At least twice a week. The fee is 4,000 ₽ a month.
What to bring
For your first session
Sportswear
Comfortable clothes: a T-shirt and trousers that don't restrict movement.
No equipment needed
The club provides a shinai and beginner equipment.
Water and the right attitude
A bottle of water and a willingness to try something new.
We train barefoot — a dojo tradition; bring indoor slippers to walk to the hall.
Kendo basics
What's useful to know from your first sessions
The essentials in brief: etiquette, equipment, strikes, rules and kata. It's enough to answer the basic-level questions in the kendo quiz (in Russian).
Each session begins and ends with lining up and bowing. The commands, in order:
Seiretsu — line up by seniority.
Chakuza — sit in seiza, kneeling on your heels.
Mokuso — close your eyes and settle your breathing; it ends with the command “Mokuso yame”.
Shomen ni rei — bow towards the shomen, the place of honour in the hall; sensei ni rei — bow to the teachers; otagai ni rei — bow to one another.
Kiritsu — stand up.
Ritsu-rei — a standing bow, za-rei — a bow from seiza. Sonkyo — a crouch on the balls of the feet with a straight back, taken before and after a match. Respect for your partner and the dojo (reiho) is the foundation of kendo: in the ideal of koken-chiai, partners grow by polishing each other's skill.
Bogu, or kendogu, is the four-part armour: men, kote, do and tare. Tenugui and nafuda are not part of this list.
Tenugui — a cotton cloth worn under the men to absorb sweat.
Nafuda, or zekken, is the cover on the central panel of the tare showing your surname and club.
Keikogi and hakama — the jacket and the wide pleated trousers.
Shinai — a bamboo sword made of four slats. Its parts: tsuka (handle), tsuba (guard), sakigawa (leather tip), nakayui (leather tie), tsuru (the cord marking the back of the blade).
Bokuto — a wooden sword for kata and Bokuto kihon.
Strikes score on four targets: men — the head, kote — the wrist, do — the side of the torso, tsuki — a thrust to the throat. Against an opponent in chudan-no-kamae, you strike the right kote.
A point is yuko-datotsu: an accurate strike to a target with full spirit and correct posture, delivered with the top third of the shinai (datotsu-bu) on its cutting edge, with correct hasuji and followed by readiness — zanshin. Strikes are accompanied by a shout — kiai.
The unity of spirit, sword and body is ki-ken-tai-itchi; the unity of mind, spirit and strength is shin-ki-ryoku-itchi.
Maai — distance. The basic one is issoku itto-no maai: one step and you can strike.
Chudan-no-kamae — the basic middle stance: the tip of the shinai points at the opponent's throat.
Motodachi — the partner who receives strikes and creates openings; the attacker is the kakarite.
Suburi — repeated swings; kirikaeshi — a shomen strike followed by a series of yokomen with a partner.
Jigeiko — free practice without scoring; shiai — a competitive match.
The court (shiai-jo) is a square or rectangle with sides of 9 to 11 m.
A match usually lasts 5 minutes; extra time (encho) is 3 minutes.
Sanbon-shobu: the first to score two points wins, or whoever leads 1–0 when time runs out.
A foul is a hansoku, for example jogai (stepping out of the court) or dropping the shinai. Two hansoku give the opponent one point.
There are three referees: the chief referee (shushin) and two fukushin with equal votes. “Yame” means stop, with both flags raised straight up.
A five-person team fights in the order senpo, jiho, chuken (third), fukusho and taisho.
Nihon kendo kata — 10 forms with the bokuto: 7 tachi forms and 3 kodachi forms. The uchidachi attacks, the shidachi wins. The tachi forms are Ipponme, Nihonme, Sanbonme, Yonhonme, Gohonme, Ropponme and Nanahonme. The kodachi forms are the 8th, 9th and 10th: Kodachi Ipponme, Nihonme and Sanbonme. In Nihonme the uchidachi strikes the shidachi's right kote.
Bokuto ni yoru kendo kihon-waza keiko-ho (Bokuto kihon) — 9 basic forms with the bokuto, from Kihon 1 (ippon-uchi) to Kihon 9 (uchiotoshi-waza). All are done from chudan-no-kamae and are part of kyu exams.
