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Yes! Kendo requires no prior martial arts experience. Students may join having never done a martial art before.
It depends on the martial art and the practitioner. Some concepts or techniques may feel familiar, or you may need to adjust your “muscle-memory” from previous martial arts to properly practice Kendo.
You’re never too old to start practicing Kendo. Kendo is an accessible martial art that many can practice throughout the entirety of their lives. Kendo can be a great experience, and we invite you to practice with us regardless of age.
Please note: for our kid’s classes we do have a minimum age requirement of 7 years old.
While there is a lot of Japanese terminology and phrases used in Kendo, you do not need to speak Japanese in order to understand the practice. During your first few weeks you will become familiar with the Japanese terminology, and we will use both Japanese and English during classes so that everyone understands the technique and can acclimate themselves to the language.
This page also has common terminology and definitions used in Kendo that can act as a great resource for you if you need a reference on pronunciation or a reminder of what means what. You can also ask what something means at any time.
For your first class we encourage you to come with comfortable clothes to work out in. We will go over the equipment with you during your first class, as well as where to buy, and those resources are also available on the “current members” section of the site.
If you decide to sign up, you will want to purchase a shinai (bamboo sword used in practice) and bokken (used in kata) for yourself. There are several online retailers we recommend purchasing from, and you can find those retailers on the “current members” section of the site.
Your first few classes will be getting you acclimated with Kendo techniques, etiquette, footwork, and posture. You will not have anyone attacking you, instead you and the sensei or senpai will work with you to help you get comfortable with common strikes and movement.
Etiquette in Kendo — called rei — is a fundamental pillar to the martial art and crucial to your growth and success. While you may be familiar with the concept of bowing to show respect, etiquette for yourself, your fellow kenshi, the instructors, and the dojo is heavily stressed. Thanking the people you practiced with after class, properly bowing during class, and showing discipline with your shinai and uniform reflects on you and the dojo.
You will learn more about the importance of rei during your first classes, and will have plenty of opportunities to ask more specific questions about what certain practices mean or why we do certain things.
You won’t start right away with armor (bogu) on, but with hard practice and regular attendance you can expect to don bogu gradually around six to eight months after starting. This will be at the discretion of the head sensei, as well as the training you put in.
Kendo does not have a “belt” system like you may recognize from other martial arts. The ranking is based on “kyu” and “dan”, with “kyu” ranks going from 6th to 1st, and then dan going from 1st to 8th. The first dan — called shodan — may be closest aligned with a “black belt” rank.
Reaching shodan is a good goal, but do not let your pursuit for a “black belt in Kendo” be your motivation for practice! Promotion is at the discretion of the Sensei, and promotions are done at points during the year by the Midwest Kendo Federation (MWKF). There is no timetable for when a student may be ready for promotion, it is instead dependent on how often they practice and the work they put in.
Typically no, practicing Kendo does not hurt. A practitioner may miss their target or strike too hard, but hard strikes — think hacking at the target rather than cutting — are incorrect, and we strive to improve our strikes so they’re more like cuts. You will learn more about these concepts in practice, and will also have a chance to adjust to the experience of getting hit when you begin wearing bogu.
As for injuries, there is always the possibility of injury but Kendo injuries are actually less common and frequent than other martial arts. This is based on a study published in The Physician and Sportsmedicine Journal, which you can review. We also make sure to take the necessary steps to mitigate any potential for injuries.
Kendo is a martial art that will help you develop both physically and mentally. Classes will help you improve endurance and strength, as well as help you become a more disciplined person. Goseikan students strive not only to develop their physical skillset, but also become better, more mindful and caring members of society. These concepts are reflected in our effort to understand and abide to the practices of rei and Bushido — the way of the warrior.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Keikogi | The uniform top worn in Kendo practice, sometimes called a kendogi. |
| Hakama | The wide, pleated uniform bottoms worn in practice. |
| Tenugui | A headband worn in Kendo either around your forehead or, after you wear armor, over the top of your head under your men. |
| Shinai | The bamboo sword used for practice in Kendo. |
| Bokken | A wooden sword used for kata in Kendo, sometimes called a bokuto. |
| Bogu | Armor worn in Kendo, consisting of four pieces: men, kote, do, and tare. |
| Men | A protective piece of bogu for your head, protecting your head, face, shoulders, and throat. |
| Kote | A protective piece of bogu for your hands and wrists, protecting them. |
| Do | A protective piece of bogu for your body, protecting your ribs and stomach. |
| Tare | A protective piece of bogu for your waist, protecting your hips and lower body. |
| Himo | Strings used to tie and secure certain pieces of armor and equipment. |
