedly inalienable rights.

Since WWII budo has continued to be practiced despite an initial ban, it has been taught in schools for years. People have always been nationalistic here and you really only have the right-wing and not-quite-as-right-wing (ignoring the terrorist left JRA types).

I would cautiously say that Japan hasn't made any enemies or decisions that would be worrying, but it still isn't making any friends of its neighbors.