• What is kendo?
  • OK, then what is kenjutsu?
  • Isn't bokken technique taught in aikido?
  • What is kumdo?
  • Are there different styles of kendo/kenjutsu?
• What is iaido?
  • OK, then what is iaijutsu?
  • Are there different styles of iaido/iaijutsu?
• What about batto-jutsu, tameshi-giri, shinkendo and others?
  • OK, so if they're watered down, why study kendo or iaido?
• How do I find a school?
  • How do I evaluate a school?
• Are there any other net.resources?
• How did kendo originate?
• How did iaido originate?
• What are those funny clothes kendo and iaido players wear?
  • Why do they wear hakama?
  • What virtues do the hakama pleats represent?
• How is a Japanese sword constructed?
  • How many layers in a Japanese sword?
  • What are the different types of Japanese swords?
• What sort of weapons are used for practice?
• What is the armour for kendo?
  • How much does kendo armour cost?
  • What are you paying for in those expensive sets, anyways?
  • What are the two methods used to tie the men-himo?
• Are kendo and iaido dangerous?
  • What are the common injuries?
  • Does a shinai blow hurt?
• How does the ranking work in kendo and iaido?
  • What are the names of the ranks?
  • What is the traditional system of ranking?
• Kendo competition
  • World kendo championships results
• I want to buy a Japanese sword. What do I do?
  • How much do they cost?
  • Where can I find swords to purchase?
  • How can I tell if it's a good sword?
  • How can I tell if the sword is right for me?
  • Are there special concerns for iaido?
• Bibliography
• Organization Contacts
  • Kendo Federations
  • Sword Clubs
• Equipment Suppliers

Japanese Sword Arts FAQ Version 2.7

14. Kendo competition

Competition is not the be-all and end-all of kendo. Many people practice kendo with little or no tournament experience. Many sensei discourage focussing on tournaments, and specifically discourage degrading technique to a tournament-oriented style.

Having said that, competition is a big part of kendo. Herein is a brief description of tournament rules.

A match is held in a square area from 9 to 11 metres a side. A match is adjudicated by a referee (shimpan) and two corner judges. Scoring is best two of three points, similar to traditional karate. Matches are usually 5 minutes long for men, 3 minutes for women and juniors. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, sudden-death overtime periods (ensho) are held.

The four legal targets in kendo are the men (top of the head), do (abdomen), kote (wrist) and tsuki (throat). The official regulations contain pages of directives as to what comprises a point, but the two most important things are: ki-ken-tai-ichi and zanshin.

Ki-ken-tai-ichi means mind, sword and body as one. The cut is not only with the sword, but also with the body and the mind. In practical terms, the shinai must accurately strike the target at the same time as the body weight comes down onto the leading foot (accompanied by a loud stamping sound) and the targets name is yelled (kiai).

Zanshin literally means the heart that remains. In practice, it means to be in a state of physical and mental readiness; to be in such a position to continue the attack; to be sufficiently alert so as to not be in danger of attack. In practical terms this means following through after the cut and ending up in the correct posture, obviously alert and ready to fight.

In addition to individual matches, team matches are held in which teams (usually 5, but sometimes 3 or 7) of opponents fight each other, one pair of opponents at a time. The team with the most wins, wins. If the number of wins is tied, then the contest goes to the team with the most points scored. If that is tied, a tiebreaker match is held between the team captains. For team of five, the names of the positions (from lead through captain) are: Sempo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, Taisho.

14a. World kendo championships results

The world championships are held every three years. Although not the premier event in kendo (it is roughly fourth behind the All-Japan Championships, the All-Japan Policeman's Championship and the All- Japan College Championships) it is the premier event for non-Japanese.

Note: Kendo tournaments are single knockout, therefore third place is always a tie.

Place	1	2	3	3
1WKC - Japan, Tokyo, 1970
Team	Japan	Rep. of China	Brazil	Okinawa
Individual	M. Kobayashi (JAP)	T. Toda (JAP)	Y. Taniguchi (JAP)	T. Ohta (JAP)
2WKC - USA, San Fransisco, 1973
Team	Japan	Canada	USA	Hawaii
Individual	T. Sakuragi (Japan)	H. Yano (JAP)	J.R. Rhee (KOR)	T. Fujita (JAP)
3WKC - England, Milton Keynes, 1976
Team	Japan	Canada	USA	Rep. of China
Individual	E. Yokoo (JAP)	K. Ono (JAP)	C-T. Wu (CHN)	R. Hosoda (JAP)
4WKC - Japan, Sapporo, 1979
Team	Japan	Korea	USA	Hawaii
Individual	H. Yamada (JAP)	K. Furukawa (JAP)	H. Aikawa (JAP)	K. Terada (JAP)
5WKC - Brazil, Sao Paulo, 1982
Team	Japan	Brazil	USA	Korea
Individual	M. Makita (JAP)	T. Kosaka (JAP)	H. Yasugahira (JAP)	T. Okajiwa (JAP)
6WKC - France, Paris, 1985
Team	Japan	Brazil	Korea	Canada
Individual	K. Koda (JAP)	H. Ogawa (JAP)	K.N. Kim (KOR)	J.C. Park (KOR)
7WKC - Korea, Seoul, 1988
Team	Japan	Korea	Canada	Brazil
Individual	I. Okido (JAP)	A. Hayashi (JAP)	H. Sakata (JAP)	K.N. Kim (KOR)
8WKC - Canada, Toronto, 1991
Team	Japan	Korea	Rep. of China	Canada
Individual	S. Muto (JAP)	H. Sakata (JAP)	S. Shimizu (JAP)	M. Yamamato (JAP)
9WKC - France, Paris, 1994
Team	Japan	Korea	Canada	Rep. of China
Individual	H. Takahashi (JAP)	K. Takei (JAP)	N. Eiga (JAP)	S. Hirano (JAP)
10WKC - Kyoto, Japan, 1997
Team	Japan	Korea	Taiwan	Brazil
Individual	M .Miyazaki (JAP)	F .Miyazaki (JAP)	Ishida (JAP)	Park (KOR)