I have studied kendo for over 20 years now and I still teach.

Aikido, kendo, judo are both 'do' forms. The 'do' means way. By a way they mean a method of self improvement.

The purpose of studying a 'do' form of martial art is not to inflict injury on a person, it is a method of using action to train ones mind where one has an opponent. The ideal being that one ends up with an ability to assess a situation and react to it in a calm manner. If you are defeated then you learn to accept it calmy.

The 'do' forms were developed from the 'justu' forms which do have a much more martial connotation. Kenjutsu was the method of training a swordsman to use a sword with total efficiency or fear.

Aikijutsi was a mothod of unarmed combat as non samurai were not allowed to use swords. One hears the term ronin, masterless samurai, who often acted as bandits. Non samurai needed to develop a method of non armed self defence against these people, using either their hands or farm tools. That is why today you still see bokken (wooden swords) used in kata.

Yes there is a lot of spirituality in studying a 'do' or 'jutsu' form, but generally that comes later when one has developed the basic techniques which take you up to the 'dan' grades (black belts)Even the first three dan grades in kendo are still mostly the studying of techniques. It is from fourth dan and above that you start to get an insite to the way of training your mind not to think but to react to an opponents movements. Using mentally intimidating techniques such as covering the opponents eye not his throat with a sword in the middle guard position. Attacking the slightest weakness or opening.

All martial arts make use of kata. A kata is a method of studying a technique, breaking it down into component parts. In kendo we always have an opponent. It is the duty of the senior to lead the junior through a kata. Even though the swords are wooden a blow can be injurous.

In kenjutsu and kendo the kata's are choreographed, but the basic precept is to make a person use a sword as an extension of his body not something you are just holding. Increased study of kata in kendo allows you to learn to use techniques without thinking. Much as a musician does who studies scales and arpegio's.

I have also done live blade kata which adds a certain extra to the practice. In kata the cuts are stopped just short agin training the person in the use of the sword.

Much has been written good and bad over the years about the philosphy of martial arts. To take that deep philisophy and apply it to the purpose of verbal violance is not a good one.

Good practionioners of a martial art are not wooses but neither do they bully. Those that do do not last long in the martial arts.