PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, April 9th, 2022, Bellevue, WA
3 KYU: Wrennik Andrus (AiShinKai), Yuichiro Baba (Idaho) 2 KYU: Zhisong Chen (Seattle), Camille Miller (UW), Lucy Yang (UW), Shudi Greko (Seattle), Peter Greko (Seattle), Yuriko Lee (Obukan), Wakako Maeda (Idaho) 1 KYU: Zachary Armstrong (UW), Rae Podrebarac (AiShinKai), Teodoro Jose Boado (Musokai), Thomas Laha (Musokai), Marek Nelson (Spokane) 3 DAN: Jorge Morentín Covarrubias (MKF)
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, April 9th, 2022, Bellevue, WA
Posted in Announcements, Kenyu
Kenyu – November/December 2021
PNKF DATEBOOK
January 2022* 1/8: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
February 2022
* 2/12: Steveston Taikai cancelled.
* 2/26: PNKF Kendo Shinsa cancelled.
March 2022
* 3/12: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
* 3/19-20: Harvard Shoryuhai.
April 2022
* 4/8-9: PNKF Iaido Shinpan Seminar and Shinsa, Fri 7-9pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Rain City Fencing, 1776 136th Place NE, Bellevue.
* 4/30: PNKF Iaido Enbu. Kendo Kata Seminar, and Godo Keiko, 12n-5pm, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
May 2022
* 5/7: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
* 5/14: UW Taikai, Sat, Intramural Activities (IMA), UW campus, Montlake Boulevard NE
* 5/21: Bellevue Junior Taikai, Highland Park Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue.
June 2022
* 6/4: Iaido Godo Keiko, location TBD.
* 6/16-20: AUSKF Iaido Seminar, very tentative.
July 2022
* 7/16: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
* 7/??: US Kendo Nito Seminar TBD.
August 2022
* 8/6: Iaido Godo Keiko, location TBD.
* 8/13: PNKF Shinsa.
September 2022
* 9/17: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
October 2022
* 10/1: Kent Taikai cancelled.
* 10/8: PNKF Shinpan Seminar awaiting Education Committee.
* 10/7-9: Fall PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa (Up to 4 Dan) Location TBD
* 10/?? or 11/?? Jodo Seminar, R. Totonchi to confirm.
* 10/??: Tacoma Taikai TBD.
November 2022
* 11/5: PNKF Taikai TBD (request full gym).
* 11/12-13: AUSKF Board meeting TBD.
* 11/19: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, via Zoom.
December 2022
* 12/3: PNKF Iaido Godo Keiko, location and time TBD.
PNKF BOARD NEWS
At their November 20, 2021 meeting, the 2021/2022 Board was seated, and Officers were elected.
President – Doug Imanishi (Seattle), Vice President – Karin Feddersen (Tacoma), Treasurer – Stephen Ting (Northwest), Membership Administrator – Mark Frederick (Northwest), IT Support – Mark Verrey (Sno-King), Secretary – Tom Bolling (Bellevue), UW Advisor – Darrick Lew (Sno-King).
Other Board members are: Jonathan Bannister (AiShinKai), Sean Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Julie Chen (Sno-King), Steve Choi (Portland), Kyle Fukuda (UW), Trinh Ho (Northwest), Taryn Imanishi (Cascade), Richard Lei (Seattle), Michael Mabale (Seattle), Curtis Marsten (Kent), Tiarnan Marsten (Federal Way), Vicki Marsten (Federal Way), Ed Olson (Tonbo), Hogyun Park (OSU), Matthew Price (Seattle), Chris Ruiz (Spokane), Russ Sinclair (Spokane), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Ronen Totonchi (Everett), Frank Wessbecher (Highline), David Yotsuuye (Bellevue).
SHOJI AWARD FOR 2020 AND 2021
Dear PNKF clubs, I hope this message finds you and your families in good health. 2021 has been particularly hard for PNKF members and clubs. Due to continued uncertainties with Covid, you are certainly aware that one significant effect is we had to cancel the PNKF Taikai in both 2020 and 2021 where we announce the Shoji Award recipients. In spite of these hardships, many members have found creative ways to continue training and to be an inspiration for others and PNKF recognizes two extraordinary individuals within our youth population who fit have encouraged others to keep up keiko. We are pleased to announce that retroactively for 2020, we are awarding the Shoji Award to Josh Paik of Tacoma Kendo Club. We are also pleased to announce for this year in 2021, we are awarding the Shoji Award to Juah Paik, also of Tacoma Kendo Club. What these two recipients share is exemplary spirit, especially in trying times like we are currently experiencing. Please join us in congratulating these two wonderful PNKF youth! Josh and Juah are truly an inspiration to us all! Sincerely, Doug Imanishi, President, PNKF.
More information about the Shoji Award. The Shoji Trophy is an award given by the late Kazuo Shoji Sensei of Seattle Kendo Kai to the outstanding junior members of the PNKF. The main plaque maintaining the historical list of recipients is kept on display at Seattle Kendo Kai. Seattle Kendo Ka. PNKF will provide the individual award which will be the same as the 1st place awards given at the annual PNKF Taikai including an engraved trophy.
AUSKF NEWS
Newly elected Board and Officers: President – Shinobu Maeda, Executive Vice President- Michio Kajitani, VP Promotion – Yuji Onitsuka, VP Competition – Brandon Harada, VP Education – Hayato Okawa, Secretary Historian – Norman Otani, Treasurer – Keiko Umemura, Auditor – Seiji Mamiya. Other members: Danny Yang, Taro Ariga, Mike Jao, Jarrod Hatakeyama, Katsuyuki Tamura, Henry Lee, Kenneth Song, Shutaro Shinada, Doug Imanishi.
Updates
* AUSKF membership is overall down from 2019 levels approximately 25%. Current membership is approximately 3,947 members. It is hoped that membership will return with practices resuming and more activities.
* News from club Covid reporting nationwide indicates that many practices are resuming albeit with continued precautions such as wearing masks or face shields.
* AUSKF is planning to resume as many events as possible but it will take time to ramp up.
* Junior Nationals are usually planned in April but will likely need to be moved to June or later. Please standby for further work from the Competition Committee (Brandon Harada, chair).
* AUSKF membership fees will return to pre-pandemic rates in March 2022.
* New FIK rules including tsubazeriai, wherein you must remove yourself quickly from tsubazeriai or get a hansoku.
* Anti-Doping is still being considered for international levels but will likely not be required for US Nationals just yet.
2021 WKF YEAR END KENDO CHAMPIONSHIP – October 31, 2021, Burbank High School, California
12-13 Years Old 14-15 Years Old 1st place - Cody Kang, Las Vegas 1st place – Jonathan Yu, Seattle 2nd place – Mai Sakamoto, Studio City 2nd place – Taiyo Ariga, Butokuden 3rd place – Mooyoung Kim, Tustin 3rd place – Euvene Kae, ILDO 3rd place – Justin Tokko, Irvine 3rd place – Demian Roh, Irvine 16-18 Years Old 18 Years Old and Under Girls 1st place – Haru Sakamoto, Studio City 1st place – Juah Paik, Tacoma 2nd place – Josiah Wong, ILDO 2nd place – Seowoo Hong, La Canada 3rd place – Joshua Paik, Tacoma 3rd place – Ji Eun Lee, Fullerton 3rd place – Lance Choi, ILDO 3rd place – Kaitlyn Pak, La Canada Adult Kyu Women 1st place – Paul Hirose, UCLA 1st place – Tamada Risako, Butokuden 2nd place – Douglas Kang, Studio City 2nd place – Jane Higa, Cascade 3rd place – Morgan Hunlen, Studio City 3rd place – Hisano Hsueh, Butokuden 3rd place – Zhaoyuan Xu, Cascade 3rd place – Saiko Yasuoka, Butokuden 1-3 Dan Senior 1st place – Bryan Yoo, ILDO 1st place – Akira Banchi, West LA 2nd place – Tylor Wang, ILDO 2nd place – George Lee, Daehan Moodo Jo Chun 3rd place – Nathan Lee, Daehan Moodo Jo Chun 3rd place – Sean Park, Butokuden 3rd place – Won Jae Jang, LA City 3rd place – Christopher John, Fullerton 4 Dan and Up 1st place – Brandon Wang, ILDO 2nd place – Kenneth Song, Las Vegas 3rd place – Munik Zo, LA City 3rd place – Bryan Imanishi, Cascade Women’s Team Best 3 1st place – Butokuden (Irene Seorin Kim, Risako Tamada, Hisano Hsueh) 2nd place – Cascade (Juah Paik, Jane Higa.) 3rd place – La Canada (Kaitlyn Pak, Seojin Hong, Seowoo Hong) Team Best 5 1st place – ILDO (Tylor Wang, Bryan Yoo, Daniel Lee, Brandon Wang, Dong Su Lee) 2nd place - Fullerton (Paul Sung Kim, Christopher John, Aaron Hong, Andrew Kim, Sunmi Kim) 3rd place – Butokuden (Taiyo Ariga, Kirk Whang, Ian Kotake, Justin Park, Steve Hsueh) 2021 President Cup Winner - Butokuden
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, September 26th, 2021, Bellevue, Washington
3RD KYU: AJ Chau (UW), Peter Greko (Seattle), Shudi Greko (Seattle), Vaclav Kacir (NCKF), Hide Kokawa (NCKF), Ryley Leach (RMKIF), Michael Mabale (Seattle), Wakako Maeda (Idaho), Camille Miller (UW), Adalei Webster (RMKIF), Kathryn Webster (RMKIF), Amelia Wilson (RMKIF), Lucy Yang (UW).
2ND KYU: Zachary Armstrong (UW), Teodoro Jose Boado (Musokai), Wayne Kosaka (NCKF), Thomas Laha (Musokai), Xinyuan Lai (NCKF), Yiyang Li (Musokai), Marek Nelson (Spokane), Rae Podrebarac (AiShinKai), Carter Webster (RMKIF), Michael Webster (RMKIF), Brandon Wong (NCKF).
1ST KYU: Kayoko Kusama (NCKF), Breanne Leach (RMKIF).
1ST DAN: Christopher George Jr (ECUSKF), Mario Nakane (NCKF), Remington Redell (RMKIF), Derek Reynolds (Alaska), Sarah Scherr (MWKF),`James Thorne (AiShinKai), Andy Webster (RMKIF).
2ND DAN: Brian Burton (AiShinKai), Shamina Chang (SUSKIF), Michi Kaifu (NCKF), Olivier Le Guen (FMK), Gustavo Rearte (NCKF), Ben Senderling (SWKIF), Keita Tanabe (NCKF).
3RD DAN: Jared Bowler (RMKIF), Hiroyuki Maeda (Idaho), Gary Moulder (MWKF), Michael Schuldt (MWKF), Philip Sevin (RMKIF), Alden Vanderspek (AiShinKai), Nikhil Varma (Seattle).
4TH DAN: Hans Andersen (AiShinKai), Pedro Sors (SEUSKF), Rodney Castillo (SEUSKF), David H. A. Fitch (AEUSKF), Frederick Fourie (AiShinKai), Mark Kerstein (SUSKIF), Kimiye Touchi (NCKF), Sergey Zalubovsky (NCKF).
THE LAST WORD
I was supposed to return from Japan and be the Sensei for all Japanese Kendo in Hawaii. Now, I was a nobody and, contrary to custom, had sent my wife away ignoring my father’s wishes. I moved out of my grandfather’s house.
“To hell with everything!” I said to myself. Everything – including regret, anxiety, hope and even fear. I had no future. But I didn’t pity myself. Never. I simply detached from everything. This was a preview to lessons, with a more positive focus, I would later learn from Ono Sensei. After giving up, my luck improved.
Not only was there enough food, but also I felt useful to both the Japanese government and the Occupation Forces. Captain Parker was with the Army Counter Intelligence Corp (CIC). The perceived common enemy of both countries was Communism, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). Much of my work involved translations of information provided by the Japanese police relevant to the JCP movements. I translated the JCP newspaper, the “Akahata” (Red Flag) and police reports. I saved time because I directly typed raw information into English, unlike the other Japanese translators who first laboriously wrote in long hand and then had to send the text to a typist.
Other security forces also employed me as a translator, including British, Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) in addition to the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the Air Force Office of Secret Investigation (OSI). These were forerunners for intelligence services like the CIA. I always kept my eyes and ears open, but certainly was not a James Bond spy character, and was only once in danger.
After being employed by all the above organizations, I started working for the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) in Kure City, and while continuing as an interpreter, my major job was Personnel Manager in the Empire Club at Kure House. I worked there from about Fall, 1946 through about 1949. The Empire Club served all Occupation Forces personnel. The club was the center of activities and was open day and night to serve drinks, food, and snacks. Japanese nationals were hired as cashiers, waitresses, cooks, bakers, accountants, janitors, and there were several translators on the floors who helped to interpret between the Occupation Forces managers and the Japanese employees. As Personnel Manager, I hired the staff for the entire club. Applicants were always waiting in line for any available job. The club was a very popular place to work because it served food. All across Japan food was still scarce. A major requirement was that anyone hired had to follow the rules of the club; the most important rule was not to steal. The employees were allowed to take leftovers during meal breaks and bread crust cut from sandwiches and other foods if they were offered. But the temptation to take more than what was within the rule was a perpetual problem. It may seem harsh, but when limits are set, honesty requires employees to follow the rules or look somewhere else for a job. Honor requires honesty.
