Bōjutsu vs Kendo
Bōjutsu and Kendo side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Bōjutsu | Kendo | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Ryukyu Kingdom | Japan |
| Type | budō and jutsu | gendai budō, budō and martial arts |
| Notable practitioners here | 1 | 1 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan | Japan |
| Equipment and weapons | — | shinai, bōgu, hakama and keikogi |
| Belt ranks | — | Yes |
Bōjutsu
Bōjutsu (Japanese: 棒術, lit. 'staff technique') is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the staff. Others involve using the staff as a vaulting pole or as a prop for hand-to-hand strikes.
From the Wikipedia article Bōjutsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kendo
Kendo (Japanese: 剣道, Hepburn: Kendō; lit. 'sword way' or 'sword path' or 'way of the sword') is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship exercises, and today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread to many other nations across the world.
From the Wikipedia article Kendo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q961126, Q170931. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.