FAQ

Kendo is a type of athletic contest in which practitioners wear kendo-gu (protective armor) and use shinai (bamboo swords) to strike each other.

However, kendo is a budo (martial way) that aims to forge the mind and body of practitioners and facilitate the development of character through continued keiko (practice).

https://www.kendo.or.jp/en/knowledge/

To your first practice(s), wear comfortable athletic attire. Kendo is a physical activity, so expect to break a sweat!

If you have prior experience with kendo, please contact us at harvard.kendo@gmail.com and we can let you know what to expect based on when you're joining us. 

None! Almost all of our current members started kendo at Harvard, and most had little or no prior experience in other sports and martial arts.

As members of the club, club dues are $50 per semester, although the first semester is free.
There is financial aid available as we do not want finances to be a barrier to kendo!

For equipment, you will eventually purchase your own uniform (hakama/gi), swords (shinai and bokuto), and carrying bag.
We work closely with vendors to get these at a highly discounted rate for our students - the cost is about $100.
Again, financial aid is available and we often offer the beginner's set at an even lower price than our cost.

For armor (bogu), we have several club sets that are free for club members to borrow. If you become interested in purchasing your own, we have negotiated prices with vendors as well. Typical cost range from $400-$900 depending on the level of customization and quality you desire. 

Once members gain experience, they will have the opportunity to attend gradings, called shinsa, in order to progress their rank. Grading depends on the rank that members test for, but will likely cost $50-$100. In order to be eligible to test, members must be a member of the All United States Kendo Federation, which costs $30. Although it is a valuable experience, whether our members test is at their own discretion.

Finally, we have club swag that you may wish to purchase over time, such as club jackets, t-shirts, etc. 

Yes! In fact, we host the largest intercollegiate kendo tournament in the US, which is often collegiate kendokas' first competition experience. In addition, we attend some local tournaments, typically in December and April. 

Kendo doesn't have a black belt system, but they do have a grading system. It goes from 6 kyu to 1 kyu, then 1 dan to 8 dan. As a beginner at Harvard, if you regularly attend practices and put in your best effort, after 4 years, you will easily be at a 1 dan level. Students become eligible to test after their 1st year of kendo for 2 kyu if they have attended practices consistently.