kendo
Kendo is a weapons-based martial art originating in Japan and classified within the broader family of gendai budō, meaning it belongs to a category of modern Japanese martial disciplines. Its training focus centers on bamboo-sword fencing conducted while wearing protective armor, combining the use of the shinai, a practice sword constructed from bamboo, with structured protective equipment that allows practitioners to engage in contact-based fencing exercises.
Training in weapons-based arts of this kind generally emphasizes the handling and application of the designated weapon, in this case a bamboo sword, alongside the physical conditioning and technical precision required to use it effectively within a controlled fencing context. Practitioners typically drill striking actions, footwork, and defensive responses, all performed with the armor providing the protection necessary for partner-based practice at meaningful intensity.
Kendo encompasses related sub-styles and lineage-connected traditions that have developed within and alongside its practice. Kumdo, a Korean swordsmanship tradition that developed from the kendo lineage, represents one such related form and is among the sub-styles recognized within this broader family. Each of these variations is examined in greater detail in the sections that follow below.
Styles & branches of kendo
Kumdo
Type: Weapons-based · Lineage: kendo
Korean kendo-lineage swordsmanship Wikipedia →
Gear to expect. Weapons-based training typically calls for the style's training weapons (always start with the school's loaners) and protective gear — your school will tell you exactly what, and when. New students rarely need to buy anything for a trial class.
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Classification and facts from our open-data taxonomy (Wikidata CC0 base + our editorial classification). Where a fact (like origin) isn't recorded, we leave it out rather than guess. Methodology.