So we're going to start the day off by learning some kendo techniques

and trying them out

Then we're going to be going to a kendo themed bar for lunch

And then we're going to finish the day off at a traditional kendo factory

where we can talk one on one with a master craftsman

who is hand-making kendo armour

Which I am really looking forward to, it sounds super interesting

So let's get started on the lessons!

And learn some moves, because I have no idea what I'm doing!

All right, it's time to put on our kendo wear

Ok so kneel with my left leg down first

Yes

All the staff that helped me out were super friendly

And they also had English speaking staff

So no worries if you don't speak Japanese

Cross these ones in the back

The first part, the right one goes to there

You can finish it right here

Okay

What about girls with big boobs?

Do they make special ones or do they just have them really loose?

I can see that being a problem, I feel like that would get in the way

Usually this thing is smaller

Oh smaller? So it'll stop down here?

This part is about a cm smaller so it's easier for them

Okay?

Okay! Awesome!

And then you make a triangle

Modern kendo it's flat

But traditionally, it's like this

Kind of rounded

Yeah! The reason is that you're supposed to put your nose right there

Oh really?

So if somebody actually steps on your head when you're bowing

So you can protect your nose from being hurt

Why would somebody step on your head when you're bowing?

Because you see...

It used to be a samurai culture, with the lord and everything

The lord would come by and hit you

So they would come by and smack you?

When you're bowing and they would smack you from the top

Remember to leave that nose gap, very important

From here the left side, make an L

Okay. Then twist again, on the balls of your feet

For the left side

Okay

From here just lift a little, your heels

Just like that

So you're standing on the balls of your feet together with your toes

Push, pull!

Push one step, pull

Okay

Okay?

Maybe

Don't worry about making mistakes

And don't worry about hitting me

Okay lift up

Now pull!

Okay good!

Strong strong strong!

Okay good!

Ok now you're cutting here, try to cut here

Uhhh the tip

Yeah

Maybe I should go further back

Yes yes

Move forward

Good good! This is good

Okay, again!

Strong strong strong!

Good good, this is good!

Lift up

Good okay, last one!

Lift up

Okay good! Good

Okay, now we'll do "dō"

Is this way correct?

Yes yes very good

Kote!

Strong strong strong!

Okay last one!

Dō!

Okay good!

It's time for the smelly part

I'm going to put it on now

You put your chin in first

From my chin? Okay

Oh it doesn't smell at all actually! (kendo gear is known to be smelly)

Yeah it's a nice one

It doesn't smell!

Yeah it doesn't!

So this is what they're like... this is my first time wearing one

Are you okay?

Yeah

Okay, it's okay!

And the gloves

I guess I'm gonna spar now?

Okay!

Start!

One point!

Yaaaaay

Start!

Start!

One point!

He's good!

2nd round

Last round!

Ahhh I'm tired

That was really tiring

This is so heavy

This is really what makes you tired

Carrying around this weight on your head

Oh my god

I think I won!

I think I won!

Thank you! Thank you!

We have come for lunch now, I'm getting really hungry

The place we're at now has a few different options meal wise

They have halal options, they also have a couple vegan menu items

So I'm gonna have a really yummy looking salad

And I am so looking forward to this! This is aburaage

Thick, deep-fried tofu, and they've got some ginger to dip it in

I forget what these are called but they're some kind of pepper and I friggen love them

Let's dig in because I'm really hungry!

Itadakimasu!

It's so yummy

It's so fluffy, and the outside is nice and crunchy. This is delicious

While you're sitting down and enjoying your meal you can watch some kendo tournaments on TV

Right now is Korea vs Japan, womens

And this man is standing right in the way, get out of the way man

They brought us yuba!

It's so cute!

This is yuba! Tofu skin

It's really delicious if you're obsessed with tofu like me

It looks like they've got some wasabi on top

Delicious!

So they've got a gift shop inside the restaurant

And you can buy things like this!

It's not just your regular water bottle

It's got a long, bendy straw on it so that you can stick it through your kendo mask

and drink while you're practicing and have your mask on

What are these?

This is the tsuba

Ah tsuba! Of the sword

For shinai? (bamboo practice sword)

Yes for shinai

Cool you can get pink ones!

This is a tsubadome, the one that you use behind to stop the thing from moving

Oh okay, so you need one of each

This kote, this is very interesting

This is a new material they use, made of polyester

Synthetic leather

You can use it and you can wash it

Oh wow!

It's a washable kendo kote

One of the gripes of being a kendo player is that you can't wash it

and it smells so bad

These are all the shinai

There's a lot of different design

One you can have it like this, slim

You can also have

Oh there's thicker ones!

So just whatever you're comfortable with

Depends on your style, depends on a lot of things

Oh that's sake!

That's really cute

Where does it pour from? Oh the head?

That's awesome

Aww cute!

You know the kendo gi?

After they dye with the aizome

And after you use it for a very long time it creates this hue

Yeah this nice pattern

This is what people do with it nowadays

That's really neat, I like that

And this is one of the Japanese players

He actually lost to this guy

He lost one game, it was a really nice game

You know so well!

This match was incredible, because he had always lost to that guy

This was the first time he actually won

Wow

Oh here's some foreign players!

Chile, Canada, Turkey

All right we have arrive at Yamato Budo Seisakujyo

Where they're hand-making the kendo armour

Let's go inside and check it out!

This bamboo, and this side is leather

So when you come inside the kendo armour studio here

they're going to teach you about the really old armour that they used to use, which is super neat

You don't get to see these kind of things on a regular basis

This is a traditional armour piece called a dō

Goes on your abdomen area here

This is a really old one, they used to make it out of slabs of bamboo, like this

and sew them together

And then it evolved over the years

This is one a little more down the line

It's got the bamboo on the inside here and then a layer of leather on the outside

to hold it all together

They say that this one really hurts

You don't really want armour that still hurts

But nowadays

It's made from mostly plastic

and it looks a lot different

So they've just passed me over a really fancy dō here

This is Japanese lacquer

How much would one of these go for?

It's about $3000 USD

Just for this one part!

Wow

It's beautiful

The samurai from the Sengoku period

Would dress up in fancy gear

to go to fight

First with a helmet

Incense, do you know incense?

They would burn incense inside their helmet before battle

This is how they would show the individuality of their personalities and armour

Even nowadays that is still continuing

With fancy armour like this

It's been really interesting so far

You get a chance to look around the factory they have here

And seeing all the old equipment is really neat

I wasn't expecting them to use old machines as well

You can really tell that they're committed to using the traditional ways of making the armour here

And you can watch him at work

How often do you get to see something like that?

Apparently 90% of kendo armour is created outside of Japan

So to find somebody who is making it here, by hand, in Japan is really neat

and really rare. And I feel really excited that I get to experience this

All right that concludes our kendo experience

I really hope you guys enjoyed watching that, I had a blast today

If you guys would like to sign up for this tour yourselves I will leave the information down in the description box

So go check it out

And please leave a comment down below and let me know what you thought

Thanks so much for watching, bye guys!