http://www.kendouk.net/ datum IS en-gb http://www.kendouk.net/images/logo.gif http://www.kendouk.net/ web@datum.org.uk http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=247     BKA Northern Seminar and Dan  examination Ikkyu-Sandan with Mike Davis sensei 7-dan Kyoshi - Sat 10th March 1200-1700. Scotstoun Leisure Centre, 72 Danes Drive, Glasgow G14 9HU.   Seminar program and details to be announced. The seminar will be structured to prepare candidates for the dan examination the following day and will be led by Mike Davis sensei - nanadan Kyoshi. Sensei; Mike Davis 7-dan Kyoshi John Hepburn 6-dan Renshi Steve Bishop 6-dan Gerry Kincaid 6-dan JIm Corey 5-dan Please use the facebook page to join the seminar. It is ok to register and pay on the day. For the Dan examination you must register online via the BKA website. - http://kendo.org.uk/    Contact details - Gerry Kincaid e.web@datum.org.uk  FB event page - http://www.facebook.com/events/210472305713334/ http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=246     BKA Northern Regional squad training - Sat 28th Jan 1200-1500. Scotstoun Leisure Centre, 72 Danes Drive, Glasgow G14 9HU.   This event is open to all kendoka and while the focus is on shiai the key aspects of Kendo covered on the day will be of value any kendoka at whatever level. Initial fitness assessment  Attitudes to Shiai  Initial groups  Group and individual shiai  Video assessment and feedback  Documentation - personal development plans and youtube video site etc.  Case study - Chris Yang's I believe pdf on the motivation and training for the USA team  Keiko  Contact details - Gerry Kincaid e.web@datum.org.uk  FB event page - www.facebook.com/events/219481531468866/ http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=245 Yugenkai & Edinburgh Kendo Club wish to invite you to a winter Seminar. http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=244 Please click on the poster for an application form http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=243 Urgent Update ---- The British Open Taikai & Grading 2011 - The Premier Cup 10/11th September   The following changes have been made...To enter the Premier Cup you must be a BKA member rather than a British passport holder and for the Mumeishi grading in October you must have been a member of the BKA for at least 6 months. Further...The British Open is now open to BKA & FIK members, one fee for all. The British Open will comprise an individual ladies competition and the ladies will also be able to join. Two categories - 3 Dan & below, 4 Dan & above -- The Bowden and Premier Cup Taikai - Premier Taikai is open only to BKA members. 10/11 September 2011   To book please click here The Doug Ellis Sports Centre Birmingham City University City North Campus 150 Wellhead Lane Perry Barr Birmingham B42 2SY Doug Ellis Sports Centre  The British Open – Open to BKA & FIK members - 15/16 October 2011   To book Please click here Please book online at link above Cranford Community College High Street Cranford Middlesex U.K. TW5 9PD By Car: Half mile from Junction 3, M4 / 2 miles from Heathrow Airport By Bus / Train / Underground: Bus No: 105 – from Heathrow Airport or via Greenford – Southall Rail Station Bus No: 111 – from Hounslow East Underground (Piccadilly Line) Bus No: H28 – special bus route stops just past the college Bus No: 81, H98 & 222 – stop on the Bath Rd (A4) at Jarvis International Hotel, which is a 10mins walk to the college.   *This only applies to The British Open Taikai ** You must be a full member of the BKA for at least 6 months (including any temporary membership) before a grading. Foreign Kendoka wishing to grade – normal rules apply. Please see the BKA website. Alan James Thompson http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=242 Kashi No Ki Kenyu Kai are auctioning a range of kendo items, some signed and some very rare, to raise money for the Tohoku Kids Project, which supports children orphaned in the March earthquake. Take a look and make bid, it's for a very good cause. All items have been donated by 8th Dan sensei Takizawa, Ozawa and Tashiro - all prevkious visitors to the UK. You can save on postage if you are a UK kendoka - I'm sure we can get the item to you through the kendo community.   Please click here to go to the ebay action page. Thank you for your support http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=241  Greetings Kendo friends   As I'm sure you are aware next weekend the Northern Open and Komatsu Cup charity event will take place in the North East, so time to get your teams and individuals registered is running out fast. The cut off date for registrations is this coming Sunday July 24th. We already have some great teams already registered and we would like to invite you to join them, so please visit our website at www.northernopen.co.uk for all registration details and Taikai information. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross!!! This will be a great event helping a great cause so we hope you can join us next weekend. Also the winners will receive vouchers to be spent with our fantastic sponsor Miyako Kendogu, please visit their website at www.kendo-bogu.com   Many Thanks The Northern Open/Komatsu Cup team.   