Ninh explains - The Rules of Kendo. This interesting Japanese martial art is popular worldwide. I have been reliably informed that normal matches are usually 5 minutes long. I took this footage from the All Japan Kendo Championships where matches are 10 minutes long, and thus quoted this in the video. Anyway, be sure to like, share and subscribe :)

I always found this to be one of the most interesting sports. Great amount of discipline to compete at that level.

“you got happy for a point?” Guess you don’t get a point anymore.

"Its not about the killing, its about the art of the killing."

So just like in Anime, you need to Shout your attack before executing it

I am a junior high school student in Japan. I'm in the kendo club.

Ok. Now I am 100% sure that I want to try this

The point is cancelled for disrespecting the opponent. Ok, this rule needs to be applied in other sports too. Specially in football, and simulating to be the first considered as disrespectful.

Thanks for posting about kendo. A few corrections: Kendo is fought in both individual and team formats, and team is generally considered just as prestigious as individual, more so in some cases. Zanshin is not something that is judged throughout the match, rather it is the display of physical and mental alertness at the end of a point. The kid who was penalized for fist pump was considered to have shown disrespect to his opponent, not broken zanshin. You missed the point of ki-ken-tai-ichi entirely: it is the coordination of mind (shown by the yell), sword (shown by the hit) and body (shown by the stomping of the lead foot). Also one nit-pick: match length varies by tournament. 10 minutes is quite long, you would see that at the all-Japan championships or something like that. Most tournaments have 5 minute matches.

I like how showboating loses you a point. That's drastically different from western sports, where celebrating a score is a big deal. Here, discipline is key. I respect that.

Great video! One amendment - two hands are not required for ippon. In fact, many Jodan players use primarily katate (one-handed) techniques. The reason two-handed strikes are more likely to score is because they have power and sae (crispness or sharpness), another prerequisite of ippon. There is actually a great video of a young man fighting a Jodan player (his dad!), where he manages to land a cracking katate migi kote - an extremely unusual attack, but as it had sufficient power and the opportunity and timing was good, the point was awarded.

2:55 Look at the head of the other fighter. He's like Really, you canceled his point? Nods in respect.

Finally someone explains and points out the honour and respect part of kendo. Honor, respect and swordsmanship (called the way of warrior 'bushido') of kendo. Domo arigato Ninh-sensei.

2:49 must apply in modern karate

After seeing NHK's documentary on Nishimura Hidehisa, I was so inspired that I'll be enrolling at my local kendo club by the end of this month. But as a beginner I still have so much to learn about kendo, and this video just cleared things up a bit. Thanks for posting it!

Thanks Ninh Ly. This will be my go to video if anyone wants to know the rules of Kendo Kai-Tai/Shiai. Good video for total beginners.

this video was amazing. concise, hd footage, and easy to follow. good production value imo

Thanks for this. I have a few students in my fencing club that are interested in trying this, and your video helped me get a clearer idea of what is expected in the rules.

Super helpful man, you made it seem super simple, I'm starting my first kendo practice on Saturday, wish me luck!

Thank you for the video! I was never quite sure about the rules. Thanks to your good explanation I know them a lot better now.

Nice, a simple report for beginners, yet there is alot to explain :)

Useful. I just started doing iaido, so it's nice to actually know what sensei teaches the other people on different days. :D

Very good video - I purchased my 1st Shinai today and will pursue instruction. Thank you Sir

僕は日本の中学生です。 僕は剣道部に所属しています。 皆さんのような世界中の様々な人に剣道に興味を持ってもらえてとても嬉しいです！

Awesome! I've seen a couple small clips of Kendo and have wondered how it works. Great video as always.

Wow! I can't believe I only found this now! Thank you for making a video explaining Kendo. (I remember requesting this ages ago and am so glad you've made one!)

Nice! Thanks for this short and explanatory video!

