What comes to mind when you think about synthetic Kendo gi and hakama? They are fairly light, but the colours are dull, and they don’t look dignified. Even though they’re light, you still sweat a lot and the fabric sticks to your skin. They are supposed to be easy to Read More
After I started working at Tozando, there were many times I was found myself thinking I would like to learn more about Kendo. Not only learning for the sake of the work, but also be able to observe; what does Kendo have that attracts people? What kind of people do Read More
Women’s Tournament 20 teams were split into 4 blocks and played group matches, and the top team from each block advanced to the semi-finals. Out of 4 teams in the semi-final, 4 teams were Panasonic ES teams. The only other team was NTT Japan West B, who won the championship Read More
The final of the men’s competition saw defending champion Panasonic EcoSolutions (ES) Head Office A going for back-to-back titles against NTT Japan West A, hunting for their first championship win. Panasonic ES claimed the taisho match and took the game into the daihyo decider. Panasonic ES won the daihyo match Read More
Noting the points raised in the last blog post, in this second edition I will go over how to improve through kakari keiko and write it down with a real match in mind and how each move occurs in order. I encourage you to read it while picturing your own Read More
One type of training that all kenshi go through is kakari training. This is a toughest training, and many players feel like “I don’t want to do this”. But there is a reason why everyone goes through such tiring practice sessions. If you engage with kakari practice diligently, you will Read More
The tare prevents the shinai from striking the hips or in vital parts. Often when you try and strike the do you can miss and strike the hips. The tare absorbs the impact, and allows for safer practice. The tare consists of 3 big flaps called odare and 2 smaller Read More
The kote protects the hands and arms. It has a meticulous design in order to protect the hands against striking impact while allowing them to hold the shinai flexibly. The basic structure of the kote consists of the kote-gashira (fist cover), tenouchi (palm cover), , and the kote-tsutsu (wrist cover). Read More
Kendo of course requires physical strength but also mental strength. There are many ways to train up your mentality, but the most basic level is mannerisms. This relates to other martial arts too, but it all “begins and ends with manners”. If you are aiming to be a strong kenshi, Read More
In kendo, the do is used to protect the body. The do covers the body from the stomach up to the chest, and is rich in design. There are all kinds of embroidery and colors, which makes the do the easiest part of kendo equipment to express individuality. The do Read More
