dilemma concerning the internationalization of Kendo as Budo

While kendo practitioners outside of Japan, especially in South Korea, have advocated the inclusion of kendo as an Olympic sport, Japanese kendo organizations have resisted. We argue that if kendo were to take the form of an international Olympic-type sport, its value as a cultural art form would be reduced. Kendo, in its rules and formal structures, embodies traditional Japanese culture and ideas. We can see this when we consider the meaning of the Japanese term “zan-shin”, which plays a significant role in the judging of kendo, and its Korean translation as “jon-shim”. While “jon-shim” captures some of the practical and most observable aspects of “zan-shin”, it does not have the same cultural history and meaning. This results different attitudes toward the activity and different behavior in competition. We conclude that, while international competition is good for kendo, the Japanese concept of “zan-shin” must be maintained both in competition and in training.