PUBLIC MARKS with tags ZNKR & history

The Zen Ken Ren Iai was created as a result of the realization within the AJKF that the majority of Kendo practioners had little or no experience of using a real or live Katana. Even Kendo-kata, which was thought to convey an understanding of how to use a Katana, was and still is rarely practised for the most part, and often only as a necessary evil in conjunction with gradings. Kendo had in reality become the way of the Shinai. In 1967 a committee was formed within the AJKF in order to deal with this situation. The initial committee members were:

NOTE: Japanese martial arts are very diverse, and so any generalising statement or rule will have exeptions, probably about 50% of the cases. None of the following should be taken as absolute truth.

Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Iaido was developed in the 1960s and 70s by an appointed panel of the All Japan Kendo Association (ZNKR or JKA). The original intention was to produce a standard that could be used for gradings nationally and internationally. The idea was to provide a common foundation as a way to unite the various traditional schools of iaido or koryu and to expand the scope of the ZNKR. It was not merely a method to get kendo players to pick up real swords as has been incorrectly assumed.