Fencing vs Kendo
Fencing and Kendo side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Fencing | Kendo | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | — | Japan |
| Type | combat sport and Olympic sport | gendai budō, budō and martial arts |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 108 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 3202 | 1 |
| Top countries of practitioners | France, Italy and United States | Japan |
| Equipment and weapons | foil, épée and saber | shinai, bōgu, hakama and keikogi |
| Belt ranks | — | Yes |
| Energy use (MET) | 6.0 MET (Fencing, general) | — |
Fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre (also spelled saber), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one of these disciplines. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century, evolving from historical European swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with the opponent with one's sword.
From the Wikipedia article Fencing (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): Q12100, 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.