Principle

When fencing the practitioners of Kendo wear protective armor and use shinai swords try to hit one another "Strike areas are limited as are moves. It is a very formal art." (grandmaster.cc) Like Aikido, it is linear, hard, and external.

History

The unification of Japan in about 1600 removed most of the need for actual combat or combat training. This made the samurai turned swordsmanship into an art for, emphasizing discipline, patience, building of character. In the 18th century, practice armor and the shinai, a bamboo sword used in Kendo, were introduced to practice realistic sword-fighting without risk of injury. The study Kendo, as it came to be called was even required in some Japanese schools from time to time. A Japanese Kendo Federation was formed in 1952, and there are currently many countries with Kendo federations.