Kendo uses mainly two swords; the most common is the shinai (竹刀; lit. bamboo sabre) that is made of four bamboo slats tied together by pieces of leather, the other is the bokuto (木刀; lit. wooden sabre) or bokken (木剣; lit. wooden sword) and is made of solid wood (usually oak).

The shinai is used for actual practise (duels and stuff), it's shape is designed solely for the purpose of safety and thus it doesn't really look like a real sword, but it's the best way to do some impact-practise in kendo without severely injuring someone.

The bokuto is basically a katana made of solid wood, it was created to be a cheaper substitute to the steel sword (back in samurai days you wouldn't want to waste your katana in a training session) and it tries to simulate a steel sword in almost every aspect. In modern kendo, the bokuto is used mainly in kata and other non-impact exercises. The use of the bokuto mantains the kendoka closer to the feeling of the real katana.

Experienced kendokas can also use real katana instead of bokuto, and it's called shinken (真剣) when it's sharp.

It is called a "shinai," I believe it means "bamboo sword."

A little bit. Kendo is believed to have somewhat influenced modern-day fencing. However, most of fencing simply came from sword fighting that evolved into a sport.

Kendo is a sporting event that is common in Japan and other nations throughout the world. In this event two opponents using bamboo swords challenge each other in a variety of martial arts practices. The best Kendo player is Shannon Mikuni, captain of the USA Kendo team.

The knowledge of pressure points in the Martial Art is a serious, and potentially dangerous skill. While the internet is filled with sources of data, void of any personal direction, guidance, or integrity, any responsible expert in this field knows that this kind of information should not be imparted without proper instruction, and safety guidelines. Sometimes, the best information anyone on the internet can offer is not the answer to the question, but where to seek qualified training on a subject that will result in an improved understanding of the art and skill.

Find a certified teacher in your area who has this knowledge, and get personal instructions to avoid potential serious injury through misuses, or misunderstanding.

*a cheap replica is made of ''stainless steel'' and is very brittle

*a good tameshigri practicing katana is made from ''carbon steel'' witch is very strong and flexible but still affordable

*a REAL traditionally made katana is made from ''tameshigri'' a very and i mean VERY rare metal today it is made in a giant forge witch takes 75 long hours to make this steel is still made today BUT there is only 1 place left in japan that makes this rare and amazing steel only the best of the best svordsmiths can get their hands on this metal and is only allowed for Javanese svordsmiths to have.

and if you want such a sword you will have to go to japan your self and pay a fortune for it

ps: it is incredibly rare that someone actually someone got to buy this kind of sword

It is entirely possible to have a co-ed sports club, if you can get enough support for it.

me

Kendo is a Japanese martial art which means "way of the sword." Although several different martial arts utilized swordsmanship, this unique style of fencing made an appearance in the 20th century. It was recognized after the introduction of shina (bamboo swords) and bogu (body armor) created by Japanese master Naganuma Sirozaemon Kunisato. Kendo has adopted a concept of disciplining an individual�s character through the principles of Katana, which is a sword.

The history of Kendo is very much associated with samurai during the Kamakura period (1185-1233). This period also marked the strong influence of Zen Buddhism on the development of Kendo.

Those who practice Kendo are called kendoka or kenshi, which means swordsman. Kendoka practice the martial art with loud shouts, or kiai, which are said to express the spirit of fighting. In Kendo, strikes are only allowed to be made to seven target areas of the human body. All of these body parts are covered by armor, to protect the opponent from severe injuries. These target areas are the top of the head, left and right side of the head, both wrists (while they are held in different positions), the torso, and the throat. Because many attacks against these targets can result in fatality, certain body parts are off-limits to practitioners who are not senior experts.

In competitions, points are only awarded to Kendo practitioners who earn them. Attacks must be performed firmly and adequately and must hit a specified target with precise accuracy. During a tournament, a referee will hold up a flag to announce when points are awarded. The flag's color will correspond to the color ribbon worn by the practitioner awarded the point. The first competitor to achieve a total of two points is considered to be the winner.

Since the founding of the International Kendo Federation (IKF) in 1970, approximately 8 million people worldwide practice Kendo. Its popularity is widespread throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.

got it for this site

http://www.typesofmartialarts.com/kendo

Kendo is generally considered to be safe due to the safety precautions taken.

It's safe if practised with the proper precautions and proper care.

Kendo originated in Japan. The word comes from "ken" meaning "sword" and "do" meaning "way of." The literal translation is "way of the sword."

Japanese Jiujitsu is Aikido's Ancestor. Other styles of Jiujitsu are different, however the Japanese style which is the original style is a root of Aikido. Aikido was created so that you would not destroy your attacker, however jiujitsu is used in combat. The Samurai used techniques that look like Aikido, however it is just a form of Jiujitsu. What Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) did was take techniques that he learned from Daito Ryu Jiujitsu and shortened them creating "Aikido". Aikido often talks about protecting your attacker. Ultimately you have the option to protect or destroy once you know techniques, it is up to the Aikidoka.

