About Kendo

Kendo (剣道) is a modern Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords and protective armor. The word itself translates to "the way of the sword," with "ken" (剣) meaning "sword" and "do" (道) meaning "the way." Kendo was developed from traditional techniques of Japanese swordsmanship known as Kenjutsu.

The martial art involves a combination of strikes and thrusts, aimed at specific target areas on the opponent's body. The target areas are the head, wrists, and torso, each of which are protected by armor.

Kendo Club at UCSD

The Kendo Club at UCSD was founded in 1998 and remains active to this day. Our club seeks to promote awareness and appreciation of the Japanese martial art, kendo. Our members have gone on to compete at the national and international level.

The Kendo Recreation Class is offered through the UCSD Recreation Department. It's a great way for beginners to learn kendo from experienced practitioners in a welcoming environment!

Practice is held every Saturday from 12PM to 2PM in the Main Gym. We welcome everyone regardless of skill level! For more information on joining the club, visit our Join page.

Co-Presidents: Jeremy Cho, Ren Gionet

Vice-President: Adelynne Wong

Secretary: Yuvraj Bahta

Treasurer: Ethan Pham

Design: Bertina Fan

Webmaster: Alex Wei

Public Relations: Seohee Jeon, Scarlett Wu

Staff: Russel Ng, Daniela Ortiz, Jonathan Yim, Will Wu

Club History

The UCSD Kendo Recreation Class started as an idea between John Yamamoto-sensei - former head instructor of San Diego Kendo Bu - and UCSD student Henry Kikunaga-sensei. In 1998, they founded the UCSD Kendo Recreation Class as a way to introduce kendo to the university population.

Under the instruction of Yamamoto-sensei, the club grew and flourished. Many kenshi who started or practiced kendo at UCSD under Yamamoto-Sensei are currently senseis at other dojos, including our current head instructor Matt Schultzel-sensei. Some have even gone on to represent the US National Kendo Team (Team USA) during World Kendo Championships - the largest international kendo competition in the world!

Yamamoto-sensei was succeeded by Matt Schultzel-sensei as head instructor of the recreation class in 2016. UCSD Kendo is currently one of the most popular recreation classes on campus, and continues to strive for the standard of excellence set by Yamamoto-sensei to this day.