Thank you Mr. Hartman for clearing up my misunderstanding.
I am a complete beginner at kendo. I started practicing only a few weeks ago here in Korea. Before anyone jumps down my throat about the whole kendo/kumdo thing, let me say that the other students will use the word kendo on occasion.
Now that I think about it, I've seen a couple of people get hit in the throat during practice, and it didn't look like much fun. I can see why seniors frown on lower ranking students using a technique that could result in serious injury.
Kendo is very different from in philosophy and technique from my previous weapons training in escrima, but I enjoy it all the same. Watching the advanced students fence I definitely see appreciate the emphasis on a training a strong spirit.
Tim Fong