Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Kendo books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
- Kendo: A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Swordsmanship (2013)
- Kendo Guide for Beginners: A Kendo Instruction Book Written By A Japanese For Non-Japanese Speakers Who Are Enthusiastic to Learn Kendo (2011)
- Kendo – Fundamentals and Waza to Win (2019)
- Kendo – Approaches for All Levels (2012)
- The Kendo Mind: A Guide to Grading Successfully (2016)
- Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship (2008)
- Kendo World 8.4 (2019)
- Kendo Training (2013)
- Kendo Kata: Essence and Application (2012)
- Martial Arts Education: 220 Sword Techniques That Will Assure Victory (2019)
- The Spirit of the Sword: Iaido, Kendo, and Test Cutting with the Japanese Sword (2013)
Kendo: A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Swordsmanship (2013)
Kendo or the “Way of the Sword” holds a special place within the martial arts as one of the few practices tracing back directly to Japan’s ancient samurai heritage. Modern students flock to kendo for physically—and mentally—challenging activity that combines traditional martial arts values with strenuous physical activity.Author Geoff Salmon has over 40 years of kendo experience gained in and outside of Japan.
Kendo Guide for Beginners: A Kendo Instruction Book Written By A Japanese For Non-Japanese Speakers Who Are Enthusiastic to Learn Kendo (2011)
Kendo Guide for Beginners is a book written to guide kendo beginners. The book introduces – What equipment you need for,- The concept of kendo as budo, – How to behave at training, – Etiquette and manners and – All the basic movements that beginners should learn thoroughly.
Kendo – Fundamentals and Waza to Win (2019)
Kendo – Fundamentals and Waza to Win By Hirakawa NobuoOriginally published in Japanese in 1993, Hirakawa-sensei’s book has been a consistent best seller and has been through several editions.The book starts with a brief history of kendo and its current state before focusing on the basics in Chapter 2.
Kendo – Approaches for All Levels (2012)
Dr. Sotaro Honda (R7-dan), student of H8-dan Masatake Sumi-sensei, has been a longtime contributor to Kendo World, and has spent much of his kendo career helping international kenshi. His latest book is a must have for all practitioners and instructors, and explains various aspects of kendo training in a way that is both accessible and eye-opening.
The Kendo Mind: A Guide to Grading Successfully (2016)
Those who study kendo regard promotion examinations and matches as vehicles for cultivating self-discipline. Preparing to take a grading is especially motivating compared to regular training. It is, however, also a tremendous disappointment when you fail. There are those who manage to pass each examination without ever failing, and others who reach an impasse. So, what is the difference between these two groups?
Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship (2008)
To become an expert swordsman, one must pay close attention to detail, be highly self-critical, and practice diligently every day under the guidance of a good teacher. Unfortunately, contact time with a worthy mentor is limited for most. Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship fills this obvious gap in the training of the modern swordsman by providing bokuto (wooden sword) drills to supplement the formal class activity of forms practice.
Kendo World 8.4 (2019)
Editorial By Alex Bennett “Erai shitsurei shimashita. That’s Kansai dialect for, “Begging your pardon folks…” It has been quite some time since the last issue of Kendo World. The blame rests solely on my shoulders. The past 18 months or so have been characterised by life sort of getting in the way.
Kendo Training (2013)
A practical guide for establishing a Kendo club in an area where there is none available. Includes a menu for teaching beginners and a push to develop a full practice schedule, advice for entering competitions, and other subjects pertaining to the study of this martial art based on Japanese swordsmanship. The author has practiced Kendo for nearly forty years and has studied with many of the best instructors in America.
Kendo Kata: Essence and Application (2012)
The heart of this work is the philosophy behind the creation of the All Japan Kendo Federation Kendo Kata. Inoue sensei looks at the history behind the formation of the kata using records taken at the time, and also examines the theoretical underpinnings of the kata. In addition, there is a full photo section covering all the kata from 1 to 10, and an analysis of the changes to the 2001 Kendo Seminar Guidelines for teaching the kata.
Martial Arts Education: 220 Sword Techniques That Will Assure Victory (2019)
This is a translation of an early Kendo (Japanese sword fighting) instruction manual from 1904, 36 years after the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Samurai class. The author, Kaneko Aizo, traces his family history back to the Samurai of the Heian Era in the 12th century.
The Spirit of the Sword: Iaido, Kendo, and Test Cutting with the Japanese Sword (2013)
Nakamura Taisaburo’s landmark book on the art of the sword includes technical information, thoughtful analysis, and fascinating recollections of his own training and teaching. One of the most famous Japanese swordsmen of the twentieth century, Nakamura sensei is widely acknowledged as the preeminent reinvigorator of the practice of tameshigiri (test cutting) as a test of technical and spiritual mastery.
Best Kendo Books You Must Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some kendo books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
From Astrophysics to Unconventional Computation: Essays Presented to Susan Stepney on the Occasion of her 60th Birthday
Author(s): Andrew Adamatzky, Vivien Kendon
ID: 2407831, Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Year: 2020, Size: 12 Mb, Format: pdf
Sign Language in Papua New Guinea: A primary sign language from the Upper Lagaip Valley, Enga Province
Author(s): Adam Kendon
ID: 3040107, Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company, Year: 2020, Size: 20 Mb, Format: pdf
A Guide to the Vascular System
Author(s): Rachell Kendoll
ID: 2474977, Publisher: , Year: 2018, Size: 12 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are absolutely record-breakers according to The New York Times, others are drafted by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.