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Kendo is not, however, the same art that was practiced by the feudal swordsmen of Japan, the bushi or samurai. It is a modern system that developed out of these arts, but it is very different. Kendo has rules, combat does not. The restriction of Kendo blows to eight areas has led to a noticeable change in Kendo bogu (armor) when compared to the war armor of the samurai. The shinai, the bamboo foil used in Kendo, is used differently from a real sword, and is shaped and balanced differently from the katana, or long sword of the samurai. Kendo's stance and movements have been conditioned by the fact that Kendoka (Kendo practitioners) typically train indoors on a hardwood floor. Feudal warriors fought on battlefields. These are a few examples of technical considerations that have decisively affected the evolution of technique and equipment in Kendo.

All modern budo (martial ways) are substantially changed from their feudal predecessors. This does not mean, however, that they are not worth our study or interest. Like any aspect of culture, a martial art such as Kendo is valuable because it is a vivid reminder of the past. It also continues to contribute to human life in the present precisely because of the changes it has undergone in its adaptation to modern conditions. Kendo has its roots in Japan's feudal age, but endures in the modern era precisely because these roots have made it strong enough to bend in the winds of history, and yet to endure. Kendo is linked to the feudal samurai not in substance, but in spirit.