Kensei
Encyclopedia
In ancient Japan
, a was an honorary title given to a warrior of legendary skill in swordsmanship
. The literal translation of "kensei" is "sword saint". Thus, the term is considered by some to imply a higher degree of perfection (possibly also encompassing a moral dimension) than the more commonly used or "great sword." This is not to be confused with the word kenshi (剣士), meaning "swordsman".
Among swordsmen widely regarded as kensei, the most famous one is . Other historical kensei are often the founders of popular schools of swordsmanship. Although there is no such written rule, the title carries such prestige that it is commonly understood that there should be no more than one kensei at any given time.
. He is credited with formalizing & founding Naha-Te, which is one of modern Karate
's direct predecessors. One of Higaonna Kanryō's student's, Chojun Miyagi
, who founded the Gōjū-ryū style of karate, is also recognized as Kensei.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, a was an honorary title given to a warrior of legendary skill in swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
. The literal translation of "kensei" is "sword saint". Thus, the term is considered by some to imply a higher degree of perfection (possibly also encompassing a moral dimension) than the more commonly used or "great sword." This is not to be confused with the word kenshi (剣士), meaning "swordsman".
Among swordsmen widely regarded as kensei, the most famous one is . Other historical kensei are often the founders of popular schools of swordsmanship. Although there is no such written rule, the title carries such prestige that it is commonly understood that there should be no more than one kensei at any given time.
History
Depending on the kanji symbol used, "ken" may be translated as either "sword" or "fist", thus the term kensei was also adapted in Okinawa to literally mean "fist saint" (拳聖) or "sacred fists" in honoring one of Okinawa's most notable martial arts masters, Higaonna KanryōHigaonna Kanryo
, also known as "Higashionna West", was a native of Nishi-shin-machi, Naha, Okinawa. He was born in Nishimura, Naha to a merchant family, whose business was selling firewood, an expensive commodity in the Ryukyu Islands...
. He is credited with formalizing & founding Naha-Te, which is one of modern Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
's direct predecessors. One of Higaonna Kanryō's student's, Chojun Miyagi
Chojun Miyagi
was an Okinawan martial artist who founded the Goju-ryu school of karate.-Early life and training:Miyagi was born in Higashimachi, Naha, Okinawa on April 25, 1888, the adopted son of a wealthy businessman. He began his study in Karate-do at the age of nine . He first learned martial arts from Ryuko...
, who founded the Gōjū-ryū style of karate, is also recognized as Kensei.
Notable kensei
- Hattori HanzōHattori Hanzo, also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...
- Higaonna KanryōHigaonna Kanryo, also known as "Higashionna West", was a native of Nishi-shin-machi, Naha, Okinawa. He was born in Nishimura, Naha to a merchant family, whose business was selling firewood, an expensive commodity in the Ryukyu Islands...
(fist saint) - Ito Ittosai KagehisaIto Ittosai Kagehisawas a famous yet mysterious Japanese swordsman rumored never to have lost a duel. He is attributed as the founder of the Ittō-ryū school of sword fighting....
- Minamoto no YoshitsuneMinamoto no Yoshitsunewas a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
- Miyamoto MusashiMiyamoto Musashi, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...
- Sasaki KojirōSasaki Kojirowas a prominent Japanese swordsman widely considered as a Kensei, born in Fukui Prefecture. He lived during the Sengoku and early Edo periods and is most remembered for his death while battling Miyamoto Musashi in 1612.-History:...
- Tsukahara BokudenTsukahara Bokudenwas a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was widely regarded as a kensei . He was the founder of a new Kashima style of fencing, and served as an instructor of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor Tomonori Kitabatake....
- Yagyu HyogonosukeYagyu Hyogonosukeor — Toshiyoshi was the founder of the Owari mainline of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū style of swordsmanship in the early Edo period. He was a son of Yagyū Toshikatsu and a grandson of Yagyū Muneyoshi ....
- Yagyū Jūbei MitsuyoshiYagyū Jūbei MitsuyoshiYagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi is one of the most famous and romanticized of the samurai in Japan's feudal era.Very little is known about the actual life of Yagyū Mitsuyoshi as the official records of his life are very sparse. Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi grew up in his family's ancestral lands, Yagyū no Sato,...
- Yagyū MunenoriYagyu Munenoriwas a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishusai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate...
- Okita SōjiOkita Soji, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, along with Saito Hajime and Nagakura Shinpachi....
- Kawakami GensaiKawakami Gensaiwas a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. A highly skilled swordsman, he was one of the four most notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period. Gensai's high-speed sword discipline was in the Shiranui-ryū.- Birth and Early Life :...
External links
- Australian Goju Kai Karate - Article on Naha-te & Sensei Kanryo Higaonna
- Houston Samurai Martial Sports - Article on the history of Goju-Ryu
- Kensei Kensan Kai - 剣聖研鑚会 - Kendo & Iaido practitioners in Japan and Sweden
- Kensei Ryu International - Brief summary of Kensei
- Northwest Goju Ryu - Article on Kensei Kanryo Higashionna
- Okinawa Karate & Kobudo blog - on the kanji of kensei
- Shima Karate - Article on the History of Martial Arts