About Us
Kendo focuses on practicing the 'Way of the Sword' of ancient Japan. The practice of Kendo comes with the goal of self-discipline through the use of a shinai (sword). It is also a competitive sport, where schools come together to compete and help recognize one’s shortcomings and help them grow as a practitioner.
All currently enrolled students (undergraduate or graduate) and/or staff members at Cornell are eligible to participate. There is no experience necessary to join the Kendo Club at Cornell (most of our members have no prior experience before joining), and everyone—regardless of sex, age, or physical condition—is encouraged to join! If unsure, we accept members within the first month of practice, so feel free to come watch practices to get an idea of what kendo is about and if it's a good option for you.
Kendo Club at Cornell is a great way to introduce yourself to a tight-knit group of people where, through our peer-learning focused base, we aim to foster an interactive and supportive community. Don't be afraid to contact us! We can be reached at our email, and we will try to reply to any questions not answered under our FAQ as soon as possible.
Club Practice
Please do not hesitate to sit in and come watch us practice! We welcome anyone interested in kendo to observe and see if it's the right thing for them. Please see the calendar page for our practice schedule. We have three types of practice:
- Beginner Practice: instruction for members who are new to kendo.
- Advanced Practice: practice for more experienced members of the club. Advanced practice becomes available to beginners as the semester progresses.
- Free Practice: a minimal-instruction environment where both beginners and advanced members can come and go as they wish and use the space for their own practice.
Our first beginner practice for Fall 2025 will be on September 20th, 9am-11am in Willard Straight Hall 407 (Memorial Room; the big ballroom with banners). We hope to see you there! If you have previous experience with kendo, please reach out to us at our email (cornellkendoclub@gmail.com) for information about our advanced practices.
This organization is a registered student organization of Cornell University.