KENDO KENDO KENDO

Hello, this is my first blog and idk how to do this but anyway,(╥﹏╥)

So basically I practice this sport called Kendo and I feel like it is not very well known, at least not in my country. I wanted to post a blog here for the first time and figured why not write abt Kendo lol.

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!!!All information from Wikipedia!!!

YeeEEEeeAahhh anyway, Kendo(剣道) is a japanese martial art meaning "way of the sword". Sounds pretty epic actually. We train using bamboo swords called Shinai and wear armor(bogu) as protection. Under the bogu hakama (pant-like garment) and a dogi (jacket, also I´m not sure how u write this is it dougi or dogi help) are worn. 

The armor consists of:

• men(面)    helmet, protects face neck and shoulders
• kote(面)     glove-like thingies 
• do(胴)        for stomach and chest protection 
• tare(垂れ)   thing you put around your waist, the tare is not supposed to be hit unlike the other bogu parts, it´s just for protection against accidental strikes

Historyyyy

So first there was Kenjustsu which is apparently the ancestor of Kendo. Then during the Shotoku Era (1711-1715, also why is that its own era that´s 4 years looolll idk) this guy called Naganuma Shirozaemon Kunisato introduced the use of babmboo swords and armor. This guy´s third son improved the armor by adding some stuff to it. And then some other stuff happened but idc so we are gonna make a quick time skip to 1876 bc they BANNED the use of swords by da samurai. :( Kawaji Toshiyoshi decided to recruit swordsmen from a bunch of different schools to make a unified swordsmanship style. (AND THEY USED THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP TO-)

Battotai(special police squad) became very popular and there were mostly sword-wielding policemen. However, including all sword styles was difficult, so for police training they agreed on 10 practice moves (kata). That led to the developement of modern Kendo. 

I´m lazy so another time skip to 1946 bc they banned Kendo waaahhh buuuuut they allowed it again and then later in 1952 the All Japan Kendo Federation was founded  YIPPIEEE!!

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Kendo is pretty loud bc we shout when striking (kiai) to express fighting spirit or whatever. In the beginning I didn´t like this concept very much bc I´m actually kinda a quiet person, but now I think it´s fun actually. Even though I am still not as loud as I´m supposed to be lol. 

Ranking system

There are no belts. Kendo uses Kyu/Dan-grading system. Eigth Dan is the highest attainable rank. Below first Dan there are usually six Kyu-grades but they are in reverse order. So sixth Kyu is lower than second Kyu. So third Kyu, second kyu, first kyu, first Dan, second Dan...

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Ik this is badly written and there´s a lot more to say abt Kendo but I also don´t rlly care bc no one is gonna read this anyway and I just wanted to write this since irl a lot of ppl look down on my sport but I just LOVE IT SM IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY(∩˃o˂∩)♡I feel so good after practice and actually want to get better at sth for once which is rare for me bc I´m never ambitious idk. 

╰┈➤ Don´t bully me, bye!! (๑ > ᴗ < ๑)