Kodokan's Name:

Originally called Atarashi the dojo founded by Paul Budden was changed to Kodokan about 1988. Paul wrote the following about why.

Because of my friendship with Les Denniston (a Scot well known for his appearance in 'the Way of the Warrior' BBC TV martial arts documentary) and through Les, Imasato sensei, I had been able to practice Kendo at the Kyoto Kodokan and with their support able to take 4th dan examination in Kyoto. It was also through this relationship that I was able to meet Junpei Matsumoto. His outstanding teaching and support for Kendo in the UK, led to the 'Kodokan seminar' which celebrates 20 years in 2005

Here Paul is pictured with his son and Imasato Sensei outside the Botokuden, Kyoto.
   

 

When preparing 'Looking at a far mountain' and practising at the Kyoto Kodokan I found further information about Ogawa Kinnosuke, Kodokan and the link with the Nihon kendo Kata, that was also why I asked Hirose sensei (over 85 at that time, he had been the 'best student' of Ogawa sensei) to do the kanji: 'enzan no metsuke'. I felt that there was something very special in all of this, making sense out of all the different items and aspects of Kendo that I had been able to assemble through study and practice and that is why I called my dojo here in the UK: Kodokan

Kodokan, Literally 講(ko) means " for making known ", or "for spreading” the Way 道(do) in the Hall 館(kan).
Kendo means "Sword way."
Kodokan is the Hall for making known the Way of Kendo.
The "Do" ending has enormous philosophical meaning. It is Japanese for the Chinese word "Tao." Also known in Japanese as "Michi" and in Buddhism it means the road to enlightenment.
What also was discussed was the further meaning of Kodokan using the character for wide (instead of making known) as in: wide 弘 (ko) - way 道(do) - place 館(kan). Literally, to practice in the place without constraints (no boundaries), to be open minded in the search for knowledge through the way of the sword (Kendo)"
Dojo also translates as the room or hall where budo is practiced (budo widely refers to martial arts)

Junpei Matsumoto adds to this with the following explanation of how the Kyoto Kodokan got it's name.

"I would like to explain the origin of Kyoto Kodokan Dojo's name-word " KODOKAN".
" KODO " has come from the name of a person.
" KAN " means building.So when we use " KAN " in Kendo , it means Dojo.
Japanese " KODOKAN" Dojo was founded by Mr.Kinnosuke Ogawa sensei in 1924 as his private Dojo. He used to be a professor at the Special Budo University in Kyoto since 1919. At that time Mr. Kodo Nishikubo sensei was the principal of the university. As Ogawa sensei respected Kodo Nishikubo sensei very much, he named his Dojo " KODOKAN" after his teacher.
Mr. Kodo Nishikubo sensei had been a minister at one time and had been at the University as the principal from 1919 to 1926, he then became mayor of Tokyo. He was a very big man and had been learning Kendo in the classical school of MUTO-RYU. He always attacked with very big straight MEN Cuts using a short shinai which is characteristic of this style.

 

 

Paul pictured with Junpei Matsumoto in Kyoto.
Literally 講 (ko) means " for making known ", or "for spreading" the Way 道 (do).
道 (do) means the way people go – their direction, which should always be for the "right reasons" it also means "the principle of the universe” Quite simply: How to see an object and how to make a good relationship with it and how to understand it, in other words “ How to live”.
When we pronounce do in Japanese the influence of Confucianism is great, so it translates as “the human way” [morality] and is considered to be the standard for life and behaviour."