Garden State Kendo is easily the best Kendo dojo in the Eastern U.S. This is a dedicated dojo with a long history where kenshi can practice nearly every day. Located conveniently in Palisades Park, it features many high level kenshi and an awesome master. I love the disciplined culture and the intensity of the practice here. I strongly recommend it to any serious kendoka looking for a traditional and challenging training environment!
March 2026
I very recently went to GS Kendo out of curiosity to see if kendo might be something I'd want to try out. I was a little nervous because everyone already seemed so experienced but everyone was incredibly kind and genuinely glad I was interested. The instructors in particular have been gracious (shoutout all the senseis, but Henry Lee sensei in particular!) and attending kendo practice is quickly becoming the highlight of my week.
Also, this dojo appears to be very well integrated/connected with the broader kendo community, both within the national federation and internationally. In just the few weeks I've been attending, I've seen multiple... read full review
March 2026
I was a member of GSK for a year during my J-1 internship. That year with GSK was very memorable and truly something I cherish. All the members are passionate about Kendo, and we support each other in improving and enjoying it. If you're a beginner, this is the right dojo to start. If you're at an intermediate level, you can learn various waza. If you're more advanced, you will find great opponents here. There are also networking events, and if you join, you can get closer to other dojo members.
I miss everyone(especially Taro?). I’ll come back with my 3rd dan.?
Garden State Kendo is easily the best Kendo dojo in the Eastern U.S. This is a dedicated dojo with a long history where kenshi can practice nearly every day. Located conveniently in Palisades Park, it features many high level kenshi and an awesome master. I love the disciplined culture and the intensity of the practice here. I strongly recommend it to any serious kendoka looking for a traditional and challenging training environment!
I very recently went to GS Kendo out of curiosity to see if kendo might be something I'd want to try out. I was a little nervous because everyone already seemed so experienced but everyone was incredibly kind and genuinely glad I was interested. The instructors in particular have been gracious (shoutout all the senseis, but Henry Lee sensei in particular!) and attending kendo practice is quickly becoming the highlight of my week.
Also, this dojo appears to be very well integrated/connected with the broader kendo community, both within the national federation and internationally. In just the few weeks I've been attending, I've seen multiple... read full review
I was a member of GSK for a year during my J-1 internship.
That year with GSK was very memorable and truly something I cherish.
All the members are passionate about Kendo, and we support each other in improving and enjoying it.
If you're a beginner, this is the right dojo to start.
If you're at an intermediate level, you can learn various waza.
If you're more advanced, you will find great opponents here.
There are also networking events, and if you join, you can get closer to other dojo members.
I miss everyone(especially Taro?). I’ll come back with my 3rd dan.?