Kendo should not be seen as a sport but as a lifetime's study.
Anonymous
What are martial arts?
Most people have seen at least one fantastic martial art movie. A lot of it is trick photography. A Ninja cannot really jump backward and land on the roof of a towering house! Then again, martial arts are about belief - belief in yourself and your ability to overcome any obstacle, no matter how big or small.
Ask any martial arts student why they train, and the answer will be to learn self-defense. But that answer only scratches the surface of the term martial arts.
One of the many functions of martial arts is to train students, both physically and mentally.
Martial arts have ancient traditions steeped in discipline and dedication. Most martial arts have developed from ancient Asia combat skills. In feudal times, people in Asia had to defend themselves against attack. Quite often, peasants were not allowed to carry weapons, so self-defense became their weapon.
Some martial arts are fighting sports, such as karate and Kung Fu. Other martial arts, like Tai chi, concentrate on self-improvement, also self-defense is part of the training.
Understanding Kendo
Kendo is the Japanese art of two-handed fencings. Ken translated means sword and do means way or path. Kendo is based solely on sword fighting - there are no grappling techniques, kicks, or punches.
The art of Kendo originated in Japan where it was first practiced by the samurai. For this reason, Kendo is more popular in Japan than anywhere else in the world.
Being a student of Kendo involves learning more than just sword fighting, however. For the student of Kendo, called kendoka, self-improvement is very important. Kendo promotes the benefits such as inner peace, self-control, precision, and self-discipline.
There are many reasons why people practice Kendo. Some want to master the art, while others practice it for exercise, as a sport, and to learn swordsmanship.
