International Kendo Federation

The modern Japanese martial art of Kendo was present at the Olympics only once, with a series of demonstrations staged at the Tokyo 1964 Games.

A few years later, the International Kendo Federation (FIK, which formerly used the acronym IKF) was established in 1970 to propagate and develop kendo, iaido, and jodo internationally. The very first World Kendo Championships were held that same year in Tokyo, Japan. This competition began with only the team and individual men events, but, in 1997, the women’s team and individual events were added to its programme.

As of January 2026, 64 countries/regions are FIK affiliates, which is a member of the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport (AIMS). The federation’s current president is Japan’s Tadahiro Ajiro, and its headquarters is located in Tokyo.