Kendo Kodomo – The way of the sword

Kendo Kodomo: The Way of the Sword is a photo essay by Theo Cottle that looks at the next generation of kendoka training in Tokyo.

Shot over two years, the series follows children and teenagers practising at several neighbourhood dojos across the city. The work observes the respect between students and their sensei, the discipline of daily drills, and the raw emotion released through each spirited shout — the kiai that punctuates every strike.

Kendo, rooted in the sword schools of Japan’s samurai era, has evolved from classical combat training into a modern martial art centred on character, etiquette, and self-development. Its techniques — men (head), kote (wrists), dō (torso), and tsuki (throat) — remain codified forms that connect today’s youth to centuries of tradition.

Through this project, Cottle captures the energy, focus, and determination of young practitioners as they learn not only the way of the sword, but the values that underpin the art: respect, humility, and perseverance.