Are women’s kendo seminars beneficial or even necessary?

Women’s kendo seminars have become more common in many countries. From reports, they have been impactful and rewarding events for both participants and sensei. Undeniably, women’s kendo seminars led by skilled female sensei from Japan inspire and connect the global kendo community. Not only women can learn from women sensei with sophisticated, sharp, spiritually powerful, and solid fundamental kendo.

Due to the prestige associated with teaching at international kendo seminars, at times it remains a complex process to invite women sensei from Japan. This, however, is slowly beginning to change, and such progress could be further encouraged through increased demand supported by federations.

The perceived value of women kendo seminars nevertheless varies depending on individual experience and federation support. Not all women, and federations view them as beneficial or important. Others have argued that women-only kendo events, where men are not invited to participate, are exclusionary and some kind of “reverse discrimination” (yes, this has been said) and unnecessary since kendo events are open to all genders. After all, “kendo is kendo.”

On inclusivity, not all kendo events are in fact open to all genders when we consider how kendo, like many competitive sports and martial arts, are structured based on a clear (cis-) gender binary. The current politically motivated anti-trans movement is not serving progress towards inclusive sport.

Some kendo federations insist that the gender category practitioners can compete in must align with their sex assigned at birth―not their preferred or legal gender identity. This over-simplified and potentially harmful categorisation method creates confusion when trans-men―for example, have fully transitioned. If they follow policy, they have no other choice to compete in the women’s events. Although these trans-men may present as very masculine and have male levels of testosterone. Fair? Inclusive?

From another angle, a common fear is that if trans-women were to compete in women’s categories of kendo―for example, their superhuman gigantic and powerful bodies would win all the medals after bouldering over all the weak women. The women who mostly train with men. The women who are physically stronger than some men and the few trans-women that are brave enough to exist in kendo. It is also important to acknowledge here that being classified as a man does not necessarily result in a competitive advantage in women’s competitions. After all, “kendo is kendo” right?

This type of simple sex categorisation in competitions is often justified as supporting “fair sport.” However, it is difficult to understand what is fair about failing to invest the time and effort required to develop policies that allow individuals to compete regardless of their gender identity. Rather than ensuring fairness, such categorisations reinforces exclusion by prioritising administrative convenience and “tradition” over equity and inclusion.

Another issue to discuss at another time. Back to the main theme.

Optimistically, “kendo is kendo,” a martial art that is inclusive and gender-neutral, in which technique and spirit—wins over physical power and speed. But is greater emphasis truly placed on technique and spirit, and are these qualities more highly rewarded in contemporary kendo? When the norms, “traditions,” and modern “sportised” elements of kendo are examined more critically, contemporary kendo culture can be seen to remain shaped by a clear gender binary and an accompanying gender hierarchy rooted in biological determinism.

Constructed “Traditions” Shaping Perceptions

The perception of women kendo events as exclusionary or unnecessary stems in part from the historical evolution of most martial arts. Originally, many were predominantly male-only, and over time they have become male-centred environments that demand women’s adaptation.

In Western contexts, martial arts may emphasise idealised forms of Western sporting masculinity, characterised by strength, aggression, competitiveness, and physical domination. When combined with selective interpretations of warrior culture and “Asian traditions” of gender role assignment, these traits can produce hyper-masculine environments to which not all women wish or are able to adapt.

Kendo is frequently promoted as inclusive and gender-neutral, often expressed through the phrase “kendo is kendo,” words often articulated by leaders. Yet, not all leaders actively work to ensure that training spaces are grounded in inclusive principles and practices. This disconnect is commonly justified through appeals to “tradition” or respect to authority, which in turn makes these environments difficult to question or reform.

Those who are not directly impacted by issues regarding inclusivity and equality can remain silent, whether due to convenience, ignorance, or self-preservation. Meanwhile, women and others that are marginalised and when directly impacted, are frequently rendered silent by the expectation that they must demonstrate toughness, prove their belonging, avoid appearing weak, and become desensitised to harmful comments or behaviours. Simply just “suck it up.”