I well understood the hunger throughout Japan and probably didn’t notice small food items that were obviously for family use. One night, however, the supervising duty cook caught the baker stealing a substantial amount of food, probably enough to sell on the black market, largely run by the Yakuza. I had no choice but to fire him. I later discovered that this man did belong to the Yakuza, and that someone in the mob was going to attack me and teach me a lesson.
I avoided the possibility as much as possible. I usually worked the night shift and transported the night employees to their homes. I then had to walk home on a lonely road. There were two routes to my home. One night, I sensed that somebody was waiting to ambush me on my normal route home. I detoured and took the long way. Ogawa Sensei taught that avoiding danger was the spirit of Kendo; going out to look for trouble is an insult to the sword. So I changed to the day shift. Someone tried to insult me by calling me a coward. I didn’t really care that much about the insult, but was sure then that the Yakuza was taunting me to return to the night shift where they would be waiting.
I prepared myself, but because I was unarmed, if they had had a knife and stabbed, I would probably be dead. But I never assumed the enemy was better or stronger than me, nor gave the enemy any advantage in my thinking by assuming he was stronger. So I wasn’t cautious or hesitant and walked normally in the dark, alert but calm. I wasn’t afraid having already decided I might die, and that was okay. Then I heard whispers, and all of a sudden one man leaped in front of me with his knife raised above his head to strike. I moved to the side swiftly, just as if I were holding a sword. When you have practiced so much you know the distance, you don’t need the sword. When his momentum drove him past me, I turned to face him and with a roaring kiai and fierce, unwavering stare, rushed toward him. He ran away, and I saw two other Yakuza running with him. I continued to walk home safely.
Kendo is always offensive; Kendo spirit is part of psyche of a person, just as the sword is an extension of the physical arm. Without a sword, I can still do Kendo if I have Kendo spirit. The word “seme” is defined as an attack but more importantly it means “pressure.” It can be visible or invisible, physical and mental, outer or inner, and ultimately becomes part of the very being of a kendoist. The invisible seme is the most powerful and an opponent seems hypnotized and retreats. My seme was not comparable to the legendary swordmen like Yamaoka Tesshu (1836-1888) who was so powerful that he never had to use the sword. I had seen Ogawa sensei win before the opponent even raised his sword, so powerful was his seme. But I think it was Kendo spirit that saved me that night although my opponents were not worthy enemies. A weapon, like a gun or knife, is always a serious threat, however, and preferably avoided. That is the best strategy.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 47-49. Available as free download at lulu.com.
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation PLEASE NOTE: Kenyu Online IS THE EDITION OF RECORD FOR THIS NEWSLETTER – https://www.pnkf.org/ Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Volume 35, number 6
At their November 21, 2020 meeting, the 2020/2021 Board was seated, and Officers were elected.
President – Doug Imanishi (Seattle), Vice President – Karin Feddersen (Tacoma), Treasurer – Mary DeJong (Highline), Secretary – Tom Bolling (Bellevue). UW Advisor – Darrick Lew (Sno-King) was elected at the September 12, 2020 Board meeting.
Other Board members are: Jonathan Bannister (AiShinKai), Sean Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Steve Choi (Portland), Mark Frederick (Northwest), Jane Higa (UW), Trinh Ho (Northwest), Taryn Imanishi (Cascade), Michael Mabale (Seattle), Curtis Marsten (Kent), Tiarnan Marsten (Federal Way), Vicki Marsten (Federal Way), Ed Olson (Tonbo), Hogyun Park (OSU), Russ Sinclair (Spokane), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Ronen Totonchi (Everett), Mark Verrey (Sno-King), Frank Wessbecher (Highline), David Yotsuuye (Bellevue).
PASSAGE
Harold Chan GohOn Friday, December 11, 2020, Harold Chan Goh, beloved friend, respected teacher, and loving father of two, passed away at the age of 59.
Harry was born Goh Chan-Hong in Seoul, Korea to his parents Goh Young-Hee and Ahn Ji-Young on March 1st, 1960. He graduated from Yewon University in 1984, where he studied astronomy and fine arts. In 1992, he moved to the United States with Myoungsoo, the mother of his children. They raised a daughter, Ariel, and a son, Brandon.
Harry was a lifelong practitioner of the way of the sword and achieved a sixth degree black belt in kendo and a fourth degree black belt in iaido. He was a born teacher and loved sharing his martial arts knowledge with students. He was also an appreciator of all the arts, including painting, drawing, music, and dance. Harry enjoyed entertaining at church gatherings with his guitar and harmonica, and would watch his favorite musicals every chance he got. Languages came naturally to him – he spoke five, and was a published author in Korea on the subject of English. Harry thrived in the outdoors and loved living in the Pacific Northwest, where he was surrounded by his beloved trees, mountains, and rain.
Harry was preceded in death by his father, Young-Hee. He is survived by his two children, Ariel and Brandon, his mother, Ji-Young, and countless students and friends.
A small farewell viewing was held on Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 at Flintoft’s Funeral Home in Issaquah, from 11am to 1pm. He was buried in Lakeview Cemetery near his hero, Bruce Lee. A memorial will be held in 2021 when it is safe for us to gather again. Friends were invited to view photos, share memories, and sign the online guest book at www.flintofts.com.
Kendo, and Seattle Kendo Kai, were such important aspects of his life, and Brandon would like to extend his gratitude to you all for being such a loving, supportive, and enthusiastic community that he knows he was bursting with pride to be a part of. It may interest you to know that until the very end of his life, Goh Sensei dedicated every day to practicing, theorizing, and striving to improve his Kendo. He set up dummies in his garage with spare bogu that he named after certain members of the Kendo community. He was eagerly anticipating returning to practice, and although it is sad he will not have the chance, remembering the lessons he imparted on us before his passing would be a great way to bring him with us and honor his memory. We continue in mourning, and offer our deepest condolences to everyone in the family.
Volume 34, number 1/2
January/February 2020
AUSKF UPDATES
All remaining AUSKF Education events (including the Adult Seminar, High-Rank Seminar, Women’s Seminar, 8-Dan Tour and Summer Camp) for 2020 will be cancelled. This was unanimously agreed upon by the AUSKF Board and is unfortunately the most prudent decision given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. We are hopeful that this situation will make a turn for the better in the very near future and will announce the 2021 schedule as soon as possible.
Since we are all suspending regular practice, seminars and events, we all feel that new rule to adopt Bokutoniyoru Kendo Kihon Keikoho (BKKK) for 2 Kyu and below testing from this month of April 2020 is not practical at this stage.
The new rule to adopt BKKK is now officially postponed until October 1, 2021 to allow ample time to practice and be familiar with this technique. We all hope that COVID-19 pandemic fades away soon enough so we can comfortably adopt this new rule. Wish you all stay safe and able to practice Kendo again soon.
The Foreign Kendo Leaders’ Summer Seminar scheduled from August 14 thru August 21, 2020 has been cancelled. The AUSKF will use the same priority order of the regional Federations next year in the selection.
PNKF DATEBOOK
March 2020* 3/14: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, members’ homes and offices, via Zoom.
* 3/21: Highline Kendo Taikai, Sat, doors open 8:30am, opening ceremonies 9:30am, White Center Community Center, 1321 SW 102nd Street, Seattle, POSTPONED. TENTATIVE NEW DATE: Saturday, June 6, 2020.
* 3/21-22: 24th Annual Harvard Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament, Sat/Sun, Malkin Althletic Center (MAC), 4th floor basketball courts, on Holyoke Street, Boston. CANCELLED
* 3/28: PNKF Nippon Kendo Kata and BKKR Seminar, Sat, 9am-1pm, Chinook Middle School, 18650 42nd Avenue S., SeaTac, WA 98188. CANCELLED
* 3/28: PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa, Sat, CANCELLED.
* 3/28: 32nd Cleveland Kendo Tournament/GNEUSKF Championships, Sat, CANCELLED.
April 2020
* 4/4: AUSKF Junior Open Championships, Sat, Marina High School, 15871 Springdale Street, Huntington Beach, California 92649. http://auskf-jrnationals.com/ CANCELLED
* 4/18: UW Taikai, Sat, Intramural Activities (IMA), UW campus, Montlake Boulevard NE.CANCELLED
* 4/26: Cherry Blossom demo, Sun, Seattle Center CANCELLED.
May 2020
* 5/2: Rose City Kendo Taikai, Sat, Portland, CANCELLED.
* 5/9: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, members’ homes and offices, via Zoom.
* 5/16: Bellevue Junior Kendo Taikai, Sat, 9:30am start time, Highland Park Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue CANCELLED.
* 5/30: 55th Annual Vancouver Kendo Tournament, Sat, 10am-6pm, doors open 9am, Byrne Creek Secondary School, 7777 18th Street, Burnaby, B.C. V3N 5E5. CANCELLED.
June 2020
* 6/6: Highline Kendo Taikai, Sat, doors open 8:30am, opening ceremonies 9:30am, White Center Community Center, 1321 SW 102nd Street, Seattle, CANCELLED.
* 13th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, CANCELLED — held 9/15/2020 via Zoom.
July 2020
* 7/17-19: AUSKF 2020 National Kendo Championships, Fri-Sun, CANCELLED.
* 7/18: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, members’ homes and offices, via Zoom.
August 2020
* 8/15: PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sat, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent CANCELLED.
September 2020
* 9/12: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, members’ homes and offices, via Zoom.
* 9/25-9/27: PNKF Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa CANCELLED.
October 2020
* 10/3: Kent Kendo Taikai, Sat, TBD, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
* 10/17 or 10/24: Tacoma Kendo Taikai, Sat, CANCELLED.
November 2020
* November visit of Pam Parker Sensei to Tonbo Dojo CANCELLED.
* 11/7: PNKF Taikai, Kent CANCELLED.
* 11/14-15: AUSKF Board meeting.
* 11/15: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa CANCELLED.
* 11/21: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, members’ homes and offices, via Zoom.
March 2021
* 3/20-21: 25th Annual Harvard Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament, Sat/Sun, Malkin Althletic Center (MAC), 4th floor basketball courts, on Holyoke Street, Boston CANCELLED. Special Zoom keiko and lecture held instead on 3/20.
May 2021
* 5/27-30: 18WKC, Thu-Sun, Paris, France CANCELLED.
