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Title details for Kendo by Alexander C. Bennett - Available

Kendo

Culture of the Sword

by Alexander C. Bennett
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Kendo is the first in-depth historical, cultural, and political account in English of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship, from its beginnings in military training and arcane medieval schools to its widespread practice as a global sport today. Alexander Bennett shows how kendo evolved through a recurring process of "inventing tradition," which served the changing ideologies and needs of Japanese warriors and governments over the course of history. Kendo follows the development of Japanese swordsmanship from the aristocratic-aesthetic pretensions of medieval warriors in the Muromachi period, to the samurai elitism of the Edo regime, and then to the nostalgic patriotism of the Meiji state. Kendo was later influenced in the 1930s and 1940s by ultranationalist militarists and ultimately by the postwar government, which sought a gentler form of nationalism to rekindle appreciation of traditional culture among Japan's youth and to garner international prestige as an instrument of "soft power." Today kendo is becoming increasingly popular internationally. But even as new organizations and clubs form around the world, cultural exclusiveness continues to play a role in kendo's ongoing evolution, as the sport remains closely linked to Japan's sense of collective identity.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 31, 2015

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780520959941
      • File size: 8722 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780520959941
      • File size: 8722 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      June 15, 2015

      Kendo, the Japanese method of swordsmanship, is one of seven officially recognized martial arts in Japan. The sport evolved from military training in medieval Japan to tournaments with highly stylized moves that have become popular worldwide. In this examination, Bennett (Kendo World) details the cultural importance of this sport throughout Japan's long history. The author traces the use of swordsmanship from its development as an art of samurai elitism to the ultranationalistic patriotism of the early 20th century. Other books on kendo focus exclusively on rules and techniques; this is the first to place the sport in the context of Japan's political movements and provides a chapter on the global diffusion of the sport. VERDICT A highly recommended, useful resource for all readers interested in this popular sport.--John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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