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=240 The British Open Taikai & Grading 2011 - 15/16 October 2011 - *********** The British Open – Open to all Nationalities ********* Cranford Community College, High Street, Cranford, Middlesex, U.K TW5 9PD, +44 (0)20 8571 3374, +44 (0)20 8571 3374 Click here to book online By Car: Half mile from Junction 3, M4 / 2 miles from Heathrow Airport By Bus / Train / Underground: Bus No: 105 – from Heathrow Airport or via Greenford – Southall Rail Station Bus No: 111 – from Hounslow East Underground (Piccadilly Line) Bus No: H28 – special bus route stops just past the college Bus No: 81, H98 & 222 – stop on the Bath Rd (A4) at Jarvis International Hotel, which is a 10mins walk to the college. *Non BKA members can join as a temporary BKA member and pay on the day.This only applies to The British Open Taikai You must be a full member of the BKA for at least 3 months before you are eligible to grade.  Bowden & Premier Cup Taikai - 10/11 September 2011 -  Premier Cup Taikai – open only to British passport holders  The Doug Ellis Sports Centre - Birmingham City University - City North Campus Click here to book online 150 Wellhead Lane Perry Barr Birmingham B42 2SY   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=239 100 Kirikaeshi for the tsunami victims, Cambridge, 11 June 2011 http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=238 Kashi No Ki Mizoguchi-Ha-Itto-Ryu seminar Oed by Hiroshi Ozawa, Hachidan Kyoshi On Sunday 10th July 2011 Kashi no ki kenyu kai are honored to announce that they will be hosting a Koryu Seminar of Mizoguchi-Ha-Itto Ryu by Hiroshi Ozawa, Kendo 8th Dan Kyoshi. The event will take place from 10am to 4pm at the Dukeries Leisure Centre, New Ollerton, Notts. Price £20. This is an opportunity to join us on this special one day event and learn this 300 year old Koryu Kata Mizoguchi-Ha-Itto Ryu practiced by the Ozawa family. Please book early to avoid disappointment. For an application form click here (PDF). Closing date for applications Saturday 2nd July 2011 Click here for seminar application form. http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=237 Kashi No Ki Kenyu Kai are auctioning a range of collectable and rare kendo items kindly donated by the following Japanese sensei: Ozawa Hiroshi 8th Dan  Kyoshi                                                                                                           Sumi Masatake 8th Dan Hanshi Chiba Masashi 8th Dan Hanshi Tashiro Junichi 8th Dan Kyoshi   Some of the items are signed, some used and some brand new. All money raised will be donated to the Tohoku Kids Project, so please bid to win a one-off item and do something to help the children who have suffered in the earthquake. You can save on postage fees if you know someone who practices with any of the Ollerton and Nottingham dojo members (we can use the kendo community to get the items to you). Click on the image below or the ebay log to go directly to the ebay auction page.   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=236 1000 suburi - May 22nd 2011, Kashi No Ki Kenyu Kai kendo club in support of children orphaned in the Japanese earthquake. On 22nd May 2011, Kashi No Ki Kenyu Kai kendo club will be holding an event to raise money for children orphaned in the Japanese earthquake. Members of the club, along with any other kendoka who wants to get involved, will be undertaking ‘1000 suburi’ – full strikes/cuts using a shinai. Those involved have 2 hours to complete the task, and the individual who raises the most money will be awarded with a brand new shinai. The event will take place at the Dukeries Leisure Centre in Ollerton between 10am – 12. Family members are welcome to come and support the event or help keep count on the day. A minimum donation of £10 is required to take part, or a sponsorship form can be requested from Daniel Laverick (daniellaverick@hotmail.com) if you would prefer to raise more through sponsorship. A month on from the earthquake, many of those who have suffered are still struggling. Now that the media coverage has significantly reduced, so has the support coming in from other countries. In particular, the children who have been orphaned in the disaster are in dire need of help. All of the money raised through the 1000 suburi event, and from an ebay auction the club is holding in the summer (keep checking this website for updates – items have been donated from Ozawa sensei, Chiba sensei , Tashiro sensei and Sumi sensei), will be given to the Tohoku Kids Project, which aims to support and improve the lives of children orphaned because of the earthquake – visit www.smilekidsjapan.org for further details. Any support that can be offered will be gratefully received and we would welcome any kendoka, whether beginner or 8th Dan, aged 8 or 80, to come along and support this worthy cause.Get in touch for further information using the email above. items have been donated from Ozawa sensei, Chiba sensei , Tashiro sensei and Sumi sensei. These will be auctioned on ebay. Details to be announced   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=235 Saturday: Doors open 9am for start at 10am prompt. Practice Ends at 5.50pm Sunday: Doors open 9am for start at 10am prompt. All are welcome and you can come on the day and pay at the door. Grading from 2pm. Fees: Adult Junior Saturday & Sunday £35 £20 Saturday Only £25 £15 Sunday Only £20 £10 All grading applications should be made directly to the BKA via the website and online application forms. Programme to be led by Terry Holt, Sensei. Full details to be confirmed. http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=234 Kashi no ki kenyu kai successfully raised £2,000 at their charity event in aid of the Japanese Red Cross earthquake and tsunami appeal.   