Important Information for the Beginners’ Kendo Course

The Goal of the Course

The goal of our three-month beginners’ course is simple: to prepare you to wear bogu and begin practising Kendo safely, confidently, and with strong foundations.

During these three months, you will gradually learn the movement, basic techniques, etiquette, breathing, distance, and control required to practise safely with other kenshi.

You do not need any previous martial arts experience. We will build everything step by step.

The end of the beginners’ course is not the end of your training. It is the point at which you should be ready to enter the next stage of Kendo — training in bogu.

A) What is Kendo?

Kendo is the Japanese art of fencing, practised with a bamboo sword called a shinai and protective armour called bogu.

Through Kendo training, you learn to bring together your body, mind, technique, and fighting spirit in order to achieve ippon.

Ippon is not simply a point, a cut, or a strike. It represents a moment in which your movement, technique, timing, posture, and spirit come together as one. In this sense, Kendo is not only about striking your opponent, but about developing a high level of self-control, awareness, and commitment during the encounter.

This unity between spirit, sword, and body is one of the central principles of Kendo.

B) How We Train

Kendo is a martial art in which interaction with other practitioners plays a central role. For this reason, much of the beginners’ course will involve training in pairs.

Your training partner will change regularly, often every few minutes, allowing you to experience practising with different kenshi (Kendo practitioners).

Every person moves, reacts, attacks, and responds slightly differently. Training with different partners helps you develop your timing, distance, awareness, adaptability, and confidence.

Although you are practising with another person, your partner is not simply an opponent. Both practitioners help each other improve.

C) Why We Do Not Start in Bogu Immediately

It is fair to say that a new stage of Kendo begins once you are ready to wear bogu, the protective armour.

From that point, training becomes considerably more interactive, intense, challenging, and rewarding. You can begin practising Kendo more freely with other practitioners and gradually experience the full nature of the art.

However, before reaching this stage, a beginner needs a period of good-quality fundamental training. There are several important reasons for this.

1. Safety

The first and most important reason is the safety of both the practitioner and their training partner.

Before wearing bogu, the body needs time to become accustomed to Kendo posture, footwork, movement, distance, and basic striking techniques.

Incorrect posture, uncontrolled movement, poor distance, or attempting to strike before developing sufficient control can lead to unnecessary injuries.

These risks can be greatly reduced through proper preparation and the gradual development of correct technique.

The objective is therefore not to rush into armour, but to build strong fundamentals that will allow you to practise Kendo safely and confidently.

2. Physical and Mental Preparation

Bogu introduces an additional physical and mental challenge.

The armour adds weight to the body, while the men (helmet) reduces peripheral vision and can initially make movement and breathing feel more demanding.

At the same time, two very important elements of Kendo are relaxation and correct breathing.

For this reason, the body and mind should already be comfortable with the basic movements of Kendo before armour is introduced.

Good preparation allows the practitioner to wear bogu without losing posture, relaxation, breathing, or control of their technique.

3. Rei — Respect and Etiquette

Kendo begins and ends with rei — respect, expressed through the bow and through our behaviour toward others.

Before engaging another person in practice, beginners need to learn the basic etiquette of the dojo and the appropriate way to interact with their teacher and training partners.

The Way of the Sword is not simply about learning how to strike. It also involves learning to behave with respect, discipline, self-control, and integrity.

Learning the basic rules and etiquette of Kendo, and gradually developing the correct mentality toward training and other practitioners, requires time and experience.

Your Three-Month Journey

Months 1–2 — Building the Foundations

During the first two months, we will concentrate primarily on:

• Basic Kendo posture
• Footwork and body movement
• Correct use of the shinai
• Basic strikes and attacking movements
• Distance and timing
• Breathing and relaxation
• Kendo etiquette
• Training safely and respectfully with a partner

The objective during this period is to build strong fundamentals rather than to rush through techniques.

Month 3 — Moving Toward Bogu

During the third month, training will gradually become more interactive.

Beginners will:

• Continue developing their basic strikes and movement
• Be introduced to Kendo Kata
• Practise their attacks against experienced practitioners wearing bogu
• Develop a better understanding of distance and timing against another person
• Prepare physically and technically for wearing bogu themselves

This allows beginners to experience how their techniques work against an armoured practitioner while still training in a controlled and safe environment.

Completing the Beginners’ Course

At the end of the three months, we plan to hold a grading session, allowing participants to demonstrate the progress they have made during the course.

We also plan to organise a small, non-mandatory technical competition, giving beginners an opportunity to experience Kendo in a friendly and supportive environment.

What Comes Next?

Completing the beginners’ course marks an important transition rather than an ending.

After approximately three months of consistent training, practitioners who have developed the necessary fundamentals will be ready to begin wearing bogu and enter the next stage of their Kendo journey.

From this point, training becomes increasingly interactive as you begin applying what you have learned with other armoured practitioners.

The purpose of these first three months is therefore not simply to teach a collection of techniques. It is to give every new kenshi the technical foundation, physical preparation, understanding of etiquette, confidence, and control necessary to take that next step and continue developing in Kendo for many years.