What is kendo?
Kendo means "the way of the sword". It grew from the sword training of old Japan, but today it is a safe sport with soft rules. Players use a shinai, a sword made of four bamboo strips tied together. They wear protective gear called bogu: men (head guard), kote (gloves), do (chest guard) and tare (waist guard). Practice begins and ends with a bow (rei).
Basic stance and footwork
The stance (kamae)
The main stance is chudan-no-kamae ("middle stance"). Hold the shinai with both hands in front of your belly. The tip points at the partner's throat. Stand with the right foot forward and the left foot behind, with the left heel slightly lifted. Keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.
Footwork (ashi-sabaki)
- Suri-ashi: the feet slide along the floor and stay low. This keeps you balanced.
- Okuri-ashi: the front foot moves first and the back foot follows to the same distance. It is the most used step.
- Fumikomi-ashi: a strong stamp of the front foot at the moment of the strike.
- Taisabaki: stepping aside to avoid an attack.
Rule: the feet never cross.
Strikes and thrusts
Where you may strike
- Men: the top of the head.
- Kote: the wrist (right wrist, or left in some openings).
- Do: the side of the body.
- Tsuki: a thrust to the throat. Only practised with a teacher.
A good strike
A point (ippon) counts only when four things happen together: ki (spirit, shown by a loud shout, kiai), ken (the sword hits with the correct part of the shinai), tai (the body steps in) and then zanshin (you stay alert after the strike).
Two groups of techniques
- Shikake-waza: attacking techniques. You start the move, for example a straight men strike.
- Oji-waza: answering techniques. You first avoid or block the partner's attack, then strike, for example stepping aside and hitting the do.
Manners and safety
- Bow at the start and end, to the partner and the teacher.
- Check that the shinai has no cracked or sharp bamboo strips.
- Never strike anywhere except the allowed targets.
- Keep a safe distance in practice and listen to the teacher.
- Never swing a shinai outside practice.
Try it
In the 3D, drag the slider slowly through the men strike. Notice that the hands move before the feet land. At home, use a rolled newspaper as a pretend shinai (with an adult nearby, in an open space): stand with the right foot forward, slide forward without lifting your feet and say "Men!" as you swing down. Do 5 slow strikes. Do your feet cross? They should not.
Key formulas and definitions
- Kendo = "way of the sword"; shinai = bamboo sword
- Bogu = men (head), kote (wrist), do (body), tare (waist)
- Stance: chudan-no-kamae; right foot forward, left heel lifted
- Footwork: suri-ashi (slide), okuri-ashi (front first), fumikomi (stamp), taisabaki (step aside)
- Valid point = ki + ken + tai, then zanshin
- Shikake-waza = attack first; oji-waza = answer the attack
Worked examples
1. In kendo, what are the four main targets?
Men (head), kote (wrist), do (body) and tsuki (throat thrust).
2. Your partner attacks your head. Describe an answering move.
Step aside (taisabaki) so the strike misses. Then strike back at the do or men. This is oji-waza.
3. A player slides forward 3 times and each slide is 0.5 m. How far does the player move?
3 x 0.5 = 1.5 m.
4. Why does a loud shout (kiai) count in a good point?
Kiai shows spirit (ki) and is one of the things a referee looks for, together with a correct hit and body.
Common mistakes
- Crossing the feet. In kendo the feet never cross; use okuri-ashi.
- Lifting the feet high when moving. Slide low instead.
- Hitting with only the arms. The body must step in too.
- Forgetting zanshin: relaxing right after the strike.