European Kendo Federation
Encyclopedia
The European Kendo Federation (EKF) is the overall organization for the Japanese martial arts Kendo
, Jōdō
and Iaido
in Europe. The EKF is the member of the International Kendo Federation
responsible for the European zone.
European kendo championships have been held since 1974, with the first taking place in England. The European championship is held every year, except in those years in which there is a world championship (these occur every 3 years).
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
, Jōdō
Jodo
, meaning "the way of the jō", or is a Japanese martial art using short staffs called jō. The art is similar to bōjutsu, and is strongly focused upon defense against the Japanese sword. The jō is a short staff, usually about 3 to 5 feet long...
and Iaido
Iaido
is a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
in Europe. The EKF is the member of the International Kendo Federation
International Kendo Federation
The International Kendo Federation was founded in 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo associations and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organisation, and its aim is to promote and popularise kendo, iaido and jōdō.Seventeen...
responsible for the European zone.
European kendo championships have been held since 1974, with the first taking place in England. The European championship is held every year, except in those years in which there is a world championship (these occur every 3 years).
Member Countries
The following is a partial list of countries that are members of the EFK.- AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
The Austrian Kendo Association was founded in 1985. - BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Kendo is promoted by the A.B.K.F., All Belgium Kendo Federation in Belgium. - CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
Kendo is promoted by the H.K.S., Hrvatski Kendo Savez in Croatia. - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Kendo is promoted by the C.K.F., Czech Kendo Federation in Czech Republic. - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Danish Kendo Federation (Dansk Kendo Forbund,DKF) - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Kendo is promoted by the Finnish Kendo Association in Finland. - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
After the end of World War II, many masters of kendo visited France and introduced kendo in the 1950s. The first French kendo championship was held in 1959. France is the current (2007) European champion. Comité National de Kendo - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Deutscher Kendobund e.V - HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Kendo is promoted by the Hungarian Kendo Federation (HKF) in Hungary. - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Kendo is promoted by the C.I.K., Confederazione Italiana Kendo. - IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Kendo is promoted by Kendo Na h-Éireann, Irish Kendo Federation. - LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
Shobukai Kendo Luxembourg (SKL) - Macedonia Kendo is promoted by the Macedonian Kendo - Iaido Federation (MKIF)
- MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
Kendo is promoted by the Knights of Malta Kendo Club in Malta which is affiliated to the Kodokan UK and the British Kendo Association. - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Kendo is promoted by the NKR, Dutch Kendo Renmei. - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Kendo is promoted by Polish Kendo Federation. - PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Kendo is promoted by Associação Portuguesa de Kendo (APK), which is affiliated with the European Kendo Federation and the International Kendo Federation. - RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Kendo is promoted by Russian Kendo Federation. - SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
Kendo is promoted by the Serbian Kendo Federation in Serbia. - SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
Kendo is promoted by the Slovenská kendo federácia in Slovak republic. - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Kendo is promoted by the Real Federacion Española de Judo y Deportes Asociados in Spain. - SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Kendo is promoted by the Swedish Kendo Federation. - SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
The Swiss Kendo & Iaido SJV/ASJ was founded in 1967. - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Kendo is promoted by Turkish Kendo Association in Turkey, Ankara Kendo Iaido Association in Ankara, Bogazici Kendo Club and Istanbul Kendo Club in Istanbul. A community site Kendo-Turkiye represents Turkish Kenshi. - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Kendo was introduced to the UK by R.A. Lidstone (a western fencing master). The organisation that promotes Kendo in the UK, the British Kendo AssociationBritish Kendo AssociationThe British Kendo Association was founded in 1964 as a non-profit making organisation to foster and develop the practise and spirit of Kendo, Iaido, and Jōdō along traditional lines, with the objectives of:...
, which is affiliated with the International Kendo Federation.