78.Kendo after the War

Today, I write about “Kendo after the War.”
1945, World War II ended.
Japan was occupied by GHQ (the General Headquarters of the Allied Powers).
GHQ prohibited Kendo in school.
Kendo was just samurai’s training and Japanese original sports.
Japanese politician , Sasamori Jyunzo negotiated with GHQ in order to revive kendo.

Sasamori said.
“Kendo is not the martial art for killing an enemy.”
“Kendo is martial art to accelerate one’s mental growth.”
“The expert of kendo does not knock down an enemy completely, before that, he will gain the respect.”
GHQ said.
“If Japanese expert of kendo wins to the expert of the strongest bayonet drill in marine corps, we allow kendo.”
Kendo uses a bamboo sword.
Member of Marine Corps uses a real bayonet.
If Japanese expert of kendo loses, he may die.
Kunii Zenya accepted the match immediately.
Kunii Zenya the strongest expert of kendo in Japan.

The match started.
The strongest bayonet drill poked the bayonet targeting Kunii’s throat.
Kunii dodged the attack and pressed the bamboo sword against an enemy’s back of the head.
The strongest bayonet drill could not move.
Kunii Zenya won the match.
Kendo revived.

1952, The All Japan Kendo Federation was established.
1970, The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was established and the first triennial World Kendo Championships (WKC) was held in the Nippon Budokan.
2012, the 15th WKC was held in Novara, Italy. Kendo practitioners from 48 different countries and regions participated.
Now, the player population is said to be 2.6 million people and approximately half are other than the Japanese.