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Konbanwa | Good evening, usually said as a greeting to others when first entering the dojo before practice. |
| Konnichiwa | Hello or good afternoon, can be said as a greeting to others when first entering the dojo before practice. |
| Oyasuminasai | Good night, usually said to others when leaving the dojo at the end of the night. |
| Onegaishimasu | Please teach/practice with me, said when practicing with another at various points during keiko. |
| Arigato Gozaimasu/Gozaimashita | Thank you, said at several points after practice. |
| Hajime | Begin, said when beginning an exercise. |
| Yame | Stop, said when an exercise is concluded. |
| Kamae-te | A command to assume chudan-kamae (unless otherwise instructed) and prepare for the exercise. |
| Tai-to | Bring your sword to your hip. |
| Nukei-to | Head into sonkyo and draw your sword, then rise into chudan-kamae. |
| Osame-to | From chudan-kamae head into sonkyo, then return the sword to your hip, finally rising to a neutral position. |
| Sereitsu | Line up, a command so students know to get ready to begin practice. |
| Chakuza | Sit, said after students are lined up. |
| Mokuso | A mediation exercise when lined up. |
| Shomen ni | Face the shomen at the head of the dojo. |
| Sensei ni | Face the sensei(s) at the head of the class. |
| Rei | Bow. |
| Reiho | Etiquette. |
| Men tsuke | Begin putting on your men and kote, or tying your tenugui. |
| Men tore | Begin removing your kote and men, or untying your tenugui. |
| Keiko | Practice. There are many variations of keiko which you will learn (and can read about in another section.) |
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Suburi | This practice exercise is focused on the individual swinging the shinai with the correct technique and intent. |
| Kirikaeshi | This is a foundational pillar of Kendo in which the practitioner focuses on cutting in the center, and then on the left and right sides repeatedly. This is often done with a partner. |
| Men-uchi | Cutting techniques which target the opponent’s men, or head. |
| Kote-uchi | Cutting techniques which target the opponent’s kote, or wrists. |
| Do-uchi | Cutting techniques which focus on the partners do, or torso. |
| Tsuki | A thrust to the opponent’s throat. |
| Waza | The methods which techniques can be executed. |
| Shikake-waza | Techniques in which the practitioner initiates the attack. |
| Oji-waza | Techniques in which the practitioner responds to an attack from the opponent. |
| Fumikomi | Footwork in which the practitioner moves forward while striking, creating a stamping-like effort at the moment their shinai makes the cut. |
| Suri-ashi | Footwork in which the practitioner moves by “shuffling” or “rubbing” their feet against the floor while maintaining good posture and stance. |
| Kihon-geiko | Practice in which the practitioner focuses on developing their technique and Kendo in controlled situations to acquire and better refine basics. |
| Kakari-geiko | Practice in which the practitioner focuses on attacking their partner with full intent and without fear of being hit. |
| Ji-geiko | Free practice in which practitioners work with one another to further develop their skills and help each other learn. |
| Kata | The “forms” of Kendo. There are two sets of Kendo kata: Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon-Waza, and Nihon Kendo Kata. |
| Kamae | Refers to a practitioners Kendo stance, encompassing a good understanding on how to hold the shinai, the correct feet placement and spacing, and good posture. Chudan-Kamae is the type of posture most common for Kendo beginners. |
| Kakarite | The person in practice who initiates or delivers the strike. |
| Motodachi | The person in practice who is receiving the strike from the kakarite, sometimes a senior member or instructor. |
| Shidachi | The person in kata who responds to the attack, opposite of uchidachi, and sometimes takes a learning role in the kata. |
| Uchidachi | The person in kata who is delivering the initial attack, sometimes taking on the teaching role of the kata. |
| Kohai | A beginner or junior student at the dojo. |
| Senpai | A senior student at the dojo. |
| Sensei | The instructor(s) at the dojo. |
| Japanese | Part of the Shinai |
|---|---|
| Kissaki | The tip of the shinai, used for thrusting (tsuki). |
| Sakigawa | The white leather cap that covers the tip of the shinai, fixed with a cord that runs down the shinai. |
| Nakayuri | A narrow leather strap, tied around the cord, roughly 1/5 of the way down the shinai from the tip. This is used to help indicate the valid striking area to be used on the shinai by the kenshi. |
| Monouchi | The valid striking area on the shinai, between the Sakigawa and the Nakayuri. Any cut must be made with this part of the shinai in order to be considered a valid scoring technique. Note that only the bottom of the shinai, where the blade on a katana would be, would count as a point. Points may not be scored using the sides or back of the shinai. |
| Chikama | The area below the Nakayuri on the shinai, going all the way to the tsuba. This is not a valid scoring area on the shinai. |
| Tsuba | The hand guard of the shinai, typically plastic or leather. This is easily removed or placed on the shinai for storage purposes outside of practice. |
| Tsubadome | A fixture that goes under the tsuba when attached to the shinai so that the tsuba does not fall out of place during practice. |
| Tsuka | The grip of the shinai, wrapped in leather typically. Can come in a variety of lengths, shapes, and widths, but beginners will typically use a standard length and width with a round shape. |
| Tsukagashira | The bottom of the shinai, where your left hand will grip the shinai. |
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