The Art

Kendo is a traditional Japanese martial art focused on fighting using the Japanese sword.

Practitioners wear protective Bogu, or armor, and wield bamboo swords called shinai in a clash of spirit and body.

Kendo at DFWKIK

Our Practices

Kendo is offered Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings at our Addison Location, as well as Monday and Wednesday evenings at our Garland Location.

During a class you can expect warming up together. Warm up consist of group stretches and group suburi (practice swings). After that the class is divided into groups.

Beginner group

In this group, students don't wear the bogu (protective armor). The practice focuses on footwork and basic swings. The goal of this group is to get beginners comfortable with Kendo fundamentals and build out skill and stamina. After a few months, once that is achieved, students will start wearing the bogu and move to the next group.

Advanced group

In the advanced group, all students wear bogu. The practice is normally broken down in two parts.

• Kihon: Practice both basic and advance techniques with a partner.
• Keiko: Sparring practice, where students freely practice with each other or with senior members or sensei.

Start Your Journey

If you are interested in starting kendo, we offer it at both our Addison Location and Garland Location. We encourage you to come observe a practice at whichever location works best for you! You can also Contact Us if you have any questions.

If you decide to sign up, on your first day you will just need to wear exercise clothes with long pants (such as sweatpants). We will have spare equipment for your first practice you can borrow, after which we recommend purchasing your own shinai for regular practice!