Is kenpo simular/ the same as kendo? i noticed that there was no kendo forum so i was curios to know. :woo:
The short answer is no. Kendo uses a different kanji for ken, the kanji they use means sword. The do is the same kanji used in judo, karatedo, Aikido, and others. This means a way or path and can also be read as michi. Kempo is usually written with an m not n, as this more accurately creates the pronunciation used by native speakers. Ken or kem it doesn’t matter, both are the same kanji, but different to the kanji for ken or sword. In kempo’s case the kanji used for ken means fist. While the kanji for po or ho as it sometimes pronounced in different grammatical circumstances means method. So the translation of Kendo is sword way/path, while Kempo is fist method. What this highlights is that until you see the kanji you can’t really make a correct translation. Many words sound the same but have different meanings. These are reflected in the kanji used to write them, or the context they are used in discussions.
The same reason there is not a Shorinji Kempo forum I suppose. They probably haven’t had many practitioners, and think they can post in the weapons forum?