1st BELLEVUE/HIGHLINE/SNO-KING ONLINE SCAVENGER HUNT, August 15, 2020 – Your House, WA
1st Group 1st Place - (25) L. Tsybert (Bellevue) 2nd Place - (21) E. Lau (Bellevue) Fighting Spirit - J. Cox (Bellevue) 2nd Group 1st Place - (26) E. Marsten (Highline), K. Forssen, G. Forssen, M. Forssen 2nd Place - (24) B. Lusby (Bellevue) Fighting Spirit - D. DeJong (Highline), M. DeJong, (Highline)
15th ANNUAL PACIFIC INTERCOLLEGIATE KENDO TOURNAMENT – January 11, 2020, University of British Columbia
Non-Bogu Women’s 1st place - Brenna Short, Langara 1st place – Tamana Koike, UBC 2nd place - Feifei Yang, UBC 2nd place – Betty Park, UW 3rd place - Alex Golab, UBC 3rd place – Sara Lowes, UBC 3rd place - Viet Hoang, UBC 3rd place – Becca Hsu, SFU Men’s Kyu Men’s Dan 1st place - Rory Long, UBC 1st place – Masachika Ando, UVic 2nd place - Brian Hong, UW 2nd place – Tiarnan Marsten, UW 3rd place - Jason Tang, Langara 3rd place – Minh Dao, UVic 3rd place - Brian Wong, UW 3rd place – Mitsuki Yoneda, UW Men's Alumni 1st place - Ellis Cheng, UBC 2nd place - John Magaling, SFU 3rd place - Michael Hong, SFU 3rd place - Pat Hung, UVic Team Match 1st place - UW A (Betty Park, Andy Yuen, Brian Hong, Connor Mulcahy, Masataka Murakami) 2nd place - UW C (Jane Higa, Juno Lee, Brian Wong, Mitsuki Yoneda, Tiarnan Marsten) 3rd place – SFU (Sean Lu, Gina Gu, Gene Ju, Michael Hong, Becca Hsu) 3rd place – UVic (Masachika Ando, Minh Dao, Matthew Pomeroy, Pat Hung, Tiffany Huang) Fighting Spirit Brian Wong, UW Kanami Suzuki, UBC Special Fighting Spirit Tamana Koike, UBC Bogushop sponsored the prizes
58th ANNUAL STEVESTON KENDO TOURNAMENT – February 8, 2020, Hugh McRoberts Secondary School, Richmond, BC
10 Years and Under 11 to 13 Years 14 to 15 Years 1st place – L. Ido, Butokoden 1st place – T. Ariga, Butokuden 1st place – K. Squance, Renbu 2nd place – K. Yoshimura, Renbu 2nd place – A. Mabale, Seattle 2nd place – C. Robillard, Steveston 3rd place – V. Chen, NCKF 3rd place – I. Hwang, Renbu 3rd place – Y. Lee, Renbu 3rd place – S. Ara, Renbu 3rd place – J. Yu, Northwest 3rd place – M. Hong, NCKF 0-4 Kyu 1-3 Kyu Women 1 Dan and Under 1st place – B. Staub, NCKF 1st place – B. Miki, Steveston 1st place – K. McIntosh, Federal Way 2nd place – K. Kim, Chinook 2nd place – B. Wong, UW 2nd place – J. Lee, UW 3rd place – A. Lee, Langara 3rd place – N. Shimabukuro, Hawaii 3rd place – M. Matsuno, Hawaii 3rd place – R. Ang, UBC 3rd place – D. Wu, Langara 3rd place – K. Acoba, Everett Women 2 Dan and Over 1-2 Dan 3 Dan 1st place – H. Yamada, Vancouver 1st place – B. Pae, Northwest 1st place – T. Marsten, UW 2nd place – A. Fukushima, Vancouver 2nd place – R. Kim, Renbu 2nd place – M. Price, Seattle 3rd place – W. Robillard, Steveston 3rd place – J. Kim, Federal Way 3rd place – P. Lee, Steveston 3rd place – K. Arai, Butokuden 3rd place – K. Higo, Renfrew 3rd place – M. Ando, UVic 4 Dan and Above 1st place – K. Unzei, Tozenji 2nd place – K. Hamayama, NCKF 3rd place – G. Suzaka, Seattle 3rd place – R. Asato, Vancouver Junior Team 1st place - NCKF (I. Lancelot, M. Hong, Y. Onitsuka, J. Huang, A. Delgado) 2nd place - Renbu B (I. Son, E. Cho, Y. Kawabe, K. Yoshimura, H. Tominaga) 3rd place - Steveston A (A. Iwai, J. Hung, C. Robillard, R. Nakano, D. Chui) 3rd place – Butokuden (L. Ido, L. Yang, T. Miyamoto, F. Ido, T. Ariga) Senior Team 1st place – NCKF (D. Williams, M. Uto, S. Park, K. Hamayama, K. Fujimoto) 2nd place – Hawaii (R. Umetsu, M. Matsuno, B. Fukutomi, ,Y. Goya, L. Hancock) 3rd place - Youshinkan (K. Takeuchi, J. Chien, A. Xie, J. Schmidt, K. Kobayashi) 3rd place – Vancouver (G. Gao, S. Jung, R. Asato, N. Fukushima, H. Yamada) Moment of Silence – in remembrance and thankfulness for Kendo Hanshi 8th Dan Mitsuru Asaoka of Youshinkan Dojo, who passed away on December 27, 2019 at age 74. Introduction and Congratulations for Toshio Murao, Ray Murao Sensei’s father, whose 100th birthday was on January 23, 1920. Sportsmanship Pledge – Emily Chui, Steveston. Head Judge – Ray Murao.
2020 EAST COAST IAIDO TAIKAI – February 16, 2020, Jersey City, NJ
4 Dan Kishimoto Cup 1st place - Hanna Ikeda-Suen, Etibicoke 2nd place - Keiko Miyamori, Ken Zen 3rd place - JiYou Ni, Nichibukan Fighting Spirit - Kevin Thibedeau, Ken Zen 5 Dan Nakanishi Cup 1st place - Takanori Furuta, Itto Kai 2nd place - Patrick Suen, Tokushikai 3rd place - Barry Poitras, Doshikai Fighting Spirit - G. Ronald Beck, Sei Zan Teams Haga Cup 1st place - “Sweet Sixteen” (Robert Shin, Shidogakuin; Paul Maeda, Idaho; Michael Buanadonna, Shidogakuin) 2nd place - “Musashi” (Curtis Lu, Cherry Hill; Phillip Markunas, Ken Zen; Noriko Ambe, Ken Zen) 3rd place - “Tonbo” (Sarah Cherr Agassiz; Danny Chau Mu Mon; Dave Dudek, Ken Zen) Fighting Spirit - “The Beans” (Collin Lu, Cherry Hill; AoJie Zheng, Ken Zen; Francis Domingo, Tokushikai)
PASSAGE
Mitsuru AsaokaIt was shocking – devastating – when we learned that the teacher who had befriended us at UBC’s gasshuku on April 28, 1979, essentially the first day we ever put on bogu, had suddenly died.
Kendo Kyoshi 8th Dan and Iaido Kyoshi 7th Dan Mitsuru Asaoka was born September 13, 1945 in the small port town of Fushiki on the edge of Toyama Bay, having a famous view of the Tateyama mountain range across the bay. He grew up playing baseball and swimming at nearby sandy beaches, and skiing in the mountains, while helping with the family meat business owned by his father Nishida Ninsako and mother Asaoka Taki. At the age of 10 he started Kendo, and by the time he was in high school he was captain of the school Kendo club. His plan to attend Kokushikan University became impossible with the sudden death of his father. His Kendo development was postponed as he worked full time in the family business, and at night played drums professionally.
In August 1968 he married his childhood friend from nearby Hime City, the beautiful and gracious Maki Ryoko. They were both 22 years old and had met in elementary school in the 4th grade, continued as classmates, and then had been dating in their last year in high school. The two of them opened their first meat store in Toyama City.
Soon after, Asaoka Sensei began his study of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido under Masaoka Katsutone Ikkan in Toyama, and resumed his Kendo.
Two sons were born, Motoki in December 1972, and Suguru in April 1974.
In 1978 the ham company Ito Ham hosted a tour to San Francisco, Disneyland, Denver, Niagra Falls, and New York City, and this trip gave Asaoka Sensei the idea of moving to North America for a life of better opportunities for his family. One day he saw and ad in a Kendo magazine recruiting Kendo people to Canada, whereupon he sold his stores and rented out his home, and in January 1979 arrived in Vancouver.
At first he assisted with Kendo instruction at Renbu Dojo and UBC. After three years, he was considering moving back to Japan, but Uegaki Takuo Sensei and Mr. John Schwermer convinced him to stay and continue teaching the children he’d been working with. So in 1982 these three families separated from Renbu and started Sunrise Dojo at the Hastings Community Centre. As Asaoka Sensei was often absent with trips to Japan, Uegaki Sensei took over instruction at Sunrise.
After passing 6th Dan in Japan, Asaoka Sensei felt he needed an ongoing mentor, so in the summer of 1986 he invited Kendo and Iaido Hanshi 8th Dan Haga Tadatoshi from Shizuoka to come. He had originally been introduced to Haga Sensei by his earlier teacher in Toyama. Asaoka Sensei continued to invite Haga Sensei every summer for 13 years, and they developed a strong father and son relationship.
Every summer, Asaoka Sensei very generously shared Haga Sensei with the PNKF, sending him down to stay at Koike Shinichi Sensei’s home in Seattle, so that everyone in this area would have the benefit of extended opportunities to study with this incredible teacher. Many fortunate among us studied with Haga Sensei, and through him met such greats as Narasaki Masahiko, Nakanishi Yasushi, and Yamazaki Takashige Sensei, who attended the opening of Asaoka Sensei’s Unison Dojo in North Vancouver. In the fall of 1998 when Asaoka Sensei’s Dojo had to move, Haga Sensei bestowed the name of his own Youshinkan Dojo on it, thus permanently signalizing the direct transmission from Nakayama Hakudo, whom Haga Sensei had learned from. For the 1991 8th World Kendo Championship in Toronto, we accompanied Haga Sensei’s entourage, and sat with him in the VIP section, learning from his rich commentary. All those who have known and studied with Haga Tadatoshi Sensei count themselves among the most fortunate kenshi in the world.
The two sons, Motoki and Suguru, gradually moved into the role of main instructors, and they also became world famous for their powerful performances on Team Canada at several World Kendo Championships.
On December 11, 2019, Asaoka Sensei had been rushed to the hospital when he complained of pain in the abdomen. The following day the pain continued so he received emergency surgery after another CT scan revealed that the small intestine was getting tangled with the scar tissue from the large intestine cancer surgery he’d had back in September 1997. Matters were further complicated by the fact he had not yet fully recovered from the triple bypass surgery in July. On December 15 he was transferred to Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre since Burnaby General did not have a kidney dialysis machine. After the dialysis treatments, his condition improved, but on December 27 bleeding from the large intestine recurred which resulted in deteriorating blood pressure and eventual heart failure.
The celebration of life was held on January 24, 2020 at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre in Burnaby, BC. Asaoka Sensei is survived by his second wife Miyuki and daughter Yuzu, and also by his son Motoki, (wife Anda, granddaughters Nozomi and Hikari) and son Suguru. We continue in mourning, and offer our deepest condolences to everyone in the family, and in Youshinkan Dojo.
SHINKYU SHINSA
CKF KENDO KODANSHA AND SHOGO, November 10, 2019, Toronto
6TH DAN: Hyoung (Bill) Kim (U of Toronto), Kyle Eun Seob Lee (Chinook), Inseo Park (Jung Ko).
7TH DAN: Samuel Cappiello (U at Buffalo), Hyun-June Choi (Jung Ko), Tony Davidson (U of Toronto).
RENSHI: Junko Ariyama (Montreal), Neil Gendzwill (Saskatoon), Paul Nakamura (Toronto), Francis St. Germain (McGill U).
KYOSHI: Brian Asa (JCCC), Shigemitsu Kamata (Etobicoke), Jin Whan Lee (Jung Ko), Matthew Raymond (U of Toronto), Julio Kenji Toida (Montreal), Gabriel Weitzner (JCCC).
2020 EAST COAST IAIDO SHINSA, February 16, 2020, Jersey City NJ
4TH KYU: Curtis Lu (Cherry Hill), Fausto Rodriguez (Baltimore-Annapolis).
3RD KYU: Naomi Okubo (Ken Zen), Marie Lawson (Seidogakuin DC Fudokan), Paul Spencer (Yama Kawa), Dennis Verzi (Ken Zen), Joseph Kwak (Cherry Hill), Sky Kwak (Cherry Hill), Eun Ju Kwak (Cherry Hill).
2ND KYU: Robert Shin (Shidogakuin NY Shidokan), Curtis Lu (Cherry Hill), James Jihyuk Kwak (Cherry Hill), Aleksandr Fromzel (Shidogakuin CT Genbukan), Tom Wendling (Ken Zen), John Burton (Washinkan).
1ST KYU: Peter Kim (Cherry Hill), Dmitriy Ovsyannikov (Nichibukan), Sara Scherr (Musoshindenryu Agassiz), Irina Kuznetsova (Shidogakuin CT Genbukan), James Kwak (Cherry Hill), Jefferson Svengsouk (Ittokai), Todd Christenson (Washinkan).
1ST DAN: Sean Hess (Ken Zen), Joseph Wong (Shidogakuin NJ Hakushikan), Kevin Ng (Sei Zan), Danny Chan (Mu Mon).
2ND DAN: Chris Kim (Cherry Hill), Joshua Stadtlander-Miller (Ken Zen), Philip Markunas (KenZen), Louis Thauvin (KenZen), Nathalie Jaspar (KenZen), Charlie Colbert (Ittokai), Soo Chul Bang (Shidogakuin CT Genbukan).
3RD DAN: Oscar Mendez (Associacion de Iaido y Kendo del Instituto Politecnico Nacional), Veronica Taylor (Baltimore Annapolis), Noriko Ambe (KenZen).
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, February 29, 2020, Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac, Washington
6TH KYU: Mylo Cox (Bellevue), Yuken DeBlieck (Sno-King), Evan Dong (Northwest), Andrew Hsu (Northwest), Strummer Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Marco Messah (Northwest), Danilo Murata (Northwest), Sean Wales (Northwest), Ryan Yasuda (Northwest).
5TH KYU: Kaito Ayers (Sno-King), Jaxon Cox (Bellevue), Saiichi Johnson (Seattle), Louis Liang (Northwest), Yuanchang Liang (Northwest), Aidan Santon (Seattle), Kalliope Santon (Seattle), Mifune Tanimura (Seattle), Koh Tapang (Highline).
4TH KYU: Ezra Corcoro Marx (Federal Way), Kenjiro Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Kira Pierce (Kent), DongYun Ryu (Cascade), Braeden Tapang (Highline), Amy Vier (Federal Way), Jonathan Yu (Northwest).
3RD KYU: Zachary Armstrong (UW), Masazo Ayers (Sno-King), Derrik Best (Everett), Mitchell Booth (UW), AJ Chau (UW), Cian Chu (UW), Issei DeBlieck (Sno-King), Jeramy Gee (Tacoma), Harrison Hu (UW), Ajay Kristipati (UW), Shane Lyu (UW), Emily Mather (UW), Drew Migita (Seattle), Camille Miller (UW), Jinny Moon (Bellevue), Welson Nguyen (UW), Yin Ouyang (Seattle), Denise Quach (Seattle), DongHyun Ryu (Cascade), Brian Shin (Tacoma), Maolin Tu (Seattle), Mutsuko Wichman (Cascade), Shoko Wichman (Cascade), Joe Xie (UW), Lucy Yang (UW), Rina Yuan (Bellevue), Yiwei Zhang (UW).
