Kenjutsu is a Japanese martial art that focuses on swordsmanship. It is one of the four central martial arts of pre-modern Japan. Kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all schools of Japanese swordsmanship, particularly those that predate the Meiji Restoration. The two primary skills concerning the sword are kenjutsu and battōjutsu, which is the art of drawing the sword. Kenjutsu means "methods, techniques, and the art of the Japanese sword" and is opposed to kendo, which uses a bamboo sword and protective armor.
Kenjutsu is mostly a one-on-one endeavor, with two people facing off against each other with swords. There are many techniques for the use of the sword against an array of other weapons such as the yari, naginata, and jō. Kenjutsu can be found in the older koryū and modern martial arts of Japan.
Kenjutsu lost its popularity somewhat in the mid-19th century due to the dissolution of the samurai class and other changes happening in Japan at the time. However, the practice of the art picked up again in the late 19th century by the Japanese military and police. Old traditional classic Kenjutsu is still quite uncommon outside of Japan and is still considered a secret "art of war" training method. Modern Kenjutsu is quite popular among those interested in traditional-style Japanese martial arts and is now mostly practiced using a bokken, which is a wooden training sword.
In popular culture, Kenjutsu is featured in various movies, TV shows, and video games, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Samurai Jack, and Naruto.
