Kendo History of Kendo Kendo, or the "way of the sword," is similar to forms of fencing seen in other lands. Two contestants wearing armor to protect the face, chest, and arms confront each other with bamboo swords called shinai. There are two theories about the origins of present-day kendo. One has it that the roots of kendo lie in the traditional art of fencing, in which combatants faced off w..