Introduction

With 80 kendoka from Britain and other European countries and assorted Japanese, Korean and Chinese friends I attended the 20th Kodokan seminar which was held in Rickmansworth. For 18 years Sumi Masatake Hachidan Hanshi Kendo, Professor of Physical Education at Fukuoka University of Education, has been leading these summer seminars. This year he was joined by Junichi Tashiro 8th Dan Kyoshi, Morio Kumamoto 7th Dan Kyoshi, Norimitsu Yanai 7th Dan Kyoshi, Susumi Nagao 7th Dan Kyoshi, Junpei Matsumoto 7th Dan and Shinbo Sensei 7th Dan.

The Kodokan Seminars are not grading seminars but seminars with a grading which puts an emphasis on developing kendo skills and attitudes rather than a focus on success or failure. This time around all candidates were asked to write a grading essay about the role of either shushin (head court referee) or fukushin (the other two court referees). The following is a slightly revised version of my grading essay. It is by no means comprehensive but gives beginners an overview what to expect in a competition bout (shiai).

Kendo Refereeing

For a sword fighter, contest both on the battlefield and in a duel is subject to rules. These include societal conventions governing modes of behaviour (like custom and tradition) and martial elements like training, preparation, strategy, tactics and the chain of command. Whereas the proverbial heat of the battle does create many unexpected situations in which many soldiers are prone to acting in unplanned and even irregular ways, duels follow much more set patterns including pre-arranged times and venues, the presence or absence of third parties, the choice of weapons and duration, structure and severity of the contest.

Following from duels, modern kendo as a martial art employs a great deal of rules. There is reigi-ho covering the behaviour and conduct of kendo-ka inside and outside the dojo, and there are prescribed forms of engagement like kata and bokuto keiko-ho to name but two areas where we follow fairly strict shared codes. Another interesting element of kendo training is of course ji-geiko (akin to sparring) which is to a certain extent self-governed. The opponents will either rely entirely on mutual agreement - on the basis of a common understanding of the rules of kendo and good attitude - or they might have a third party - usually a sempai or sensei - who would see to the proper proceeding of the fight.

The more formal version of ji-geiko is shiai (competition bouts) in which points are awarded and a winner formally determined. In this very competitive and often heated atmosphere the shimpan or referees guarantee that kendo-ka follow the rules which create a safe environment in which - in line with the traditions of swordsmanship and sportsmanship - the standards of good kendo are upheld. It is this environment sustained by rules enforced by shimpan where the individual fighters strive to maintain the right spirit and an immovable mind overcoming the emotional entanglements of ambition, doubt and even fear.

In kendo three shimpan oversee each ji-geiko. The head court referee is called shushin, the assistants fukushin. Oftentimes a senior kendo-ka will be designated chief referee outside the match area. This chief referee may monitor more than one fight at a time. At BKA events, all shimpan wear a uniform of dark blazers and grey trousers. Other people helping with the running of a shiai are time keepers, score keepers and ribbon tiers who provide their services without having any authority over the shiai. (For kendo-ka facing their opponent in shiai it is important to remember that it is shushin's signal that starts and stops a fight, not the timekeeper's.)

Shushin leads his fukushin onto the shiai-jo (match area, court) and gives the commands for initial rei to shomen and - if applicable - of the two teams and then two fighters towards each other.

In the fight that ensues (after individual rei, stepping in, sonkyo and shushin's command 'Hajime!'), shushin acts as intermediary between the two kendo-ka fighting, the whole team of three referees on the floor, the chief referee and the time keepers. Therefore, shushin physically forms the tip of a triangle facing the fighters, both fukushin behind them and the chief referee and time keepers beyond. (Both fukushin face the fighters and shushin. They normally cannot see the chief referee.) The fighters will listen for shushin's commands. However - as far as the three shimpan are concerned - the shushin is the first amongst equals.

In most fights fukushin will do nothing to interfere with the action in the shiai-jo. Their role is largely to determine whether a strike was valid. They indicate that they have seen a valid strike (fulfilling all criteria of yoko datotsu) by lifting either the red or white flag they are carrying. (The fighters wear a white or red ribbon tied to their do himo for identification.) A strike is awarded a point when two or three shimpan agree on the validity of the effort. By crossing the two flags in front of their legs and keeping them still a shimpan indicates that they have not seen what another shimpan considered a valid strike. By waving the flags in this position they indicate that they disagree with another shimpan's opinion that it was a valid strike. If a fukushin notices an imminent problem (like an untied men or damaged shinai) they can call for an interruption. Shushin will give the command 'Yame!' (both arms straight up) and the fighters will stop and return to their initial positions. Fukushin can also call for a referees' consultation (gogi) to discuss pressing issues (both flags in raised right hand).

In any case, it is shushin who co-ordinates all efforts and communicates them to the fighters. This covers commands during the fight ('Wakare!' - Split! - both arms stretched out forward horizontal to the ground), starting and stopping the fight and announcing awarded points ('men ari' etc. plus lifting of red or white flag), warnings and penalties ('hansoku' with pointing of finger), possible encho (extra time) and finally the winner ('shobu ari' - lifting of red or white flag) unless it is a draw ('hikiwake' - crossed flags above the head, red flag in front).

Regarding fouls which lead to penalties (hansoku), stepping out of the shiai-jo (jogai), losing one's shinai (shinai hanashi), tripping the other fighter (ashigarami) and violent conduct (boryoko) come to mind.

The role of shushin is not a reserved one and between matches the shimpan alternate and rotate in a formal manner thus turning a fukushin into shushin. Good etiquette and deportment is emphasised and a shinpan leaving the shiai-jo will present his/her correctly rolled-up flags to the new shimpan who enters and bows formally. The shushin to supervise the last shiai will also lead the final bowing out of the teams - if applicable - and the shimpan. The equality of all shimpan is symbolized in the final bow towards each other right outside the shiai-jo after the last shiai.

Further information:

http://www.kenzendojo.com/kendo_match_regulations.htm
http://www.kendo.org.uk/clubs/edinburghkendo/shiai.html