I thought I would be great at kendo I had the speed and I was young.... that doesn't work in kendo you have to practice many months of sliding and stomping your right leg and making a perfect swing and hit all at the same time leg arm coordination is needed and perfection is the key.. kendo is beautiful and motivating its like watching the 1st all black haka performance that energy takes over.... Thank you Long Beach California Kendo and all the sensei from the 90s and 2000s

I just started playing kendo this year, January. Zanshin is really important (actually everything he mentioned is very important). Other sports or contest doesn't usually count your personality such as the fist clenching as a foul but yes in kendo, it really counts as foul. That's what I like about Kendo, it's not only the body that you need to train but you have to train your mind too.

Thanks for this... this clarifies a lot of stuff I've seen in the tournaments I didn't understand the purpose of....

Easy to understand, thank you for this video!❤

Nice, I’m learning kendo! And was nice to see this video! Thanks! 😉

I'm ordinary a junior high school student and a kendo lover living in Japan.I felt it's politely and exactly made about kendo,and so impressed. Kendo is often expressed like"it's very gemmyo(玄妙)",I can't translate what it means and almost of japanese people probably cannot explain the word.it's that kendo is very difficult,but good.anyway,剣道について取り上げて頂いてありがとうございます😊

I’ve heard of Kendo before and only now do I know how it works thanks to you! I’ve been considering trying it in the future.

Concise, understandable and brief...you nailed the three most important keys to communication. Well done.

Shogun 2 soundtrack is just perfect :)

This was in my recommended and reminded me of learning kendo for 3 months a quilted because i can’t tie the shirt

That was cool. Good format. Straight into the material with only the tiniest introduction, then just the rules with no chat or waffle. Perfect.

Great video dude. Just what I was looking for.

Yes sir! I love this good work! This helps me kill the explanation time to friends and relatives😂

Gonna do kendo in my high school starting in April!

Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.

Thank you for creating this grateful content

I love this kendo thing I might take a class of it

I wish this video was made few years earlier. I practiced Kendo in my university in Japan during my 1 year program. It was an intense training and I had awesome patients sempais who even registered me for a competition (I won my first duel before getting disqualified). Two small things I'd like to add. The Tai part states both hands should be on the handle, but it isn't the case all the time. It is possible to throw a Tsuki with the less dominant hand only while protecting your Do with the other hand, and in the second posture (when the shinai is put above the head), even Men are hit with one hand holding the sword. Second and very important point, leaving the duel area. If you step out of the designated area (usually specified with white strips) you get a warning. With two warnings, the opponent gets one ippon. And of course, you don't just step out on your own, in most cases you're pushed out by the opponent. again, very nice video !!

This is really informational, thanks!

Discipline and respect. Wonderful!

I am a long time cinema buff and I watch a lot of japanese movies. This short video has shed SO MUCH light on all the swordsmanship sequences I've seen! Things like "Do attack" and "KOTE AYE!" Thanks a lot for this!

This should help me explain kendo to a person from abroad!

The video was very helpful thank you very much I love to watch Kendo matches

ガッバガバの動画期待して開いたら案外しっかりしててびっくりw

I've always been into Japanese history and martial arts, but I've always thought Samurai and Ninjutsu wer a really cool concept. I've heard of Kendo and have been interested in the idea of trying it, but never got around to it. This was a cool video to learn more about it!

Thanks for such a great explanation!

Thanks for the info.. very helpful!

Very clear

What has been forgotten to be mentioned here, is the possible Ippon scored with Tsuki (stab to the throat). This also can happen single handed, as it's a quite dangerous counterattack during moving backward. It's more commonly used for stopping the opponent, but - after "reading" the oppents fighting style, sometimes seems suiteable for scoring, so you kind of trap him, make him charge you, only to find himself literally running into your "blade".

Thank you for explaining this super interesting sport!

I am considering to try, your video is very helpful

I always fancied having a go of this! 😃😃😃😃

Haha I love the shogun 2 total war music!

