I've posted this on the Nordic forums, but since this section has a bit larger English-speaking audience, I decided to share it here as well. I have mentioned kendo or participating in it several times on the community Discord. There have been some stories of my battle wounds too. Therefore, as it is right now, some members of the community know about as much about it that it exists and that I get injuries from it. I thought that maybe someone will find it interesting if I try to explain a bit more about it. Most of the kendo dojos are always recruiting too, as it's still not a widely known discipline and having more people to practice with equals more fun!
Kendo is a japanese martial art involving wooden swords. The name means "way of the sword". Its origins are rooted in the teachings of the samurai which were passed down. For practice it was too dangerous to use iron swords, hence wooden weapons were used, as well as practice armor that could handle the wear of frequent beating. These teachings were known as kenjutsu, there were several different schools, but they all were established in the Edo era (1603-1868, the period of Japan's isolation from external world). The bamboo swords, known as shinai, were developed around 18th century, which started taking shape as what we know as kendo today. The name "kendo" was established in early 20th century and it was when the discipline started settling down and just slowly evolving rather than going through massive changes.
The discipline focuses not only on improving combat prowess, but also on building one's spirit and developing it. Maintaining one's willpower can lend the upper hand in a battle. There is high focus on self-improvement. One shouldn't just wait for a senior to point out mistakes, but constantly strive to improve their technique. The etiquette in the dojo is also a vital part of kendo. It's not just a formality, but rather a set of rituals binding parts of kendo together. In Asia it is common for multiple generations to train together and the trainings can generally accommodate people of different levels of skill and form.
The Purpose of Practicing Kendo by All Japan Kendo Federation
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.
This will make one be able:
To love his/her country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture,
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
Shinai is a bamboo sword consisting of 4 bamboo slats that are held together by leather bindings and a string named tsuru. The string marks the opposite side of the "blade" of the sword. One is always using the "blade", so the bottom slat of the sword, to execute the strikes. There are four valid types of blows: men (head), kote (hand), do (the torso) and ki (throat). The last one is only done by experienced people and in many places banned altogether, because it tends to be very dangerous when done improperly.
There is a second type of sword sometimes used in Kendo - bokken or bokuto. It is a solid wooden sword and is used exclusively for practicing techniques, not for actual fighting. The reason for using it is that it resembles a katana in shape and thus it's easier to grasp some aspects that lose its meaning with a flat bamboo surface, one example being the direction of the blade.
The armour used in kendo is known as bogu. It consists of a helmet - men - which had a metal grid protecting the face and long flaps going sideway onto the shoulders (for protection from stray strikes), chest armour - do, hand protectors - kote, and a set of protective cloth panels that goes around the waist, known as tare. They are traditionally dyed with genuine indigo dye, but cheaper models use chemical dyes nowadays. Sometimes a white bogu set can be spotted, but they are rare, typically used by women in Asia or some eccentric individuals. Due to scarcity, it's easier to stick to the blue parts, so most kendoka just do that.
Under the bogu the clothes used in training consist of hakama, traditional Japanese trousers with pleats. There are five pleats in the front and two in the back and each of them signalizes a virtue. Once someone jokingly asked me, which virtue was the hardest to iron out. I replied in the same tone that it seemed to be loyalty, because people often turn their back on it. The shirt is made from thick rice-grain textured fabric, typically pure cotton, although modern solutions for hot summers also exist, and is named keiko-gi (training shirt). As a spicy detail, I'll add that some senior practitioners like to go commando. Most people don't though. I prefer my underwear actually catching some of the sweat, so that my clothes can last longer in-between the washes.
The trainings themselves, once people get to practice swings for real can get quite intense. It's very good cardio sport, quite sweaty. It does come with a significant risk of blisters and foot injury due to running barefoot and bruises from missed blows. Due to that, unfortunately, the drop out ratio in kendo is pretty high. A lot of people can get disheartened feeling how it is to get a badly controlled strike, how heavy the armour is, the restricted vision and hearing... But once one gets past that, the real fun begins!
Kendo is a japanese martial art involving wooden swords. The name means "way of the sword". Its origins are rooted in the teachings of the samurai which were passed down. For practice it was too dangerous to use iron swords, hence wooden weapons were used, as well as practice armor that could handle the wear of frequent beating. These teachings were known as kenjutsu, there were several different schools, but they all were established in the Edo era (1603-1868, the period of Japan's isolation from external world). The bamboo swords, known as shinai, were developed around 18th century, which started taking shape as what we know as kendo today. The name "kendo" was established in early 20th century and it was when the discipline started settling down and just slowly evolving rather than going through massive changes.
The discipline focuses not only on improving combat prowess, but also on building one's spirit and developing it. Maintaining one's willpower can lend the upper hand in a battle. There is high focus on self-improvement. One shouldn't just wait for a senior to point out mistakes, but constantly strive to improve their technique. The etiquette in the dojo is also a vital part of kendo. It's not just a formality, but rather a set of rituals binding parts of kendo together. In Asia it is common for multiple generations to train together and the trainings can generally accommodate people of different levels of skill and form.
The Purpose of Practicing Kendo by All Japan Kendo Federation
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.
This will make one be able:
To love his/her country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture,
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
Shinai is a bamboo sword consisting of 4 bamboo slats that are held together by leather bindings and a string named tsuru. The string marks the opposite side of the "blade" of the sword. One is always using the "blade", so the bottom slat of the sword, to execute the strikes. There are four valid types of blows: men (head), kote (hand), do (the torso) and ki (throat). The last one is only done by experienced people and in many places banned altogether, because it tends to be very dangerous when done improperly.
There is a second type of sword sometimes used in Kendo - bokken or bokuto. It is a solid wooden sword and is used exclusively for practicing techniques, not for actual fighting. The reason for using it is that it resembles a katana in shape and thus it's easier to grasp some aspects that lose its meaning with a flat bamboo surface, one example being the direction of the blade.
The armour used in kendo is known as bogu. It consists of a helmet - men - which had a metal grid protecting the face and long flaps going sideway onto the shoulders (for protection from stray strikes), chest armour - do, hand protectors - kote, and a set of protective cloth panels that goes around the waist, known as tare. They are traditionally dyed with genuine indigo dye, but cheaper models use chemical dyes nowadays. Sometimes a white bogu set can be spotted, but they are rare, typically used by women in Asia or some eccentric individuals. Due to scarcity, it's easier to stick to the blue parts, so most kendoka just do that.
Under the bogu the clothes used in training consist of hakama, traditional Japanese trousers with pleats. There are five pleats in the front and two in the back and each of them signalizes a virtue. Once someone jokingly asked me, which virtue was the hardest to iron out. I replied in the same tone that it seemed to be loyalty, because people often turn their back on it. The shirt is made from thick rice-grain textured fabric, typically pure cotton, although modern solutions for hot summers also exist, and is named keiko-gi (training shirt). As a spicy detail, I'll add that some senior practitioners like to go commando. Most people don't though. I prefer my underwear actually catching some of the sweat, so that my clothes can last longer in-between the washes.
The trainings themselves, once people get to practice swings for real can get quite intense. It's very good cardio sport, quite sweaty. It does come with a significant risk of blisters and foot injury due to running barefoot and bruises from missed blows. Due to that, unfortunately, the drop out ratio in kendo is pretty high. A lot of people can get disheartened feeling how it is to get a badly controlled strike, how heavy the armour is, the restricted vision and hearing... But once one gets past that, the real fun begins!
Unamused Snarktooth. Advocate for hearing loss & accessibility. Person, friend and a terrible/terrific* artist.
*delete as appropriate
