Kendostar

Since becoming a Kendogu professional, it has been my dream to encourage the global development of Kendo, by making top quality, easy to acquire, relevant equipment readily available to Kendoka, no matter where they are. It is a simple fact that the demographic of Kendo practitioners in Japan is somewhat different to other countries. With most Japanese practitioners beginning Kendo as small children, and many of them losing interest when they reach adulthood, the vast majority of active Kendoka in Japan are under the age of 21. With this in mind, domestic Budogu companies develop their products to best suit the needs of these young competitors. Armor is becoming lighter, with a strong focus on success in competition, even at the sake of adequate protection, or durability. More so than in years past, Kendogu is also becoming considered as a disposable item. Therefore, durability can also be sacrificed in order to produce the lightest armor, at the lowest cost. With the continual growth of Kendo as an international activity, many Japanese companies have set up divisions and websites to serve customers from abroad. Sadly, they often do not appreciate the differences between the requirements of international and domestic customers, or they simply ignore them, and simply continue to sell the very same products internationally, as they are selling in Japan. I feel that this can be a disservice to overseas Kendoka, who also deserve to have their requirements met. I decided to take my experience in the field, and work together with some of Japan's top craftsmen to develop the world's first brand of Kendogu that brings elite Japanese craftsmanship and the specific needs of the international market together into one perfect set of bespoke Kendo armor. This is my dream. This is KendoStar."- Andy Fisher, Kendogu Professional, KendoStar President.