We can and we do. The capacity to cope is learnt in our kendo training. We are taught to train through discomfort and adversity. As a result, women may ignore or minimise sexism, even as these conditions undermine their legitimacy and value within spaces to which they are deeply committed.

An emphasis on physical domination can often take precedence in kendo in Western contexts. This can create conditions that place some women at a disadvantage where physical inferiority is proven and therefore subjugation justified.  Women can learn techniques to counter the overuse of power and to avoid injury. These techniques do not always support long-term kendo progress though.

At times this strategy can be scrutinised by comments like “women’s kendo is characteristically inviting, avoiding, and indirect.” On the other hand, if women also over use their power and play “like men” this can open them up to a different type of scrutiny. If, indeed “kendo is kendo” why are women criticised when they fight “too much like women” or “too much like men.” Men do not have their kendo scrutinised through a gendered lens. Can women not also be seen simply as individuals with unique abilities, experiences, and aspirations?

It is possible for brute force to be replaced with a greater emphasis on timing, spirit and technique—as demonstrated by the greatest women and men kendo practitioners. Personally, I have learnt the most and felt most defeated by spirit and technique, rather than by strategies of physical domination. This unsophisticated strategy that focuses on hitting (hard) and foregoing the process of an attack creates fear of injury and a feeling of frustration that my kendo learning is being hindered. A focus on timing, spirit and techniques better supports mutuality―mutuality being one of the core concepts of kendo.

Challenging the necessity of women’s kendo seminars

Are women-only seminars necessary and beneficial? For many women, they are. Including female sensei. One female sensei explained that she values women-only seminars, in part because of the absence of sexist comments and behaviours. These are experiences we have long been conditioned to cope with, yet they linger in our consciousness much like tinnitus: persistent, distracting, and at times exhausting.

There are numerous other benefits to women’s events, many of which arise as a response to the organisation of, and norms embedded in kendo. The benefits however reflect the need for kendo to be challenging, intrinsically rewarding and supportive for women. And a space where women are seen, respected, and feel comfortable within.

Speaking of respect .

At the conclusion of the 6th Oceania Women’s Kendo Seminar and Taikai in Australia held back in 2019, with a warm heart I proudly shared with a senior Australian male leader in a top decision-making role that the seminar was a success. I felt deeply satisfied with the event as one of my most respected female sensei had led the seminar. It was a personal dream that had come true and it had taken several years to manifest.

The leader’s first response was “I don’t see the value of women’s kendo seminars.” The comment was asserted as statement, not to initiate a discussion.  What struck me most was not simply the opinion itself, but what was absent. There was no acknowledgement of the work. No interest in what had been taught or learnt. No recognition of the community of people who had given their time, energy, and expertise to make the women’s seminar happen. Nothing.

The view he shared at that precise moment had a strong emotional impact. I can still remember the exact place where the words were spoken and the expression on his face. I was unable to respond. Silence washed over me. Which is my normal response when I am unprepared to respond to certain words and behaviours in kendo contexts. I generally expect people in kendo to act with sensitivity, integrity, and respect.

After the paralysis of silence passed, I was angry. Then deeply disappointed and self-questioning. The great emotional and voluntary labour that is invested in organising kendo events really, at that moment, made me question what is the point? When I have attended seminars where sexist comments are loosely thrown around, when I have spent a lot of money and invested time to learn and be away from my family, the question that I hear myself say is, why am I here?

Experiencing such moments as a leader in kendo, ones that feel detrimental to my kendo and self-confidence and ones I can reflect on and feel deeply—is precisely the point. It becomes clear to understand why women drop out of kendo and it becomes even clearer why I must stay.

Unfortunately, I have experienced a number of situations in kendo where I have felt momentarily stunned into silence by the words shared by male sensei leading kendo seminars. I recall one teacher who spoke about the importance for men in kendo to “attack with their groins.” On another occassion, a sensei shared to a high dan group that men should not be disturbed by women’s “strange spirit” and seduced by their strategy of invitation style of kendo. The same sensei asserted clearly that “kendo is kendo” and therefore there is no need for women’s kendo seminars.

