H R K C o n l i n e :: ABOUT MODERN KENDO

T H E H A R V A R D - R A D C L I F F E K E N D O C L U B
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KENDO :: ABOUT MODERN KENDO

More popular than any other sport, kendo is to Japan what football is to the United States and is often incorporated into the physical education curricula of elementary, junior and senior high schools.

The equipment used in modern kendo are the shinai, a mock bamboo sword, and bogu, or protective armor. The bogu protects the head (men), the torso (do), the hands and wrists (kote), and the groin area (tare). With the exception of the tare, indicate the areas where legal strikes may be made. There are four basic strikes in kendo -- strikes to the men, strikes to the kote, strikes to the do and thrusts to the throat (tsuki). In order to be considered successful, an attack must be powerful, graceful, and spirited.

A bout in kendo is called a shiai. It is a three-point match with a five minute time limit. The kendoka that is first to score two points on the opponent wins.