Jukendo martial art players participate in a national championship held at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan in August 2014. The sport, mostly practiced by Self-Defense Forces personnel, will be included on the list of martial arts that can be taught at junior high schools. | ALL JAPAN JUKENDO FEDERATION

Prewar bayonetting martial art makes return to schools

A little-known Japanese martial art called jukendo came under the spotlight recently after it was stipulated in the revised junior high school curriculum guidelines for the first time as one of nine martial arts schools can choose to teach students.

Due to its historical background as combat techniques developed and used by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II, the decision has sparked criticism among many, with some branding the move as anachronistic.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet denied such accusations in a statement on April 14, saying it was not the revival of militarism or a move to return to prewar values. Jukendo was stipulated because “it was considered to further improve the flexibility of budo’s contents,” the statement said.

What is jukendo?

Jukendo, which literally means “a way of the bayonet,” is a Japanese martial art similar to kendo.

Donning robes and armor for protection, practitioners jab each other’s throats or bodies using wooden mock rifles, according to the All Japan Jukendo Federation.

It is officially listed as one of nine Japanese martial arts by the Japanese Budo Association. It is mainly practiced by Self-Defense Forces personnel.

Why is it controversial?

Many associate the martial art with the Imperial Japanese Army.

According to the jukendo federation, its history can be traced back to the Meiji Era (1868-1912) when the Imperial army developed a combat style using rifle-fixed bayonets by incorporating traditional spear fighting and French bayonet techniques.

“Back then, it was the techniques for fighting,” said jukendo federation vice president Takeshi Suzuki.

But following Japan’s surrender in 1945, it was banned along with other martial arts by the Allied Occupation Forces.

After the ban was lifted in the 1950s, it was developed as a modern sport with completely different purposes, including honing etiquette and training minds and bodies, Suzuki said.

How popular is jukendo in Japan?

Around 30,000 people are currently registered as members of the sport, out of which roughly 90 percent are SDF personnel, according to the federation.

The number of participants is much smaller than major martial arts such as judo, which has around 160,000 practitioners, and kendo, which is practiced by about 1.8 million people in Japan.

The federation said it had around 50,000 members a decade ago, but the number has since dwindled due to the nation’s shrinking population and people’s declining interest in martial arts in general.

Apart from the 30,000 members, the federation also has 1,000 junior members who are junior high school students or younger.

Suzuki said it has five non-Japanese members, from France, Australia, New Zealand and Poland.

Would jukendo be a compulsory subject at junior high schools under the new curriculum guidelines?

No. Since 2012, budo has been a mandatory subject for first- and second-year junior high school students. But it is up to each school to decide which martial arts to teach.

Although the current curriculum guidelines recommend sumo, kendo and judo, junior high schools have the freedom to teach other Japanese martial arts that are not listed, including jukendo, according the education ministry.

In reality, however, only one junior high school in Japan, in Kanagawa Prefecture, teaches jukendo, the ministry said.

As some teachers hesitate to teach subjects that are not clearly spelled out in the guidelines, the jukendo federation believes it will become easier to promote the martial art to junior high school teachers once the new guidelines take effect in fiscal 2021.

Why did the government include jukendo in the new guidelines?

Jukendo was initially not listed in the draft version of the guidelines released by the education ministry in February, even though all other martial arts recognized by the Japanese Budo Association were stipulated.

An official at the sports agency, an external bureau of the ministry, said it was excluded because it was hardly taught in junior high schools.

But the ministry’s draft guidelines sparked anger from jukendo enthusiasts, including Masahisa Sato, an Upper House lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Sato, a former GSDF commander, urged the ministry to stipulate jukendo in the guidelines during an Upper House foreign affairs and defense committee session in March.

He also called on fellow LDP members, former SDF personnel and his supporters to send public comments to the education ministry, according to his blog.

The sports agency official said the ministry decided to include jukendo in the guidelines after receiving “several hundred” public comments urging its inclusion.