2ND KYU: Nicholas Chu (Bellevue), Devin Chung (Cascade), Ashley Garr (Cascade), Daniel Kao (Tacoma), Anthony Kelsey (Edmonds), Jason Kuo (UW), Maoyang Li (Bellevue), Juah Paik (Tacoma), Rebecca Roland (Portland), Shen Ru (Everett), Hui Shen (Tacoma), Daniel Shilov (Highline).
1ST KYU: Matheus (Kai) Bandur (Honda) (Cascade), Aaron Fung (Seattle), Juno Lee (UW), Aneurin Mabale (Seattle), Conrad Slater (UW), Neo Smith (Bellevue), Abigail Tan (Cascade), William Wellborn (Bellevue), Brian Wong (UW).
1ST DAN: Yue Chen (Seattle), Aidan Chervin (Portland), Espen Hellevik (UW), Brian Hong (UW), Raymond Kao (Tacoma), Gen Li (OSU), Ffion Mabale (Seattle), Krystal McIntosh (Federal Way), Connor Mulcahy (UW), Nagato Orita (Seattle), Catherine Park (Bellevue), Michael Rea (Spokane).
2ND DAN: Josh Kim (Federal Way), Daniel Lee (Tacoma), Victor Blancarte (Sno-King), Chi Pak (Portland), Jin Ho Jeon (Bellevue), Kengo Underhill (Northwest), Victor Whitman (Seattle).
3RD DAN: Jeffrey Lundell (Kent), Gregory Vielhaber (Portland), Masako Wright (RMKIF).
4TH DAN: Jaered Croes (Portland), Tiarnan Marsten (UW), Masataka Murakami (UW), Hogyun Park (OSU), Matthew Price (Seattle), Mitsuki Yoneda (UW).
AJKF SHOGO SHINSA, May 3, 2020, Kyoto
IAIDO RENSHI: Jonathan Bannister (PNKF), Terry Fukui (KenZen).
THE LAST WORD
At Busen, senior students would “shape up the underclassmen.” The head of the senior class, obtained permission from the principal, gathered the underclassman on the roof of the classroom building and would lecture to the junior, sophomore, and freshman. We would have to listen, sitting in seiza position for two or more hours. Then each of the seniors would pick on an individual student, who had not bowed to the Sempai on a particular day, and Wham! The student would get a kiai or punch to wake him up. It hurt. But he would not be repeatedly beaten, day after day or with shoes and sticks, like the Japanese Army. The whack was not considered mean, but a compassionate strike to remind you that you were at Busen, so you had to shape up. And be alert. You must have “sen”, one step ahead. Always, one step ahead in Kendo and in life.
Naito Sensei, the first Sensei at Busen, exemplified the life of Kendo as the ethical principles of Budo. Naito Sensei lived simply in an old house that he stubbornly refused to repair. A student, seeing the leaking roof, decided to help him and repair his house. Naito Sensei refused, acknowledged the student’s attention and then sent him away. During the freezing Kyoto winters, Ogawa Sensei brushed his teeth in the snow and held winter practice or kangeiko in the unheated Dojo. The true warrior (Bushi) is selfless. There is story of a Samurai who was hungry, but he gave his food to save a starving person. Then he pretended he had had a filling meal by picking his teeth with a toothpick. The life of Kendo is to be tough but live kindly; to be fearless in battle; to be trustworthy; to polish yourself both by taking care of the body and the spirit; to not be a burden to others but rather to be of service to others in the community. If you want to be rich, don’t bother with Kendo. My grandfather was not a kendoist, but he set an example of perseverance, kindness and humility. He never complained, nor did I complain or feel anger while I lived with him.</p.
I thought often during these bleak times of Ogawa Sensei’s commentary on seppuku: “Live, don’t die. Live long to contribute to others.” Of course I never went so far as contemplating suicide and reminded myself often how lucky I had been to escape death so many times in the army and in Hiroshima. Everything after was a bonus. Nonetheless, negative emotions were hard to control, especially when I lived daily in an unhappy marriage.
So I worked. I was still clearing rice fields when an American walked by. I greeted him in English and thus he discovered I was bilingual. In those days, interpreting jobs were in high demand. Captain Parker of the American Occupation Forces then hired me, initially as a translator-interpreter. When he learned I could type, I was even more valuable as an employee because I could type the Japanese information directly. I never would have thought that learning to type, which was a class I hated in the ninth grade at Leilehua High School, would become one of my assets for survival. Not only did I receive small payments from the Japanese Government, but also, much more importantly, Captain Parker gave me food.
The rice from my marriage was no longer critical. That was lucky because my wife’s mother had a sharp eye and a sharper tongue and resented anything I gave to my family. She brought the rice from their farm in the country to our house and thereby controlled exactly how much we received. She was much more my boss than the American soldiers. My wife obeyed her mother and bossed me too. Neither respected me. I came from a farmer’s family, but I wasn’t a peasant! I was a student at Busen. I had assimilated the samurai culture, but the War had prevented any positive recognition of the status I had worked so hard to achieve. I was no longer hungry, but I was still seething with anger and resentment.
This all came to a head one hot summer day. While I was working for Captain Parker, I was tearing down the barracks and hauling the wood uphill. This was exhausting work, and dangerous. I fell through the second floor once, but only had a few scrapes and bruises and continued working. My relatives wanted me to build them a large two-story house. Remembering my grandfather’s help to me, I agreed to continue to help my relatives as he surely would have done were he still alive.
One day when I was hauling the old lumber up the hill in preparation for construction, my wife called out and demanded to know what I was doing. When I told her it was for my aunt and uncle, she told me that I couldn’t make a house for my relatives. Instead, the house had to be built for us alone. That was the breaking point! “Go home,” I shouted and pointed at the door. “Go home to your mother! Now!!” We never saw each other again, although her brother did search for me to right the wrong I had done to his sister and to restore the family honor. He caused me to move more than once. I added the divorce clause to the Koseki Tohon”. Thus, we were divorced. I had no regrets. My mother had spent about two weeks at my grandfather’s house, and didn’t like the way my wife and her mother bossed me. She did not criticize me for divorcing my wife. Her focus was on “Mishiya Kyo”, a religious sect she had joined in Hawaii and followed to Japan. But that was not the case with my father.
Shortly before the divorce, my father had returned to his beloved Japan and also stayed in my grandfather’s house. But I had stubbornly asserted my will and ignored custom. He was a stubborn man who renounced me. His rejection was more painful than my divorce.
The respect and duty, “Oya Ko Ko,” owed to parents is one of the traditional bonds in Japanese society. We are given life and receive our bodies from our parents, and their parents before. Our parents and our ancestors live within us. Therefore, our bodies are gifts that we must care for, to put to good use and respect. It is our duty to stay healthy and be careful so our parents do not need to worry. With this life we are given, we owe it to our parents to leave a good name for the next generation, to do well in school so that we can successfully contribute to the community. In brief, it is our duty to make our parents proud and honor our ancestors. Of course, when the parents age, the duty is reversed. Old people must take the initiative to be healthy and continue to contribute. But if that is not possible, we care for our parents just as they care for us as babies.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 43-45. Available as free download at lulu.com.
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation PLEASE NOTE: Kenyu Online IS THE EDITION OF RECORD FOR THIS NEWSLETTER – https://www.pnkf.org/ Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Posted in Kenyu
Kenyu – September/October/November/December 2019
PNKF DATEBOOK
January 2020* 1/11: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
* 1/25-1/26: FIK Kendo Referee Seminar for the American Zone (FY 2019), Sat-Sun, British Columbia Institute of Technology Athletic Gymnasium, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2 Canada. Accommodation: Delta Hotel by Marriott Burnaby Conference Center, 4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 1C7. – Participants should be members of FIK affiliated organizations in principle. – Kendo 5 Dan or higher, and practice Kendo regularly. – No age limit to participate.
February 2020
* 2/8: Steveston Taikai, Sat, 9am, McMath High School, 4251 Garry Street, Richmond BC.
* 2/14-16: East Coast Iaido Winter Seminar, Fri, Ken Zen in NYC, and Sat-Sun, CERC Indoor Gym in Jersey City, NJ.
* 2/29: PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sat, doors open at 11am, end after godo keiko, out the door by 5pm, Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188.
March 2020
* 3/14: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
* 3/21: Highline Taikai, Sat, doors open 8:30am, opening ceremonies 9:30am, White Center Community Center, 1321 SW 102nd Street, Seattle.
* 3/21-22: 24th Annual Harvard Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament, Sat/Sun, Malkin Althletic Center (MAC), 4th floor basketball courts, on Holyoke Street, Boston.
* 3/28: PNKF Nippon Kendo Kata and BKKR Seminar, Sat, 9am-1pm, Chinook Middle School, 18650 42nd Avenue S., SeaTac, WA 98188.
* 3/28: PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa, Sat, CANCELLED.
April 2020
* 4/4: AUSKF Junior Open Championships, Sat, Marina High School, 15871 Springdale Street, Huntington Beach, California 92649. http://auskf-jrnationals.com/.
* 4/18: UW Taikai, Sat, Intramural Activities (IMA), UW campus, Montlake Boulevard NE, Seattle.
* 4/26: Cherry Blossom demo, Sun, Seattle Center.
May 2020
* 5/2: Rose City Taikai, Sat, Portland, time and venue TBD.
* 5/9: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
* 5/16: Bellevue Junior Taikai, Sat, 9:30am start time, Highland Park Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue.
* 5/30: 55th Annual Vancouver Kendo Tournament, Sat, 10am-6pm, doors open 9am, Byrne Creek Secondary School, 7777 18th Street, Burnaby, B.C. V3N 5E5
June 2020
* Probable 13th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, venue, date, and time TBD.
July 2020
* 7/18: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
August 2020
* 8/15: PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sat, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
September 2020
* 9/12: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
* 9/25-9/27: PNKF Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa, TBD.
October 2020
* 10/3: Kent Taikai, Sat TBD, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
* 10/17 or 10/24: Tacoma Taikai, Sat, TBD.
November 2020
* 11/7: PNKF Taikai, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
* 11/14-15: AUSKF Board meeting.
* 11/15: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa.
* 11/21: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
May 2021
* 5/27-30: 18WKC, Thu-Sun, Paris, France.
PNKF BOARD NEWS
At their November 16, 2019 meeting, the 2019/2020 Board was seated, and Officers were elected. President – CJ Chaney (Sno-King), Vice President – Doug Imanishi (Seattle), Treasurer – Mary DeJong (Highline), Secretary – Tom Bolling (Bellevue), UW Advisor – CJ Chaney.
Other Board members are: Masa Ando (Alaska), Jonathan Bannister (AiShinKai), Sean Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Steve Choi (Portland), Karin Fedderson (Tacoma), Mark Frederick (Northwest), Jane Higa (UW), Trinh Ho (Northwest), Bryan Imanishi, Michael Mabale (Seattle), Curtis Marsten (Kent), Tiarnan Marsten (Kent), Vicki Marsten (Federal Way), George Nakayama (Portland), Ed Olson (Tonbo), Chris Ruiz (Spokane), Russ Sinclair (Spokane), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Mark Verrey, Frank Wessbecher (Highline), David Yotsuuye (Bellevue).
The PNKF has been notified by M. Kajitani, AUSKF Vice-President for Promotion, that the AUSKF will require Bokutoni Yoru Kendo Kihonwaza Renshuho (BKKR) 1-9 be added to the Shinsa for 2nd Kyu. Official starting date is April 1, 2020, so this requirement will be added to our August 15, 2020 Kendo Shinsa. At the Shinsa, we are allowed to provide assistance to the candidate during the test, and this is not intended to fail anyone. The whole purpose is to integrate BKKR into regular Kendo practice. We plan to do a demo of this BKKR 1-9 at our February 29, 2020 Shinsa.
