I have been around Tae Kwon Do since the mid-70s, both as a Tang Soo Do stylist and a student of Tae Kwon Do. I spent 8 years in Korea and have trained with R.O.K. soldiers who were Dans in Tae Kwon Do. What I saw broadcast from Rio was heartbreaking. A once vibrant sport has been turned into a foot slapping contest. I observed no use of hand strikes. While I am a new Kenshi, I enjoy the spirit of Budo that Kendo gives me. I feel that with the watering down of martial arts that the Olympics require, it's inclusion would primarily do it and us harm.
Jordan - 8 years ago
There are 20% Koreans voting in this poll. Because they can't get to the Olympics...decided to create their own - http://www.2016martial-arts.kr/
yoshi - 8 years ago
Kendo is budo. Kendo is not a sport. Olympics is for sports.
Sport is for human vs human. Budo is for human vs self.
The world kendo taikai is a festival, not a competition. People who think of the KWC as a sport's competition are only reflecting their own deficiency in their approach to kendo.
People can choose to do kendo as a sport, but these people tend to lose interest in kendo after a few years anyway. If they don't lose interest, then they eventually begin to value shugyo above competition just for the sake of competition. While I say kendo is not a sport, I think a sport can also be like a shugyo, and that it is that way for many people. Shugyo is not limited to budo. But, this does not mean that budo should be treated like a sport.
There seems to be no reason to even debate the idea of kendo as an Olympic sport. It is not popular enough. There are many "true sports" out there that are much more popular than kendo and cannot gain access to the Olympics.
I see no reason for kendo to join the Olympics. I think people who want it to be in the Olympics simply feel insecure and want it to be acknowledged culturally as a legitimate pursuit and activity, instead of it just being "dress up samurai".
Sumo is more interesting to watch anyway, and, incidentally, Japanese do not dominate sumo.
I love kendo and sumo, but I also love baseball and rugby.
It's good to have lots of things that are different, instead of turning everything into an Olympic event. Or we could make everything into an Olympic sport, like cooking. Top chef is a very popular show. It looks very difficult and requires a lot of knowledge and skill. It's clearly more fun to watch than kendo, anyway.
Steven Jeong - 8 years ago
Have Judo and Tae Kwon Do lost its soul & spirit after becoming Olympic game?
That's for sure Japan is Kendo's mother country. However, Kendo is not only Janpanese but also worldwide global as Tae Kwon Do & Judo.
Still all Kendo people want to let Kendo be in Dojo or just to enjoy narrowed & sophisticated philosophical concept? It seems prejudiced attitude as religious leaders did in Middle age.
mike hunt - 8 years ago
Kendo is super sportified as is, but the only way it could get even more sportified is with electronic scoring.
Sgw - 8 years ago
I think the point has been missed and a huge opportunity missed - giving Kendo Olympic sport status would only add to its diversity - go to any dojo and practice and teaching has its own variation
For the wider public and also those who practice Kendo for the shear enjoyment - an Olympic discipline would only add an dimension to the sport.
The enjoyment of seeing kendo in another more main stream forum would not only broaden the martial arts appeal but give those who might never come across kendo a small insight into this extradirindary sport
Roland Haroutiounian - 8 years ago
I'm totally against it. If the only goal is to bring more people in the dojos, it can't be with showing them something that is not kendo. People don't come in the dojos to compete, or to win tournaments. They come and practice to build themselves physically and more important mentally. It would be a non sense to be forced to change even the smallest thing in the way kendo is being practiced, because it's his essence, and its nature. It shouldn't be considered as a sport, but as a martial art.
Kurt Schmucker - 8 years ago
The "cost" to judo for becoming an Olympic sport is that it lost its soul. That is much too high a price for kendo. I agree with the ZNKR - don't make kendo an Olympic sport.
Olga - 8 years ago
I hope not either, there is no need to standardise the great tradition that goes back to ancient times, otherwise it can lose its taste.
Jim Dunn - 8 years ago
Agree with Noel , we have the WKC, it would weaken the spirit of kendo if it was included in the olympics, not to mention the fact that it probably wouldn't be popular to watch 2 competitors stand motionless for a few minutes and then an explosion of movement followed by a viewer saying "damnit, I blinked and missed it". Also what impacts would inclusion into the olympics have on the way we grade kenshi currently and how would that be folded into the Olympic system? Do we match opponents based on their grade (Dan)? What if one country has a large number of higher grades, we run the risk that smaller nations would not be represented. Just my quick thoughts during a tea break...
Mclaud junito - 8 years ago
Many kendo rookies have some kind of worship to kendo. That is ok. But if you think kendo is simply Do, then why all japan kendo championship and world kendo championship are not mentioned and prohibited.?
