If you take kendo out of the dojo, is it still kendo? If you’re doing kata or kihon waza in shorts and t-shirts on the beach, is it still kendo? What makes kendo . . . kendo?

From my perspective, the answer is defined by the intent you bring to the activity. If your actions are guided by the concept and purpose of kendo, then you’re doing kendo. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a dojo, or wearing gi and hakama, using proper shinai or bokuto, or even if you are in a full body cast and can’t move. If you intend to improve your kendo, then how and where you do that doesn’t matter.

A few thoughts on this.

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Two kenshi are on a hike. They find a clearing and sit down in the shade for a break. One asks the other about how the hips initiate harai and suriage movements in kihon #3 and #6. They find some straight branches and proceed to work on those techniques. Is this kendo? I think it is, as long as the intent to do kendo is there.

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Two kenshi are in the dojo. They have their bokuto out and are working on kata. Then one makes a lightsaber noise and their activity changesto a mock lightsaber duel. Is this kendo? I’d say no, because the intent is not there. Additionally, they are not respecting the dojo, their bokuto, and possibly, not even themselves.

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Two kenshi are in the dojo. It’s the eleventh time the class has done kirikaeshi and they’re bored. Kakarite is putting the bare minimum into his strikes while motodachi is not parrying sayu-men. Is this kendo? I’d say no. The purpose of kendo is to continuously strive for improvement in your technique and your self. If you’re not putting forth as much effort as you’re capable of, you’re not trying to improve, so you’re not truly doing kendo. You’re doing something that looks like kendo, but if there’s no intent to train to the best of your ability and improve, it’s not truly kendo in my mind.

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A kenshi is sick in bed. She lays completely still, visualizing kata, kihon-waza and sparring. Is she doing kendo? I would say yes, due to her strong intent.

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To me, kendo is not defined by the equipment, the location, or even the ability to move. The spirit of kendo is something within each individual kenshi. Wherever and however you train, to do kendo you must infuse that spirit into your activity.

I saw a video recently that featured Ota Sensei (101 years old) and Makino Sensei (93 years old) doing kendo. Age and physical ability have no effect on spirit or intent. Kendo truly starts in the mind, and in one’s self.