What is the name of the Japanese martial art of fencing that uses bamboo swords called Shinai?
Japanese martial arts founded by Kano's students. , meaning the "way of the sword", is based on Japanese sword-fighting. It is an evolution of the art of "kenjutsu", and its exercises and practice are descended from several particular schools of swordsmanship. The primary technical influence in its development was the "kenjutsu" school of Ittō-ryū (founded c. 16th century), whose core philosophy revolved around the concept that all strikes in swordsmanship revolve around the technique "kiri-oroshi" (vertical downward cut). Kendo really began to take shape with the introduction of bamboo swords, called "shinai", and the set of lightweight wooden armour, called "bogu", by Naganuma
Shinai Shinai The earliest use of a bamboo weapon to train with instead of a sword is credited to Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (1508-1572?) of the Shinkage-ryū. The modern shinai, with four slats of bamboo, is generally credited to Nakanishi Chuzo Tsugutate (died 1801) of Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū. The "shinai" was developed in an effort to reduce the number of practitioners being seriously injured during practice, making a practice weapon that was less dangerous than , the hard wooden swords they were previously using. This is also the motivation behind the development of , the armour that protects the "kendoka". The word ""shinai"" is