Chanbara or Combat Kenjutsu is a full-contact activity, applying traditional and sword and weaponry techniques and drills with modern padded equipment to allow participant to enjoy the rigors of sparring at full speed without fear of pain or injury. Over thirty years ago Japanese martial artists and swordmasters came together and created a better training style. The founder, Tanabe Tetsundo and his group of some of the strongest swordsmen in Japan called this new school of thought Goshindo, later nicknamed Chanbara. These martial artists and masters were very traditional. They also knew that the times were changing and decided to educate today’s public in the way of the modern Japanese Samurai. New materials made out of flexible plastics and the constant refining of swords for combat in the 21st century proved to be a stroke of genius. Today Chanbara has a large following worldwide and has been adopted by the Japanese education system as a sports and physical development activity.
Chanbara training is exciting, fun and an incredible workout! Chanbara allows everyone to experience the excitement and fantasy of samurai warrior training in an environment so safe that it is being taught to elementary school students and moms are using it to get physical with each other to vent stress and get into shape.
Chanbara training is triply safe. First, the specially designed and patented training swords are thickly padded; second, they are designed to be flexible to further soften even the fastest and most powerful strikes; and third, all participants wear gloves and light head gear specifically made to offer complete protection to the face so that even softened blows are totally absorbed. Chanbara gives the entire community, from kids to moms and from blue to white collar working adults, a way to have fun together and to get into shape.
The Development and Evolution of Chanbara
Man has used tools and weaponry for eons. Originally created from wood and stone, these evolved into metal in the Bronze Age, when man experienced great advancements in bladed weaponry – especially the mighty sword.Ancient man was always on the lookout for danger. The innate desire for self-preservation gave him this inborn vigilance and this is still in our blood today.The sword long represented power and wealth and was one of man’s most prized possessions. Design and technique were created for the practicalities of war and defense. The only other usages were for ceremonies, social and cultural events or traditions.
Japanese warlords trained their armies with various metal and wood practice weapons. This proved dangerous; one wrong move, one poorly executed technique and injury or death could result.
Each warlord developed his own fighting techniques, which were passed on to his warriors and tested on the battlefield. Some techniques were retained while others were discarded, depending on how efficient they proved in battle.
After centuries of civil unrest and war, Japan united into a single government. The warrior no longer fought wars but the samurai spirit remained. Tanabe Tetsundo and his group founded Goshindo, also called sports chanbara by the younger students. These traditional swordsmen, aware that times were changing, began to educate the public in the way of the modern samurai while utilizing traditional ways and techniques.
Swords made out of flexible plastics (called a ‘choken’) proved a stroke of genius, because wearing a light head mask for face and eye protection was all that was required for safety.
Today, chanbara is the fastest-growing combative sport in the United States, boasting 200,000 combatants worldwide. The word “chanbara” loosely translates to “sword fighter.”
