Kendo Nippon Ishido Sensei Interview - Jodo

It is good to learn while being aware of the differences

Ishido Shizufumi Kyoshi 7th dan

I started when I was a middle school student. That was exactly 30 years ago when I was told by my father “from here on you must learn jodo”. At that time I was training kendo and iaido and I wondered why I had to learn jodo too. Nowadays I feel like I finally understand the reason. Basically, in kendo, armor is worn, in iai a shinken is used and there is no physical opponent. However, in jodo, armor is not worn and even though training is done with an opponent/partner, correct cutting, correct striking, the taking of correct distance, and correct attacking can all be learned. Naturally with not wearing armour, I think it’s important that we should strike the target locations solidly and correctly whilst stopping completely at the appropriate point.

This point can be well understood through kendo kata. If one wears armor then one can be safely hit but stopping just before hitting the unprotected head or kote is quite difficult. Even kendo 5th and 6th dans have difficulty stopping at the target with a strong strike. Inevitably they stop too early or there is some shaking. Possibly they are thinking about injuring the other person but this does not allow for correct “mikiri”.  I think this is important in kendo kata.

When one cuts to the head and becomes aware of the danger in this, at the point where one should be cutting with their full power, one reverts to 60-70% instead. By doing so, the brilliance of the high level techniques found in proper kendo kata is sadly lost.

With jodo, that point can be preserved, when you strike, you strike; when you thrust, you thrust; there are many points you can learn or be influenced by. However, if one makes a small mistake it is possible to tear off a nail or break a bone. In spite of this, one continues to train seriously. I think this is a good thing about the path of budo. 

Using this as a kind of help for the future,  I want to incorporate this back into kendo and iaido as a way to improve them.

Additionally, I hope that members of the Kendo Federation will practice all three arts. Regardless of how good or bad you are at them, I think it is better to learn them all as one group. Incorporate what you have learned from the other two arts into the one main core art that you want to focus on and make it part of your life.

Takizawa Kozoo Sensei said that the difference between kendo and iai is that one is striking and one is cutting. However, one can apply what one learns from iaido into kendo.  It is important to study while recognising the differences. There is absolutely no disadvantage in doing this.