Kendo

Two combatants engaged in a kendo (剣道) match

The art of Japanese swordsmanship (剣道; kendō) is one of the oldest and most well-respected martial arts in Japan; it is one of the two most popular martial arts in Japan alongside Judo. If you're ready for a serious challenge and hardcore workout, stop by your local club and give it a try!

Showing up to a dojo unexpectedly is considered rude, so please be sure to make contact with the dojo beforehand. When attending a new kendo practice, it is generally expected that you be accompanied by an existing member. The kendo community is quite tight-knit, so finding a teacher or someone in the community that can hook you up is a quick and easy way to get started.

Practices

Odate/Kitaakita

Adults' practices

• Suiyōkai (水曜会) (Odate)

Where: Odate Higashi JHS Kendojo

When: Wednesday evenings

• Mokuyōkai (木曜会) (Kitaakita)

Where: Kitaakita Budokan (Aikawa JHS Kendojo)

When: Thursday evenings (19:30~20:30)

• Kitaakita Kendo School (剣道教室)

Where: Kitaakita Budokan (Aikawa JHS Kendojo)

When: Tuesday evenings (19:00~20:00)

Children's practices

• Keijō Ken'yūkai (桂城剣友会) (Odate)

Where: Odate Daiichi JHS Kendojo

When: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday evenings

• Odate Kenshūkai (大館剣修会)

Where: Odate Higashi JHS Kendojo / Nagaki Community Center

When: Sunday mornings / Thursday evenings

• Rokusenkan (鹿泉館) (Kitaakita)

Where: Takanosu JHS Kendojo / Kitaakita Budokan (Aikawa JHS Kendojo)

When: Monday and Wednesday evenings (19:00~20:20) / Saturdays (varies)

• Hōōkan (鳳凰館) (Odate)

Where: Odate Higashi JHS Kendojo

When: Wednesday evenings

Also Takanosu Junior High School and Aikawa Junior High School, both in Kitaakita, have kendo clubs.

Nikaho

• Hirasawa Elementary School kendo club (including Innai Elementary)

Where: Nikaho Budokan

When: most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays

• Nikaho Junior High School Kendo club

Where: Nikaho Junior High dojo

When: every day after school

• Konoura Junior High School Kendo club
• Kisakata Junior High School Kendo club

Equipment

Kendo is practiced wearing sets of protective armor (防具; bōgu) and using practice swords made from bamboo (竹刀; shinai) or wood (木刀; bokutō). A kendo uniform consists of a dōgi (道着; also called a keikogi/稽古着 or kendōi/剣道衣) worn on the upper body, a hakama (袴) worn on the lower body, and a tenugui (手ぬぐい; cotton towel) wrapped around the head to cushion the helmet and absorb sweat.

If you decide to get into kendo, you will likely have to purchase your own shinai and clothing. On the other hand armor sets are quite expensive, so new kendo practitioners usually end up borrowing their first set(s).

Clothing

• 
  Dōgi (道着; left) and hakama (袴; right)
• 
  Tenugui (手ぬぐい; cotton towel)

Armor

• 
  Men (面; helmet)
• 
  Kote (小手; gauntlets)
• 
  Dō (胴; breastplate)
• 
  Tare (垂れ; faulds)

Swords

• 
  Shinai (竹刀; bamboo sword)
• 
  Bokutō (木刀; wooden sword)

See also

• All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) (English)
• International Kendo Federation (FIK) (English)
• Akita Kendo Federation (Japanese)