Tampa Kendo Club

What is Kendo ?

Kendo means "way of the sword" and is the traditional martial art of Japanese fencing. Kendo players fence with flexible bamboo practise swords(shinai) using both the edge and point of the sword to hit targetson their opponent's armour.
The four main targets are the top of the head, the throat, the abdomen and the wrist.Kendo means "way of the sword" and is the traditional martial art of Japanese fencing. Kendo players fence with flexible bamboo practise swords (shinai) using both the edge and point of the sword to hit targets on their opponent's armour. The four main targets are the top of
the head, the throat, the abdomen and the wrist.

Kendo also is the sword art of the samurai or bushi. Kendo has been a part of Japanese culture for a large part of its history and continues today as a sport in Japan and throughout the world. The story of kendo is the story of the Japanese sword, its technical development and its cultural meaning in a sport that continues to use it as a means for character development.

In budo, Japanese martial arts, "do" refers to a path or way to self-improvement through martial
training. Kendo teaches not only physical fencing techniques but also a
philosophy which is inherent to budo. Kendo develops strong spirit, positive attitude and respect for others.