Kendo, literally meaning “the way of the sword,” is a fencing-like sport that is based on Japanese swordsmanship. In competition, two swordsmen in traditional uniforms and protective armor compete to score points by striking or thrusting their opponent with a shinai_ a sword made of bamboo slats. Points are awarded only for blows delivered to specific targets on the head, wrist, trunk, and throat. Kendo started as a martial art for real combat, and then developed into kenjutsu, the art of the sword, which focused on the practice of kata (forms). With the introduction of bamboo practice swords and protective gear for safety, modern kendo, focusing on sparring matches, was born. Before World War II, it was ardently practiced as a form of military training, while after the war it came to be widely practiced by school, police, and corporate athletic teams as a competitive sport. The term kendo itself was coined in the Taisho era. 意訳：日本刀による武術に由来するフェンシングに似たスポーツ．二人の競技者が防具を着用し，定められた部位（面・小手・胴・突き を互いに竹刀で打ったり，突いたりして，勝負を競うスポーツ．剣道は武術として実践的なものから，形式を尊ぶ形かた剣術に，さらには竹刀・防具を用いる打ち込み稽古へとその歴史をたどってきた．戦前は軍事訓練の一つとして重視されたが，戦後は競技性の高いスポーツとして，学校・警察・実業団などで広く行われている．剣道は大正以後の呼び名である）
剣道の道場［先生］
a kendo school [master]
剣道のけいこをする
practice kendo
剣道５段の腕前だ
He has a fifth dan in kendo.／He is a fifth dan swordsman.
