Kenjutsu is the older Japanese martial art of fighting with a sword and has a wider selection of techniques, but isn't a sport. Some of the schools do spar, and the end result doesn't look quite like kendo.
I think the biggest difference between HEMA and modern (sparring) kenjutsu is the weapons they practice with, their weight, shape, length and style of use -- matching the random path of history in each region.
Kenjutsu is the older Japanese martial art of fighting with a sword and has a wider selection of techniques, but isn't a sport. Some of the schools do spar, and the end result doesn't look quite like kendo.
I think the biggest difference between HEMA and modern (sparring) kenjutsu is the weapons they practice with, their weight, shape, length and style of use -- matching the random path of history in each region.