Kashi no ki Kenyu kai and Hiroshi Ozawa sensei would like to thank all whom attended the event. http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=233 Update! - The Ozawa sensei seminar in Ollerton on Saturday, Kashinoki Kendo Club raised a massive £2000 for the Japanese Earthquake Appeal during the event. A very BIG congratulations to Trevor and all the guys Ozawa sensei seminar news Unfortunately due to the current situation in Japan Ozawa sensei has decided not to visit the UK at this time, however after discussion with the organisers it has been decided to continue with the event due to high level of Sensei who are prepared to attend in the interest of continuity and in support of this wonderful seminar. Also monies collected will after 'costs deducted' be donated to the Japanese Red Cross towards the 'Disaster Fund'   We do hope that you will continue to support and participate as this is only a temporary respite and Ozawa sensei will again be with us in the not too distant future.   Ozawa sensei has given his full backing and support to this decision We would also like to offer on the Saturday a free packed lunch for all attendees. If however you do not wish to attend (and we fully accept your decision), fees will be refunded subject to a percentage donation request to go to the Japanese Red Cross. Costs for participation are: £10 for the Friday £30 for the Saturday & Sunday Please contact Kashinoki directly through their website: www.kashinokikenyukai.org   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=232 Charity Kendo Championships 2011 Will Donate Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal In view of the extreme severity of the devastating Japanese catastrophy, this year's Charity Event Taikai on the 2nd April being held in Watford, will donate part of the proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross. 　If you wish to make a private donation now please go to the link below. There listed donation pages you can choose from: www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002063.html Kind regards Kazuyo Kendo Charity Group http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=231 Junichi Tashiro sensei UK Visit Feb 2011 Sensei arrived on the Wednesday the 9th in the afternoon and the evening practice at Kodokan was therefore very much a ‘watching’ session for sensei, as we didn’t want to overload his already very busy schedule. His observations were to formulate some of the basis for his ‘General theme’ during this visit. The following Friday’s short session consisted of ‘Kihon keiko ho’ and a short Ji-geiko where I was able to engage with sensei and although his extremely strong presence coupled with ferocity of attack as always dominated our bout, I felt reasonably happy at the end of the session with my overall performance, this was however to prove short lived http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=230 The 9th KURASAWA Cup and Takizawa sensei seminar Barcelona January 2011 The seminar hosted by RYOSHINKAI Barcelona and lead by the Kenji Takizawa sensei 8th Dan Kyoshi,  Yukuo Iwao sensei 8th Dan Kyoshi, Takizawa sensei’s brother MasayaTakizawa 7th Dan Kyoshi, Lorenzo Zago sensei 7th Dan Renshi from Italy and Paul Budden sensei 7th Dan Renshi assisted with translation in Spanish by Ryo Hiruma sensei 6th Dan and in English by Kazuyo Matsuda sensei 6th Dan. The seminar covered all aspects of Kendo – Fundamental & advanced techniques, with Refereeing Kata, the overall theme being continuation of last years event  which inclused ‘ettiqutte, waza and the roll of Motodachi. Over 150 persons attended the seminar on the Friday and Sunday and on Saturday for the Kurasawa Cup – an International Club Taikai for 3 ‘man’ teams with preliminary rounds and a tournament proper. Individuals representing France, Andorra, Italy Ireland, UK, Malta, Holland, Sweden and of course the Hosting country Spain attended. The event is held in honour of KURASAWA Teruhiko, 9 Dan who began visiting Spain following on from Kozo Takiza 9th Dan who came to Spain some 30 years ago. The organisation was as always ‘Spot On’ with adequate and capable referees appointed to the three shiaijo. Big congratulations to Kazuyo Matsuda Sensei for receiving the ‘Prestigious’ Kurasawa Cup 'Ladies Fighting Spirit' award The Trophy itself is quite something to behold (see photographs) Also very well done to the Kodokan UK Team - Masami Hudson, James Zammit & Kazuyo Matsuda Sensei for making the 'Best Sixteen' after successfully all their  matches in the prelims... A GREAT START TO 2011 for Kodokan. The results 1) RYO SHIN KAI 2 - Barcelona 