2019 PNKF IAIDO TAIKAI – September 29, 2019, Rain City Fencing Center, Bellevue, Washington
Sportsmanship Pledge – Derek Reynolds, Alaska Mudansha 0-1 Kyu Yudansha 1-2 Dan 1st place – Brian Burton, AiShinKai 1st place – Alden Vanderspek, AiShinKai 2nd place – Derek Reynolds, Alaska 2nd place – Thane Mittelstaedt, AiShinKai 3rd place – James Thorne, AiShinKai 3rd place – Nikhil Varma, Seattle 3rd place – Abigail Benoit, Tonbo 3rd place – Sean Horita, Musokai Yudansha 3-4 Dan (Noguchi Cup) 1st place – Lynn Miyauchi, Musokai 2nd place – Hans Andersen, AiShinKai 3rd place – Loren Nishimura, Spokane 3rd place – Christopher Parkins, Ren Ma Fighting Spirit – Loren Nishimura, Spokane
2019 HAWAII STATE KENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS, September 29, 2019, Halawa Gym
Yonenbu Shonenbu 1st place – Shu Etsumi, Kenshikan 1st place – Noa Mulder, Wahiawa 2nd place – Maiki Uda, Kenshikan 2nd place – Gavin Ushio, Lihue 3rd place – Hayato Matsuda, Kenshikan 3rd place – Malia Stachiewicz, Kenshikan 3rd place – Blair Musashi, Daijingu 3rd place – Junsei Tanizaki, Kenshikan Seinenbu Women’s Open 1st place – Gabriel Hart, Lihue 1st place – Zidi Hiramoto, Kenshikan 2nd place – Neil Shimabukuro, Aiea 2nd place – Megan Kirk, Wahiawa 3rd place – Jacie Matsumoto, Kenshikan 3rd place – Tina Kaku, Kenshikan 3rd place – Mari Shimabukuro, Aiea 3rd place – Jacie Matsumoto, Kenshikan Yudansha 1-3 Yudansha 4 and Above 1st place – Yuta Shimohara, Kenshikan 1st place – Makio Koga, Myohoji 2nd place – Vincent Koyo Yancey, Daijingu 2nd place – Bert Shibuya, Seibukan 3rd place – Nicklas Matsumoto, Kenshikan 3rd place – Carl Nakamura, Mililani 3rd place – Daiki Miura, Myohoji 3rd place – Dan Liu, Meikyokan Grand Championship Winner Hyun Kim, Kenshikan
18th LONGHORN INVITATIONAL TEAM KENDO TAIKAI – October 12, 2019, Austin, Texas
1st place – New York Kenshinkai A (N. Alcorn, Mat. Schultzel, M. Hamasaki, P. Winters, CH Huang) 2nd place - Asociacion de Kendo Nuevo Leon (A. Wong, R. Sevilla, I. Rodriguez, M. Gonzales, C. Martinez) 3rd place – Houston Kendo Kyokai A (Y. Kimura, A. Darrah, J. Kan, D. Choe, T. Nguyen) 3rd place – Dallas/Ft. Worth A (Y. Cho, K. Yamamoto, A. Navarro, R. Solitano, JK Kim, Z. Gonzales) Longhorn Awards Takashi Yabuta, 2D, San Diego Kendo Bu/UCSD, San Diego, California Carlos Martinez, 2D, Asociacion de Kendo del Estado de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico
20th INVITATIONAL TACOMA KENDO TAIKAI – October 26, 2019, Curtis High School, University Place
9 and Under 10-12 Years Kyu
1st place – Saiichi Johnson, Seattle 1st place – Juah Paik, Tacoma
2nd place – Nicklas Frederick, Tacoma 2nd place – Nicholas Chu, Bellevue
3rd place – Strummer Maxfield-Matsumoto, 3rd place – Nina Underhill, Northwest
Highline
13-15 Years Kyu 16 Years and Up Round Robin
1st place – Jonathan Yu, Northwest 1st place – Danny Chung, Cascade
2nd place – Devin Chung, Cascade 2nd place – Aaron Fung, Cascade
3rd place – Sean Kim, Seattle 3rd place – Catherine Park, Bellevue
1st Dan
1st place – Keichi Underhill, Northwest
2nd place – Josh Kim, Federal Way
3rd place – Kyle Hale, Seattle
Junior Teams
1st place – Cascade A (John Ryu, Ai Fukuda, Devin Chung)
2nd place – Northwest 1 (Nina Underhill, Isabella Lee, Jonathan Yu)
Senior Teams
1st place – Mixed Senior (Joshua Paik, Josh Kim, Danny Chung)
2nd place – Northwest (Keiji Underhill, Simon Lee, Koki Takamatsu)
National Anthem Singer – Juah Paik
Sportsmanship Pledge – Daniel Kao
Shinpan Cho – David S. Yotsuuye
45th ANNUAL PNKF KENDO TOURNAMENT – November 2, 2019, Kent Commons Recreation Center
4 Dan and Above 10 Years and Under 1st place – R. Asato, Vancouver 1st place – KA Yoshimura, Renbu 2nd place – B. Imanishi, Cascade 2nd place – M. Ishizuka, Youshinkan 3rd place – K. Chun, Hawaii 3rd place – Y. Asaoka, Youshinkan 3rd place – T. Hamanaka, Tozenji 3rd place – A. Kobayashi, Youshinkan 11-12 Years 13-15 Years 1st place – N. Son, Renbu 1st place – K. Squance, Renbu 2nd place – KE Yoshimura, Renbu 2nd place – Kei. Underhill, Northwest 3rd place – J. Paik, Tacoma 3rd place – S. Tominaga, Renbu 3rd place – F. Benson, Youshinkan 3rd place – Y. Lee, Renbu Women Kyu Women Dan 1st place – K. McIntosh, Federal Way 1st place – T. Koike, UBC 2nd place – C. Park, Bellevue 2nd place – C. Takeuchi, Youshinkan 3rd place – J. Oh, Highline 3rd place – Z. Hiromoto, Hawaii 3rd place – J. Lee, UW 3rd place – B. Park, UW 0-4 Kyu 3-1 Kyu 1st place – M. Tu, Seattle 1st place – A. Kim, Bellevue 2nd place – R. Long, UBC 2nd place – D. Chung, Cascade 3rd place – C. Chu, UW 3rd place – B. Wong, UW 3rd place – A. Yang, Bellevue 3rd place – C. Slater, UW 1-2 Dan 3 Dan 1st place – K. Higo, Renfrew 1st place – K. Yancey, Hawaii 2nd place – K. Fukuda, Cascade 2nd place – F. Wessbecher, Highline 3rd place – B. Sprenger, Obukan 3rd place – M. Murakami, UW 3rd place – D. Yao, Steveston 3rd place – M. Price, Seattle Junior Team 1st place - Renbu A (N. Son, K. Squance, H. Homma, C. Liao, Y. Lee) 2nd place - Steveston A (J. Hung, C. Robillard, L. Takahae, R. Nakano, D. Chui) 3rd place - Steveston B (J. Lam, T. Kwong, E. Chui, E. Nakano, D. Lam) 3rd place - Northwest (I. Lee, N. Underhill, J. Yu, Kei. Underhill, E. Dong) Senior Team 1st place – Youshinkan (A. Kobayashi, Y. Asaoka, F. Benson, T. Okurano, O. Benson) 2nd place - Renbu (A. Son, F. Yoshimura, R. Kim, O. Young, E. Kita) 3rd place - Hawaii (K. Chun, K. Yancey, D. Miura, Z. Hiromoto, A. Fujimoto) 3rd place - Bellevue (N. Smith, M. Blechschmidt, L. Tsybert, A. Samkange, B. Lee) Taikai Co-Chairs – CJ Chaney and Taryn Imanishi Shinpan Cho – Jeffrey Marsten Court Manager - David S. Yotsuuye Sportsmanship Pledge – Josh Kim, Federal Way Shoji Trophy – Keiji Underhill, Northwest
PASSAGE
Terrance Allan McManus finally lost his protracted and extremely painful battle, first with throat cancer, and then with acute myeloid leukemia on September 8, 2019. Born July 22, 1961 at Madigan Army Medical Center, Terry had recently celebrated his 58th birthday with an enthusiastic spirit of optimism in anticipation of a bone marrow transplant. Terry’s older daughter Keeley Noel started Kendo at Kent when she was seven, and Terry became frustrated because she wouldn’t do what he told her, so finally when she was twelve he gave in and started Kendo himself. We soon saw in him clear reflection of Keeley’s characteristically tough, stubborn, resilient, never-say-die kind of Kendo. Jolly, in-your-face, full-tilt streetfighter type of Kendo which took no prisoners, and done with a laugh, he didn’t cut himself any slack either, frequently dislocating his right shoulder and then just popping it right back in, and continuing the match without missing a beat. After a stint in the Marines right out of high school, Terry became a widely-admired airline purser flight attendant, first with Northwest, and then for many years with Delta, it was in this profession where he met his beloved beautiful wife Niki, who also shared that calling. Keeley was soon followed by a second beautiful daughter, Kylee Alaina, currently a star athlete with the BOOST Volleyball Club. Based all his life in Tukwila, Terry traveled extensively in the Kendo world, as far as Osaka, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Amsterdam, Mexico, Texas, California, Canada, making friends everywhere in our global Kendo community. Our deepest condolences to the family.
SHINKYU SHINSA
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, September 22, 2019, Conestoga Recreation and Aquatics Center, Beaverton, Oregon
5TH KYU: Owen Kaufman (Portland), Iori Ohashi (Obukan).
4TH KYU: Akio Freauff (Portland), Christopher Kocurek (Portland), Marina Wain (Portland), Brandon Yep (OSU).
3RD KYU: Liqiang Huang (OSU), Eamon Nyiri Klein (Portland), Daniel Theophanes (Obukan), Megan Vinkemulder (Portland), Qi Wei (OSU), Zhongliang Xie (OSU).
1ST KYU: Sanae Anderson (Portland).
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, September 29, 2019, Rain City Fencing Center, Bellevue, Washington
2ND KYU: Maurice Benas III (Tonbo).
1ST KYU: Derek Reynolds (Alaska), James Thorne (AiShinKai),
1ST DAN: Abigail Benoit (Tonbo), Brian Burton (AiShinKai),
2ND DAN: Nikhil Varma (Seattle).
3RD DAN: Thane Mittelstaedt (AiShinKai), Garrit Pillie (AiShinKai), Ken Tawara (Idaho).
AUSKF KENDO KODANSHA SHINSA, November 10, 2019, Griffin Elite Sports and Wellness, Erlanger, Kentucky
5TH DAN: John Beaty (GNEUSKF), Brian Beckford (MWKF), Lewis Chi (SEUSKF), Tracey Choi (EUSKF), Taishi Kato (GNEUSKF), Manabu Matsunaga (ECUSKF),
Kentaro Nagao (SWKIF), Yongki Ryu (AEUSKF), Ryoko Sato (SCKO), Paul Winters (AEUSKF), Norio Yasui (SEUSKF), Kazuto Yasuda (SEUSKF).
6TH DAN: Shinichiro Fukui (AEUSKF), Mark Kerstein (SUSKIF), Satomi Lane (ECUSKF), Hiroyuki Morobayashi (ECUSKF), Takaya Zembayashi (SCKF).
7TH DAN: Daniel Nobutatsu Yang (SCKF).
RENSHI: Jin-Kee Hyun (SEUSKF).
