Kendo

Modern Japanese martial art

剣道 · 劍道 · 검도

Country of origin

Japan

Type

gendai budō, budō, martial arts, combat sport, type of sport

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.

Styles and branches of Kendo

• Kirikaeshi

Notable Kendo athletes and practitioners

• Kenshiro Abbe Japan

Equipment and weapons

• shinai
• bōgu
• hakama
• keikogi
• tenugui
• bokutō

Rules, ranks and training

• Kendo belt ranks

External links

• Wikipedia
• Wikidata

Facts from Wikidata Q170931 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.