2) KENWAKAI 1 – Madrid 3) KENSEI Dojo 1 -Mallorca 3) KOBUKAN 2 - Aragaon Fighting Spirit Male - Shinji Hashimoto, Takashi Ryokai Ladies – Kazuyo Matsuda, Asun Gonzales http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=229 Tashiro sensei UK visit February 2011   Kodokan - Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          Friday 11th and Saturday 12th February On Saturday 12th there will be a min seminar 1000-1700 -  £15. bring lunch Wednesday 16th. Mumeishi - Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          Sunday 13th and Tuesday 15th Terry Holt for details Imperial College London - Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          14th Feb Kashinoki - Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          Thursday 17th and Sat/Sun 19th-20th February 2011. Saturday 19th February: 10am - 4pm, £15 Kagamsi Shin - Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          21st-22nd and 23rd February 2011. Tashiro sensei will also be at Kagamishin - dates to be announced - please contact Paul Budden  If you require Kendo equipment from Tashiro sensei then please visit his 'Tenpudo' website http://ww4.et.tiki.ne.jp/~tenpudo7/en/ http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=227 Kashinokikenyukai forthcoming events   Junichi Tashiro sensei Hachidan visit                                                                                                                                          19th-20th February 2011. Saturday 19th February: 10am - 4pm, £15 Sunday 19th February: 10am - 1pm, £10. To book a place please contact Phil Whitfield as soon as possible,  places are limited.   Hiroshi Ozawa sensei Hachidan seminar 25th-27th March 2011. Friday 25th March: 2pm - 5pm, £12. Saturday 26th March and Sunday 27th March: 10am - 4.30pm both days, £55. The total cost for attending all 3 days of the seminar is £67.   Kashi no ki kenyu kai are honored to welcome Ozawa sensei back to the UK for the 6th annual Hiroshi Ozawa kendo seminar. Ozawa sensei will be holding an additional special practice on Friday the 25th March from 14:00 to 17:00. The theme of this practice will be the role and responsibility of Motodachi. This special practice is part of the seminar, therefore it is for kendoka attending the seminar and is not designed as a one day practice. For an application form please click here. Applications must be received before 12th March 2011, please book early to avoid disappointment for this very popular and successful seminar. Applications are not transferrable once a booking has been placed, and the organisers reserve the right to refuse any applications. http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=226   20 teams made it to Glasgow on the 2nd October for the 2010 Northern Open Alba with representation from Scotland, England and Wales. The event is this year’s incarnation of the Northern Open  held in Newcastle for the first time in 2009 as a response to the need for more regional Taikai in the UK. These events are important as it provides members with the opportunity to experience shiai which should ultimately have a positive effect on the squad. Glasgow and Newcastle Dojo have strong historic links and the Taikai will alternate between cities reverting back to Newcastle in 2011. The event was marketed via the mailing list accrued from last year’s event and by the BKA via the events calendar. All organisation, team registration, draw and schedule was managed via the Taikai website www.northernopen.co.uk with team captains notified of the pools in advance of the Taikai so everyone knew the schedule and where they were supposed to be and when. We started with 8 pools feeding into an initial knockout round of 16 meaning that all teams had at least 2 fights. The initial pool and first round knockout were 3 minute shiai with the quarter and semi finals 4 minutes and the final 5minutes. Everyone who came fought, with sandan and above assisting with shimpan duties. This worked well as there was no separation between shimpan and senshu which resulted in an excellent atmosphere  with everyone involved. The pools and draw are available on www.uk-projects.net/NorthernOpen/No2010_Draw.htm There was a good standard all round with the University teams doing particularly well which is a good sign. As the draw progressed to the semis we were left with Newcastle, Taiseidokai A & C and Glasgow Uni C. Newcastle beat Glasgow Uni and Taiseidokai A beat Taiseidokai C after very tight match going to Encho. The final was thrilling with Darrin Cutting fighting Sakiko Niwa in the sempo match. Sakiko took the first point with an excellent kaishi Do. In the next clash Sakiko fell and fought the rest of the shiai injured. Darrin took the next 2 points giving Newcastle the advantage. The Jiho fight was between Marc Richardson from Newcastle and Johnny Kennedy from Taiseidokai. This was a very physical match which went the distance and was settled by 1 point by Mark. The Taisho fight was  between Barry Straughn representing Newcastle and Gerry Kincaid for Taiseidokai. This was a very fast, committed shiai with Gerry taking it 2nil with Kote and Do cuts. The fighting spirit award went to Ms Bryant which was an easy choice. After