They looked like a cross between the grim reaper and an American footballer. They engaged in tactics taken straight from Star Wars. And they made strange shrill-like noises.

Such was the scene in Hall 220 of Varna's Palace of Culture and Sports where 25 of Bulgaria's top kendokas, representing clubs from Bourgas, Plovdiv, Rousse, Shumen, Sofia and Varna, had gathered to battle it out for the title of state kendo champion.

The tournament, which ran from April 18 to 20, was held under the auspices of the Bulgarian Kendo Federation (BKF) and JICA, the Japan International Co-operation Agency, an NGO engaged in the spheres of economic assistance, culture and education.

Kendo (literally "the way of the sword") is a martial art that has its origins in the swordsmanship of medieval Japan. It resembles fencing, differing mainly in that practitioners grasp the shinai or "sword" with both hands and emphasise arching as opposed to thrusting moves.

To lessen the impact of blows, the weapon consists of four strips of seasoned bamboo bound by cords, and tipped with a rubber cap. Practitioners also wear protective gear or bogu, made up of a face mask, breastplate, fencing gloves and a kind of apron to protect the pelvis. These fit over a samurai-like uniform. Kendokas perform barefooted on a smooth floor.

Like other martial arts, kendo has a progressive ranking system, from tenth kyu (student level) to first. Shodan, the first dan or expert level, can be attained after two or three years of diligent training. The practitioner then faces nine more stages.

In kendo matches, judges award points based on an assortment of strikes, each with its own name, successfully administered to various parts of an opponent's head, torso, wrist and throat, areas housing vital organs or major blood vessels. Hence, before a tournament begins, an official meticulously inspects the contestants' shinais for defects or alterations. If one is found that is unable to be corrected, it may not be used.

Every match begins with contenders bowing to one another and assuming the starting position. As in other contact sports, it progresses to opponents intensely squaring each other off…then exploding into a fury of attacks, parries and counterattacks. Sometimes bodies collide. The fighters then back off and revert to the starting position for another bout.

Accompanying these moves are forceful shouts, the kiai. Momchil Krastev, coach of the Ronin Kendo Club of Varna, explained that these serve to invoke courage and power for the speaker, while inflicting shock, dread and disarray on the opponent.

Presiding over the matches were three referee judges with a minimal ranking of second dan. They stood at divergent positions so as to gain different perspectives of the contest. When an official perceived that a point has been made, he raised one of two flags, one red, the other white, corresponding to the ribbons worn by the contestants. The decision of at least two officials validates a point. The first kendoka to score two points, or have a single point after a four-minute bout, wins and advances to the next round.

Those awaiting their turn watched or performed warm-up routines on the side. With their dark, mysterious, hooded masks off, they came across as ordinary people.

The audience sat in the viewing area. Numbering slightly fewer than the contestants, coaches and officials, they consisted mostly of parents, wives or girlfriends. One of them, Diana Draeva, told how her husband, Dobromir, headed Shumen Kendo Club. Her teenage son, Alexander, was himself fighting for glory in the junior category. "I'm glad he can channel his time and energies into…something meaningful and fun," she said.

On several occasions, during the heat of battle, the lights suddenly went out. Fortunately, these were quickly restored. At other times the sound of flowery music permeated the air; its source, the adjoining hall where young girls performed rhythmic gymnastics.

Even though the protocol, traditions and rules of kendo were steadfastly adhered to, one had been conspicuously flouted: the inclusion of female contestants. Not only do they train alongside their male counterparts, but actually go head to head against them and sometimes win. Alexander Arabadzhiski, president of the BKF, said that when enough females compete, a separate division is formed. But since only five showed up that day, all went up against males. "A woman once beat me during competition," exclaimed Krastev proudly, as he introduced his vanquisher, Petya Kojouharova.

Originally from Gorno Oryahovitsa, Kojouharova's first encounter with kendo took place while she attended university in Hungary. "I saw a kendo poster, so I visited its dojo out of sheer curiosity…and ended up staying for four-and-a-half years," she explained. Currently second dan, the 25-year-old teaches and trains at the Musso Kendo Club in Sofia.

Among her teammates was the day's adult winner, 22-year-old Lubomir Sagaev.  A university student, he first took up the sport after having watched a samurai film. "I've been training since I was 16, usually five days a week. Besides all the kendo techniques and sparring, I do push-ups to strengthen my arms," he says. It's paid off. As well as capturing last year's national title in Sofia, Sagaev entered the European kendo championship in Helsinki, Finland, last March, and the 2006 world championship in Taipei, Taiwan. On neither occasion, however, did he make it to the finals.

Sagaev isn't overly concerned, however, given that kendo's presence in Bulgaria only dates back to 1991. The sport was introduced to Sofia residents by Hideo Kendo, a former security officer at the Japanese embassy. Enough people took interest by 1993 for the establishment of the BKF. The embassy and JICA helped organise clubs, donate used equipment and bring over instructors, beginning with Saima Yasuharu. The first Bulgarian kendo championship was held in 1997.

The current JICA volunteer, Yuhi Nakazawa, bases himself in Sofia, but spends three days a week coaching in various kendo schools throughout the country. Nakazawa says that Bulgarians have taken up the sport quickly, and produced some excellent kendokas.

The Varna club, for example, opened in December 2005. "I've only been training in kendo since then," says Krastev. "Aside from visiting experts, we're largely self-taught." The 40-year-old is no stranger to combat sports though: for the past 16 years he's done boxing, kung fu, tae kwon do, and even worked as a stuntman. These days when not wielding a shinai, he runs his own company providing entertainment such as fireworks extravaganzas.

But kendo isn't everyone's idea of fun; 16-year-old Denitsa Nedeva had come to the tournament at the behest of her teacher. "She wants us to gain insights into other cultures," she explained; but left early. "It turned out to be too jolting and violent for me."

Both Krastev and Nakazawa, however, emphasised that kendo is more than just yelling and whacking one another. Just as important, if not more so, are the notions of reigi (etiquette) and shisei (attitude) and a moderate amount of kigurai (pride). Kendo's true purpose, they say, "is to cultivate and harmonise the mind, body and spirit". Additionally, true devotees, and people like Denitsa's teacher who herself departed after 45 minutes, engage in other aspects connected with the sport such as poetry, art and philosophy.

Following the awards ceremony everyone was treated to lunch, provided by one of the event sponsors, Godzilla Pizzeria. The final day featured the katas. This involved a display of kendo forms and movements, that may come across as a "dance routine".

Partly because of the special equipment involved, kendo isn't nearly as popular as other martial arts; outside Japan it has some following in Korea (where it is known as kumdo), Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, the United States and Europe. In years to come, Arabadzhiski and other enthusiasts hope that as public exposure to kendo increases, so will interest in the sport.