Depending on your actual definition of Martial Arts, the first was actually boxing matches and training held in ancient Egypt as depicted on their hieroglyphics. In no way is Kendo any where near being the oldest art.

Kendo is not very popular in the USA and Europe. It can occasionally be seen elsewhere, but is often found in cities with sizable Japanese immigrant populations.

Women naturally relax more than males do while learning a new movement, so they pick up the skill and speed that Kendo demands more rapidly. Kendo gives them an advantage when learning art, especially in the earlier stages. Women tend to be more intelligent combatants. Instead of using strength, size, or even speed to win matches, they prefer to use strategy and elegance.

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Its better to simply buy it; bamboo is not readily available here in the U.S. If you know someone who is a carpenter, or has experience working with wood, you can always make your own wooden sword. You need to be careful with the engineering though; although seemingly a wooden stick, the curvature of a bokken is designed to mimic that of a Katana, so the measurements need to be precise. Its the same for a suburito, if you do not give it the right curvature it just won't handle the same. Also, price does determine quality; generally the more expensive bokken and suburito handle better than the cheaper ones.

Another point of shock, is the price tag; people are often shocked to discover that some bokken may run up to $200. Well, all people except those who work with wood; individuals who do carpentry as a hobby know full well some types of wood aren't cheap. Hickory, because its extremely tough, is very hard to work with, hickory wood is so tough that in olden times they used it to make hammer handles. Hickory is quite possibly, the best kind of wood to use to make a wooden sword if you live in America. Almost guaranteed not to break, no matter how vigorous your sword play may be.

Again though when making a bokken or suburito you need to know what you're doing, and it stands to reason that, assuming you've got the money and the patience, that the best kind can only be bought from Japan. I have handled both American made, and Japanese made bokken, and yes there IS a difference, you can feel it.

http://www.all-karate.com/117/how-to-choose-a-gi

There is a system, but this link will let you convert your size to what size of gi you need.

No, you can retemper a blade to help reset a bend but the hamon is a the unique product of a proper clay forging. You can wirebrush yourself one though, not much point to it. Look into the kaze katana. One of the most practical 'legit' hamon katanas on the market.

EDIT:

Actually, the hamon is a result of the tempering and it is possible to create one on a lower quality sword. However, it will only be good for appearances and nothing more. In a true katana, the hamon is formed when the front edge of the blade is cooled more quickly than the back part of the blade, this causes a slightly different temper in the front making it more brittle and better able to hold an edge while the back is softer and more resilient to impacts. The same effect of different tempers making slightly different "shades" of metal can be achieved by retempering, but this tempering process is also what makes a curve in the blade, as the metal that cooled more quickly won't shrink as much as the metal that cools more slowly, causing the blade to bend backwards when the front ends up being larger/longer than the back. This is because the crystaline structure does not have time to "settle" in the front as it does in the back, causing the formation of iron carbide (I might be remembering ths part wrong but I'm pretty sure that's what is formed). Because of this, you can accidentally make the blade have a VERY extreme curve to it that ends up making it look very strange, even with a more "realistic" hamon. The BASIC process of adding a hamon to a blade is by coating the front of the blade with a thinner mixture of water and clay (sometimes other things such as ash or plant matter) while coating the back with a thicker layer of thicker clay/water mix. the blade is then carefully heated to a very precise temperature (traditionally with sight alone) until it is heated to be around 800 *C (1500 *F) or bright red but not quite yellow hot. the blade is then immediately quenched afterwards in warm (100 *F) water for about 3-4 seconds, then removed to prevent stress fractures by leaving some heat in the blade. Even doing this and somehow preventing over-curving the blade, it still will not be anywhere near a real katana blade, and will at best work as a decorative blade (after using a chemical abrasive to "bring out" the hamon) and at worst (and most likely) be a waste of clay, charcoal, steel, and time as it takes a long time to learn how to make a realistic LOOKING hamon, let alone the real hamon you were asking about.

The uniform worn by kendoka is called a "kendogi" (剣道着), "keikogi" (稽古着) or simply "dogi" (道着). The bottom section is called a hakama (袴) and the top is the actual gi.

In Kendo "men" is the name of the helmet part of the armour. Do you mean how do you score a Men in Kendo, or how do you wear a Men in Kendo? To score a Men (with out using any Japanese words) you must hit you opponents helmet on the top between the two straps. Hitting lower or hitting the metal face guard will not be allowed. You can strike whilst moving in any direction but you lead foot must hit the ground at the same time as your bamboo sword hits you opponent. To show "spirit" you must shout the name of the target as well. Only if you manage to hit the target with the correct part of you bamboo sword at the same time as landing your foot and at the same time as making the call, will the point be allowed. Its much harder than it sounds as you also have to do all this before the other gut does it to you! Wearing a men is just a case of practicing how to tie the straps behind your head and getting it as tight as possible.