Literally meaning 'way of the sword,' kendo is the Japanese form of fencing that was developed in the late 19th century. Originally, steel and wooden swords were used but due to the serious injuries they inflicted, bamboo swords - or shinai - are now employed to avoid injuries.

A cord runs along the four-foot long shinai and the objective is to strike the opponent with the side opposite the cord, with the top third of the stick.