Those interested in joining the club are invited to attend an evening's practice (please get in touch first!) to see what goes on. We would suggest that you come and watch at least once before participating; this should give you some idea of what to expect.

As of May 2007, the club is changing the way that we integrate new members into lessons. We now ask that beginners register their interest for an induction course. When numbers are sufficient to run a new course, the start date will be communicated to all those who have expressed an interest. Sessions will run on Thursday evenings over a period of 8 weeks. The cost of the course is £70, which is payable at the start of the course and is non-refundable. This includes hall hire, instruction, a shinai and bokuto, and a 3-month temporary membership of the British Kendo Association.

Kendo clothing, though not expensive, is not a requirement for beginners. A t-shirt and track suit bottom is suggested as appropriate clothing to start with. Kendo is practiced in bare feet, so no footwear is needed. Should you decide that you wish to pursue kendo in the longer term, the keiko-gi (jacket) and hakama (loose trousers) can be purchased from a number of sources. A basic set of hakama and gi can be bought for around £40-50. Beginners will receive their own bokuto and shinai (wooden and bamboo practice swords) as part of the course.

NB. Please DO NOT buy armour before coming to the club! It's expensive, and is not initially required.

There are answers to a few common questions in the FAQ.

The next course will start on September 4th 2008, and will run for eight consecutive Thursdays. Please call or email for further details or to book your place.

Counting to ten

One  -  Ichi

Two  -  Ni

Three  -  San

Four  -  Shi

Five  -  Go

Six  -  Roku

Seven  -  Shichi

Eight  -  Hachi

Nine  -  Kyu

Ten  -  Ju