Kendo Buying Guide

Kendo, meaning "The Way of the Sword", first formed as a mixture between the skills of the Samurai knights and the philosophy of Zen Buddhism.  Like most martial arts, Kendo was created to train warriors by replicating one-on-one battle scenarios in a safe and controlled environment. Modern Kendo is practised all over the world and in no way requires you to become a Samurai upon mastering the art form (although it is encouraged). However, it is as much a mental discipline as a physical one. This, however, requires no real capital investment.

Equipment

Safety is an important issue for practitioners of Kendo. Due to the importance of preventing death and decapitation, Kendo use shinai  as safe replacements for the katana sword , a fairly sharp and penetrating weapon. Shinai are made of four bamboo slates held together by leather bands. Standard shinai are size 39 and round-handled. 

As with western Fencing, strikes and thrusts only count if they hit the correct areas of the opponent's body, namely the head, body, wrists and throat. A shinai to the face can still be quite painful, so the next item of interest is the bogu , which is the term used for the head and upper-body armour worn by Kendo practitioners (called Kenshi). The bogu consists of a helmet  (men), with a metal mesh screen for the face and a leather strap to protect the throat. In addition, the arms, wrists and hands are protected by what is known as kote . Lastly, the breastplate  (do) will protect all those useful organs and bones in the torso area. 

What to Know

Initial Kendo training centres on forms and footwork, as these constitute the foundation of all subsequent Kendo practices. Because of this, you will NOT need the bogu attire in the early stages of training, as it will conceal your body from your instructor and inhibit his ability to correct you. You will however need the shinai, as it is the centre of all Kendo practice (an inexpensive practice sword known as a bokken  is a useful substitute). Only after you have progressed sufficiently will you be asked to purchase a bogu, and even then, you will not begin sparring for quite some time. So despite the fact that a full bogu set is fairly expensive, you will have plenty of time to learn and absorb the art of Kendo before making the investment and commitment of buying the armour. The same holds for the pleated shirt and skirt (Keikogi  and Hakama )--these are not necessary in the beginning. Simply wear comfortable clothing that you would normally exercise in. 

For additional reading, there are many books  on Kendo (try Complete Kendo  by John J. Donohue ).

Related Guides/Products

• Kendo Movies 
• Fencing Buying Guide