Demonstrating how such comments can be distracting, the greatest sense of achievement I felt from that seminar was finding the courage to open a dialogue with the sensei about his language. It took three attempts, but as a leader in kendo, and as someone people turn to for guidance on these sorts of situations, I felt a responsibility to speak up. Especially considering that the comments triggered palpable irritation and impacted on how I engaged in the seminar that weekend.

Sexist comments could be met with more humour or shrugged off, as they often are by many. But even so, sexist comments and attitudes are distracting and communicate that women are not seen as equal counterparts to men by virtue of the sex assigned at birth―not based on their life experiences, individual merit and abilities in martial arts.

Sexist comments expressed by sensei also tell the other lower ranked men in the room that women are less valued in kendo which may also influence their attitutes towards women. Such words and attitudes can really impede women’s development and engagement in kendo and even lead to more deleterious forms of harassment and violence.

These lived experiences also demonstrate that being highly ranked and male does not automatically make one an effective kendo teacher. Teaching is a position of power, that influences student’s self-confidence, engagement and learning and in ways that can reach beyond the dojo. Unfortunately, some teachers do not reflect on how their behaviour, communication, or use of authority impacts on those they guide. This highlights the importance of reflective teaching practices and the value of diverse role models—who can challenge entrenched power dynamics contribute to co-creating more positive and more inclusive training environments.

Att vara ledare är ingen rättighet – det är en roll som du tilldelas i förtroende. 

Being a leader is not a right – it is a role that you are assigned in trust.

After encountering this perspective in a coaching manual (SISU Idrottens Ledarskap, 2018, p. 10), I reflected on how martial arts instructors can lack formal pedagogical training, including education in diversity and inclusion. Many martial arts are structured around appeals to “tradition,” within which democratic values and inclusive practices are sometimes perceived as destabilising or threatening to the “natural order of things.” Instructional authority is frequently acquired on the basis of rank or technical skill rather than pedagogical competence and qualification.

Consequently, pedagogical ability is not considered necessary attribute for martial art instructors. Authority and power as a martial art pedagogical “traditions” can supersede a pedagogy that is concerned for the student’s well-being and learning needs in martial arts.

Having just finished organising my ninth women’s kendo seminar, I now feel better prepared to challenge the opinion shared on that day in 2019, “I don’t see the value of women’s kendo seminars.” So are women’s kendo seminars really necessary? I wish they weren’t―but actually and perhaps unfortunately they are. There are a number of reasons why and perhaps the need is reflective about what is missing or detrimental to learning within in leadership and training environments. Women have expressed that they feel seen, respected, inspired, challenged, comfort, and enjoyment during women’s seminars when led by women (see survey responses at the end of this article). Why can’t women experience this in their own clubs and at mixed-gender seminars on a regular basis?

What is often missing from most kendo training environments is, first, the presence of more women and girls, and second, women leaders. In terms of teaching methods, instructors at times fail to recognise their students as unique individuals who may require creative approaches to learning. Too often, a “one-size-fits-all” methodology is applied, with teachers imposing their personal maps and interpretation of kendo onto their students. Trapped in the past and comfort. How can we develop through kendo, when our perception of what kendo is remains unchanged? Kendo is not monolithic and neither are we.

What can also be missing also is enthusiastic promotion of inclusive and equitable training environments. Exclusion and inequality in martial arts are not the problems of those marginalised to fix. People should not need to reluctantly accept and adapt to exclusionary and harmful attitudes and behaviours in order to remain. People in positions of power have greater influence to make change. Women and other marginalised people, as role models to all genders are essential―not only for inspiring others and encouraging balance and harmony, but also as a development opportunity for them as teachers themselves. For example, more women sensei can lead open-gender seminars and not be restricted to only leading women’s seminars.

Concluding Remarks

What “traditions” are to be upheld in kendo? The word “tradition,” regardless of the word’s ambivalence, often connotates that something should be preserved. The “what” is most often open to the interpretation of those in power. However, “traditions” are constructed, often for political purposes. Traditions have been shown to be inherently malleable, shaped by interpretation and enacted upon differently depending on social and cultural context. Specifically, they are guided by who is in power.