THE LAST WORD
But nothing was the same. My grandfather had always been a poor farmer, but now he had only a small garden where he grew potatoes, yam, soybeans and turnips. His rice field had been filled in by the Japanese army to construct a two-story barracks for the soldiers. Hastily built, unlike the little two-room house built by my great grandfather more than one hundred years ago, the building had already started to fall apart. The building was useless now, but even more significant, the rice field was also destroyed. This field not only supported my grandfather, but also helped to provide food for eight other relatives and their families living next door and throughout the hills surrounding my grandfather’s house. My father used to say that if you put energy into planting seeds, probably you’d have a harvest. But if you’re lazy and don’t plant anything, there won’t be any possibility of a harvest. Every day I worked to reclaim the rice field. First I moved the old building wood into a pile, and then the long task of clearing the dirt began. The army had covered the low wet field with about 3 feet of hard packed sand and dirt. There were no tools for dirt clearing, so I used garden tools. I filled an old wheelbarrow, pushed it up the hill, dumped it and started again. Every day I hauled until there was a small area restored to plant a little rice. This was a start, and after a few months, I had cleared about an acre. But seeds were scarce, and what seeds we could find seemed to grow very slowly. Meanwhile, hunger didn’t wait; everyone needed more rice. There was a salt shortage in Japan, so we made our own salt from the sea. First I found a sheet of galvanized tin, and made a square frying pan out of it, by bending the four sides. Then put it on some rocks to create a hole underneath it. Then I hauled the sea water, about 30 yards away with a clean new honey bucket on each end of a pole. I had to make several trips with it on my shoulder. Fortunately I had ample wood to burn from the old Japanese Army barracks. But it took quite a while to boil sea water to make some salt which we ate but also bartered and sold. We had food, but not enough. My aunts and uncles, the whole family, shared whatever was available. Sometimes there was only one bowl of rice for each person for an entire week. We added the vegetables from the small garden. Sometimes some of our vegetables would be traded for barley. Most of the time we added weeds to the rice. Most of the fishermen had been drafted and were dead; the sea had been contaminated by fuel oil and war debris. The small fish that had been left for my grandfather before the war now were rare. There was little difference between gathering food in Hayashi Yama and when I walked to Kure, when anything that moved in the sea or on land became food. My aunts traded their silk kimonos and obis for rice. Often they walked miles to barter, but returned with cupfuls of rice at best. We were hungry, but we didn’t starve. Despite our condition, my grandfather continued to save rice to place into the three cone shaped containers for the butsudan. Now, however, he placed only a few grain of rice in each container and with a shaking hand, slid the containers into the curved slots in the center and carefully placed them on each side of the altar. As he had always done, he then took out the lacquered black box from the altar drawer which contained his one book, opened to the “Sho Shin Ge” page and began to chant. He had the whole book memorized, but to learn, I would follow the words as he turned the pages of the book. I noticed that often he was not chanting from the opened page. When I asked him about this, he nodded and said, “kamawan” “That’s okay,” and continued chanting. I realized from him that intent is as important as correctness; it is not the practice of reading, but the quality of the practice that gives energy to the spirit by doing it every day. It is not just “what” you do as much as “how” you do it. We worked side by side. He worked as hard as I did – maybe harder because he was at least 80 years old. To cultivate the land, he tied the end of the wooden pick with a straw rope and then tied the other end across his back. Then he pounded the pick into the ground and pulled it with his body. He did not have enough strength to pull it with his hands. Every evening after work he cooked whatever we had in a kettle of water over a small fire heated by the wood he gathered nearby. He didn’t want help cooking and told me to sit near the hearth and watch. My jobs were mostly about carrying dirt, water and “honey.” I carried cold spring water in a clean water buckets on my shoulders from the well and poured it into a 5 gallon ceramic tub in the kitchen. The well was about one block down the steep hill. It was easy going down but exhausting coming up. And a lot of water was needed, not only for cooking but also bathing. The water would be poured into a cast iron, one-person tub, and then heated with wood, leaves and twigs gathered from the forest or wood from the debris of the barracks. Everyone bathed before me, and by the time it was my turn, the water was neither warm nor clean. But it didn’t matter; the only clothes I had were my Japanese army uniform, which by then was permanently soiled. I also collected the filled honey buckets from the outhouse and carried them on a wooden pole across my shoulders down the slope to the rice field. I recalled the man who collected “honey” in Kyoto. He was more skilled than I, but then I never thought I would do this job. The hill was slippery, and sometimes I had to jump from one tier to the lower tier. Balance was difficult. When my bucket tilted, I was showered with raw honey. I still wore my tattered military uniform, and despite rinsing in salt water, I smelled down to my bones for days. Labor hard, eat little, and fall into bed exhausted and sleep – life now was not much different than it was at Busen or when I was in the army. Actually, the army was more difficult because I didn’t agree with the training. It was brutal. Beating as a means of indoctrinating the recruits with the military spirit was a mistaken interpretation that perverted the samurai tradition. Without the Budo spirit, routine beatings, if survived, merely instilled greater brutality in the trainees. War is apt to bring out the worst qualities in men. Kendo training was tough, but part of a long tradition of training to be of service, not the training of several months in boot camp. Miyamoto Musashi’s teaching requires: “A thousand days of practice is forging and tempering your body and soul, and ten thousand days of practice is polishing the forged and tempered body and soul, while continuing to forge and temper.” –Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 43-45. Available as free download at lulu.com. Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation PLEASE NOTE: Kenyu Online IS THE EDITION OF RECORD FOR THIS NEWSLETTER – https://www.pnkf.org/ Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Posted in Kenyu, Uncategorized
Kenyu – July/August 2019
Volume 33, number 7/8
July/August 2019
PNKF DATEBOOK
September 2019* 9/7-9/8: Team USA Gasshuku, required to be considered for participation in 18WKC, Sat 8am-4pm; Sun
8am-12noon, Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA. Attendance Fee: $50 (checks payable to
“AUSKF Team USA”). Send all checks to: Spencer Hosokawa, 17 Amelia Aliso Viejo, Ca 92656.
* 9/13 and 9/14: Idaho Kendo Seminar, Fri 9/13 Keiko 6-7pm, Fri venue: Boise State Univ, Kinesiology Gym, Room 215; Sat, 10am-4pm, Sat venue: Meridian Homecourt, 736 Taylor Avenue, Meridian Idaho 83642, Court #1. Kendo Kyoshi 7th Dan Robert Stroud. Open to all levels (all ages) including those not yet in bogu, covering Kendo Kata, kihon, and application of kihon for shiai and shinsa.
Cost $25 payable at the event.
* 9/14: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
* 9/27-9/29: PNKF Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa, Fri/Sat/Sun, Rain City Fencing, 1776 136th Place NE,
Bellevue.
October 2019
* 10/5: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
* 10/26: Tacoma Taikai, Sat, Curtis High School, 8425 40th St W, University Place, WA 98466, USA.
November 2019
* 11/2: PNKF Taikai, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
* 11/2-11/3: AUSKF Second Team USA Gasshuku, Sat/Sun, venue and times TBD.
* 11/9-10: AUSKF Board meeting.
* 11/10: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa, after the ASUKF Board meeting, Griffin Elite Sports and Wellness, 700 Dolwick Drive, Erlanger, Kentucky 41018.
* 11/16: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
December 2019
* 12/7: Kent Taikai CANCELLED.
January 2020
* 1/25-1/26: FIK Kendo Referee Seminar for the American Zone (FY 2019), Sat-Sun, British Columbia Institute of Technology Athletic Gymnasium, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2 Canada. Accommodation: Delta Hotel by Marriott Burnaby Conference Center, 4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 1C7. – Participants should be members of FIK affiliated organizations in principle. – Kendo 5 Dan or higher, and practice Kendo regularly. – No age limit to participate.
April 2020
* 4/4: 2020 AUSKF Junior Open National Championships, Sat, Marina High School, 15871 Springdale Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
May 2020
* 5/2: Rose City Taikai, Sat, TBA, Portland.
May 2021
* 5/27-30: 18WKC, Thu-Sun, Paris, France.
2019 AUSKF IAIDO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – June 30, 2019, Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon
0-2 Kyu Murakami Cup 1 Kyu–1 Dan
1st place – Cierra Nix, RMKIF Castle Rock 1st place – Eric Marquart, PNKF Idaho
2nd place – Zhuron Long, AEUSKF Ken-Zen 2nd place – Adam Sandor, MWKF Agassiz
3rd place – Reminton Redell, RMKIF Castle Rock 3rd place – Brian Burton, PNKF AiShinKai
3rd place – Frauke Hachtmann, SWKIF Omaha 3rd place – Darryl Woods SWKIF Mushinkan
Kantosho – Aojie Zheng, AEUSKF Ken-Zen Kantosho – Dongying Song, AEUSKF Ken-ZenMurosako Cup 2-3 Dan Yamaguchi Cup 4–5 Dan
1st place – Allen Smith, SWKIF Mushinkan 1st place – Paul Shin, GNEUSKF Shidogakuin
2nd place – Ric Flinn, MWKF Raccoon Valley 2nd place – Gordon Hall, AEUSKF Ken-Zen
3rd place – Mike Schuldt, MWKF Agassiz 3rd place – Joe Sheldon, SUSKIF River City
3rd place – John Mullin, AEUSKF Ken-Zen 3rd place – Aram Kailian, GNEUSKF Shidogakuin
Kantosho – Sangki Lee, SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth Kantosho – George Nishiura, NCKF Palo Alto6 Dan (Inaugural Division)
1st place – Jason Hankins, RMKIF ZenBuKan
2nd place – David Bressler, AEUSKF Ken-Zen
3rd place – Terry Fukui, AEUSKF Ken-Zen
Kantosho – Samuel Okuno, SCKF Norwalk
WORLD NAGINATA CHAMPIONSHIP – July 6, 2019, Wiesbaden, Germany
Engi
Shikake-Oji Zen Nihon Renmei no Kata
1st place – A. Ajiki, M. Inoue, Japan 1st place – I. Itagaki, H. Kato, Japan
2nd place – S. Kanaoka, C. Hyashida, Japan 2nd place – I. Dermine, F. Dermine, Belgium
3rd place – C. Coppeans, B. Harrop, USA 3rd place – J. Hernandez, S. Lew, USATeam Shiai
Shiai Team Women
1st place – Japan (S. Kanaoka, C. Hayashida, A. Shido)
2nd place – Canada (M. Landekic, L. Liu, M. Phan)
3rd place – Belgium (L. Dumonceau, G. Hau, C. Vandersleyen)Shiai Team Men
1st place – Japan (M. Masuda, W. Kobashi, I. Itagaki)
2nd place – Netherlands (J. Zandstra, A. Noorman, P. Gerritsen)
3rd place – Belgium (J. D’hose, T. Dermine, F. Dermine)Individual Shiai
Shiai Individual Women Shiai Individual Men
1st place – A. Ajiki, Japan 1st place – Y. Masuda, Japan
2nd place – S. Haruyama, Japan 2nd place – M. Masuda, Japan
3rd place – C. Hayashida, Japan 3rd place – T. Fujita, JapanOverall Winner - Japan
PNKF 7th NORTH AMERICAN WOMEN’S TEAM TOURNAMENT – July 13, 2019, Renton
Special Guest Instructor – Kendo Renshi 7th Dan Chinatsu Murayama
Team
1st place - SCKF (E. Kim, K. Tada, H. Dong, Liu, A. Shinada)
2nd place – Butokuden A (K. Igarashi, J. Harasawa, H. Ariga, V. Kuo, H. Hsueh)
3rd place – PNKF B (V. Le, M. Blechschmidt, J. Higa, T. Imanishi, J. Frazier-Day)
3rd place – Microsoft (N. Sakamoto, S. Hino, S. Uchino, S. Wakizono, M. Ohara)Individual Mudansha Individual Yudansha
1st place – Krystal McIntosh, PNKF 1st place – Chigusa Takeuchi, Youshinkan
2nd place – Sammi Cheung, Quebec 2nd place – Wendy Robillard, CKF
3rd place – Heidi Lin, Butokuden 3rd place – Betty Park, PNKF
3rd place – Kate Rice, PNKF 3rd place – Kianna Darbyshire, CKF
4th place – Ai Nakayama, PNKF
4th place – Jennifer DeJong, MWKF
4th place – Isabel Lorimer, SCKO
4th place – Rika Iketani, SCKO
Shinpan Cho - Jeff Marsten
Chair – Elizabeth Marsten
Translator – Ai Nakayama
Sportsmanship Pledge – Janell Frazier-Day
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF IAIDO SHINSA, June 30, 2019, Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon
3RD KYU: Lam Cao (SEKIF Salt Lake), Kaitlyn Fife (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Jonathan Hoopes (SWKIF Salt Lake), Carter Webster (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Michael Webster (RMKIF ZenBuKan).
2ND KYU: Breanne Leach RMKIF Zen Bu Kan), Sarah Scherr (MWKF Agassiz), Mika Shafer (NCKF Oakland).
1ST KYU: Kirill Buzinov (SWKIF Mushinkan), Shamina Chang (SUSKIF Chiba), Alex Cherry (SWKIF Salt Lake), Michael Curtis (RMKIF Rocky Mountain), Frauke Hachtmann (SWKIF Omaha), Zhuoran Long (AEUSKF Ken-Zen), Cierra Nix (RMKIF Castle Rock), Gilberto Perez (SEUSKF TokoBuKan), Tyler Peterson (PNKF Idaho), Remington Redell (RMKIF Castle Rock), Andy Webster (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Aojie Zheng ((AEUSKF Ken-Zen).
1ST DAN: Michio Kajitani (SWKIF Arkansas), Alberto Mera (CLAK Federacion Dominicana), Adam Sandor (MWKF Agassiz), Ben Senderling (SWKIF Omaha).
2ND DAN: Cheyenne Baker (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), Jared Bowler (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Michael Jacobson (MWKF Agassiz), Eric Marquardt (PNKF Idaho), Gary Moulder (NCKF Palo Alto), Philip Sevin (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Dongying Song AEUSKF Ken-Zen), Alden Vanderspek (PNKF AiShinKai), Feng (Blade) Wang (SWKIF Mushinkan), Darryl Woods (SWKIF Mushinkan).
3RD DAN: John Baker (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), Jordy Davis (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Celeste Rosell (RMKIF ZenBuKan), Allen Smith (SWKIF Mushinkan).
4TH DAN: David Chung-Pei Cheng (CKF SFU Shinbukan), Richard Flynn (MWKF Raccoon Valley), John Mullin (AEUSKF Ken-Zen), Levon Sukiassyan (SCKF Pasadena).
5TH DAN: Brian Beckford (MWKF Detroit), Takanori Furuta (AEUSKF Ittokai), Hiroaki Fukumoto (PNKF Seattle).
6TH DAN: Paul Shin (GNEUSKF Shidogakuin), Cynthia Tanabe (NCKF Salinas).
AUSKF JODO SHINSA, June 30, 2019, Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon
1ST KYU: Cheyenne Baker (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), John Baker (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), Jonathan Berry (MWKF Minnehaha), David Cooper (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), Nicholas Harrison (AEUSKF US Kobujodokai), Tomoyuki Hirasawa (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth), Cierra Nix (RMKIK Castle Rock), Julian Smith (RMKIF Castle Rock), Donying Song (AEUSKF Ken-Zen), Robert Stroud (PNKF Idaho), Kurt Van Horn (PNKF Hoshu).