Student grades are kyu; master grades are dan.
To take 1st dan you need 1st kyu and must be at least 13.
2nd dan — usually no sooner than one year after 1st dan.
An exam includes kihon, jigeiko and kata; higher grades add a written part.
The essence of kendo, as defined by the All Japan Kendo Federation: to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana.
The Dai-Nippon Butokukai was founded in 1895 in Kyoto, where its hall, the Butokuden, stands.
After 1945, during the occupation, kendo was banned in Japan.
The All Japan Kendo Federation was founded in 1952.
Equipment
Kendo armour
Kendo armour is called bogu and consists of the men, do, kote and tare. Once kenshi have been briefed and have mastered the basic swings, they continue training in armour.
Bogu is the training armour traditionally used in kendo. Variations of it are also used in jukendo, tankendo and naginata.
Bogu is an integral part of training, so treat armour with respect — your own and the club's alike.
Club armour is usually used by beginners and carries no markings. Personal sets must have an extra element — the nafuda. The tenugui worn under the men is also personal equipment.
Storing your armour properly is essential. You can pack it in a bag or choose whichever of the many ways of assembling bogu suits you best.
Men
A helmet, or rather a mask. It protects the front of the head and is tied on with cords (himo).
Do
A breastplate that protects the torso, tied to the body with himo.
Kote
Gauntlets that protect the forearms. A kote is a padded glove shaped rather like a mitten.
Tare
A belt of protective flaps covering the groin and thighs, tied to the body with himo.
Nafuda
A cloth cover for the central flap of the tare, showing the club or city and the owner's surname. It is also called zekken — the two words mean the same.
Tenugui
A rectangular piece of cotton cloth that absorbs sweat and covers the hair during training. It is worn under the men.
Equipment
Caring for your armour
Here are some general tips that will extend the life of your set:
Store it in a well-ventilated place.
If you regularly keep your bogu in a bag, use a moisture absorber.
Keep all parts of the set together.
If a himo has worn thin or snapped, replace it.
At the start of a session, especially with club armour, make sure the kote are laced to fit your hand.
The leather palm of the kote must have no holes.
In addition, everyone should regularly wipe the whole set with a clean damp cloth and, less often, wash it in soapy water.
Uniform
How to fold the keikogi
Step 1
Line up the seams of the keikogi.
Step 2
Fold one sleeve inwards to the centre, then fold the cuff back so it covers half the sleeve's length.
Step 3
Fold the other sleeve inwards to the centre.
Step 4
Starting from the hem, fold the keikogi using about a third of its length for each fold.
This is a rough guide to folding the keikogi. You can vary it, as there are no specific requirements for how the folded jacket should look.
Uniform
How to fold the hakama
Step 1
Hold the hakama with the back towards you (koshi-ita under your chin), shift the inner seam to the right and lay it face down on a flat surface.
Step 2
Line up the two back pleats along their whole length. Holding the top and bottom, carefully turn the hakama face up without disturbing the back pleats.
Step 3
Straighten and line up the five front pleats and smooth the fabric with your palm.
Step 4
Fold both side edges towards the centre so the width is even along the whole length.
Step 5
Fold the hakama in three, starting from the bottom (a long hakama in four).
Step 6
Turn the hakama back side up. Fold each long front himo in half, then in half again, and lay them crosswise.
Step 7
Pass the short back himo over and under the crossed front himo, then pull them through the loops and tighten neatly.
This is one common method. The main thing is to keep the hakama pleats straight; the way the himo are tied may vary a little from dojo to dojo.
Terms
Glossary
Below is a short glossary to help you understand the key commands. The language of kendo is universal: you can use it at training in any country and at any event.
Once you know the basic terms, you'll find it easy to follow what's happening in practice and keep your training at a high level.
This glossary is not exhaustive, though.
Scroll the table sideways →
Term
Romaji
Meaning
Movement
Ashi-sabaki
Ashi sobaki
The general term for footwork.
Ayumi-ashi
Ayumi ashi
Footwork like ordinary walking.
