The compilation of the Dainihonteikoku Kendo-Kata has undergone 3 stages of “Sketch-Draft-Codification. ” In this paper, the original texts of these stages are compared and scrutinized concerning when, what and how amendments were added, and furthermore tendencies in the nature of the amendments were discussed, as well as its implications.
In the evolution from the sketch to the draft, it seems the chief investigators and the investigators had question-and-answer sessions and exchanged views, and then, based on the results the chief investigators, re-examined the sketch to make amendments.
For the purpose of organizing a unified Teikoku-Kendo-Kata transcending schools, organizing work is thought to have been encouraged by placing special emphasis on the basic concept, overall picture and comprehensive constitution of the Teikoku-Kendo-Kata. In addition, because it was governed by the chief investigators' mastery of the art of kendo, theory on techniques, and profound perception of the Teikoku-Kendo-Kata, the details of the sketch were not regarded as matters of particular importance. Consequently, in the work from the sketch to the draft, the Kodachi-Kata was settled on as not to be amended, and a total of 17 items, including 2 of the basic,5 of Tachiai and 10 of Tachi-Kata, as items to be amended.
From the draft to the codification, through the deliberations of the Teikoku-Kendo-Kata Investigation Committee,6 amendments were adopted at first. Afterwards, as a result of the chief investigators' and the investigators' practicing the Teikoku-Kendo-Kata, minor differences became regarded as problems and amendments were added owing to the necessity of having more precise explanation for the sake of instruction. Finally, in the process of progression from the draft to codification, amendments were added for the first time to the Kodachi-Kata, and a total of 27 amendment items, containing 4 of the basic,4 of Tachiai,12 of Tachi-Kata and 7 of Kodachi-Kata items plus 6 items by the Teikoku-Kendo-Kata Investigation Committee's decisions, were added before release of the codification by the management office of the Butoku-Kai.
