Kendo for Beginners
(updated for HTML on 2009)
DISCLAIMER: This manual was written by an ex-member of the Club, who is by no means qualified to write a flawless, complete guide to Kendo. This is a simple introduction to this rather under-advertised sport in hope that those who choose to take it up find it easier to get used to it and to enjoy it as much as the writer has. If what your sensei says contradicts what is written here, believe your sensei.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Everything written here is what the writer learned from everybody at Oxford University Kendo Club. Thank you!
1. Introduction
This is a very short (!), very simple introduction to Kendo. Some good books and websites on Kendo are given later, so if you are interested, you can look them up. Until you get to know some basics of Kendo, it is not expected that you can make a fair judgement on whether or not you like Kendo. So the idea of this manual is for you to get used to the idea and basics of Kendo quickly and cheaply. Once you get the hang of things, more advanced techniques should become apparent anyway.
Since the writer is terrible at drawing using a mouse, and a scanner is not readily available, there are no diagrams in this manual (much to the writer’s disappointment). It also means that it is needlessly long. Sorry to bore you, but hope you can survive till the end…