Noel C. Ducusin - 8 years ago
No - my respectful opinion is that we might lose the "Do" part of Kendo. We already have our World Kendo Championships and we might as well strengthen that. Thanks
I have been around Tae Kwon Do since the mid-70s, both as a Tang Soo Do stylist and a student of Tae Kwon Do. I spent 8 years in Korea and have trained with R.O.K. soldiers who were Dans in Tae Kwon Do. What I saw broadcast from Rio was heartbreaking. A once vibrant sport has been turned into a foot slapping contest. I observed no use of hand strikes. While I am a new Kenshi, I enjoy the spirit of Budo that Kendo gives me. I feel that with the watering down of martial arts that the Olympics require, it's inclusion would primarily do it and us harm.
There are 20% Koreans voting in this poll. Because they can't get to the Olympics...decided to create their own - http://www.2016martial-arts.kr/
Kendo is budo. Kendo is not a sport. Olympics is for sports.
Sport is for human vs human. Budo is for human vs self.
The world kendo taikai is a festival, not a competition. People who think of the KWC as a sport's competition are only reflecting their own deficiency in their approach to kendo.
People can choose to do kendo as a sport, but these people tend to lose interest in kendo after a few years anyway. If they don't lose interest, then they eventually begin to value shugyo above competition just for the sake of competition. While I say kendo is not a sport, I think a sport can also be like a shugyo, and that it is that way for many people. Shugyo is not limited to budo. But, this does not mean that budo should be treated like a sport.
There seems to be no reason to even debate the idea of kendo as an Olympic sport. It is not popular enough. There are many "true sports" out there that are much more popular than kendo and cannot gain access to the Olympics.
I see no reason for kendo to join the Olympics. I think people who want it to be in the Olympics simply feel insecure and want it to be acknowledged culturally as a legitimate pursuit and activity, instead of it just being "dress up samurai".
Sumo is more interesting to watch anyway, and, incidentally, Japanese do not dominate sumo.
I love kendo and sumo, but I also love baseball and rugby.
It's good to have lots of things that are different, instead of turning everything into an Olympic event. Or we could make everything into an Olympic sport, like cooking. Top chef is a very popular show. It looks very difficult and requires a lot of knowledge and skill. It's clearly more fun to watch than kendo, anyway.
Have Judo and Tae Kwon Do lost its soul & spirit after becoming Olympic game?
That's for sure Japan is Kendo's mother country. However, Kendo is not only Janpanese but also worldwide global as Tae Kwon Do & Judo.
Still all Kendo people want to let Kendo be in Dojo or just to enjoy narrowed & sophisticated philosophical concept? It seems prejudiced attitude as religious leaders did in Middle age.
Kendo is super sportified as is, but the only way it could get even more sportified is with electronic scoring.
I think the point has been missed and a huge opportunity missed - giving Kendo Olympic sport status would only add to its diversity - go to any dojo and practice and teaching has its own variation
For the wider public and also those who practice Kendo for the shear enjoyment - an Olympic discipline would only add an dimension to the sport.
The enjoyment of seeing kendo in another more main stream forum would not only broaden the martial arts appeal but give those who might never come across kendo a small insight into this extradirindary sport
I'm totally against it. If the only goal is to bring more people in the dojos, it can't be with showing them something that is not kendo. People don't come in the dojos to compete, or to win tournaments. They come and practice to build themselves physically and more important mentally. It would be a non sense to be forced to change even the smallest thing in the way kendo is being practiced, because it's his essence, and its nature. It shouldn't be considered as a sport, but as a martial art.
The "cost" to judo for becoming an Olympic sport is that it lost its soul. That is much too high a price for kendo. I agree with the ZNKR - don't make kendo an Olympic sport.
I hope not either, there is no need to standardise the great tradition that goes back to ancient times, otherwise it can lose its taste.
Agree with Noel , we have the WKC, it would weaken the spirit of kendo if it was included in the olympics, not to mention the fact that it probably wouldn't be popular to watch 2 competitors stand motionless for a few minutes and then an explosion of movement followed by a viewer saying "damnit, I blinked and missed it". Also what impacts would inclusion into the olympics have on the way we grade kenshi currently and how would that be folded into the Olympic system? Do we match opponents based on their grade (Dan)? What if one country has a large number of higher grades, we run the risk that smaller nations would not be represented. Just my quick thoughts during a tea break...
Many kendo rookies have some kind of worship to kendo. That is ok. But if you think kendo is simply Do, then why all japan kendo championship and world kendo championship are not mentioned and prohibited.?
No - my respectful opinion is that we might lose the "Do" part of Kendo. We already have our World Kendo Championships and we might as well strengthen that. Thanks
i hope not.