Okuri-ashi
Okuri ashi
The basic footwork: the foot on the side of travel slides first (the right foot when moving forward), the other follows at once, and the feet never cross. The left foot provides the push forward.
Seme
Seme
Pressure on the opponent (through spirit, the kensen, moving forward and controlling the centre) to break their readiness and create an opening to strike.
Fumikomi-ashi (Fumikomi)
Fumi komi ashi
A step with the strike: a push from the left foot and a forceful stamp of the right foot as you strike.
Hiki-waza
Hiki waza
Techniques in which you strike while moving vigorously backwards, usually from tsubazeriai.
Hiraki-ashi
Hiraki ashi
Footwork that moves diagonally to the side while turning to face the opponent.
Equipment
Bokken (bokuto)
Bokken (bokuto)
A wooden sword, usually used for performing kata.
Kodachi
Kodachi
A short sword, usually wooden and used for kata.
Stances
Waki-no-kamae (Waki)
Waki no kamae
A kendo stance with the sword held to the side or behind, depending on the form.
Gedan-no-kamae (Gedan)
Gedan no kamae
A kendo stance with the sword held low. It is considered the “lower” stance.
Jodan-no-kamae (Jodan)
Jodan no kamae
A kendo stance with the sword raised above the head in an aggressive attacking position. It is considered the “upper” stance.
Sonkyo
Sonkyo
A deep crouch on the balls of the feet with knees apart and a straight back. Usually part of the ritual at the start and end of training, and in a match.
Seiza
Seiza
Sitting on your knees (on your heels). Usually used at the start and end of training.
Hasso-no-kamae (Hasso)
Hasso no kamae
A stance with the sword held almost vertically. Usually used in koryu and kendo kata.
Chudan-no-kamae (Chudan)
Chudan no kamae
The basic kendo stance, with the sword in the “middle” position. It is considered the most versatile.
Drills
Bokuto kihon
Bokuto-kihon
Bokuto ni yoru kendo kihon-waza keiko-ho (Bokuto kihon) — 9 basic techniques with the bokuto developed by the AJKF for beginners; part of kyu exams.
Jigeiko
Jigeiko
Free practice with a partner.
Kata (Kendo kata)
Kata (Kendo-kata)
Nihon kendo kata — 10 forms (7 with the long sword, tachi, and 3 with the short sword, kodachi), performed with the bokuto; part of dan exams.
Kirikaeshi
Kirikaeshi
A combined drill: shomen and a series of yokomen. Done in pairs.
Shiai
Shiai
A competitive match. Usually sanbon-shobu (best of three points): the first to score two points wins.
Suburi
Suburi
A drill of repeating the basic swings many times. There are several kinds, for example shomen-suburi.
Counting
Ichi
Ichi
One (1)
Ni
Ni
Two (2)
San
San
Three (3)
Shi (Yon)
Shi (Yon)
Four (4)
Go
Go
Five (5)
Roku
Roku
Six (6)
Shichi (Nana)
Shichi (Nana)
Seven (7)
Hachi
Hachi
Eight (8)
Kyu
Kyuu
Nine (9)
Ju
Juu
Ten (10)
Commands
Dojo ni rei
Dojo ni rei
A command to bow to the dojo where you practise kendo.
Kiritsu
Kiritsu
The command “stand up”. Given by a senior student or the sensei, usually at the end of lining up after the bows.
Mokuso
Mokuso
Literally “silent contemplation”. The command to close your eyes and briefly meditate in seiza, settling your breathing and preparing for training (or calming down after it). It ends with “Yame” (“Mokuso yame”).
Otagai ni rei
Otagai ni rei
A command to bow to the people you practise kendo with.
Ritsu-rei
Ritsu rei
A standing bow.
Seiretsu
Seiretsu
The command to line up (usually by seniority).
Hajime
Hajime
A command from a senior student or the sensei to begin a drill or the session.
Chakuza
Chakuza
The command to sit in seiza; you usually hear it after “Seiretsu”.
Shomen ni rei
Shomen ni rei
A command to bow towards the shrine (or flag) of the dojo.
Yame
Yame
A command from a senior student or the sensei to end a drill or the session.
