The four cuts:
Men: a cut to the top of the head. It is the most common cut in kendō.
Kote: a cut to the right forearm at any time, or the left one when the hand is raised above the shoulder.
Dō: a cut across the torso. It is less common because both arms have to be up for the dō to be open.
Tsuki: a stab to the throat. It is rare because the target is small and the stab is easily deflected. It is allowed only
to and by adult black belts.
Children:
This is the 29th NTT (the Japanese phone company) children's championship. These children are probably in middle school. Red (the tall one) scores a lunging men at 0:44, then a second one at 1:42, and finally a lunging kote at 2:00.
This is the 28th Kanto children's championship. Red (the tiny one) scores with a beautiful kote-men combo at 1:40 and then wins with a lunging kote at 1:50. Red nearly scores his (or her) first point at 0:40 with a men-kaeshi dō (a men-countering dō).
Women:
1993 or 1994 All Japan Kendo Championship Final. Ogata Yuki sensē (red) scores with a debana kote at 1:40 (sneaking in her strike just as Asahina Shizuka sensē in white was attacking men). The clock runs out without a second score.
Men:
2004 All Japan Kendo Championship Final. Suzuki Tsuyoshi sensē (red) wins with a lunging men at 9:04.
2009 All Japan 8th Dan Championship Final. Furukawa sensē (red, aged 54) hits a lunging kote at 3:00. From 4:00 to 4:30, Furukawa sensē attempts a couple of tsuki. At 4:30, Hamasaki sensē (white, aged 59) hits a debana men as Furukawa sensē is lunging for kote. Hamasaki sensē then hits a debana kote at 7:36 for the win. Note the patience: they spend the first 1:30 of the fight in fakes and probes. Hamasaki sensē kept on luring Furukawa sensē in and then stepping back. Furukawa sensē seems frustrated by this and attacks a bit carelessly (both of Hamasaki's sensē strikes are when Furukawa sensē is attacking). Obvioiusly the age difference mattered here.
All Japan Kendo Federation YouTube Channel
All Japan Kendo Federation Introduction to Kendo:
Video 1. Wearing kēkogi and hakama. Putting on bōgu.
Video 2. Rei. Kamae. Sonkyo. Māi.
Video 3. Ashi sabaki. Suburi. Kuukan datotsu. Hayasuburi. Taking off bōgu.
Video 4. Datotsu. Zanshin. Receiving strikes.
Video 5. Kirikaeshi. Shikake waza: harai waza, otoshi waza, kote-men.
Video 6. Shikake waza: kote-dō, men-taiatari-hikido, kote-men-men, debana-men. Tsubazeriai. Taiatari.
Video 7. Ōji waza: suriage, kaeshi, uchiotoshi.
Video 8. Ōji waza: nuki.
Video 9. Kirikaeshi. Types of kēko.