Kendo (剣道 Kendō) , which is the modern martial art of Japanese fencing, developed from traditional techniques of Japanese swordsmanship known as kenjutsu. Since 1975 the goal of Kendo has been stated by the All Japan Kendo Federation as "to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana (the Japanese standard two handed sword)". However, Kendo combines martial arts values with sport elements, with some practitioners stressing the former and others the latter.

Taught using "swords" made of split bamboo (shinai) and extensive protective armour (Bogu), practitioners are called kendoka or "kenshi". Kendoka merely means one who practices kendo. Kenshi means swordsman. Both terms are used, though many clubs have a preference for one term. Kendoka also use bokuto (wooden katana) to practice set forms known as kata. On formal occasions, real swords or metal swords with a blunt edge, called habiki, can be used.

In modern kendo, there are two types of attacks - strikes and thrusts. Strikes are allowed against only certain areas on the body, datotsu bui. The valid targets are men (top of the opponent's head), sayu-men or "yoko-men"(the left and right side of the opponent's head), right kote, or wrist at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position (such as jodan), the left or right do (in tournament situations points are rarely awarded for striking the left side of the opponent's do). Thrusts are only allowed to the throat (tsuki). However, since a wrongly done thrust could injure the neck, thrust techniques are often left out at the starting level and practiced at later levels.

In matches, a point is only awarded when the attack is done firmly and properly to any of the allowed targets with Ki-ken-tai-ichi, or spirit, sword, and body as one as well as "Zanshin" or continuation of awareness. This means for an attack to be successful the shinai must strike a proper target at the same time the attacker's front foot makes contact with the ground and at the same time of a kiai or shout that displays good spirit. Though it is common, especially in matches within a dojo, a kiai need not be the target name that is being struck.

In a tournament, there are three judges (shimpan), each holding a red and a white flag in either hand. Each competitor has either a white or red ribbon attached to his or her back. For a point to be awarded, a minimum of two judges must agree. To signal this, the judges lift up the color flag of the player who scored the point. The first to score two points wins the match. If the time limit runs out before two points are awarded, several things may happen: If one player has one point and the other does not, then the player with one point wins. In cases of tie, the match may be decided by a period of overtime, sudden death overtime (the first to score a point wins regardless of time left), or a hantei, or judges' decision.