Target areas and rules

Kendo today is no longer as martial as in the picture above from 1909.

Target areas

In Kendo there are four permitted target areas that are struck, each of them further divided into the right and left side of the body. Strikes are made to the head (Men), the wrist (Kote), the body (Do) and with a thrust to the throat (Tsuki). The area with which competitors are supposed to land valid hits is the front third of the bamboo sword (Shinai).

A cut or thrust only counts as a point if it is executed: with the correct striking surface of the shinai (Datotsubu) on a permitted target zone of the opponent (Datotsu-Bui) with great determination in correct posture and with Zanshin (continued mental and physical alertness). These factors are referred to as Yuko Datotsu – “valid strike”.