From battlefield to dojo: the successful transformation of Japanese kendo
从战场到道场：日本剑道的成功转型

摘要

日本剑道能够从纯粹实战杀戮技艺到精神修养方式，并作为有特色的体育项目保存至今，得益于剑道在江户时期（1600-1867）的成功转型。而江户剑道的成功转型可归因于社会、文化及技术等多重因素的协同作用。首先，德川幕府统治下的和平社会环境迫使武士阶层重新定义剑道的内涵；其次，竹刀代替真剑这一技术改良有效弱化了剑道的暴力属性；最后，儒家伦理与禅宗思想的深度交融重塑了剑道的价值体系。文章进一步以北辰一刀流、镜心明智流、神道无念流为例，阐明了不同流派在技术艺术化、形态美学化和力量精神化方面对“活人剑”理念的实践。最终，本文认为江户剑道的成功转型在于其对社会变迁的适应性、技术的安全化改良以及精神内涵的哲学升华，这一路径为中国传统武术的现代化发展提供了重要借鉴。

Abstract

The ability of Japanese kendo to move from being a purely practical killing art to a spiritual way of cultivation and to be preserved today as a sport with distinctive characteristics is due to the successful transformation of kendo during the Edo period (1600-1867). The successful transformation of Edo kendo was the result of a synergy of multiple factors. First, the peaceful social environment under the Tokugawa Shogunate forced the samurai class to redefine the meaning of kendo; second, the technological improvement represented by the transition from real swords to bamboo swords effectively weakened the violent attributes of kendo; and lastly, the value system of kendo was reshaped by the deep fusion of Confucian ethics and Zen thought.