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Kenjutsu

The Japanese combative use of a sword. The origins of this art are lost in history. It probably has its origins in 11th or 12th century Japan. It is famous in myth and stories from people like Miyamoto Mushashi in the 15th century. There are 4 root systems, Cujo-ryu, Nen-ryu, Kage-ryu, and Shinto-ryu. These probably all have roots prior to the beginning of the 16th century. In the 16th century, there was an explosion of styles, with many being formed between then and the present. Modern Kenjutsu schools trace their history from either the monk Jion (Nen-ryu or Cujo-ryu) or from Iiosai, the founder of the Tenshin-shoden-katori Shinto-ryu. It was outlawed in 1876 when the wearing of swords was outlawed.

Modern Kenjutsu uses a large amount of two-person work, mostly with wooden swords.  It involves powerful, high commitment strikes to selected targets to kill the opponent. Some schools use the fukuru shinai, an ancestor of today's weapon. It requires strong spiritual and philosophical study, similar to that of Aikido. 

Kiai jitsu

The esoteric art of using a loud shout (kiai) as weapon, or as a tool to compliment a technique.

Kyudo

Kyudo "way of the bow" is Japanese classical target archery. It is the oldest of Japan's traditional martial arts; the bow has been used in Japan since prehistoric times. From the 4th to 9th centuries, close contacts between China and Japan had a great influence on Japanese archery, especially the Confucian belief that through a person's archery his true character could be determined. Over hundreds of years, archery was influenced by the Shinto and Zen Buddhist religions along with the pressing practical requirements of warriors. Court nobles concentrated on ceremonial archery, while the warrior class emphasized Kyujutsu, the martial art of using the bow in actual warfare.

With the introduction of firearms, the bow as a weapon was neglected and almost died out until Honda Toshizane, a Kyudo instructor at Tokyo Imperial University, combined elements of the warrior style and the court ceremonial style into a hybrid style which ultimately became known as Honda-ryu. This style found great favor with the general public and Honda is generally credited with saving Japanese archery from oblivion. With the American occupation banning all martial art instruction, traditional Kyujutsu schools declined further, and when the ban was lifted, Kyudo, as opposed to Kyujutsu, became widely practiced. The Zen Nihon Kyudo Federation was established in 1953, publishing the standard Kyudo textbook called the Kyohon, and overseeing Kyudo development, both in Japan and internationally.

Kyudo is a highly meditative martial art whose ultimate goals are shin (truth, the ultimate reality), zen (goodness), and bi (beauty). By diligent practice, Confucian theory teaches that the archer will become morally good (zen), and this sincerity of personality will excite the aesthetic sense of anyone watching, giving the performance a beauty derived not only from the technical skill of the archer but also from the archer's emotional maturity and spiritual sincerity.

All students, no matter which instructor or school, will shoot the same design of Japanese bow that is changed very little from the 12th century. Shooting the bow is difficult since the Kyudo bow is asymmetrical and over 7 feet long with arrows over 3 feet long. Traditionally made of hardwoods, laminated front and back with bamboo, the Japanese bow is one of the longest in the world. It is a natural double re-curve bow with the arrow nocked one-third of the way from the bottom and the bow actually rotating about 270 degrees in the hand at release. The unique design of the bow requires that the bow actually be twisted in full draw to make the arrow fly straight.

Much attention is paid to the ritual of shooting the arrow. The manner in which an arrow is shot is more important than its accuracy. Students typically begin by practicing visualization: performing the shooting motions with no equipment and then perhaps using the gomuyumi (rubber bow), a short stick with a length of rubber tube attached, to acquire the feel of real bow resistance. The first actual shots are fired into a straw bundle, called a makiwara, from a short distance of about three feet. The student then progresses to target shooting at a fixed regulation distance of 28 meters.

Styles may be divided into two broad categories, Shamen-uchiokoshi and the modern Shomen-uchiokoshi style, developed by Honda Toshizane. Shamen archers pre-draw the bow at an angle to the body and fix their grip on the bow before raising it. Shomen archers raise the bow straight over the head and fix their final grip on the bow in a pre-draw above the head.

Naginata-Do

Naginata-Do is another classical martial art; this one uses the naginata (halberd). It is very difficult to earn and emphasizes traditional etiquette and spiritual training. It a popular competitive sport with women.

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