KENDO GRAPHIC

ORGANIZER Kendo
Kendo originated from the experiences of the samurai
who trained to use “nihonto” (Japanese
swords) in combat. The samurai thereby acquired a distinctive appreciation of the “principles of the
sword”. It is believed that through learning kendo one is able to gain an understanding of the
“principles of the sword”. It is important to study the spirit of the samurai which is related to these
principles, and can be learned through rigorous training in the use of the sword. This is why the
objective of kendo is referred to as being a Way to develop the human character.

History of Kendo
Swords came to symbolize the samurai’s spirit,
and are often referred to as embodying the
“mind” of the samurai. Early in the 20th century,
this type of training in swordsmanship, which
was referred to as “gekiken” or “kenjutsu” was
renamed “kendo” which literally means the
“Way of the sword”. Kendo became a
representative discipline of modern Japanese
“budo” (martial arts/ways), of which the
underpinning ideals of self-improvement are
grounded in the spirit of the samurai.
Kendo Match
Kendo matches take place in an area 9 to 11
metres (about 30 to 36 feet) square.
Contestants wear the traditional uwagi (jacket),
hakama (long divided skirt), dō (chest
protector), tare (waist protector), men (mask),
and kote (padded gloves). The shinai varies
from 43 to 46 inches (110 to 118 cm) in length
and is made of four lengths of seasoned
bamboo bound by waxed cord.
Thoughts on the origin of
Kendo
A lot of methods of sword usage were
developed around the world throughout the
years. For me, Kendo is really one of the
most interesting due to the material used
and the way the Japanese use it. Kendo
has already evolved over many countries
in the cultural milieu of Japan.