Kendo spread among ordinary people during the period from the end of Meiji era to the Taisho era because Dainihon butoku kai changed the names of Kobudo and Kenjutsu to Budo (martial arts) and Kendo respectively and began to instruct Kendo at junior high schools under the old education system.
明治末から大正にかけて、大日本武徳会が古武道を武道に、剣術を剣道に名称を変え、旧制中学校で剣道を教えたため剣道が一般にひろまった。