Kendo is the art of Japanese swordsmanship with “Ken” meaning sword and “Do” the way or path. Kendo literally means the “way of the sword”. Kendo is the art of Japanese Samurai Swordsmanship. Modern Kendo only has a faint resemblance to Kenjutsu and to its origins of samurai warriors. Kendo cannot be traced to a single founder or given an exact founding date. The story of the rise of modern Kendo starts with the samurai and extends over the culture of several centuries. It has roots in the traditions of Budo, the martial way. Near the end of the 12th century, clans of warriors grouped together for protection forming local aristocracies. Feudalism had come and was to dominate Japan for several centuries. With the Shogun and military rule controlling Japan, a new military class was born and their lifestyle called Bushido, “the way of the warrior,” gained prominence. Bushido stressed bravery, loyalty, honor, self discipline and acceptance of death. The influence of Bushido extended to modern Japanese society and Kendo was also to be greatly influenced by this thinking. Although Kenjutsu, “the art of swordsmanship,” had been recorded since the 9th century, it gained new power and took on religious and cultural aspects. Zen Buddhism developed and the samurai often took time to practice the fine arts of calligraphy or poetry. The next great advance in the martial arts occurred during the late Muromachi period (1336-1568) often call the “age of warring provinces” because of the many internal as well as external conflicts. This period brought with it a high demand for men trained in the martial arts. Consequently, many schools of swordsmanship came into being, eventually numbering about 200. Each was taught by a famous swordsman. Real blades or hardwood swords without protective equipment were used in training resulted in many injuries. These schools continued to flourish through the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), and are what most influences Kendo. Kendo finally took appearance during the late 18th century with the introduction of protective equipment: the men, kote and do and the use of the bamboo sword, the shinai. The protective armor (or bogu) and the shinai allowed practitioners to deliver the full severity of strike with little chance of injury. This formed new regulations and formats of practice which now make up modern Kendo. When the Meiji restoration occurred in 1868 and Japan entered into the modern world, the Samurai class was abolished and the wearing of swords in public was outlawed. This decline of Kendo was only temporary, however because interest in Kendo returned in 1887 when uprisings against the government showed the extreme need for well-trained police officers. In 1895, the Butokukai, a martial arts organization, was established. In 1911, Kendo was introduced into the physical education curriculum of middle schools. In 1939 as Japan prepared for war, Kendo became a required course for all boys. After Would War II, because of its militaristic associations, Kendo was outlawed and the Butokukai was disbanded. In 1952, supporters of Kendo successfully reintroduced a form of Kendo called Shinai Kyogi into the public schools. Despite a sport like atmosphere, Kendo remains heavily traditional which must never be forgotten for here lies the strength of Kendo, which has carried it throughout history. Kendo equipment consists of the swords, uniform and armor. There are two types of wooden swords used. First, the bokken or bokuto, a solid wood sword made of oak or another hardwood. The bokken is used for suburi or kata. Second, the shinai, is made up of four bamboo staves held together by leather. The shinai is used for full contact practice. The uniform or dogi consists of woven cotton top called a keikogi and pleated skirt-like trousers called a hakama. The armor or bogu consists of four pieces: the helmet (men), the body protector (do), the gloves (kote), and the hip protector (tare). Modern Kendo armor design is fashioned after the Oyoroi of the Samurai. Kendo practice is composed of many types of training. Each type has a different purpose for developing the student. Kendo, like other martial arts requires discipline and a dedication to training. In a Kendo match, fighters attempt to attack designated targets on an opponent’s body: the head (men), the wrist (kote), the torso (do), and the throat (tsuki). Whether an attack scores or not is determined by three judges outside the ring of the match. To win a match you need to score two points. If time expires the fighter with the highest score wins the match. If time expires and the scores are tied, then it falls to a judge’s decision. A new student begins with learning the basics such as: etiquette (reigi), different postures and footwork, and how to properly swing a sword. The student progresses through a series of skills preparing them to begin training with armor (bogu). Once a student begins to practice in armor, a practice may be composed of any or all of the following types of practice and this will depend upon what the instructor's focus is at a particular time:

1. Kiri-Kaeshi: successively striking the left and right men, practice centering, distance, and proper cutting while building spirit and stamina.
2. Waza-Geiko: technique practice in which the student learns to use the many techniques of Kendo with a receiving partner.
3. Kakari-Geiko: short, intense, attack practice which teaches continuous alertness, the ability to attack no matter what has come before, as well as building spirit and stamina.
4. Ji-Geiko: sparring practice where the kendoist has a chance to try all that he or she has learned with a resisting partner.
5. Gokaku-Geiko: sparring practice between two kendoists of similar skill level.
6. Hikitate-Geiko: sparring practice where a senior kendoist guides a junior kendoist through practice.
7. Shiai-Geiko: competition matches which are judged on the basis of a person scoring valid cuts against an opponent.

Kata are pre-set sequences of motions which illustrate one or more aspects of the art. Like all martial arts, Kendo has its own forms of kata. Kendo kata are practiced with a solid wooden sword called a bokken or bokuto. There are ten kendo kata specified by the All Japan Kendo Federation. Kendo kata are practiced between two people, the Uchitachi and the Shidachi. In kendo kata, the Uchitachi attacks the Shidachi demonstrates a proper response to the attack. Seven of these kata are illustrations of the technique of the long sword against the long sword. The last three kata illustrate the short sword defending against attacks by the long sword. Before the invention of the shinai and bogu kata was basically the only safe way to practice swordsmanship. Generally, the role of Uchitachi is taken by the teacher and the role of Shidachi by the student. This tradition carries over into modern Kendo kata in that the Uchitachi always sets the pace and distance at which the actions are performed. Each dojo has its own view and philosophy on what kendo should be, but the student must find what this is for themselves.