ImplicitAssembler posted:

No you don't. The official stance is that there is no such a thing as simultaneous hits and one will always hit first. If no point is scored, it's because neither attack is deemed good enough.
They implemented similar (but less strict) policy for sabre fencing at the London Olympics to discourage people using it as a defensive tactic, something which upset quite a few of the Sabre fencers and made the whole thing much more interesting to watch.

As for the 'suicidal' atttacks, it's very common in the early stages. In kendo and JSA in general, the concept of 'sutemi', which translates to something varying between 'attacking with reckless abandon' and 'throwing your life away', refers to attacking without caring for your own life. The basic concept of that is that if are worrying about getting hit, you will not attack freely and then increase the likely of your attack failing and then getting hit. This is primarily taught through 'kakari-geiko' which is a method of practice, where you continuously attack your partner, regardless if they attack you or not.
In a similar vain, there is no concept 'blocking' in kendo. There's counter-techniques, but no blocks.

Now, back to suicidal attacks. Again, these are very common in the early stages, as people are encouraged to attack, but don't know what an opening looks like. Through repeated practice, you will develop the eye/mind for it and because you have always been taught to attack, your attacks, when you do attack, have a much higher chance of success.