a short presentation we had a 45minute open keiko. This year we continued the tradition of dojo events contributing any surplus to a nominated charity in this case The Maggies Centres for Cancer care which received a cheque for £221.73. We would like to thank Eurokendo for once again sponsoring the event, all the court officials without their time the taikai would not have been possible and all the competitors. See you next year Gerry Kincaid   http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=225   On the 2nd of September we saw the largest gathering of female kendoka at Kodokan in some years. There were female kendoka from Ireland, Austria, Greece, Germany, Japan and the UK. With levels from 1st to 6th Dan with previous attendees totaling half and the other half as 'new faces'. The weather was nice being a warm Indian summer day although the August had been the coldest in the last 17 years for the previous month, it looked like the 'sunshine '  had again arrived with the sensei. The Dojo was filled with a great expectation as we welcomed Fujita sensei, Japanese Ladies Team Coach at the 13WKC in Taipei 2006. She is also a teacher of our former UK National Coach Honda sensei and as soon as she started the day it was very obvious that not only is she is a professional Kendo teacher and one of the highest graded female Kendoka in Japan, but that she was also a top level PE instructor, something we had not expected! The Ladies Seminar began then with a short discussion in our designated groups so that everyone could have a say and that the discussion would not necessarily be dominated by a few chatty individuals. The main topic for discussion was 'the positive aspects of kendo' and we were given a task having to list all of what we could think of about 'what is it that attracts us to Kendo'? 'Brainstorming' all of us with aspects on "Stress relief, Self-development, etiquette, the unusual, keep fit, strengthening, mental training, self-discovery, and longevity; make friends, travel, discipline etc., etc." For this we shared and expanded our ideas in trying to rethink Kendo - we revisited why we continue to practice kendo in spite of our occasional difficulties in the various areas - the laziness that hits us from time to time and the fact that kendo is actually 'not fun all of the time'. After this 'brainstorming' however we were quite convinced that continuing kendo is actually the opposite, being very good thing for us in spite of 'not fun all of the time'. The day's theme was 'thrown up' by Fujita sensei as 'Communication' and 'Discovery', and she said that we would look at these aspects through the studies of inter-personality and the cultural aspects of kendo. After the discussion we were introduced to play some traditional Japanese games, which some of us had played as children in Japan but for the Europeans it may have been the very first time of trying out. There were games such as 'janken' (scissors, paper and stone), a blindfolded game and cutting newspaper with bokuto. All attendees had to learn the games quickly especially as the janken came in various formats ultimately done with feet and an interaction of 'hit and defence', which according to her was very close to kendo movements. We all enjoyed the games fully just like we had in our childhood. As a Japanese person I have never done janken in such ways before (feet) and it was very exciting, how the games transformed as we played them. Fujita sensei had caught us completely from this point onwards. The blindfolded person in the blindfold game had to trust 100 % the other person leading them in the directions by only vocal commands and limited body contact. We were drawn into the joy of playing the games with given rules which require imagination and improvisation - new games, which we must have invented quite naturally when we were much younger. There was much laughter during the session. Later I found that her speciality in professional life at the moment is to work on exercises, which make people relaxed both physically and mentally. Towards the end of the first half of the morning session it was 'now it's the Kata practice' but with the emphasis on the 'nice feeling' between 2 persons. Technical aspects were covered later during the main part of the seminar. The second half of the morning session and onwards were taken by Sumi sensei, assisted by Fujita, Tashiro, Kumamoto, Holt and Budden sensei and all ladies were joined by male colleagues. The message was clear: Between male and female there is no difference in kendo but when working and practicing together we have to be more careful with each other because obviously there is a fair amount of difference in technical and physical abilities between us. Kiai practice was studied and we shared the difference in the feelings when confronting male and female kiai. Some found that the feeling was always the same, for which Sumi sensei made it clear that when (a male kendoka is) approaching a female the same amount of power should not be applied and that this power is actually controllable than when confronting a female kendoka. The session was done so that each group of 4 consisting 2 male and 2 female worked together changing partners