Kendo is literally the "Way of the Japanese Sword." It is derived from kenjutsu, the sword techniques developed by Samurai warriors throughout Japan's history of feudal warfare. Like karate-do, judo, aikido and other modern "do" or "way" forms, kendo places emphasis on character, spiritual development and technical discipline, rather than the practical application of using a sword on the medieval battlefield. Therefore, kendo is always practiced with two dueling opponents. Like most Japanese martial arts today, kendo has both a traditional martial art component and a sport component. 

Tameshigiri is the Japanese art of target test cutting. This practice was popularized in the Tokugawa period for testing the quality of Japanese swords and continues through the present day as a method of testing skill.

Tameshigiri targets are typically made from wara or goza bamboo mats, either bundled or rolled into a cylindrical shape. They may be soaked in water to add density to the material. This density is to approximate that of flesh. Green bamboo is used to approximate bone.

Once the goza target is in this tubular shape, it has a vertical grain pattern when stood vertically on a target stand, or horizontally when placed on a dodan or horizontal target stand. This direction of the grain affects the difficulty of the cut.

The difficulty of cuts technique, materials hardness, the quality of the sword, the angle of the blade on impact and the angle of the blade in full swing all contribute to the path of mastery for the student of the way of the sword.