Kendo in Japan





Kendo is the art and sport of Japanese stick fencing. Swordsmanship was vital to samurais (warriors) in ancient Japan. It evolved into the budo as we know it today by the beginning of the 20th century. Kendo emphasizes both the moral and spiritual training, and was popularized as a major sport after World War II. The All Japan Kendo Federation was established in 1952. In kendo matches, athletes wear protective equipment covering them from head to hips. Competitors jab the opponent's throat or strike the head, trunk, wrist with their sword (shinai). Points are scored for each strike/jab, and the first to score two out of three points wins the match. The International Kendo Federation was established in 1970. There are seven million people today who participate in kendo world wide.

Kyudo