Kendo, Culture, and (Dis)Continuities: The Chilean and Spanish Way of the Sword – An (Auto)Ethnography of Kendo Transculturation

Resumen

This chapter answers how Kendo (contemporary Japanese fencing) is transcultured, using (self/auto) ethnographic work, semi-structured and non-structured interviews, from the perspective of Chilean and Spanish practitioners. Thus, from this Southwestern intellectual and somatic understanding, specific adaptations take place to deviate minimally from the way Kendo practised in Japan, regarding: (1) Language: not all Japanese technical terms are used during a Kendo class. Although eventually Japanese concepts are being employed and enacted; (2) class structure: students of different backgrounds and ages train together, making the instructor adjust the pace and organisation of the class under a common but challenging standard; (3) practice motivations: The usual initial interest is based on ideas about Japanese culture that fade away later, but sometimes the motivation comes from western idealisations and personal growth, and, (4) hierarchies: jouge kankei (respecting social positions) is not as rigid as in Japan as there is no larger societal structuration to support it. Hence, transculturation both defines Kendo through its traditional Japanese characteristics, but allowing for enough adaptations so that local people do not think of it as too foreign conceptually and physically, and thus becomes part of a large and wide community of people of the sword.