The concept of kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana (sword).
The purpose of practicing Kendo is:
To mold the mind and body,
To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
And through correct and rigid training,
To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo,
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,
To associate with others with sincerity,
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.
This will make one be able:
To love his/her country and society,
To contribute to the development of culture
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
(Established by All Japan Kendo Federation in 1975.)
And don't you wonder how the heck we can discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana (sword) in this modern age, where we do not use a sword anymore?
I do want you to wonder; otherwise, we will lose our goal and one day you will question yourself why you are doing kendo not other martial arts.