For one Taipei-area police officer who regularly practices kendo, the tournament was well worth the price of admission, as he was able to choose from a wide array of equipment for sale as well as observe world-class competition.
He said it takes an average of 10 years to gain the skills necessary to compete in world-class competition, with most local practitioners, or kendoka, simply appreciative of the exercise and conditioning, which he compared to boxing.
At the awards ceremony, teams from 49 countries gathered together one last time, celebrating the comraderie of teammates and fellow competitors, no doubt looking forward to the 14th World Kendo Championship in three years.
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