I went to Japan for a student exchange program and the school I went to had a Kendo club and I think it looked super cool and fun. I want to try it some day

Thank you for the concise explanation. I've long wondered how an ipon is not awarded when I thought one guy had hit his opponent with the sword. Now, I know much better. Thank you.

I learned many games from you , thanks for that . But I don't understand how to read score board of golf ,please make a video on that.

A minor fist pump gets a point taken? Takes excessive celebration to a whole new level.

Thank you for sharing this. It was really interesting! :)

Watching random videos on kendo calms me for my in-house grading, it's my first and the nervous are so shaken haha. Very excited to start getting into armor and to finish the grading! My memory is horrible so i hope my memory will hold up long enough. (I mean horrible. I'm a good player once refreshed but trying to remember on the spot is difficult for me after not attending for a hot minute.) I admire my seniors and hope to be even a smidge close to their level someday!!

I respect kendo. All props to the martial arts. However because of the specific rules, it doesn't allow enough flexibility for creativity in my opinion. Still looks exciting to watch

I wish all informational vids on KZfaq were this perfect at delivering the most relevant information as quickly as possible 👍👍👍

Hi Ninh, I really love your content. Could you please make a video about pickleball? My mom has recently started playing, and I think she would enjoy a rules breakdown on it. Thanks!

Good info. Learned something new. Thanks

I do kendo and it’s actually fun and a lot of Discipline and honor and really make you think about yourself and especially the meditation is my favorite because you can really connected and see yourself

ok srsly tho this is insane. I fence (epee) and if I can’t even make a fist pump after a hard point at a national, I would be disqualified from like every match. I respect the respect you show each other.

夏は地獄なので夏にやらないことをお勧めします。臭い！キツい！暑い！の3拍子揃ってる

Thank you for explaining

Nice video and nice explanation.

3:15 That slash was awesome

Imagine being a samurai in ye olde days, walking up to the battle field, and seeing a bunch of dudes in full armor flail swords at each other with the same choppiness as a chicken.

Very good explanation 👍🏼

great stuff!!

It blows me away that a simple fist pump can penalize you. I've never done kendo, but I've done armored point fighting, and the elation of scoring a good strike can be overwhelming, particularly if it was hard fought

I like your vidoes

Another superb video, great work as always! Have you considered doing a video on Ringette, would love to see that

I always wanted to try kendo, so this was cool to watch!

10 min o.O not sure where that came from. "standard" international rules is 5 min is standard, with two encho ("sudden death") after. Some competitions do change these rules up a bit, but I've never heard of 10 min.

Nice video but the part “2 hands must be on the sword” is a little bit incorrect. We use 2 hands because they have more speed and power. There are some moves/techniques that can use 1 hand strike in order to increase the reaches. The example you show was wrong because that man only hit the mask, not the head (In shot: he missed). Not because he used 1 hand. We also have Nito Ryuu (2 swords). In this style, 1 hand strikes are the “must”.

I watched your Fencing video, I already love this channel now❤️

Very informative

Ninh you are great this is a traditional sport of Japan. I know this sport before, out of curiosity Iam asking how are to able to know so many lesser known sports like Frisbee, pesapallo, Greco-Roman wrestling, shinty, floorball, queddich etc I came to know of them after seeing your videos. so how do you know that these sports exists and how are you able to learn all the rules?

kendo seems pretty cool

This looks so cool!

i loved the vid ! good info good vibes

Shogun 2 music!

1:53 bonk

Nice work. First acquaintance of kendo.

Thank you for this video. I’m going to start doing kendo next februari

May I recommend doing a video on HEMA?

After watching this, I now know that Kendo puts a heavy premium on control, focus, and dicipline. Great stuff.

Very interesting video. Thank you.

4:09 this is very true, considering how in traditional samurai katana duels, if both duelists are fatally injured, the last one standing effectively wins the match

Ah. So it's like fencing... but good.