Sitting in a McDonalds waiting for my daughter’s job training session to end when I should have been at the dojo, my mind wandered to the state of kendo in Ontario.
Kendo, along with other weapons-based martial arts suffers from low participation rates. Karate, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and the newcomer of MMA all have much higher numbers of people practicing. I think there are several reasons for this.
Perhaps the most prominent reason is that non-weapons-based arts are viewed as more practical if one ever needed to defend one’s self. Most folks aren’t going to have a sword on their person when they’re being mugged, so it’s better to know how to punch and kick. I haven’t done a comprehensive study on factors that influence a person’s decision to study a form of hand to hand combat, but this seems like a reasonable place to start.
Another factor might be the fear of getting hurt. Kendo is a full-contact art. Instead of getting hit with a fist or foot, you’re getting hit with a stick, and the primary target is the head. I can see why people might be wary of signing up their children for such an activity.
Cost is likely another factor. Kendo equipment is more expensive than a karate uniform and belt. Depending on one’s community, kendo may seem unaffordable to many.
As important as these factors may be, I think they pale in comparison to other issues that if unaddressed, could destine kendo to remain a martial art on the fringe.
Apparently my daughter’s training session is almost done, so I will continue my ramblings in another post. I welcome your thoughts on these ideas.
I think you are definitely on the right track. The number of times I have been asked about “self defense” or given a comment along the lines of “if you were ever attacked you could just pick up an umbrella/stick and…..” etc.
The cost for kendo is higher “up front”, but I think in general the cost is a lot cheaper over the longer run. With, for example, TKD or Karate, many of these are businesses; they are the income for somebody. Compare that to the structure of kendo. Countless times I have been told of required seminar fees that have a mandatory attendance, mandatory mid-grading stripe fees, grading fee, belt fee, uniform “patches” fees, etc… I have also been told that the general “business model” for some places is to get $1200/person in various fees in the first year (before they lose interest). This is all in addition to the initial membership! Obviously this is not true for all dojo, but it is an example.