Boxing vs Kenjutsu
Boxing and Kenjutsu side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Boxing | Kenjutsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | England | Japan |
| Type | combat sport and Olympic sport | bujutsu |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 60 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 7968 | 2 |
| Top countries of practitioners | United States, United Kingdom and Mexico | France and Japan |
| Equipment and weapons | boxing glove and boxing ring | — |
| Weight classes | Yes | — |
| Energy use (MET) | 12.3 MET (Boxing, in ring, general) | — |
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two opponents throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time. It is usually done wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards.
From the Wikipedia article Boxing (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kenjutsu
Kenjutsu (剣術) is an umbrella term for all (ko-budō) schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Kenjutsu is a martial art that puts more emphasis on various real-life sword combat scenarios, compared with its modern adaptation, kendo, which has evolved into a modern sport with fewer target areas and attack patterns and more rules. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also include modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum. Kenjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan, means "sword techniques", as opposed to kendo, which means "the way of the sword".
From the Wikipedia article Kenjutsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q32112, Q249608. 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.