such as male to male, male to female and female to female, as he called the changes. Body contact in some techniques was found to be more dangerous so that much control was required by male colleagues and especially where the pair had very different levels of build and strength. During the main part of the seminar from Friday to Sunday we were able to have continuous ladies sessions as there were 20 ladies participating, resulting in 2 ladies 'House groups'. I remember very well going back 2 years ago, when we had the first ladies House group seen at the seminar. Female kendoka before this time used to be located in the house groups with male colleagues, but the increasing number of female members attendees has lead the organiser to make separate ladies house groups instead, which was great idea. All of the ladies practiced together under Fujita sensei's teaching for the full 3 days seminar, including morning, afternoon and evening sessions. With Kata practice in the first half of the morning and shinai practice during the second half of the morning sessions. In the afternoon we had more shinai sessions with her and we also had 2 ladies teams in Shiai with discussions as a large ladies group in the evenings! At other times such as asageiko and evening practice we joined the regular practice so at these sessions male and female were mixed where basic practice and shido-geiko were practiced.  The great joy was that we shared the kendo experience together with ladies from different countries who seem to have exactly the same problems of having very few female colleagues in their home dojo or none at all. Furthermore, as far as I understand, in some countries ladies are not allowed to practice with male colleagues of the same dan levels but only with the beginners because practice with male & female together would not help male kendo's improvement ….very strange indeed!!. As a female kendoka myself I have always practiced as a minority female within majority male groups since early childhood through to high school in Japan so the idea was quite different and without segregation. We all had to help each other regardless of high level or low level, male or female, younger or older. If there is a concept brought into kendo practice such that one group should practice only for 'self' benefit and discourage others to be involved, then that's not kendo but something else. It was shame to hear such a story and the distress that can cause the female minority group in such an environment must be huge. If you are familiar with this kind of arrangement I suggest that you meet Fujita sensei - it will change your understanding and perception of female kendo forever, I guarantee that. In fact she took the Sunday afternoon practice and ran the session for both male and female attendees. I could not count how many male attendees as well as female came to tell me how wonderful and amazing her teaching was! I was disappointed that I could not take part in the session as I had to attend the junior's session with Sumi sensei, which was also so really amazing too and I learnt so much from him that day about children's Kendo and teaching children. It was only a shame that the sessions felt so short in time, due to high level and intensity of the teaching. Throughout the seminar Fujita sensei emphasised the importance of 'the core concept of Kendo', which was explained in the word 'Ai-ki' or harmony in spirit while two persons are working together, to create a total synchronised performance. She also told us that at a glance kendo seems to be about combat and competition but actually through competitive process we are helping each other for mutual benefit. Also without mutual respect this is difficult and it is also difficult for one to improve his/her kendo. She stressed that we should create harmony with mutual respect, as Kendo is performed by two persons. It is no good to show off who is better as the core concept of the Japanese Kendo is to improve together (thus collective kendo in totality will improve through time, without changing 'the core concept of kendo') Some ladies asked Fujita sensei during the discussion time what to do if a (male) opponent is much taller and physically stronger and there seems nothing that she can do. She answered that the physical strength and speed doesn't mean that the person is stronger in Kendo. For instance Sumi sensei is 67 years old and there are much stronger and faster people here in the hall at the seminar. But Sumi sensei can strike them with no problem. In fact Sumi sensei's strike is much slower than many people present. We need to think about the reasons of this. This reminded me of the saying 'ichi-gan ni-soku san-tan shi-riki' which lists the importance of elements in kendo in their order:  'first the eyes, second the footwork, third the spirit and lastly comes the power and skill', It sounds as if we need to study very much observing our partner and to synchronise the spirit and when the moment occurs we need to act without 0.01 of a second's delay. I was asked about the similarity between ladies and junior Kendo the other day and I am quite convinced that there is no difference in the Kendo between female, male, or young and