How much will kendo cost?

Question

I want to try the sport and I hear there's a club in my area - how much do you expect kit to cost? - lessons?

thanx

Answer 1

The costs of kendo lessons vary from club to club because some clubs (like my own) are non-profit and only only charge enough to cover the cost of the hall/dojo and insurance (public liability in England). A good kendo club will also be affiliated to a kendo association and there is usually a small annual subscription for that (this fee covers things like seminars, gradings etc).

Initially, it doesn't cost much to start. Beginners will just need suitable clothes to practice in. T-shirts and track suit bottoms (or similar) are fine. A shinai and bokuto are provided as part of the beginner’s course. The average club has a limited supply of armour for general use. Eventually, you will need to buy the appropriate kendo clothing, a keiko-gi and hakama. Armour is expensive and can be left until you are sure that you wish to continue with kendo in the longer term.

In England the average prices are:

A basic set of keiko-gi (jacket) and hakama (trousers) will total around £40-50. Shinai and bokken are around £10-20 each. Armour costs anything from £200 upwards, but is NOT a suggested purchase at the start. These items can be bought from a number of sources.

In the U.S.A., a practice shinai costs about $20-$30 from  most online retailers. Between the 3-6 month point, you will need to purchase a Hakama and Keikogi which run $100-$300 (this will last you a number of years).  Being granted the privilege of wearing bogu during practise means that you've reached a sufficient level of expertise and discipline to begin sparring with others. If the instructor and the senior members feel that you are ready, they will let you know. (It usually takes at least several months of consistent practice before someone is ready for bogu.) The term 'Bogu' refers to 4 pieces: Men (helmet), Kote (gloves), Do (chest protector) and Tare (hip/groin protector). Bogu can run anywhere from $350 on up, but a good serviceable adult set will be between $500 and $1000.

Have a look at the links below for further info:

Answer 2

I don't know about lessons as some places charge/lesson, some charge/timeframe (like monthly or yearly etc) but in terms of gear that you would eventually need:

A decent set of Hakama & Gi (the clothing) will be around $100

A standard shinai (the bamboo sword) will be around $40 or so, prices increase with quality and different styles.

A set of bogu (the armour) will start around the $300-400 for very cheap 'made in china' stuff all the way to thousands of $$ depending on customisation and quality of stuff.

I have been doing kendo for a little while now and have probably spent around the $3000 total with my collection of shinai, uniform and bogu.

Answer 3

Call the school and talk to the sensei.