Martial arts such as kendo often present themselves as inclusive and equal, with women and men, and people of diverse cultural and gender identities, training, (sometimes) competing and grading together. While this article does not address other forms of intersectional inequalities regarding race, (dis) ability, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and so on that exist in martial arts, it is important to acknowledge not only women are be subjected to discrimination and violence in martial arts and not only men teachers are discriminatory and violent in martial arts.

Nevertheless, leadership positions remain overwhelmingly male-dominated, and men are frequently stereotyped as possessing superior physical and cognitive sporting abilities. As a result, women’s lower status and perceived physical inferiority mean that men are more readily granted legitimacy as both practitioners and instructors, even in cases where they may lack the qualifications, teaching skill or leadership ability. Even in cases where they behave in discriminatory and violent ways to those under them.

Sustainable development requires that gender inequality—reflected in both the low number of women practitioners and women leaders—is a structural issue, not a “women’s problem” to solve or a response to their female disposition. Budo in particular is promoted as a lifelong activity, however, it could be argued that women are not adequately supported and encouraged to remain in budo.

It is difficult to prove a simple answer on how to better support and develop women in kendo as it depends on many factors and people are individuals after all. Here are some suggestions based on my personal experiences and the perspectives shared by women in kendo.

• See each student with individual learning processes and needs.
• Encourage students to share how they experience kendo.
• Self-reflect, observe, and listen to improve pedagogical approaches.
• Be a vocal and action-oriented champion of inclusivity and equality.
• Promote mutuality in kendo by prioritising skill and timing development.
• Invite high-skilled women sensei to lead mix-gender kendo seminars
• Divide training groups based on skills and attributes, not gender.

Remembering that….

Being a leader is not a right – it is a role that you are assigned in trust.

Women Kendo Seminar Survey Responses

The following sections share the perspectives of women who recently participated in a women-only kendo event led by women sensei in Europe. Based on participant responses to a survey conducted at the conclusion of the camp, the women-only event was considered a success. The organisers explicitly welcomed women (trans- and cis-) and non-binary persons to participate to promote inclusivity. The majority of participants indicated that they were highly satisfied with the level and content of the program and the style of instruction. Particularly the positive atmosphere was highly appreciated by all participants.   

Please comment on the positive aspects of the camp:

”I liked the camp’s setup, with first basics and then more technical challenges. Another positive was the good atmosphere and occasionally fun training.”

“I liked the focus on the correct technique, all the way from the most basic stuff, but in a friendly atmosphere. In my opinion the camp was a very safe environment for growth.”

“The camp was a very welcome and fantastic initiative, and personally it came at a good time in my own development in kendo. Keeping focus and energy for two days was not a problem because the schedule and the content (with overlapping themes that had a clear thematic development over each half-day session) was well thought-out.”

“The sensei emitted a positive energy that was also mirrored in the group members. It was nice to meet different women kendoka and to be inspired by their enthusiasm for the sport. Despite the high level of the two sensei and many of the participants, the atmosphere was welcoming and not intimidating. At the same time, I also loved how the camp was very intense and challenged both body and mind.”

I learned so much over the two days: both about going back to the basics of posture, holding shinai and the overall mindset about “connection” in the sport, but also about creating opportunities to strike and waza. There were so many fun, functional and challenging drills. Most of all, I really had fun and I came out of this camp so inspired!

“Communication, improving important skills (like waza techniques), very good atmosphere, humour, feeling welcome, new skills and thoughts to bring along in daily/weekly practice.”

Although there were many differences in the levels but I got good inspiration and so much fun to do keiko. Scheduled themes were really good and showed clearly that it was easy to follow.

“Focus on the fundamentals in kendo which is very important! Explanation of the techniques step by step. Personalized feedback to every participant. One of the best aspects is that you pressed us up a little and a little more! Amazing!”

