-On the street? Well, carry a sword or a very long stick.
2. Can I do the same with kendo without the sword?
-Nope. Better learn Karate and Judo to compliment Kendo. Arnis/Kali/Eskrima have empty hand applications called Panantukan (dirty boxing), Dumog (combat weapon based wrestling) and even Kino Mutai (art of biting and gauging).
Actually if you learned Eskrima, you can adopt to any situation and use "weapons of opportunity". You can pick any solid objects and defend yourself. You can even use your clothes.
3. Which should I learn? Kendo really looks exciting
-It really depends on your needs and wants. But if you are going to take Kendo, you will see a big difference between the two styles. It may or may not caused confusion on your part. Kendo believes in "one shot, one kill". Kali believes in "Defanging the snake" and "overkill".
Well, where do I start. Escrima is able to go from sticks to knives to short swords to empty hand because it was designed to work that way. One over arcing system that made sure it's principles flows into one weapon to the next.
Kendo wasn't constructed as such. It was created to be specialized to optimize the use of the katana, and while the more general priciples of kendo might loosely translate into empty hand it wouldn't do that much good without other empty hand training. Samurai of old trained kenjutsu(the old school styles where kendo originates from) for the sword and trained jujutsu(the old style where judo originates from) usually separately and one didn't translate into the another in the same way that escrima does.
Personally I think that kendo wouldn't be effective in self defense because you will be hard pressed to scan, locate, and gain access to a shinai(bamboo sword) like weapon. And even if you did the law wouldn't allow you to use such amount of lethal force without good justification.(this goes same with using weapons escrima style)
In terms of self defense I would advise you to go with judo, which I think would teach you farther in throwing and fighting on the ground. However, if self defense isn't a big issue for you, then I would say take kendo since you seem interested in it. It'll be a fun sport to do and get good at and it might add little elements that might improve your escrima.
yees
I am practicing eskrima right now. My dad has taught me for three years in the comfort of our own home. He has been a wonderful teacher and I was able to compete as well. He doesn't know the style, he just knows it is eskrima.
Is kendo a practical martial art? My dad told me that eskrima can be applied with empty hand, stick, short sword or knife. I like that. Can I do the same with kendo without the sword?
I ask because at my college I am going to they offer judo, kendo and kick-boxing. Which should I learn? Kendo really looks exciting.