While the ministry’s move was welcomed by Sato and other jukendo supporters, some slammed the decision, including Niigata Gov. Ryuichi Yoneyama.

Following the release of the new curriculum guidelines on March 31, Yoneyama tweeted that he was terrified.

Jukendo is different from kendo, judo and sumo, which are established as sports and practiced by many people, he said. “(The decision) is nothing but anachronistic,” he tweeted.

Will it be dangerous for children to practice the jabbing techniques?

Students will not be taught techniques to target opponents’ throats, according to the federation, which helped draw up teaching guidelines for jukendo.

First- and second-year students will only be practicing noncontact kata — the basic movements of jukendo, Suzuki said.

The students may take part in a match in the final year — but only if they fully master the basics and wear formal protective gear, he added.

Are Aikido Throws Efficient, Effective and Safe

You can learn how to perform amazing Aikido throws in an efficient and effective way by joining your local Aikido club.  Practise on a regular basis, and you will soon be able to successfully throw your training partner.

Of course, you will have to work on many other skills, before you can attempt to throw in an effective way. For example, you'll have to learn the Aikido club rules/etiquette, how to fall safely, the movements of a variety of techniques, how to effectively work together with a partner in order to develop your techniques further.

After a while you will be able to perform some amazing Aikido throws, that your training partner would not be able to resist... even if they were foolish enough to try!

What are these Aikido Throws?

Well, there are many basic techniques in the art of Aikido, and hundreds of advanced variations as well. Many are simple takedowns that lead to a controlling pin, or they can be adapted into an Aikido throw.

Aikido teaches you how to be spontaneous during your training and find the best possible way to control an attacker... using the minimum amount force.

So, lets take a look at some of the most effective throws. Now, by effective, I mean those that will work under difficult street conditions. This will limit some of the more complex moves that appear to be more flashy, and unlikely to work in a violent street attack situation.

One of the more basic Aikido throws is tenchi-nage, which is based on the principles of heaven and earth, where you reduce your opponents strength by distracting the mind. This is done by sending their energy up and down at the same time, giving you the ability to unbalance them to the rear.

This can easily be adapted into irimi-tsuki, where you control your attacker by lifting their chin up with the palm of your hand, to off-balance them to the rear... effective for all types of attack, dojo or street.

Of course to make a throw work, there are a series of conditions you will need to observe. You must make sure you get the timing right, or you will be too early or too late. If early you can be accused of attacking them, and if too late, you may be hurt.

You will also need to take control of the opponents mind by distracting them. This can be done with a sudden unexpected move, a ki-ai shout, or even an atemi strike to a pressure point.

Another important aspect of making a simple throw work on the street, is learning how to deal with fear and a surge of adrenaline, that will either...

1 - Make you freeze on the spot, and maybe get hurt.
2 - Walk or run away from the situation... good idea!
3 - Apply a successful defence, using minimum force.

But, you have to ask yourself - Is it safe to throw someone down?

In the training hall your partner has learned how to fall safely, and they have nice mats to cushion the effects. In the street your attacker could bang their head on concrete, or another hard surface. This is highly dangerous for them, so it is much better to control them by breaking their balance and take them down in a controlled manner, if possible.

Another very effective throw is called Koshi-nage, where you duck under your attackers hips. This has the effect of taking their legs away and forcing them into a break-fall or pile driver. This will only work if they are coming at you with plenty of momentum, if not you will be vulnerable!

Once again good in the dojo with experienced training partners and mats, but in the street your attacker could be badly hurt. If it is an all out war that you need to survive, by all means go for it. But in my opinion, there are much safer and effective controlling techniques available.

In time, and with dedication to your training, your Aikido Instructor will pass on to you his experience and knowledge in this area... happy training!

Tony Wilden

Aikido Health Centre

Tony Wilden has been studying health and spirituality for over 30 years and Aikido since 1985. He founded the Arun Aikido Club in West Sussex UK in 1992, and has given dozens of demo's and 1000's of health treatments.