“It felt great not to be the shortest person in the room for once. Everyone was so nice. Oh, and also no smell seme. Ladies usually respect their uniforms a lot more. I felt that the group was quite diverse, different ages and levels of physical fitness and yet I haven’t noticed any friction. There was also no display of excessive strength. With men it sometimes happens that the practice partner uses the size difference too much and pushes me around in taiatari. I really dislike that because it’s dangerous for my joints.”

Please comment on your experience of training in a women’s training environment:

“Woman’s atmosphere was so comfortable for me.”

“It was a very positive experience, I had a great training and felt comfortable.”

“Being able to train with only women is almost a luxury. Because even if you train with a mixed group usually and enjoy it. That’s how you feel the difference, by being a little more relaxed. It’s hard to put it into words, but maybe you simply become more comfortable.”

I thought it was harder than men’s kendo, because we, as women, need to be more strategic and plan our moves etc.

“In mixed-gender contexts, I kind of forget that I am a woman sometimes, which is “good” if you think about commonalities rather than differences between men and women. However, I have also been in contexts (like in sailing, another hobby that I have) where to be a woman in that context means that I sometimes have to “assert myself” to take space and to confirm my own competencies to myself and others. That said, I think most men kendoka that I have met have been very welcoming and don’t seem to underestimate me; however, I sometimes feel inside myself that I still need to “prove something” by being just as strong, just as alert, and so on.”

“My experience in women-only training environments like this kendo camp and in girls’ school is that you can put that feeling aside of having to “assert yourself as a woman”. Of course, one can still assert oneself and take space and so on, but just not for the “reason” that one is a woman. It’s like you can assert yourself in your own terms, not in “others’” terms. I don’t know how to explain it so well because obviously I don’t get this question a lot of times. However, I do I think it makes a difference because asserting yourself “in your own terms” makes you believe more in the competencies that you have, rather than getting busy trying to “prove” (or “disprove”) stereotypical gender roles and gender expectations that may or may not exist in the other person’s head.”

“What I absolutely loved about this camp is that I could have women role-models to look up to, both dojo mates who are more advanced in kendo, and women sensei who are top class. It makes the sport more relatable.”

“Amazing! So much mental pressure in contrast to men training environment where physical strength prevails.”

Please comment on your experience of being taught by women sensei:

“They were so friendly and I love their teaching style.”

“For my part, there is no big difference, you are just as good as the men at teaching. Something that might be different that you have a more pedagogical approach, by being able to clearly show the more technically difficult techniques.”

“The instructions were more detailed and explained more thoroughly.”

“The sensei used positive reinforcement. When doing challenging exercises, the feedback was along the lines of ”you can do it”, not ”you suck,” which unfortunately happened with some of my instructors. I felt supported and encouraged. There was feedback when doing things correctly, which really helped. When I get no comments on my technique for a long time, I tend to get doubts if/what I should change.”

“I loved that I could have women role-models. Both sensei were highly competent, professional, “experts” in their sport, pedagogical, open, positive. I never thought about it before but all my previous trainers and sensei were men. As I said sometimes there is an advantage not making too much of a big deal about differences between men and women, but when you do look at it from another perspective, it is actually significant to see more women leaders, and to interact with them and learn from their experiences, especially in traditionally male-dominated fields and sports.”

“Great! I also really appreciate the opportunity to ask women sensei questions I might not ask a man.”

“I was treated better and noticed despite my age and lack of certain skills.”

“I have not had many female sensei in my club, but have had it outside of my club. I think it is good to see higher graded women, it gives inspiration.”

“I experience the highest and the fastest development of my kendo level when I’m taught by women sensei.”

Are women’s kendo seminars beneficial or even necessary?

The survey responses above clearly indicate that kendo environments would benefit from greater efforts with inclusivity and equality measures, as well as the application of stronger pedagogical approaches in their day-to-day kendo training.

Given what women’s seminars appear to provide suggests that the issue is women are not consistently receiving the same quality of instruction, support, and enjoyment in their regular training environments. It should not require separate spaces for women to have these experiences in kendo; yet, until women feel fully treated equally and seen—women’s kendo seminars continue to serve a necessary role. Especially given that male-dominance is a permanent fixture in kendo—protected by being bound by “tradition.”

What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

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