Kendo vs Naginatajutsu
Kendo and Naginatajutsu side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Kendo | Naginatajutsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Japan |
| Type | gendai budō, budō and martial arts | jutsu and martial arts |
| Notable practitioners here | 1 | 1 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan | France |
| Equipment and weapons | shinai, bōgu, hakama and keikogi | naginata |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
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).
Naginatajutsu
Naginatajutsu (長刀術 or 薙刀術) is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata (長刀). The naginata is a weapon resembling the European glaive and the Chinese guan dao. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budō, in which competitions also are held.
From the Wikipedia article Naginatajutsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q170931, Q1757215. 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.