What other people think is of no consequence. It is what you gain from your pursuit of the art that matters. It does not matter what the art is - if I had the time and money, I would study Ikebana which has no combat applications at all and I would do it just for self-edification.

If kendo adds value to your life, then what does it matter what people think?

I think that sometimes there is too much emphasis on how applicable something is. Everything seems to be revolved around you being able to use it in some street defense scenario. People play tennis for fun, they run marathons for recreation and they will never have any use of it than just for fun.

It's the same thing here. You probably will never have any practical use of Kendo but if you like it, if it agrees with you, you like the people, you enjoy yourself then go for it. It doesn't have to be more than that.

Kendo is interesting I am into Kajukenbo.

Kenjutsu is where it's at

Really? I think that Kendo is great. but I also think that less than 1% of all people answering in this forum have much if any knowledge or training in kendo. so what you will get is many opinions based on ignorance and not much real knowledge or understanding.

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I think sword arts in general is good at building character. Ability to act with resolve and yet with insight and thought. But you need to train it as martial art to really get that. If you think of it as sport, then you starting thinking lightly of a hit and just brush it off as a build up for the next round. You shouldn't get obsessed with being hit to be unsportsmanlike or get too defensive, but you shouldn't ever get used to just taking a hit. Which of course differs from empty handed martial arts because you really have to get used to not minding the light hits to look for the more of the decisive strike.

As far as applying the actual kendo techniques... I find it unlikely. I mean the chances of you just finding a good sword length pole at any given moment is slim. You being able to locate and grab such a pole in the heat of an assault without any training to actually do so is even slimmer. So no good there.

Carrying a sword length pole is even more of a problem. For the most part a pole of that size can't be hidden and having one without real purpose just screams out I'm up to no good. A cane would be the only socially accepted form of this length pole, but have a perfectly healthy 20-40 year old man with a cane and you'll have same issues as any other pole mentioned before.

Last option is maybe carry a very small sword aka a knife. But this is also wouldn't work. For one going from double handed kendo to a single handed knife techniques just doesn't work. Secondly there is one huge difference between a sword and a knife that I have found. Parrying with a sword is a basic skill that anyone should be able to pick up with ease. Parrying with a knife is rather advanced skill in my opinion and shouldn't be attempted by a person who has not gone through a specific knife training. I have found that good knife fighting for people untrained in specialized knife style art would probably be better off fighting like a southpaw outside boxer. Working the knife like jabs and trying to keep distance from the other guy. Of course if the other guy rushes in for infighting you better have good footwork. But my point is that sword art does not equal knife art.

So I think it's a good training for mentality and I think it'll be beneficial as a secondary art to a primary empty handed martial art. But relying on kendo as a primary and only martial art for self defense won't work out very well.

what matters is how you feel about it not others,

what people dont realize is kendo is still useful, true we dont care swords but a walking stick or cane can be used in the same manor as swords. and there are a number of people that carry around canes in todays world.

Each individual will have build a foundation that they can use but they shouldn't let that foundation slow down their growth. Don't be a slave to Kendo but become proficient in your "Kendo" because Kendo is just a guideline-a practicum that leads to your development of your "Kendo". Know what I mean?

.....what is "Kendo" to you? A combative sport? Or is it a philosophy? Who are you learning Kendo for? Why do you take up the sword? Is it for Kendo or is it for "Kendo"? Do you KNOW what Kendo is? If you do you won't need others opinion on your "Kendo" unless you're a slave to Kendo and felt the need to defend something that's dead and can't evolve.

Honestly, I'm asking this question completely out of my own curiosity. Obviously I hear opinions (and complaints!) from my dojo mates as well as from newer students I get asked to help instruct, but I'm curious what Martial Artists from other disciplines think about it.

I know Kendo largely straddles the line between MA and sport, which is adding to my curiosity about your opinions.

Thanks in advance for answering.