Kendo

What is Kendo?

Kendo (剣道) means the way of the sword. It is a modern Japanese martial art that originated from older kenjutsu schools. In modern training, practitioners use a bamboo sword, the shinai, protective bōgu and formal exercises with the bokutō.

Kendo is simultaneously a regulated competitive sport, a form of physical training, and a discipline for character development. The modern system should not be equated with historical sword fighting or battlefield kenjutsu.

From Kenjutsu to Kendo

The foundations of Kendo lie in Japanese kenjutsu-ryu, in which warriors and later budoka trained in sword techniques. During the Edo period, bamboo swords and protective equipment were developed and refined. This allowed practitioners to train with greater resistance and contact without using real swords.

Schools such as Hokushin Ittō-ryū contributed to the popularity of practice fights with shinai and protective equipment. During the Meiji period, efforts were made to standardize different sword traditions, including for police and educational purposes.

Name and postwar development

The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was founded in 1895. In 1920, the name Kendo was used for the modern form of sword training that had previously been known, among other names, as gekken. After World War II, Kendo was temporarily banned from public life and education because of the militarization of budo. In 1952, the All Japan Kendo Federation was founded, and Kendo returned as a reformed, educational, and sporting discipline.

Kendo and historical swordsmanship

Kendo preserves elements of older sword traditions, but uses its own competition rules, protective equipment, pedagogical forms, and ranking system. The principles of historical kenjutsu are therefore studied in a modern and controlled context.

The relationship with bushidō is often mentioned in explanations of Kendo, but the meaning of bushidō changed over time and is not a simple, unchanged summary of samurai culture.

Training in Kendo

Training can consist of suburi, footwork, basic techniques, kata, partner exercises, and controlled sparren. Common practice formats include kirikaeshi, waza-geiko, kakari-geiko, ji-geiko and shiai-geiko. The exact structure varies by dojo and level.

A powerful step-in with the foot, fumikomi-ashi, is often combined with a strike. Kiai, posture, distance, timing, and zanshin - continuous alertness after the action - are important elements of correct execution.

Kata

The ten Nihon Kendō Kata are usually performed by two people with bokutō. The uchidachi guides and initiates the form; the shidachi learns and responds. In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation also introduced basic forms with bokutō for beginners and lower-ranked practitioners.

Competition rules

A valid strike, yūkō-datotsu, requires, among other things, correct contact with the proper part of the shinai, an authorized target area, convincing commitment, correct posture, and zanshin. The target areas are men, kote, dō, and—under stricter conditions—tsuki.

Matches are usually judged by three referees. A common match format is sanbon-shiai, in which the first participant to score two valid points wins. Tournament and federation regulations may contain additional provisions regarding overtime, draws, age, protective equipment, and tsuki.

Ranks and titles

Kendo uses kyū and dan ranks. The progression generally runs from kyū to sho-dan and then to higher dan ranks. Eighth dan is the highest rank attained through a technical examination within the AJKF structure. Additional titles are renshi, kyōshi, and hanshi; separate requirements apply regarding rank, waiting period, recommendation, and theory.

Kendo in the Netherlands

According to Dutch Kendo sources, organized practice in the Netherlands began in the mid-1960s. 1966 is mentioned as the year in which the Dutch Kendo Renmei (NKR) was founded in The Hague. Japanese teachers and Japanese budoka living in or visiting the Netherlands helped with the first seminars and technical development.

According to its own information, the NKR organizes or supports Kendo, Iaido, and Jodo. Dutch dojo mentioned in sources include FuMetsu in Rotterdam, Kendo Kai Den Haag, Sakura-Kai in Utrecht, and Renshinjuku in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Active locations, class schedules, and disciplines may change and should be verified with the dojo or NKR.

The Dutch Kendo community is internationally affiliated through the European Kendo Federation and the International Kendo Federation. A Dutch estimate of approximately 700 active practitioners is time-specific and is not used as a current nationwide count.

International organization

The International Kendo Federation was founded in 1970 as an international federation of national and regional organizations. The FIK promotes Kendo and the related disciplines Iaido and Jodo. The All Japan Kendo Federation serves as an important Japanese reference point for curricula, ranks, and kata; national federations implement rules and conduct examinations within their own structures.

Start safely

Many dojos offer introductory lessons where beginners can borrow a shinai and sometimes protective equipment. Personal bōgu is usually purchased only once the basics, fitness, and falling and safety procedures have been sufficiently developed. Train on a suitable floor and always follow the instructor’s directions.

Kendo as a discipline

The AJKF describes Kendo as a way of shaping one’s character by applying the principles of the sword. Within that framework, physical training, correct form, courage, courtesy, fair contact, and continuous self-development stand alongside competition results.

Related disciplines

Iaido focuses on drawing and handling the sword through set forms; Jodo uses the short staff in relation to sword techniques; Naginata-do uses the Japanese polearm. These disciplines can be offered organizationally alongside Kendo, but have their own weapons, kata, and training objectives.