Kendo vs. HEMA
Quick answer
Kendo developed gradually out of the Japanese kenjutsu schools from the 18th century, while HEMA is an international movement that since the end of the 20th century has reconstructed extinct European traditions from surviving manuals. Kendo has one weapon, FIK rules and kyu and dan grades, HEMA several weapons, rules set by the organiser and no grades. Both disciplines compete for points in protective gear, and neither is Olympic.
At a glance
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | – |
| Origin | 20th century (present form) | 20th century (present form) |
| Contact | Full contact | – |
| Sparring | Full contact | Full contact |
| Competition format | Point fighting | Point fighting |
| Olympic status | Not Olympic | Not Olympic |
| Ranks | Yes (kyu and dan, no belts) | – |
| Rank recognition | unified | no ranks |
| Attire | Protective gear | Protective gear |
| Weapons | Weapons at the core | Weapons at the core |
| Forms | Forms at the core | – |
| Relative cost | medium | medium |
| Katas and forms in the encyclopedia | 1 | 2 |
| Techniques in the encyclopedia | 5 | 18 |
Scales 1–5
Rated for the typical training of an adult beginner in an ordinary club, calibrated across all arts.
What each art is built from
Editorial rating 0–3: how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
History and relationship
Kendo developed gradually out of the kenjutsu schools, and training with the shinai and protective gear has been maintained in it since the 18th century, with a pause after 1946. HEMA revives European traditions that UNESCO-ICM (Jaquet, Tuaillon Demésy and Tzouriadis, 2020) describes as extinct. It draws on surviving written sources (fight books) and began to take shape as a movement at the end of the 20th century, with no single country of origin.
- 1711–1715: according to the FIK, Naganuma Shirozaemon introduces protective gear and training with the bamboo shinai.
- 1889 and 1892: Alfred Hutton publishes Cold Steel and Old Sword-Play, in which he reconstructs, among others, the systems of George Silver and Achille Marozzo.
- 1952: after the occupation ban on kendo, the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei is founded, and the FIK in 1970.
- 1965 and 1985: Martin Wierschin transcribes the Codex Ringeck, and Hans-Peter Hils follows with his work on Liechtenauer.
- 1994–2010: the Hammerterz Forum, the British BFHS (1998), the European HEMAC (2001), Wiktenauer (2009) and the American HEMA Alliance (2010).
We have not been able to find who introduced the term HEMA, or when.
Technique
- One weapon: the shinai stands in for the Japanese sword, and a hit is led by the front side of the upper third (monouchi).
- FIK rules recognise four target areas: men, kote, do and tsuki to the throat.
- Tsuki is often restricted, in free practice and in competition, to holders of higher dan grades, because a poorly executed thrust can seriously injure the neck.
- Many weapons: the HEMA Ratings ranking keeps separate lists for longsword, rapier and dagger, rapier alone, sabre, sword and buckler, sidesword and singlestick.
- The rules of the Iron Gate Exhibition tournament (longsword) recognise the whole body except the back of the head, the spine and the groin, and a hit on the equipment counts as well.
- The technique comes from interpreting surviving manuals, not from a single syllabus.
Kendo has a single technical standard set by the FIK rules. In HEMA each tournament organiser determines the target areas, and HEMA Ratings keeps a separate ranking for each weapon, because it does not regard performance in one as a predictor of performance in another.
Training
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | established technique, since 2003 a set of basic exercises with the bokuto (AJKF) | interpretation of tactical concepts from the Fechtbücher and testing them in free play (Gassmann et al., Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2017) |
| Sparring | bouts in armour, barefoot with a stamp and a shout | sparring camps with lessons and free fighting, less formal than tournaments |
| Training weapon | shinai, in kata a wooden sword | weapon simulator, Jaquet (2017) describes a group training with steel simulators and little protection |
We have not found the structure of a lesson or the training frequency in an independent source for either kendo or HEMA. Cutting at targets (cutting) as part of HEMA is not documented by the sources.
Progression and ranks
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | kyu (set by the organisation) and dan according to the FIK guideline | we have not found a grading system |
| What is assessed | an examination: a practical part, Nippon Kendo Kata, and a written test up to 5th dan | HEMA Alliance offers instructor certification, not student grades |
| Measure of performance | grade and the titles renshi, kyoshi, hanshi | the HEMA Ratings ranking from bout results, separately for each weapon |
| Conditions | intervals between dan grades, for 8th dan 10 years after 7th dan and an age of 46 | only open tournaments with participants from at least two independent clubs count towards the ranking |
In kendo progress is measured by an examination board, in HEMA only by competition results. UNESCO-ICM classes HEMA among revived traditions to which sportisation does not apply, and the ranking captures only the tournament part of the movement.
Physical load and risks
- Kimura et al. (Keio J Med 2026, 143 university kendo practitioners): 43% reported an injury within a year, and people with a BMI of at least 25 reported one 3.7 times more often.
- Ta et al. (Cureus 2024, 10 kendo practitioners, over 4,000 strikes on a dummy): a wider stitching of the men mask and a polyurethane padding absorb impact more effectively than denser stitching with cotton.
- We have not found a study of injury incidence in HEMA.
- Gassmann, Gassmann and Le Coultre (Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2017): even a blunt longsword can cause concussion and break small bones in an unprotected head.
- Mohammadalizadeh et al. (Sensors 2024) measured, in one fencer in a related discipline, a heart rate of up to 193 per minute in fights in full armour.
