Thailand Kendo Club: The Way of the Sword in Bangkok

Almost a year ago, while covering for Bangkok Trader the premiere of Mindfulness and Murder, I became “Facebook friends” with Vithaya “Pu” Pansringarm, the actor who played the role of the monk-detective in Tom Waller’s film. Soon enough, through his updates, I realized that Khun Pu is not only a talented actor, but also a highly ranked kendoka. When I found out that the Thailand Kendo Club was organizing their annual tournament, I immediately took this opportunity to learn more about the club, its members, and the history of kendo in Thailand.

Kendo is a Japanese martial art that has its origins in the traditional sword-fighting techniques of the medieval samurai. This semi-contact sport made its way to Thailand in 1985, when Keishi Nakane, a Japanese kendo master, started introducing kendo to the Thais. The first ever lessons, all based on a volunteering principle, took place at the College of Physical Education at the National Stadium in Bangkok. Later on, as the Thais’ interest in kendo grew, classes were also held at the Royal Thai Naval Academy.

By 1990, there was enough interest in kendo to justify the founding of the Thailand Kendo Club and, one year later, the club was officially recognized by the International Kendo Federation. To honour the effort and dedication of Sensei Nakane, now a 7 Dan master (with 8^th the highest possible rank!), the club organizes a yearly tournament symbolically called the Nakane Kendo Tournament. It was its 9^th edition that I attended a few months ago at Rajamangala Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

At this event, I experienced as a spectator a great display of swordsmanship in all competing categories, from junior kendoka to senior practitioners and even their masters. I was then not surprised to find out that Thailand Kendo Club has been sending its most talented members to the ASEAN Kendo Tournament for more than twenty years. Held every two or three years, this regional tournament sees the participation of many Southeast Asian countries and Thailand has brought home numerous medals and trophies from their “encounters.” With the experience gained at these national and regional tournaments, some Thai kendoka have even participated in world championships.

The president of the Thailand Kendo Club, no other than Vithaya “Pu” Pansringarm – a 5^th Dan kendo master – admitted that he will forever remain grateful for the initial support the Japanese government offered. A donation of the necessary equipment for kendo practice from Japan made all the difference when kendo was still finding its roots on Thai soil.

The equipment needed for the safe practice of kendo is overly specialised and quite expensive. Apart from the sihnai, a sword made of bamboo slats, to compete you also need a men, a helmet-like head protection, do, torso protection in the shape of a chest plate, kote, gauntlets, and tare, a protective apron that covers the waist and groin areas. Under this protective armour, called bogu in Japanese, the kendo practitioner wears samurai-style clothing comprising of a kendogi (a jacket) and a hakama (a type of wide trousers also worn in other martial arts, such as aikido).

An entire kendo “kit” could easily cost as much as 20,000 baht, so before you make any purchase, just make sure kendo is what you want to do. You can join one of the many dojo in Bangkok and other provinces where, under the supervision of both Japanese and Thai masters, kendoka of all ages, train and sweat under their armour.

The main dojo, called “Bangkok Kenyu Kai” is located on the grounds of the Thai-Japanese Association School, a place in itself with a fascinating history (opened in 1974 to provide compulsory education for Japanese children whose parents were working in Thailand). The weekly training session takes place on Sunday from 15:00 to 17:00 and the address is 259 Soi Rongrien Yeepun (Japanese School Street) on Rama 9 Road.

If this dojo is too far from your house, you can also join any of the other dojo set up at Chulalongkorn or Ramkhamhaeng Universities, plus a score of other locations in Bangkok. For a full list of dojo, access the Thailand Kendo Club website or look them up on Facebook. If you don’t live in Bangkok, then Phuket or Chaing Mai is the place to be!

Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, has written in one of his books that, “In the West, the sport of fencing evolved from warfare, but the foil, épée, and saber never became more than fancy kitchen knives, mere tools for killing people. Japanese swords, however, are works of art. Crafted here by master smiths for more than a millennium, our swords have superb texture, elegance, and balance. Viewing these blades, even non-Japanese sense the mystery of perfection. We refined a lethal weapon into an aesthetic experience.”

Kendo is a martial art that can be practiced at any age as the essence of kendo is to integrate the spirit of the sword, mind, and body in one entity. If you can achieve this unity of spirit, then a kendoka could overcome a physically stronger opponent with relative ease.

Watch a video of kendo gear with shinai (bamboo practice sword – 119.5 cm):