Kendo is a Japanese sword martial art practised with a bamboo shinai and protective armour. Training combines footwork, controlled strikes, partner drills and, depending on the club, refereed matches.
Kendo, or “the way of the sword,” is a Japanese budo practised with a bamboo sword called a shinai and protective armour (bogu). Training includes basic exercises, prescribed strikes, partner exchanges and, in some settings, matches (shiai).
Recognized competition target areas include the head (men), wrists (kote), torso (dō) and throat (tsuki). Practice emphasizes posture, movement, shinai control, kiai and safety.
Pace and intensity vary with the exercise, the practitioner’s level and the club. Beginners learn the movements and rules progressively before taking part in exchanges with armour.
Kendo developed from Japanese sword traditions. During the Edo period, the use of the shinai and protective equipment made it possible to practise strikes and exchanges more safely; these methods are direct precursors of modern Kendo.
The term “Kendo” became established in the early twentieth century. After the practice was banned at the end of the Second World War, it resumed in Japan in 1952 with the establishment of the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF). In France, Kendo is managed within France Judo by the National Committee for Kendo and Related Disciplines (CNKDR).
The All Japan Kendo Federation describes Kendo as a discipline for shaping character through the principles of the sword. Training brings together spirit, technique and energy, with respect for partners.
Bowing, etiquette (reiho), awareness and self-control are part of practice. The shinai is used to train with a partner and to reflect on one’s own posture and conduct.
Kendo may suit people interested in Japanese sword traditions, regulated exchanges and training that combines technique, physical commitment and etiquette.
Practice includes shinai strikes and, during matches, contact on areas protected by armour. A club can explain how beginners learn the basics and gradually take up the equipment.
