to hold in esteem

human courtesy and honour

As with any martial art,  training is based on a rich history of noble cultural ideology.  This can be somewhat 'mysterious' to those who do not practice Kendo, as practitioners use mostly Japanese terminology to describe their art.  They continue to use Japanese terms often because the words and their intent do not always readily translate into English.

Kendo is a sport (and art form) that relies on adherence to  its credo:

To mould the mind and body.

To cultivate a vigorous spirit

and through correct and rigid training

To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo.

To hold in esteem human courtesy and honour

To associate with others with sincerity

ad to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.

Thus will one be able:

To love one's country and society;

To contribute to the development of culture

and to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.

Students practice specific drills to increase different skills.  They also adhere to a strict regimen of training in order to demonstrate their commitment to the credo.  

Here students describe one of the drills of Kendo training. Read their descriptions and refer to the glossary for more information.  

What is a men cut?

Matias: A men cut is basically hitting your opponent’s head using the sword at a 45 degree angle.

Lily: Two opponents stand across from each other, swords drawn.

The opponent opens up when the attacker steps forward. The attacker does a kiai - “Yaaaa!”

Archer: And then the attacker lifts their sword up, takes a step forward and then brings it down on the opponent’s head with the top one-third of the shinai (the cutting part of the sword). Then the attacker runs past the opponent. But you don’t run around them.

Lily: You run through them.

Glossary