The fledgling Harvard-Radcliffe Kendo Club has received $10,000 from a Japanese bank to purchase the equipment necessary for the practice of the martial art which is also Japan's national sport.

"It's kind of like after World War If when American businessmen donated money to Japanese baseball teams," said Adam L. Kern, a club member and graduate student in the department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations.

The club, which was founded two years ago by Kaz Tanaka '93 and Atsushi Toyonaga, a fellow at the Center for International Affairs, used the grant from the New York branch of the Longterm Credit Bank to buy 12 sets of armor.

The suits consist of heavy gloves, thick padding, metal helmets and lacquered bamboo breast plates, and can cost between $700 and $800.

"[The suit] kind of looks like Darth Vader," said kern.

The club, with a membership of 30 people and an active core of 15, plans to set up a Kendo league with clubs at other east coast universities, including Cornell and Yale.