Training Blog

Kendo Shiai | Shinpan

Staring in 2000, the All Japan Kendō Federation, has been focusing on an important project, for “the advancement of and improvement to shinpan skill, which together with comprehensive training courses”, will provide qualitative enrichment of our nation’s (Japan’s) kendō”.

A great variety of situations can occur within the shiai setting. Steps and measures for dealing with those situations which are based upon fundamental rules and regulations help insure that the shinpan-in (the referees) are able to make competent decisons.

Consequently, improving the level of refereeing skills, so that the shinpan-in have a correct understanding of shiai and shinpan rules, insures that shiai are properly conducted and managed. In an effort to reach this goal, the main (Japanese) federation, has been focusing on the development of instructors (lecturers) for shinpan seminars.

With that goal in mind, this procedural reference, “Kendō Shiai ・ Shinpan ・ Adminstration Essentials Guide” was created to be used as an introductory reference guide covering core shinpan methodology, and to provide examples of these principles. We hope that (taikai) officials will take this information, study it and put it into practice.

Shiai ‒ Shinpan Committee

Kendo Shiai Shinpan Administration Essentials Guide Shinpan Tebiki
(Download English Translation)

Acknowledgements

The idea for this translation project came during my attendance at various kendō shinpan seminars when the ZNKR original text, “Shinpan Shiai Tebiki” was continually reference as the source for greater detail about the practical application of the Kendō Shiai and Shinpan rules and regulations. To that end, this document was created to help bridge that knowledge gap for non-Japanese speakers, and allow easy access to the original Japanese version from the ZNKR. This document was created not as a replacement to the ZNKR document but as a study guide for non-Japanese speaking kendō shinpan-in.

It is hoped that this document will be used by shinpan-in around the world who were not previously able to access the very helpful and precise information found in the original Japanese version. Please feel free to download the PDF, and share it with others who are studying to improve their shinpan abilities. Please note, that an effort was made to put the English into understandable and natural syntax, while maintaining as much literal translation as possible in order to insure the greatest understanding of the original text.

Translation of this text was done by a non-native speaker of Japanese, and in fact by someone with very limited Japanese language abilities. Beyond simple Japanese I make no claims to my language skills, yet much in the same way as I approach the study of kendō, I tackled this project in small steps, first looking up each kanji and transcribing the original document character by character until the entire work was captured. After that I simply worked through each sentenance one by one until a draft version was created in crude English. From there the final translations was worked out over many edits and discussions with native speakers who took the time to help me find the best translation for each section of the original document.

Obviously this project would have not been possible without the knowledge, advice, and assistance of the many people who helped with the creation of this English language version of the Shinpan & Shiai Tebiki. My deepest thanks goes to Dr. Michio Kajitani, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Uchida, Mr. Masa Ando, and Mrs. Satomi Lane for the many hours they spent helping to insure that the translation from the original ZNKR document was accurate, and the original Japanese was transcribed correctly. To anyone I have overlooked in this acknowledgement, I apologize for my oversight, and want you to know that all of your contributions to this effort were greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and support,
Robert Stroud
Kendō Kyoshi 7 Dan