The History
Kendo, which literally means "way of the sword", is the Japanese art of fencing. Kendo was created by the samurai during the Kamakura period (1180-1230) so they could hone their skills without killing each other. It was originally grounded in Zen Buddhism. The teachings of kendo helped the samurai learn to disregard their own lives in the heat of battle. This is one of the main reasons it is considered the way of the sword.
Kendo was originally called kenjutsu however, as a result of the world war, Japan had to change its name to kendo. It is also known in some cultures (mainly Korean) as kumdo. Kumdo is essentially kendo without the same etiquette and with different terminology.

The Artform
In kendo there are 4 basic targets, the goal being to disarm/kill your opponent in one hit. The basic targets are the head (men), hand (kote), stomach (do), and finally, the throat (tsuki). There are combinations of the hits, one example being "kote-men", in which you "cut off" their hand and cut their head open immediately after (Of course in modern Kendo, there is no killing going on thankfully, these are just the main areas to get points).
In kumdo the targets are the same. However, kenjutsu is more of a "no rule/kill your enemy/not a sport" art. In kenjutsu, unlike kendo, it is not uncommon to "spar" with 4 or 5 people at a time.
Etiquette is a very big part of kendo; kendoka must bow upon entering and leaving the dojo and must show respect to their sempai (older students including sensei).

Kendo, unlike other martial arts, has no external signs of rank. In order to know what rank another kendoka is, you must keiko against them and judge their skill. There are 2 sets or rank: the Kyu (lower ranks) and the Dan (black belt). A kendoka starts at 1 Kyu and climbs up the kendo ladder to the 8 Dan mark.

To Learn Kendo
Kendo, like most other martial arts, can only be learned with the help of a qualified sensei (teacher). There are many companies that sell kendo videos and kendo pictures, saying that it will teach a person how to be a samurai. This is completely false, a sensei is better suited to point out what is wrong with your technique and kata.
In order to learn kendo properly, you need to go to a kendo dojo (kendo school) where you can have lessons with someone who has been doing kendo for many years. Sensei aren’t the only people who can help you learn, most classes have many other students who can also help point out what you are doing wrong.

Why would a company blatantly lie to you? A simple answer: they want money. Most of those companies that make the kendo videos don't really care about you or kendo. However, dojo are only paid enough to keep running and the sensei are normally volunteers. Why would a sensei be a volunteer? Because he loves kendo; that is how you know you will be learning: if a teacher loves his subject, that love will pass on to his student.

Before joining a dojo, make sure you like it. Do not base your choice on things like distance from your house or price of membership. If you do not like your dojo, it will show in your kendo. Go visit five or ten kendo dojo and pick the one that meets your needs the best. Some things to consider are the physical dojo, the sensei, the other students, the teaching style, and the ambience.

International-kendo.com is an up and coming kendo website.
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