Kendo in Newport News, VA. See our curriculum below.
At Hampton Roads Kendo Dojo, unlike many martial arts schools, does not conduct rank evaluations, or issue “belts”
We may perform internal “un-official” evaluations to make sure the students are progressing, and also to give motivation and set goals. No rank exam fees are charged for our in-house evaluations.
Hampton Roads Kendo Dojo is affiliated with the South Eastern United States Kendo Federation, which is a regional division of the All United States Kendo Federation. Our curriculum abides by the international standards set by the International Kendo Federation.
We take basics very seriously, and we begin by teaching the following:
- The etiquette, mannerisms, and rules of the dojo and the terminology associated with it.
- How to properly warm up before practice.
- Footwork.
- Basic sword movement.
Once the above fundamentals are covered, the student then wears Keikogi (Kendo uniform) and will begin the next level of fundamentals.
- Large and small sword movements.
- Agility and strength training.
- Combination skill sets.
- Set pieces for various attack patterns
Once the student can control the sword better, the student then wears the bogu (protective gear), and will begin to learn the following:
- How to receive attacks properly to avoid injury.
- Basic sparring.
- The previously mentioned fundamentals are still practiced at every session.
Kendo is a very repetitive martial art, and the fundamentals are extremely important in building muscle memory to be able to perform sparring with their opponents. Kendo is a tool for students to learn perseverance, and doing a task to perfection without cutting corners. Physical elements of Kendo as a martial art are important, however, we want to emphasize and prioritize the mental aspects of Kendo. Kendo is more self-development than self-defense martial art.
When the students reach a satisfactory level of performance, we will have the students take their first official rank exams at the central exams performed by the federation. This does involve some traveling and a separate registration with the federation. Hampton Roads Kendo Dojo is registered with the South Eastern United States Kendo Federation.
Students, by choice, will have opportunities to enter official tournaments as an individual as well as teams.
For more information, please feel free to contact us, and we will gladly explain our curriculum which follows international federation standards.
Ranking Regulation Set by Federation
(From lowest to highest)
- 6 kyu – Examination determined by each organization
- 5 kyu – Examination determined by each organization
- 4 kyu – Examination determined by each organization
- 3 kyu – Examination determined by each organization
- 2 kyu – Examination determined by each organization
- 1 kyu – No time period stipulated.
- 1 Dan (Shodan) – Min. 3 months after 1 kyu and age 14+
- 2 Dan (Nidan) – Min. 1 year after 1 Dan.
- 3 Dan (Sandan) – Min. 2 years after 2 Dan.
- 4 Dan (Yondan) – Min. 3 years after 3 Dan.
- 5 Dan(Godan) – Min. 4 years after 4 Dan.
- 6 Dan (Rokudan) – Min. 5 years after 5 Dan.
- 7 Dan (Nanadan) – Min. 6 years after 6 Dan
- 8 Dan (Hachi-Dane) – Min. 10 years after 7 Dan and age 46+
Class Schedule
MONDAY
5 pm - 5:45 pm
Teens & Adult Beginners
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
TUESDAY
Teens & Adults (All Level)
6:30 PM - 8 PM
WEDNESDAY
Teens & Adults (All Level)
6:30 PM - 8 PM
THURSDAY
5 pm - 5:45 pm
Teens & Adults (All Level)
6:30 PM - 8 PM
FRIDAY
Private Lesson
KENDO IS A JOURNEY. JOIN US.
Please fill out the form below, and one of the senseis at the dojo will contact you to schedule an initial consultation to meet in person at the dojo, explain our program, and answer any other questions you may have.
Tuition Information:
• $180/month.
• Unlimited classes.
• Month-to-month billing. No contracts.
• First two classes are free.