Who it suits
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Age limits | 1st dan from the age of 13, 9th dan from 65 (FIK guideline) | we have not found federation age limits |
| Women | the FIK rules (2023) set a separate minimum shinai weight for women and men | since February 2025 the HEMA Ratings ranking keeps women’s categories alongside the mixed category, and the rules of the Iron Gate Exhibition tournament require a chest protector for female fencers |
| Make-up of practitioners | we have not found the share of women or the age | we have not found it |
Children
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| School and competition | since 2012 budo has been compulsory in Japanese lower secondary school, a bout lasts 2 minutes in primary school | a junior title at the revived World Broadsword Championship 2015, we have not found federation age categories |
| Restrictions | by agreement, pupils do not score with one-handed techniques | advice from one author on the HEMA Alliance website: no contact with a classmate’s body and masks whenever training weapons are out |
| Equipment | shinai for ages 12–15 up to 114 cm | we have not found a regulation for children |
Self-defence
- A bout with the shinai against an opponent with a shinai, aimed at four protected target areas.
- We have not found a source on the transfer of kendo to unarmed defence.
- UNESCO-ICM classes HEMA among warrior arts with weapon technique, mainly swords.
- We have not found a source on the transfer of HEMA to unarmed defence.
In both cases it is a duel of weapon against weapon in protective gear. We have not found a study of effectiveness in self-defence for either discipline.
Practical use
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Study | Abe et al. (Am J Hum Biol 2024, 80 former university kendo practitioners): grip strength unchanged compared with the measurement from university | we have not found a study of fitness, balance or cognition |
| Older age | examinations assume practice beyond the age of sixty, 9th dan from 65 | we have not found it |
For kendo there is a small study of a single variable, for HEMA none. No general conclusion about suitability can be drawn from this.
Competition
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Rules | unified FIK rules (2006, revised 2017, supplements 2023) | there are no unified rules, IFHEMA does not impose rules on its members |
| Example of a bout | 5 minutes, usually to three points, the winner is whoever first scores two | rules of the Iron Gate Exhibition tournament: up to three points with no time limit, in a double hit both score, with right of way only one |
| Major competitions | FIK world championship since 1970 every three years | Swordfish in Gothenburg since 2006, the Italian championship since 1998, Ascalon (formerly Arnold Fencing Classic) since 2002 |
| Olympic status | none, the FIK has been recognised within GAISF since 2006 | we have not found an Olympic programme or IOC recognition |
Gear and costs
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | shinai, length by age up to 114, 117 and 120 cm | simulator according to the discipline |
| Protective gear | bogu: men with shoulder protection, kote over half of the forearm, do and tare | rules of the Iron Gate Exhibition tournament: a mask with rigid protection of the back of the head, a gorget, gloves, a jacket for HEMA, a groin protector, knee, shin and elbow guards |
| Standards | dimensions and weights are set by the FIK rules | the same rules do not require a resistance value in newtons |
| Relative cost | medium (own shinai and bogu) | medium (gear and a simulator) |
Availability and organisations
| Kendo | HEMA | |
|---|---|---|
| International organisation | FIK (since 1970) | IFHEMA, we have not found the year of its founding |
| Grades when moving | dan according to the unified FIK guideline | there are no grades, the result in the HEMA Ratings ranking remains |
| Study material | Nippon Kendo Kata and the FIK guideline | Wiktenauer since 2009, a register of sources complete to the end of the 16th century |
Philosophy
- The AJKF (1975) understands kendo as character education through the principles of the katana.
- The AJKF text on teaching (2007) emphasises reiho etiquette and lifelong kendo.
- UNESCO-ICM: the label HEMA distinguishes the movement from sports that grew out of traditional practices, such as fencing, wrestling and boxing.
- IFHEMA sets itself the aim of protecting the autonomy of HEMA with respect to other martial arts and sports.
Kendo passes on a standard issued by the federation and formulates its aim in terms of education. HEMA defines itself against sport and, according to Gassmann et al. (2017), measures its own tournament approach against historical sets of rules.
Forms and terminology
Kendo has a fixed set, the Nippon Kendo Kata, with seven forms of the long sword and three of the short sword, which has been part of examinations from 1st dan. We have not found an established set of forms for HEMA. The movement proceeds from interpreting surviving manuals, for example the Codex Ringeck, which Martin Wierschin transcribed in 1965.
Training culture
- A subject in Japanese secondary schools since 1911. We have not found the role of kendo in film and ceremonies.
- Hutton brought historically faithful fencing to the theatre, and according to UNESCO-ICM HEMA communities perform at festivals and in museums.
Which to choose
Frequently asked questions
Is HEMA the European counterpart of kendo?
We have not found a source that compares the two disciplines directly. Kendo is a codified sport with the FIK federation and grades, while HEMA is an international movement that reconstructs extinct European traditions from written sources and has neither unified rules nor grades.
Does HEMA have grades like kendo?
We have not found a grading system for HEMA. HEMA Alliance certifies instructors, and performance is captured by the HEMA Ratings ranking from tournament results.
Where does HEMA get its technique if the traditions died out?
From surviving manuals. Wiktenauer has been collecting them since 2009, and its register is considered complete to the end of the 16th century. Gassmann et al. (Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2017) give as the aim of modern HEMA the interpretation of tactical concepts from the Fechtbücher and their testing in free fighting.