Traditional Kendo Equipment

Kendo is a traditional Japanese martial art that developed out of the need for samurai to practice swordsmanship without maiming or killing one another. Kendo practitioners use wooden or bamboo swords and wear body armor for protection. The wooden swords, in particular, can still cause serious injuries. Most Kendo equipment is traditional, but watch out for a few modern twists that have crept in here and there.

  1. Bamboo Sword

    • The shinai is a bamboo sword used for Kendo sparring. Beginners may use the shinai even without wearing armor. The sword consists of four bamboo slats that are tied together and also held together by end caps. The shinai includes a hilt and a hand guard.

    Wooden Sword

    • The bokken is a heavier and longer wooden sword used in Kendo practice, while wearing armor. The standard long bokken resembles a sword, with hilt, hand protector and blade sections. You may also use a short bokken, or long bokken varieties that lack hand guards.

    Training Suits

    • The top portion, or jacket, of the Kendo suit is known as the keikogi, while the bottom half, called the hakama, resembles a pleated skirt. The suit is designed to absorb sweat and is worn beneath the armor. The top portion contains short sleeves and ties in front. The bottom fastens at the waist and should extend to your ankles. The suits are made from cotton or dacron and come in several shades, but the traditional color is navy blue. The traditional hakama should have seven pleats, which represent Kendo’s seven virtues: courage, humanity, justice, etiquette, sincerity, loyalty and honor.

    Armor

    • The full set of Kendo armor is called bogu in Japanese. Traditional bogu should be fairly plain, with no extravagant designs on the surface. The armor includes a steel or titanium mask, or men in Japanese, that’s attached to a mostly leather head and shoulder covering. The hand guards, or kote, are long, padded gloves covered in leather that extend partially up your forearms. Obtain black cured leather gloves to mimic traditional samurai armor. The chest protector, or do, is a two-piece device. The top includes padding covered in leather. The bottom section may be plastic, fiberglass or, more traditionally, leather stretched over a bamboo base. The traditional color for the do is black. The hip and waist protector, or tare, features three rectangular pads attached to a horizontal sash. The pads are made from cotton or felt and contain animal hair stuffing, such as sheep’s wool or goat hair.