The Wolverine: How NOT to do Kendo
Well, me and my wife finally got around to watch The Wolverine (2013) last night. Those of you who have watched this movie would remember the scene where during a visit to Yashida’s home, Wolverine watched Shingen having a practice in kendo armour.
Now this is quite cringey stuff and I think some of you might also find this “Hollywood kendo” entertaining. Here’s a list of things I found wrong with it – and by no means comprehensive (even though the scene is only 18 seconds long!), so if you spotted anything I haven’t by all means please post a comment below!
- The awesome aerial somersault
- No fumikomi!
- Cuts to non-target areas
- Taking off the men before doing the finishing moves – just because Shingen is a badass, of course
- Hiding a shinai in a pocket somewhere, in order to instantly switch to nito-ryu (well, how else could he have done it that quickly??)
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did he just steal the other guy’s shinai?
He probably did now that I looked at it again! Also just noticed that he took off his men without undoing the himo!!!
I thought the same, spectacular but off of technic
Hi Mario, I am the person who uploaded the video. I am also a Kendo practitioner. I agree with what you state, because before the movie was released, I was very excited due to the fact that this kendo scene was very briefly shown in the trailer (which actually has the full sequence of the Men-Do strike, but for some reason was cut out in the final release, and they only showed the Do strike).
Then when I saw the movie, I did find it disappointing, considering Hiroyuki Sanada (who is Shingen) is a very good Japanese actor, and has trained in Kendo himself. That’s why I wonder if he has done some sort of pseudo-Kendo, or more-so Kenjutsu (note, he wasn’t the one doing the somersault, nor was he attacking with crappy Men strikes)?
Also, when he stole the other Kendoka’s shinai, is it possible that he did some form of Aikido move, where he grappled his opponent, flipping him while stealing the Shinai? And then follows that by tripping the opponent with a nito-ryu?
Either way, I am hoping Sanada will be more authentic (like he was in Last Samurai) in the up coming 47 Ronin.