Kenjutsu vs Naginatajutsu
Kenjutsu and Naginatajutsu side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Kenjutsu | Naginatajutsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Japan |
| Type | bujutsu | jutsu and martial arts |
| Notable practitioners here | 2 | 1 |
| Top countries of practitioners | France and Japan | France |
| Equipment and weapons | — | naginata |
Kenjutsu
Kenjutsu (剣術) is an umbrella term for all (ko-budō) schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Kenjutsu is a martial art that puts more emphasis on various real-life sword combat scenarios, compared with its modern adaptation, kendo, which has evolved into a modern sport with fewer target areas and attack patterns and more rules. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also include modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum. Kenjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan, means "sword techniques", as opposed to kendo, which means "the way of the sword".
From the Wikipedia article Kenjutsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Naginatajutsu
Naginatajutsu (長刀術 or 薙刀術) is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata (長刀). The naginata is a weapon resembling the European glaive and the Chinese guan dao. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budō, in which competitions also are held.
From the Wikipedia article Naginatajutsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q249608, Q1757215. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.