The Active Kendo Population and 4 Charms of It Compared to Other Sports

When we check the population of kendo, the number of degree holder as of 2016 was approximately 1.8 million. This is a huge number compared to that of judo, which is another martial art. 

Those people registered in the Japanese Kendo Federation are about 160,000. Thus, the worldwide population is about 10 times that. 

As for judo, active practitioners from Brazil and France make up the most portion of the worldwide judo population. However, in kendo, over 70% of the active worldwide kendo population is Japanese. 

From that number, 550,000 are female practitioners and active practitioners make up 30% of the population. Compared to the number recorded in 2011, which was 1.6 million, the number seems to be increasing, but this record includes the number of degree holders that no longer practices kendo. Then, could we conclude that the population is experiencing an upward slope? Certainly not. 

When we take a look at the population estimation of active middle school practitioners, there were 86,618 practitioners in 2001, whereas the number decreased to 55,132 in 2015. The number decreased by about a third. If we take that the number of female population made up about 30%, we can say that there were 25,985 in 2001 and 16,539 in 2015. The number decreased by about 10,000. Compared to where it began, that is a huge growth, but the number is currently sloping downward. Alongside the populations of judo and karate, the population of kendo is at a downfall. 

The country that has the most active population of kendo after Japan is Korea. In 2018, Korea was the country that held the World Kendo Championship. 

What could be the figures in the worldwide active population of kendo? In 1970, the International Kendo Federation was established. Many countries joined the federation since then and now there are 57 countries in total and the number is increasing every year. It’s kind of off topic, but the International Kendo Championship is held once in every 3 years and countless people join the championship. 

Japan has the most active kendo population, but Korea is 2nd with about 500,000 and France is 3rd with about 10,000. A third of the total population is from overseas. With the increase of interest in the Japanese culture, the number of kendo studio is growing. It is expected that the supply rate from overseas is going to increase. 

Getting yourself completely into kendo is all about facing yourself and others. It trains you both ways. The charm of kendo is that it grows you mentally and broadly in many other ways. In Japan, there are many traditional studios and kendo is one of the sports that people learn since they are small. Like so, its roots as a tradition of the country is deep. 

When we look back to its history, kendo was a kind of swordsmanship that trained people to learn the skills to fight and survive and this was its core purpose. It was a tool for survival. But as times changed and the world became more peaceful, it’s mainly become a mental training to knock off the opponent. 

According to the Japanese Kendo Federation, kendo exists under the ideology of “The path of human development through the training of kendo.” The biggest difference kendo has from other sports is that kendo’s purpose is not merely about winning a match or submitting the opponent.  For example, people are told not to celebrate, make noise, or pose for a win or a score.

If anyone does so, it is likely that that point will be cancelled for being “careless”. This is because the act could imply that you have no regard for the opponent and lack the humility and careful attitude. 

On the other hand, you are still required to keep your cool and figure out the best way out with the right attitude when you have conceded or when you are in a bad and unfair situation.  

Practicing kendo brings about courtesy and etiquette. This is one of the reasons many people start kendo. 

Trainings and matches are tough and getting struck by the sword hurts. It’s not very different from other sports in the sense that it’s also a sport that will make you sweat and raise your temperature. However, unlike others, it’s a sport that demands courtesy from the beginning to the end and it’s very strict on it. The sport is said teach the ways of respecting the opponent and, above all, the ways of controlling one’s mind and attitude. 

The hierarchical order in martial arts is strict. Receiving guidance under such environment will gradually bring about the development of oneself as a human being. There is a greeting culture in Japan, so having respect and courtesy for the opponent is important. If you are properly polite, you won’t have any problem even in the society. 

For your information, this courtesy we are talking about here is something we call the aesthetic consciousness in Japan and this is something that is popular abroad as well. 
This is because it is recognized that there is a unique culture that has been cultivated by a long history and that there has been relationships with Shinto, Buddhism, Noh which is masked music theater, and Sado which is tea ceremony, in the process of establishing the theory of kendo technology. On top of that, it is perceived as mysterious and deserving respect abroad. 

Kendo is a sport that can be practiced by a wide range of age groups; from young to old. This is because there are good teachings from the “Kendo of Life” and learning that go beyond generational boundaries is encouraged. 

Kendo puts more importance on the skills and mentality than the muscle power that is easily weakened with aging. This could also mean that kendo is a sport that women, who are relatively structurally weaker than men, can practice for a long period of time. 
It would be hard for people over the age of 80 to surpass others in terms of stamina, but with the spirit filled shouts and facing the opponent with the sword, them overcoming their opponents becomes a common story. 

Furthermore, you could gain relationship skills through practices. Practicing kendo opens up the opportunity to participate in different events and visit various studios. 
There, people can meet people of different genders, ages, and, sometimes, nationalities. 

Like there is a saying, “Kendo of Life”, it is a sport that can be practiced by both young and old people.

Being able to socialize with people from wide range of generational background and practicing the sport with them in mutual respect are not common across other types of sports. Being able to build the relationship with others and acquiring the essentials of kendo through such interactions is another charm of kendo. 

Getting your hands on kendo equipment is easy, because they are supplied well online and there are many specialized stores. Getting consultations is also easy. “Where do we get them? Through the internet?” These could be your first thoughts, but there are as many offline specialty stores you can get them from. Hence, getting consultations on the equipment is easy.

There are brands to various equipment as well. There are equipment for kids and adults, protective gears that absorb more impact, gears that are light summer uniform, those that are easy to wash, and many more are being invented an sold. Another interesting point is finding out which brands popular players use or from which store. That could be an interesting topic to talk about. 

What do you think? Has your perception of kendo changed? Please remember that it is  not just a rough sport that requests thoughtless striking, but it is a sport that will bring both physical and mental development and which teaches courtesy and growing up as a decent human being. Also, don’t forget that it is going to allow you to make more friends from wide and different generational backgrounds.