1ST DAN: Amber Adams (SCKO Kobujodokai), Abigail Benoit (PNKF Tonbo), Lisanna Dettwyler (PNKF Hoshu), Sarah Scherr (MWKF Agassiz), Bob Schneider (SCKO Butokuden), Michi Takeda (SCKF Kubojodokai), Robert Tranchin (SWKIF Dallas-Ft Worth).
2ND DAN: Bradley Anderson (MWKF Agassiz), David Bressler (AEUSKF Ken-Zen), Michael Jacobson (MWKF Agassiz), Peter Kim (AEUSKF Doshikai), An Nguyen (SCKO Butokuden), Jaden Olah (SWKIF Yamakage), Judit Olah (SWKIF Yamakage), Adam Sandor (MWKF Agassiz), Michael Schuldt (MWKF Agassiz).
3RD DAN: Luis Adolfo Arancibia (CLAK Chile Jodo), Chris Dowling (PNKF Hoshu), Richard Flinn (MWKF Raccoon Valley).
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, August 10, 2019, Kent Commons Recreation Center, Kent
6TH KYU: Louis Liang (Northwest), Yuanchang Liang (Northwest), John Morse (Northwest), Atticus Slosson (Northwest), Koh Tapang (Highline).
5TH KYU: Madeleine Day (Kent), Hideaki Ito (Bellevue), Emerson Lau (Bellevue), Braeden Tapang (Highline).
4TH KYU: Keegan Hirata (Federal Way), Joe Kabeshita (Obukan), Brent Krupp (Cascade), Truman Lau (Bellevue), Yin Ouyang (Seattle), Denise Quach (Seattle), Rina Yuan (Bellevue).
3RD KYU: Nicholas Chu (Bellevue), Mi Jang (Tacoma), Taka Kabeshita (Obukan), Anthony Kelsey (Edmonds), Tory Kim (Northwest), Juah Paik (Tacoma), Rebecca Roland (Portland), Shen Ru (Everett), Hui Shen (Tacoma), Demetria Spinrad (Sno-King), Yi Sun (Bellevue), Michinari Tawara (Bellevue), Nina Underhill (Northwest), Fei Yuan (Bellevue).
2ND KYU: Andrea Calhoun (Portland), Aaron Fung (Seattle), Alex Kim (Bellevue), Sean Kim (Seattle), Seira Kojima (Bellevue), Yoji Konno (Meadowbrook), Juno Lee (UW), Dorrit Lin (UW), Aneurin Mabale (Seattle), Ju Young Oh (Highline), Conrad Slater (UW), Abigail Tan (UW), Brian Wong (UW), Alec Yuen (Seattle).
1ST KYU: Danny Chung (Cascade), Michael Ciesielski (Spokane), Espen Hellevik (UW), Taiki Miyamoto (Northwest), Connor Mulcahy (UW), Michael Rea (Spokane), Alexander Rossi (Spokane), Zhaoyuan Xu (Cascade), Derek Woodward (Everett).
1ST DAN: Tommy Espinal (AEUSKF U Rochester), Leo Gao (UW), Kyle Hale (Seattle), Eugene Kim (Seattle), Shoichi Kimura (Obukand), Elysia Midorikawa (UW), Matt Miyamoto (Northwest), Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Sung Won Ryu (Cascade), Michele Soleimani (Portland), Joshua Paik (Tacoma), Jin Pak (Northwest), Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Koki Takamatsu (Bellevue), Keiji Underhill (Northwest), Suepapone Vanasouk (Cascade).
2ND DAN: Athena Epilepsia (Bellevue), Kyle McDaniel (Seattle), Peter Palmer (Northwest), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Shota Wetlesen (Obukan).
3RD DAN: Jacob Colter (Yamauchi) (Cascade), Dan DeLongChamp (Obukan), Soo-Hyung Kim (Seattle), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Andrew Yuen (Seattle).
AUSKF KODANSHA SHINSA, August 18, 2019, Eccles Student Life Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
5TH DAN: Guillermo Auvert (SEUSKF), Rex Joshua Hahn (WKF), Kenji Irie (SCKF), Kentaro Ninomiya (AEUSKF), Steven Sasaki (SWKIF), Takuro Yamaoka (SWKIF).
6TH DAN: Donghun Lee (AEUSKF), Nobuo Monji (CCKF), George Ogawa (NCKF), Charles C. Pak (SCKO), Joji Takada (MWKF).
7TH DAN: Jin-Kee Hyun (SEUSKF), Kohjiro Kinno (SCKF).
RENSHI: Akira Banchi (SCKO).
THE LAST WORD
Hiroshima, 1945
We were so isolated in Kochi that we had lost communications with our base in Hiroshima. We didn’t know about the Bomb or the end of the War until few weeks after Japan surrendered. But we weren’t surprised. The old soldiers were tired and already felt defeated, and most of us had known for some months that the war was lost. We just didn’t know the form that loss would take.
We arrived in Hiroshima, completely unprepared for the devastation. We skirted the city. Shicho Tai, our base, had been evaporated. There are no words for what we saw. A bomb, yes, but what kind of a bomb? Annihilation of this magnitude was inconceivable! And the devastation assaulted us wherever we gazed. The central city was flattened. Only the skeleton of a few brick buildings to the west remained. The sky was still thick with smoke from smoldering buildings and funeral pyres where bodies could no longer be cremated separately with respect and proper ritual, but stacked in piles for mass disposal. There was no ability to dignify death. Nonetheless, bodies were everywhere, horribly maimed and decaying, magnets for millions of flies. And there were the injured and dying, waiting and hoping for help. Two hundred thousand people died after the initial explosion. The city was eerily quiet. The sobs and screams of children occasionally pierced the silence, but adults didn’t speak. What could be said? People continued to die. But there were no words. There was no time for mourning. There was little food. Drinking water was scarce with the rivers weaving through the city contaminated with dead bodies and the fallout from the bomb. There was neither help nor medical supplies. There were too few doctors. Shock and suffering, chaos and destruction …
Of course we, like the citizens of Hiroshima and the military leaders, did not know the nature of the bomb, only rumors. Many had heard the Emperor’s surrender speech, the first time he had spoken on the radio in a language that common people had difficulty understanding. A joint army-navy meeting on August 10, under the auspices of the Imperial Headquarters, confirmed that the Americans had dropped the atomic bomb. But the information filtered to the people more slowly and it was more than a week for most to hear the truth but it was almost impossible to understand. There was no comprehension and certainly no knowledge of the long-term effects of radiation. Moreover, the Allied Occupation GHQ issued a press code on September 19, 1945 restricting references to the atomic bomb in speech, reporting, and publications; GHQ had to give permission, and generally refused, prohibiting any publication of A-bomb information.
Kendo training teaches not to be afraid. Fear alters the body, creating tension and compromising response. Kendo training failed me at Hiroshima. This was a world gone mad, pure destruction and I felt a deep, dark, paralyzing fear beyond reason or action. But maybe Kendo training did help, because I did remember to breathe deeply, five meditative breaths to the hara, and regained some calm. At the Hiroshima railroad station, from where no trains were now dispatched, I turned to my soldiers and asked if they had a home. Their replies were immediate. “Hai, hai, hai!” Everyone had a home. “Go,” I said, and they all started walking toward home.
Then I realized I was alone. Did I have a home where I could return? The question was empty, an echo from nowhere. I had no home. I longed for Hawaii, but I could not return. But Wahiawa was where I longed to be, in the gentle islands smelling of plumeria and wild ginger. Even rotting mangoes have a fecund, sweet smell. All I could smell here was burnt flesh, and that smell is something I tried to forget. In fact, I try to forget everything about Hiroshima after the Bomb.
During the times when I had nearly been killed, I lost the capacity for fear. No flinching, no jumpiness. Instinct takes over; no thoughts of terrible possibilities or hopes of the future, or even dying. I just blocked everything. The War was finished but war is never finished just because one side surrenders. Hiroshima is proof of that. I turned toward Kure and my grandfather’s house. There was no other choice. I didn’t know whether the house was even there. But I was lucky. I was alive, not injured, and I had to respect this life I was given and get up, move, act.
I set out from Hiroshima Station to walk the ~50 miles to Kure. All I had was my soldier’s uniform to cover my skin, a military backpack, and my Japanese sword hung from my left side. I didn’t know whether I would get there or not. There was no time commitment for me. I didn’t care. I just walked at a slow pace chewing on the remains of hard crackers that I had left. It was the only food I had, and soon I had none. I had no water. And the Hiroshima in August is hot and humid.
I was thirsty and hungry. When I saw a green plant along the road, although most often it was only a blade of grass, I ate it. Fasting is said to enhance clarity. Perhaps, but starvation is just painful. I understood hunger. The gut feels like it is ripping apart, twisted and stretched. All I could think of was food, and then nothing. I just put one foot in front of the other.
The road was full of other soldiers and entire families leaving Hiroshima. There was no food for any of us. We were all helpless. We were all in rags. Nobody was in any position to give help. There was no shelter. People slept by the side of the road, under rags or lean-to’s made of debris or pieces of metal; abandoned vehicles gave some respite. It was cold at night, boiling during the day; at times it rained, at times the wind blew, but there was no shelter.
I turned east toward the shores. Along the shores between Hiroshima and Kure were seaweed, clams and some small fish. I scooped them up with both hands and stuffed them into my mouth, whole and raw. I ate everything raw. I told myself, “If anything moves, eat ‘um.” Living creatures are either prey or predator. I would live, but I no longer cared. Walk, walk, walk. Continuing to walk but no longer caring whether I got to Kure or not. One foot at a time. Walking, walking…
CHAPTER 4 Wind
To renew, when we are deadlocked with the enemy, means that without changing our circumstances we change our spirit and win through a different technique. (Musashi)
I don’t remember how many days it took me to reach Hayashi Yama (now Miharashi Cho), my grandfather’s village in Kure, but when I finally looked up it was sunrise, and I saw my grandfather working in the fields just as he had done when I had left for the army that morning in 1942. Unlike the 15 million homeless people throughout Japan, I had a home to live in and some food.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 39-43. Available as free download at lulu.com. Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation PLEASE NOTE: Kenyu Online IS THE EDITION OF RECORD FOR THIS NEWSLETTER – https://www.pnkf.org/ Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Posted in Kenyu, Uncategorized
Kenyu – May/June 2019
PNKF DATEBOOK
July 2019- 7/6-7/13: North American Women’s Kendo Tournament and Seminar, led by Kendo Renshi 7th Dan Chinatsu Maruyama, five time All Japan Champion, Seminar 7/6-7/11 Sat-Thu. Championship 7/13 Sat, 9:30am-5pm, Renton Community Center, 1715 Maple Valley Hwy, Renton. https://womenskendo.com/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WomensKendo/ for full schedule.
- 7/14: Western Kendo Federation(WKF) 2019 ENGO Scholarship Junior Kendo Championship, Sat, John Burroughs High School Gymnasium Building 5, 1920 W. Clark Ave, Burbank, California. Registration deadline June 20, 2019.
- 7/20: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 7/28: Toubukan International Friendship Kendo Summer Practice, Sun, 9am-3pm, Toubukan Dojo, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan.
- 7/28-7/29: Hoshu Dojo Jodo Mini-Camp, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 9am-12noon, Rain City Fencing Center, 1776 136th Place NE, Bellevue.
- 8/9-11: PNKF Summer Camp, Fri, Sat, Sun, Highland Community Center, Steve Cox Memorial Park.
- 8/9: Friday, 8-9:30pm, Highland Community Center (Bellevue Kendo Club). Content: kodansha shinsa – we will have a mock exam with feedback from sensei that sit on the AUSKF Kodansha Board. This mock exam is for 4D and above only.
- 8/10: Saturday, 9:30-11:30am, Kent Community Center (Kent Kendo Club). Content: 3 stations – bokuto kata, kendo kata and shinsa prep for 4D and below. This content will be flexible based on attendance. Saturday, 12:30pm-3pm – PNKF Shinkyu Shinsa 3-4:30pm -Open keiko
- 8/11: Sunday, 10am-3pm, Steve Cox Memorial Park (Highline Kendo Kai). Content: shimpan and shiai for jodan and nito – we will have matches to improve our shimpan experience with jodan and nito players, as well as shiai techniques for countering them. 12pm-1pm -Lunch break – you will need to provide your own. 1pm-3pm – Junior matches – shimpan practice for adults and coaching pointers from PNKF 2020 team coaches.
- Please note, you need to be a PNKF member to participate in all events. Brandon Harada sensei, 7D, former Team USA member, is coming to lead our seminar, participate in the shinsa, and keiko with us as part of the AUSKF/Team USA Giving Back program.
- 8/16-8/18: AUSKF Summer Camp, Fri/Sat/Sun, George S. Eccles Student Life Center, University of Utah Campus, Salt Lake City. Event hotel is University Guest House and Conference Center, 110 S. Fort Douglas Blvd, Salt Lake City, Utah 84113. For info please contact Steven Sasaki phone 402-968-0615 stevensasaki@comcast.net
- 9/7-9/8: Team USA Gasshuku, required to be considered for participation in 18WKC, Sat 8am-4pm; Sun 8am-12noon, Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA. Attendance Fee: $50 (checks payable to “AUSKF Team USA”). Send all checks to: Spencer Hosokawa, 17 Amelia Aliso Viejo, Ca 92656.
