Kenjutsu

Japanese styles of swordsmanship

剣術 · 日本劍術 · 일본 검술

Country of origin

Japan

Type

bujutsu, jutsu

Part of

Bugei jūhappan

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".

Styles and branches of Kenjutsu

• Ittō-ryū
• Kage-ryū
• Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū
• Niten Ichi-ryū

Notable Kenjutsu athletes and practitioners

• Hirayama Gyozo Japan
• Baptiste Tavernier France

External links

• Wikipedia
• Wikidata

Facts from Wikidata Q249608 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.