Kendoka who use jodan — the raised sword stance sometimes called "the fire posture" — are a rare sight in most dojos, and even rarer at major competitions. There is, in some circles, a cultural hesitation around jodan, rooted in unfamiliarity and questions of orthodox form. Yet just half a century ago, the final of the All Japan Kendo Championship was contested between two jodan practitioners. This article traces the history of jodan at the highest level — from its golden era, through its near-extinction, to the players keeping the flame alive today.

What Is Jodan?

Jodan is an attacking posture in which the shinai is raised high above the head. By abandoning defensive cover, the practitioner applies intense psychological pressure on the opponent, who must contend with the threat of a strike that could come at any moment. In Japan, jodan is only permitted in competition from high school level upward — it is prohibited for junior high school students and below, because the most effective counter to jodan, the thrust, is banned at those ages for safety reasons.

The Golden Era — From Toda to Chiba to Kawazoe

Jodan first reached the top of the All Japan Championship at the 5th tournament (1957), when Morita Nobutaka (Nagasaki, age 39) took the title. At the 9th tournament (1961), Iho Seiji (Tokyo, age 41, schoolteacher) followed suit.

But it was Toda Tadao who truly opened the jodan era. An employee of Toyo Rayon Company from Shiga Prefecture, Toda won his first title at the 10th tournament (1962) at the age of 23. In the final, when his opponent Katayama switched from chudan to jodan mid-match, Toda immediately read the change and landed a clean kote, followed by men, to claim the title. He won again at the 12th tournament (1964), becoming only the second two-time champion. Toda later became equally renowned as one of the foremost practitioners of nito (two-sword) kendo.

The man who completed the jodan revolution was Chiba Masashi (千葉仁, 1944–2016, Metropolitan Police). A natural left-hander, Chiba began practising jodan in secret during his third year of high school — and was caught by his coach. But his mentor, Niui Yoshihiro (乳井義博), who had been searching for a successor in the jodan tradition, recognized the potential in Chiba's left-handedness and gave his approval. That fortuitous discovery changed kendo history. Chiba's signature technique was the katate-kote — a one-handed kote strike from jodan.

Chiba won at the 14th (1966, age 22), 17th (1969, age 25), and 20th (1972, age 28) tournaments, establishing what was then the all-time record of three titles — a record that stood until Miyazaki Masahiro surpassed it with six. The final of the 20th tournament was particularly historic: Chiba's opponent was Kawazoe Tetsuo — also a jodan practitioner. It remains the only jodan vs. jodan final in the championship's history. Chiba won to claim his third title.

Kawazoe, a fourth-year student at Kokushikan University, became champion at the 19th tournament (1971) at just 21 years old. His victory as an active student was exceptional, and inspired a wave of jodan interest across university kendo. He won again at the 23rd tournament (1975) to finish with two titles.

Between 1962 and 1975 — thirteen years — jodan practitioners won the All Japan Championship seven times. The final was fought between two jodan players. Dojos across Japan saw a surge in students wanting to learn jodan. It was the warmest season jodan has ever known.

The Mune-tsuki Rule and the Collapse of Jodan

In 1979, the All Japan Kendo Federation revised its rules to make the mune-tsuki — a thrust to the chest — a valid scoring technique against jodan players. Jodan's structural weakness had always been the exposure of the chest and throat, and now opponents had an official weapon to exploit it.

The effect was immediate. From 1980 through 1982 — three consecutive years — not a single jodan practitioner won the All Japan title. Compare this to the thirteen years between 1962 and 1975, during which jodan players won seven times. At the time, it was said that "mune-tsuki killed jodan."

The Only Jodan Champion of the Mune-tsuki Era — Higashi Kazuyoshi

Only one kendoka ever won the All Japan Championship using jodan during the period when mune-tsuki was valid.

Higashi Kazuyoshi (東一良) — from Kagoshima Prefecture, a Kokushikan University graduate, Aichi Prefectural Police. Just four years after the mune-tsuki rule was introduced, he won the 31st tournament (1983) at the age of 33. He competed at the All Japan Championship six times, finishing first once and second once. His favoured technique was men. He was known as a jodan exponent who could intimidate opponents simply by taking his stance. The fact that he won the All Japan title with mune-tsuki still in play speaks to the completeness of his jodan. He later attained the rank of Kyoshi 8th Dan and served as an instructor at Kaiyo Gakuen and as kendo director at Nagoya University of Economics.

The Mune-tsuki Rule Is Abolished

In 1995, the All Japan Kendo Federation abolished the mune-tsuki rule — seventeen years after its introduction. The reason was, paradoxically, that it had worked too well. Jodan practitioners had become so rare that kendo itself was losing diversity. A rule designed to restrain jodan had pushed the stance to the edge of extinction.

With the rule gone, the physical constraint on jodan was lifted. But seventeen years of suppression had already severed the lineage. Senior instructors capable of teaching jodan were scarce; there was little reason to choose a stance that had been stigmatised as disadvantageous. Even after abolition, jodan champions at the All Japan level did not come easily.

Breaking 25 Years of Silence — Shodai Kenji

Thirteen years after the mune-tsuki rule was abolished, a jodan practitioner finally broke through.

Shodai Kenji (正代賢司) — born 1981 in Kumamoto. He took up jodan in his first year of high school, inspired by a senior student's jodan. A devoted admirer of Miyazaki Masahiro, he joined the Kanagawa Prefectural Police — Miyazaki's department — immediately after graduation. He won the 56th tournament (2008) at the age of 27 on his fourth attempt, ending a 25-year jodan drought. His style was distinctive: powerful arm strength, flexible movement, and flashy footwork set him apart from the more imposing, pressure-based jodan of earlier eras. His victory was credited with sparking renewed interest in jodan among both competitive and hobbyist kendoka.

However, in 2012 — three years after his championship victory — Shodai resigned from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police following a personal incident. He returned to competition in 2014 and served as the lead instructor at a jodan seminar held in Tokyo in 2024.

The Flame Has Not Gone Out

Even after Shodai, practitioners continue to carry the jodan tradition into the All Japan arena. Two names stand out at the current competitive level.

Yamashita Yusuke (山下雄輔, 三重県) — Mie Prefectural Police, Renshi 6th Dan. At the 70th tournament (2022), he fought four consecutive overtime matches from the first round through to the quarterfinals, where he narrowly fell. At the 72nd tournament (2024), he defeated the pre-tournament favourite Ohira Shoji (Tokyo) in the opening round and received the Outstanding Player Award.

Kusano Ryujiro (草野龍二朗) — from Nagasaki Prefecture, Kagoshima University of Physical Education graduate, Osaka Prefectural Police. He has competed at the All Japan Championship twice, reaching the round of 16. He has won the National Police Championship team title and the National Inter-Prefecture Team Championship, and was selected for the Japanese national team at the 19th World Kendo Championships in 2024.

After the mune-tsuki rule was introduced in 1979, jodan's flame seemed all but extinguished. These two players are keeping it alive on the biggest stage in Japanese kendo. Whether they can write the next chapter — another jodan champion at the All Japan — is one of the most intriguing questions in the sport today.