What is kendo?
Kendo is a type of athletic contest in which practitioners wear kendo-gu (protective armor) and use shinai (bamboo swords) to strike each other.
However, kendo is a budo (martial way) that aims to forge the mind and body of practitioners and facilitate the development of character through continued keiko (practice).
As of March 2023 there are 2,027,257 registered kendo dan grade holders (in Japan), of whom 609,731 are women.
The Concept of Kendo
The concept of kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana (sword).
The Purpose of Practicing Kendo
The purpose of practicing kendo is:
To mold the mind and body,
To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
And through correct and rigid training,
To strive for improvement in the art of kendo,
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honour,
To associate with others with sincerity,
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.
