Kendo

[ishikawa]

I don't know if it would be considered as a sport.

Has anybody done it though?

[ishikawa]

Ah. Ok. =]

Sorry.
I'm just trying to find out more about Kendo because my aunt wants to sign both of us up for it.

I also want to take Karate, but that can wait.

[Jaydelart]

Yes, like Tenchu said, kendo, these days, is a sport.
It is a combat sport, less practical in the use of actual swords, but still valuable in certain aspects, as a martial art.

Kendo is weapon-based, so it can't really be compared to Karate.
Hand-to-hand combat is very different from weapon-to-weapon combat.

You'll mainly be using shinai, and will likely start wearing padded armor at some point along your training (maybe immediately, depending on the teaching method).



If you've got the right spirit for it... You'll enjoy the experience and knowledge.

Good luck!

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Jaydelart

Yes, like Tenchu said, kendo, these days, is a sport.
It is a combat sport, less practical in the use of actual swords, but still valuable in certain aspects, as a martial art.

Kendo is weapon-based, so it can't really be compared to Karate.
Hand-to-hand combat is very different from weapon-to-weapon combat.

You'll mainly be using shinai, and will likely start wearing padded armor at some point along your training (maybe immediately, depending on the teaching method).



If you've got the right spirit for it... You'll enjoy the experience and knowledge.

Good luck!

Yup, its more of an art than anything else. However, I do need to correct one perspective, most kendo school, still teach empty hand techniques, its limited, and its mostly applicable to "If i am disarmed, how do i charge in to disarm my opponent or take their weapon", so they do train SOME level of empty hand combats, but its very very limited

You should join a Goju or Shoto ryu Karate school, both of them are the main Okinawa style, much closer to Kobudo than any other style Karate, weapons is in their curriculum, definitely Kenjitsu

[ishikawa]

Thanks for your comments.

[kenmei]

hearing the police training in kendo at the emperors garden is pretty amazing

i wish i could have seen it though...

[elite]

I started practicing kendo 3 months ago. I really like it, its different from anything I have tried.
Kendo is more of a sport today. It has changed a lot since it debut. After WWII, things were removed from the sport. You can no longer sweep. Also, before you could remove your opponents mask as victory at the end of a match but thats gone.
If you have any interest in it I say give it a shot, you might be surprised.
As for what you use, drills and sparing are done with shinai. Your katas are done with a bokken. If you want more information I suggest taking a look at a book called Kendo: The definitive guide. It's written by Hiroshi Ozawa and is really a great book.

[Pacal]

I am a 18 years old guy from Hungary. My dream and my aim is to get to Japan, and to learn martial arts from experienced teachers. The next year I want to go to an academy where I can acquire the basics of the Japanese language, but I feel it will be a waste of my time. I wish I could to go to Japan in a year! I want to learn the language, the culture and mostly the martial arts. That's everything to me. I don't care, if it's just 2 or 3 years... I would work hard to make this time enough for advance. Please, if anybody knows a chance for me to go to Japan and reach my goal, please write me an e-mail! It's very important to me! My email adress: awfulstorm@freemail.hu

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by kenmei

hearing the police training in kendo at the emperors garden is pretty amazing

i wish i could have seen it though...

I've watched it from time to time. If you are in Chiba, you can also watch the training at the national police training center there.

[kenmei]

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

I've watched it from time to time. If you are in Chiba, you can also watch the training at the national police training center there.

which city is that at?