Editing Kenjutsu (section)

==History==

===Early development===
It is thought likely that the first iron swords were manufactured in Japan in the fourth century, based on technology imported from [[China]] via the [[Korean peninsula]].<ref name='Ozawa2005'>
{{cite book
|last= Ozawa
|first= Hiroshi
|title= Swords in Ancient Japan
|orig-year= 2005
|series= Ideas and History of the Sword
|volume= 2
|year= 2008
|publisher= Kendo Academy Press
|location= Japan
|language= en, ja
|pages= 1
}}
</ref>{{rp|1}} While swords clearly played an important cultural and religious role in ancient Japan,<ref name='Ozawa2005'/>{{rp|5, 14}} in the [[Heian period]] the globally recognised curved Japanese sword (the [[katana]]) was developed and swords became important weapons and symbolic items.<ref name='Ozawa2005'/>{{rp|15}} The oldest schools in existence today arose in the [[Muromachi period]] (1336 to 1573), known for long periods of inter-state warfare. Three major schools emerged during this period.<ref name='Ozawa97'/>{{rp|XII}}

* [[Kage-ryū (Aizu)]] (Aisukage ryū)
*[[Chujō-ryū|Chūjō-ryū]]
* [[Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū]]

These schools form the ancestors for many descendent styles, for example, from Ittō ryū has branched Ono-ha Ittō ryū and Mizoguchi-ha Ittō-ryū (among many others).

On the island of Okinawa, the art of Udundi includes a unique method of both Kenjutsu and [[Iaijutsu]]. This is the only surviving sword system from Okinawa. It was the martial art of the noble Motobu family during the Ryukyu Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.motobu-ryu.org/motobu-udundi/about-motobu-udundi/|title=About Motobu Udundi|website=本部流 – Motobu-ryu -|language=ja-JP|access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref>

===Edo period===
During the [[Edo period]] schools proliferated to number more than 500,<ref name='Ozawa97'/>{{rp|XIII}} and training techniques and equipment advanced. The 19th century led to the development of the bamboo practice sword, the ''shinai'', and protective armor, ''bogu''. This allowed practice of full speed techniques in sparring, while reducing risk of serious harm to the practitioner.<ref>{{cite book
 | last =Kindersley | first =Dorling | title =Swords | publisher =Dorling Kindersley Ltd | year =2010 | pages =286 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Vfhw5Au5RJEC&q=kenjutsu&pg=PA286| isbn =978-1-4053-5136-2}}</ref> Before this, training in Kenjutsu had consisted mainly of basic technique practice and paired ''[[kata]]'', using solid wooden practice swords (''[[bokutō]]'') or live blades.<ref name='Ozawa97'/>{{rp|XIII}}

===Decline===
Beginning in 1868, the Meiji Restoration led to the breakup of the military class and the modernization of Japan along the lines of western industrial nations. As the ''[[samurai]]'' class was officially dissolved at this time, ''kenjutsu'' fell into decline, an unpopular reminder of the past.<ref name='Ozawa97'/>{{rp|XIII, XIV}} This decline continued for approximately 20 years, until rising national confidence led to an increase of the uptake of traditional sword arts again, particularly in the military and the police.

In 1886 the [[Japanese Police]] gathered together ''kata'' from a variety of ''kenjutsu'' schools into a standardised set for training purposes.<ref name='Budden2000'>
{{cite book
|last= Budden
|first= Paul
|title= Looking at a Far Mountain
|orig-year= 2000
|year= 2000
|publisher= Tuttle Publishing
|location= United States of America
|isbn= 0-8048-3245-5
}}
</ref>{{rp|11}} This process of standardization of martial training continued when, in 1895, a body for martial arts in Japan, the [[Dai Nippon Butoku Kai]], was established. Work on standardizing ''kenjutsu'' ''kata'' continued for years, with several groups involved<ref name='Budden2000'/>{{rp|11,12}} until in 1912 an edict was released by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. This edict highlighted a lack of unity in teaching and introduced a standard core teaching curriculum to which the individual ''kenjutsu'' schools would add their distinctive techniques. This core curriculum, and its ten ''kata'' evolved into the modern martial art of ''kendo''.<ref name='Budden2000'/>{{rp|11,14}} This point could be regarded as the end of the development of Kendo. Kata was provided for the unification of many schools to enable them to pass on the techniques and spirit of the Japanese sword.<ref>{{cite web| title =The History of Kendo| publisher =All Japan Kendo Federation| url =http://www.kendo-fik.org/english-page/english-page2/brief-history-of-kendo.htm| access-date =19 February 2012| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120206071600/http://www.kendo-fik.org/english-page/english-page2/brief-history-of-kendo.htm| archive-date =6 February 2012| url-status =dead}}</ref>