In my spare time, one of the things I do is practice Kendo. Kendo is a Japanese martial art that uses sword-fighting based on traditional samurai swordsmanship. You can find a more information here: Kendo

I’ve been practicing it for 3 years now and I absolutely love it. I also practiced Karate when I was younger – for 10 years, and if I had to choose which I would continue, it would be Kendo hands down. To be fair, Karate and kendo are drastically different sports and to compare them is not fair.

I find kendo to be more physically demanding then karate. Many of the kendo drills focus on increasing stamina and you are always pushed to your limit. I also feel that kendo is more full-contact then karate. karate focuses on kata and other solo practice and even though there is a sparing component, contact is kept minimal to prevent injuries. In kendo, even with strict rules, there is enough freedom so the feeling of competitiveness is not lost.

Though karate is more popular in North America, this popularity has come with an unfortunate cost as the perception of it has been polluted by corporations whose sole goal is to make money instead of teaching the true values of the martial art. This has led to the manifestation of the ‘black-belt’ culture. Many people join clubs with the sole goal of achieving a black belt and bragging about it to their friends. Of course, this leads to many corporations simply handing out black belts as there is no real single international organization to maintain standards.

Most clubs you see on see being advertised on tv are only there to make a quick buck. Much of them fall under two categories: clubs that cater only to children (rather, to their parents) or black-belt mills. In karate, individual clubs have different standards for skills associated to a belt (or rank) thus many clubs arbitrary give out black-belts to unqualified students so they will continue paying their monthly fees. If you intend to start practicing karate, it is best to do some research to find a proper club and receive proper karate training.

There is nothing really ‘wrong’ per se about karate clubs that focus only on children. Children will benefit from the exercise and confidence building that is taught, but, the ‘belts’ or ranks issued by these clubs are often not respected by more serious karate clubs. In addition, many of these clubs do not have much karate development for young-adults/adults. Once your child reaches a certain age, they need to go looking for another club with a better adult focus.

Kendo has better international organization, to the extent that all clubs are a member of one organization, the International Kendo Federation (though IKF’s country specific affiliates such as the Canadian Kendo Federation or Kendo America). If you are in Canada, and your club is not a member of the Canadian Kendo Federation, then you should start looking for a club recognized by the federation.

Joining a ‘legit’ kendo club ensures your instructors are held to a certain standard and that you will be getting proper training. It also means that you can participate in officially sanctioned tournaments.

Though kendo has ‘ranks’, it does not have this ‘black-belt’ culture that has almost ruined karate. Gradings, events in which individuals may try and achieve a higher rank are sanctioned by the federation and they determine if an individual is awarded or not (as opposed to individual clubs issuing ranks). The goal is to try and maintain a standard level of skill associated to a rank across the sport. This lack of a standard has always bothered me about karate (that one club’s black belt can be dramatically different than another clubs’).

Proper clubs also teach philosophical and spiritual aspects of their sport as all Japanese martial arts teach more than just fighting. They also teach the proper etiquette, respect and Japanese culture. This is often lost in black-belt mills.

Though I currently enjoy kendo more, I don’t regret the 10 years I practiced karate. Karate is still a good martial art and there are many reasons why you should practice it. Even with all the negatives surrounding karate at this time, with a little research you can easily find a very good club in almost all major cities.