- 9/14: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 9/27-9/29: PNKF Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa. October 2019
- 10/5: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
- 10/26: Tacoma Taikai, Sat, venue and time TBD.
- 11/2: PNKF Taikai, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
- 11/2-11/3: AUSKF Second Team USA Gasshuku, Sat/Sun, venue and times TBD.
- 11/9-10: AUSKF Board meeting.
- 11/10: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa.
- 11/16: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 12/7: Kent Taikai, Sat, TBD, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
- 5/27-30: 18WKC, Thu-Sun, Paris, France.
TEAM PNKF HEAD COACH IS ELIZABETH MARSTEN
At their May 4, 2019 meeting the PNKF Board elected Kendo Renshi 6th Dan Elizabeth Marsten Head Coach of Team PNKF for the 2020 AUSKF Championships. The PNKF Head Coach oversees the assistant coaches of the men’s, women’s, and juniors’ Teams. For years she was the PNKF Advisor to UW, and has competed in many events, including at the World Kendo Championships in 2000, and in 2003, when her Team won the bronze medal in Glasgow, Scotland. She captained the PNKF Womens’ Team which won second place at the 2017 AUSKF Championships in San Jose, California.TOUBUKAN INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP KENDO SUMMER PRACTICE
In the early Meiji Era, Toubukan Dojo inherited Hokushin Ittouryu, the origin of the modern Kendo. Takaharu Naito Sensei, who was sent to Kyoto Budo Senmon Gakko (Busen) from Toubukan, later produced many Kendo instructors. Through them, Kendo was introduced to the rest of the world. Gordon Warner Sensei, who taught Kendo in the USA, and with Junzo Sasamori Sensei wrote This Is Kendo, also spent time at Toubukan, which appears in his book. Practicing Kendo at this historical Dojo in Japan would be an unforgettable experience.Program: 1) Opening 2) Demonstration - Iai - Hokushin Ittouryu - Shin Tamiyaryu - Naginata 3) Kodansha Tachiai 4) KeikoPurpose: To nurture friendship through Kendo (Kou Ken Chi Ai). They are keen to hold a friendship Kendo match/keiko inviting Kendoists from overseas. Our friend Katsunori Osuga Sensei has practiced extensively overseas, including here in the PNKF, so they asked him to check if anyone is interested to come. The cost for the trip and stay in Japan will have to be borne by the participants. It will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Mito City, which is a two-hour bus ride from Narita. Practicing Kendo in this famous traditional Dojo will be an unforgettable experience. toubukan.or.jp Since time is pressed for planning, please let Osuga Sensei know if anyone is interested to come. The number of participants is not limited. Osuga Sensei’s address is: katsunoriosuga@hotmail.com
29th ANNUAL BELLEVUE JUNIOR KENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS – May 18, 2019
10 and Under 11 and 12 Years 1st place – S. Johnson, Seattle 1st place – J. Yu, Northwest 2nd place – V. Chen, Oakland 2nd place – N. Chu, Bellevue 3rd place – E. Cocoro Marx, Federal Way 3rd place – I. DeBlieck, Sno-King 3rd place – O. Kaufman, Portland 3rd place – D. Chung, Cascade 13 and 14 Years High School Girls 1st place – J. Paik, Tacoma 1st place – B. Park, Bellevue 2nd place – A. Mabale, Seattle 2nd place – A. Fukuda, Cascade 3rd place – M. Ayers, Sno-King 3rd place – S. Kojima, Cascade 3rd place – E. Kim, Seattle 3rd place – H. Son, Federal Way High School Boys 1st place – Keiji Underhill, Northwest 2nd place – Kengo Underhill, Northwest 3rd place – K. Takamatsu, Bellevue 3rd place – A. Yuen, Seattle Junior Teams 1st place - Bellevue (M. Tawara, H. Koob, K. Takamatsu, J. Chu, L. Ohata) 2nd place - Seattle (A. Mabale, S. Kim, A. Fung, E. Kim, N. Orita) High School Teams 1st place – Cascade (Da. Chung, K. Fukuda, A. Garr) 2nd place – Seattle (K. Hale, M. Hsu, A. Yuen) Awesome Spirit Award – Kyle Fukuda, Cascade Centurion Bellevue Highline Sno-King Youth Leadership Award – Issei DeBlieck, Sno-King Head Shinpan - David Yotsuuye; Taikai Chair – Michi Ohata; Sportsmanship Pledge – Michi Ohata
4th ANNUAL VANCOUVER KENDO TOURNAMENT – June 1, 2019, Byrne Secondary School
9 Years and Under 10 to 12 Years 1st place – Y. Asaoka, Youshinkan 1st place – N. Son, Renbu 2nd place – A. Kobayashi, Youshinkan 2nd place – C. Liao, Renbu 3rd place – M. Ishizuka, Youshinkan 3rd place – B. Buckham, UVic 3rd place – M. Tanimura, Seattle 3rd place – Ke Yoshimura, Renbu 13 to 15 Years 16 to 20 Years 1st place – K. Underhill, Northwest 1st place – K. Muramatsu, Renfrew 2nd place – B. Miki, Steveston 2nd place – H. Shim, Renbu 3rd place – K. Squance, Renbu 3rd place – G. Kitamura, Tozenji 3rd place – R. Nakano, Steveston 3rd place – D. Imanishi, Seattle 21 to 30 Years 31 to 40 Years 1st place – K. Unzei, Aoi Budogu 1st place – K. Kobayashi, Yushinkan 2nd place – R. Asato, Vancouver 2nd place – G. Suzaka, Seattle 3rd place – T. Hamanaka, Tozenji 3rd place – J. Magaling, SFU 3rd place – A. Xie, Youshinkan 3rd place – A. Yen, Seattle 41 Years and Over Women 1st place – M. Rose, Renfrew 1st place – C. Takeuchi, Youshinkan 2nd place – HK Park, Century 2nd place – A. Fukushima, Vancouver 3rd place – F. Yoshimura, Renbu 3rd place – K. Darbyshire, Vancouver 3rd place – J. Schmidt, Youshinkan 3rd place – N. Fukushima, Vancouver Junior Team 1st place – Renbu A (N. Son, K. Squance, H. Tominaga, A. Son, Y. Lee) 2nd place – Steveston A (A. Iwai, C. Robillard, D. Chui, B. Miki, R. Nakano) Senior Team 1st place - Youshinkan (K. Takeuchi, A. Xie, K. Kobayashi, J. Chien, C. Takeuchi) 2nd place – Bellevue/Highline/Sno-King (E. Park, Y. Shim, F. Wessbecher, K. Unzei, L. Tsybert) Fighting Spirit - M. Shirai, Youshinkan and M. Underhill, Northwest Shinpan-Cho – Motoki Asaoka; Master of Ceremonies - Bill McMichael; Sportsmanship Pledge – John Leung
3rd TADAO TODA HAI MEMORIAL KENDO TOURNAMENT – June 16, 2019, Caldwell, Idaho
Lower Division (2 Dan and Below) Upper Division (3 Dan and Above) 1st place – Jordy Davis, Zenbukan 1st place – Fumihide Itokazu, Covina 2nd place – Tyler Peterson, Idaho 2nd place – Jason Steick, Edmonton 3rd place – Yumon Wei, NYC 3rd place – Ryan Atagi, Idaho 3rd place – Blake Sprenger, Obukan 3rd place – Paul Winters, New York Kenshinkai
2019 ROSE CITY TAIKAI – June 22, 2019, Conestoga Recreation and Aquatic Center, Beaverton, Oregon
Women’s Open Juniors 12 and Under 1st place – A. Nakayama, Portland 1st place – J. Paik, Tacoma 2nd place – K. Croes, Portland 2nd place – J. Kabeshita, Obukan 3rd place – A. Epilepsia, Bellevue 3rd place – K. McIntosh, Federal Way Juniors 13-15 0-3 Kyu 1st place – J. Paik, Tacoma 1st place – L. Bobadilla, OSU 2nd place – T. Ting, Northwest 2nd place – A. Kim, Bellevue 3rd place – T. Kabeshita, Obukan 3rd place – D. Wildman, Portland 2-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan 1st place – A. Rossi, Spokane 1st place – Y. Paik, Tacoma 2nd place – M. Rea, Spokane 2nd place – Shun Wetlesen, Obukan 3rd place – T. Jaybush, Bellevue 3rd place – A. Law, Sno-King 3rd place – K. McIntosh, Federal Way 3rd place – G. Vielhaber, Portland 3 Dan 4 Dan and Above 1st place – K. Nakaya, Portland 1st place – I. Morgan, Kent 2nd place – D. Anzai, Obukan 2nd place – A. Nakayama, Portland 3rd place – N. Cook, Portland 3rd place – C. Ruiz, Spokane 3rd place – M. Price, Seattle 3rd place – E. Wain, Portland Junior Teams 1st place - Tacoma (S. Johnson, Juah Paik, Joshua Paik) 2nd place - Obukan (I. Ohayashi, J. Kabeshita, L. Jesequel) Senior Teams 1st place - Obukan (Shun Wetlesen, Shota Wetlesen, B. Sprenger, D. Anzai, M. Nakamura) 2nd place - Spokane (A. Rossi, I. Morgan, M. Nelson, M. Rea, C. Ruiz) 3rd place – Portland A (K. Nakaya, G. Nakayama, A. Nakayama, E. Waln, T. Toshima) 3rd place – Portland B (N. Cook, G. Vielhaber, J. Kaufman, A. Chervin, K. Croes) Head Shinpan - Doug Imanishi; Competitors’ Pledge – Joe Kabeshita; Master of Ceremonies – Kenneth Gordon
LEEWARD OAHU KENDO TOURNAMENT – June 23, 2019, Mililani District Park Gym
Yonenbu 8-11 Years Shonenbu 12-15 Years 1st place – Leland Hara 1st place – Devin Chung 2nd place – Takeshi Saito 2nd place – Abigail Mejia 3rd place – Zachary Yamamoto 3rd place – Ken Foltz Seinenbu Open Women’s Open 1st place – Ai Fukuda 1st place – Zidi Hiromoto 2nd place – Tom Fukuda 2nd place – Aki Stachiewiez 3rd place – N. Shimabukuro 3rd place – Tina Kaku 3rd place – Gina Kishimoto Yudansha 1-2 Dan Yudansha 3-4 Dan 1st place – Y. Park 1st place – James Okada 2nd place – Kyle Fukuda 2nd place – Keith Hui 3rd place – Jake Yamauchi 3rd place – Lonny Hancock 3rd place – Keone Rivers 3rd place – Koyo Yancey Yudansha 5-6 Dan Yudansha Masters 3 Dan and Over 50 Years 1st place – Chris Goodin 1st place – Garrett Matsumoto 2nd place – Bryan Imanishi 2nd place – David Kikau 3rd place – Jack Yamada 3rd place – Ken Sugano 3rd place – Grant Matsubayashi Team Match Parents/Kids Team Match 1st place – Mililani (Mark Miyamoto, Wesley Fujimoto, Lonnie Hancock, Gina Kishimoto, Andy Fujimoto) 2nd place – Kenshikan (Jack Yamada, Nicklas Matsumoto, Kevin Chun, Zidi Hiromoto, Yuichi Miura) Parents/Kids Team Match Parents – 2 Kids - 4 James Oka Fighting Spirit Award – Abigail Mejia
THE LAST WORD
My final order was to return to Kochi to gather the supplies we had saved by scattering them in the hills in farmers’ warehouses. The roads were narrow, the drivers inexperienced and the trucks easily slid into the rice paddies. We had no towing tools so when a truck was stuck, everyone would work together to heave the truck upright and attempt to get it back on the road. But that was easy compared to rescuing our own men who would often become trapped inside the truck when it rolled. One time a truck rolled over and pinned a soldier. Gasoline spilled from the truck and covered his body. We finally rolled the truck off him, but he was in no shape to continue his duties. Due to the gasoline burns, his skin was peeling from his entire body. He suffered horribly, especially when he moved. I sent him back to Hiroshima. Then came the Atomic Bomb that released his pain completely! How perfunctory and cold my attitude now seems – he burned then died. No description of his unrelenting screams of agony, the calls to his mother, the terror in his eyes. But that is what happens in war. Too much suffering and death can drive a man insane unless the senses of pity and horror are numbed. Anger is acceptable. Soldiers are taught not to look in the eyes of an enemy if killing in close combat. Looking into the eyes creates a relationship. We are taught about relationship in Kendo. But there is no time in boot camp to learn how to create a life as well as take a life. In modern warfare, killing is, when possible, more distant. That is probably good for the mental health of soldiers, even though it avoids confronting the reality of death on a bloody battlefield. –Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 38-39. Available as free download at lulu.com. Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation PLEASE NOTE: Kenyu Online IS THE EDITION OF RECORD FOR THIS NEWSLETTER – https://www.pnkf.org/ Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Posted in Kenyu