old. However the groups do need to focus on slightly different aspects within their Kendo as they walk along their kendo paths, as a life long study. For male kendoka there may seem to be similarity in ladies and junior kendo because they need to be careful with them. It's a nice thought. A long time ago Sumi sensei wrote in a book about Kendo study depending very much on different groups of people such as juniors, ladies, male, elderly and people who restarted kendo after a long break. Sumi sensei's session in the afternoon's joint practice of the high grade day and Ladies day Seminar was a great success, as it was an introduction to a study of kendo along with his book - Michi no Kaori. As a female Kendoka in the UK I have always wanted to bring a female teacher one day to the UK, as Germany does with Rie Sato sensei 7th dan kyoshi every year. It was only possible to bring her through the Kodokan seminar at this time due to the current failings of Kendo in the UK. Without the support from the seminar the session fees would have been a lot more for the attendees. It was a Great success that over 20 ladies took something back from her and experienced such a high grade female kendoka without exception I also learned so much from her and was so lucky to have a privilege to discuss the matters of ladies kendo during and outside of the sessions.   I would like to thank the organiser of the seminar Paul Budden sensei for making this ladies event happen as part of the Kodokan seminar together and for his enormous amount of dedication in organising the seminar for such a long time, 25 years without any break. I would like to say the same amount of thank you to Sumi sensei for 22 years of teaching with sincerity and friendship every single year. I would also like to thank Terry Holt sensei for his continuous support of the seminar without asking anything in return. Thank you to all of the teachers including Kumamoto sensei, Tashiro sensei and Fujita sensei for their continuous teaching and great friendship. A very big thank you to Ian Parker-Dodd sensei for his continuous lectures at the seminar.  I would like to thank the Royal Masonic School for Girls for providing such a fantastic venue and service during the seminar and to all the participants for their excellent company and inspiration. I am hoping that Fujita sensei will be able to make a second visit to the seminar next year and that more ladies will participate. Lastly I would like to send my sincere congratulations for the Kodokan Seminar for its 25th Anniversary and its success, in gathering so many UK & European Kendoka, male and female over the years for one of the largest and most successful international seminars there is. The atmosphere has always been fantastic ever since I can remember and I hope the seminar will run continuously and look forward to the 30th anniversary in five years time. There is just one small stain on this shining event and that is an idea coming from the current so called 'high echelons' of British Kendo, denying in every way they could this meaningful seminar which benefits Kendo both in the UK and Europe and I was hugely disappointed by their petty attempts to attack and destroy this great event merely for their own selfish & personal satisfaction. To those involved in this act - 'Shame on you'.     http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=224 KODOKAN UK JUNIOR EVENT DAY 5th September 2010 Juniors representing Akairyuu, Gloster, Ichibyoshi, Mumeishi, Nenriki, Wakaba & Kodokan attended the special junior event day held on Sunday 5th September. The first part of the morning session was led by Kumamoto sensei who concentrated very much on correct posture and basic movements including kihon and suburi. He was then joined by Sumi sensei who gave a short talk about ‘ichi-gan ni-soku san-tan shi-riki’ or 1) Looking. 2) Footwork. 3) Spirit. 4) Techniques, these then are the basic elements of Kendo in the order of there importance, all of the juniors were asked to read out loud in order to learn and then hopefully apply in their practice. For the second part of the morning session Sumi sensei and seniors actively involved in junior clubs, lined up as Motodachi for Kirikeashi & Uchikomi geiko.  All of the juniors showed great exuberance and masses of energy giving a clear statement to the seniors: ‘this it how it should be done’… ‘Oh to be young’ One very important aspect of this junior event day was for seniors to get a better understanding about how to practice with juniors & about refereeing juniors in shiai. Sumi sensei then gave some basic pointers on junior refereeing in that you must have a more open mind than dealing with adults especially on the ‘point of Ippon’ when a point is attempted by a junior - Kiai is essential but does not necessarily have to be accompanied by a standard body movement; therefore the decision needs to be very much based on the opportunity and timing, overall on the point of contact. On the whole the refereeing should be sympathetic to the level of the participant and should be used as an encouragement to young competitors. Also he said this is not refereeing on an International level and that a mind set of ‘near enough is good enough’ needs to be adopted in such junior matches. A team match then took place where 16 of the juniors wearing armour and of varying levels of experience made up the two teams undertaking shiai in a standard format. It did prove however very necessary for two of the more experienced juniors to give a small demonstration to the younger ones who were taking part in shiai for the first time, just to get them moving in the right direction…. actually moving in any kind of direction, highlighting that it can be often much too early for this type of competition and that further development and fundamental practice including Hantei style events, need to be undertaken in order to educate and lead juniors into shiai at a later stage in their Kendo development. To demonstrate the point on the other shiaijo a ‘Hantei’ based competition simultaneously took place where unarmoured juniors competed against each other by demonstrating kihon: Men, Kote, Do, Kote Men & Men to the best of their ability on Motodachi wearing bogu and judged by the 3 shinpan in a Hantei style decision – (a collective agreement judged on the overall standard shown). This type of shiai is both beneficial and extremely rewarding, as it opens the door to the idea of competition to the young practitioners and helps them to realise they will have to show their best Kendo in order to succeed. The two competitions closed the morning session. After lunch we moved to the balcony area where Sumi sensei taught Kihon Keiko ho whilst advising and correcting basic attitudes such as posture, Reiho and Kiai. It never ceases to amaze that whatever the level Sensei is able to draw out the very best from the practitioners now matter how young and always with a total enthusiasm for the subject matter, even to the point of stretching the young imaginations of these juniors with an introduction to a ‘secret technique’ in order to get them to use their wrists more and young eyes began to sparkle at the thought of something special being given only for them to know about… simply magic!   Sumi sensei’s expression continually fluctuated between a quiet smile and a huge grin throughout this session and at one point he quietly said to me again with a knowing smile , ‘that they were in fact much better than the seniors at ‘Kihon Keiko ho’. The session finished with three zarei - the first one to sensei - the second to each other (Otogani-rei) and finally a bow to the parents, (who had been sitting quietly spellbound throughout the sessions), this was also very nice, as it gave an appreciation for their support. We all then rejoined the seniors in the main dojo for the final practice - 10 minutes Shido geiko about 20 mins total jigeiko and with the juniors still all fired up and with masses of energy, the junior event day at the 25th Kodokan seminar came to a close. I would like to thank all of the seniors who acted as Motodachi and shinpan for the juniors, especially Sumi sensei & Kumamoto sensei for their patience clear instruction and further guidance on how to teach juniors. Finally to the parents and seniors who attended, for their enthusiasm and support for junior Kendo. Quite clearly there are those who do fully understand that junior Kendo is the future and are prepared to work towards that objective irrespective of the current culture of opposition to such development. Paul Budden 7th Dan Renshi Kodokan Kendo UK http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=223 Mumeishi 3's International Clubs Kendo Championships 2010 20th November 2010, Cranford Community Centre, London, TW5 9PD Welcome To Mumeishi Kendo Club 2010 Mumeishi Kendo Club has been running for over 42 years providing training to its members of all ages, from juniors to senior members, many of whom have represented Great Britain in the World Kendo and European Kendo Championships.  Others are International Referees and some senior members have moved on to start their own dojo's within the UK or abroad. Based in London Melbourne and recently Tel Aviv, Mumeishi is a well established as a worldwide club.  The club's chief instructor, Mr Terry Holt, 7th Dan is a senior coach of the British Kendo Association and a member of the National Association of  Sport Coaches, has been running the club for almost 41 years, has worked hard to gain the reputation and recognition of the club.  It has also won an award at the Japan Festival for its achievements in the furthering the good understanding of Japanese culture within the UK. Once again we are very proud to invite you to this year's competition. We are proud that this is and has always been a friendly competition open to all. We include the following links for the competition in general and this year's application form. We look forward to seeing you in November. Terry Holt, 7-dan,  Go to  http://www.mumeishi.co.uk/kendo/  for all Taikai information. Go to  Click to download application form    Many Thanks and we look forward to seeing you in November http://www.kendouk.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=222 Kashi No Ki Kenyu Kai kendo dojo Mizaguchi-Ha-Itto-Ryu Seminar. We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a Koryu seminar of Mizaguchi-Ha-Itto-Ryu on the 9th October 2010, 10am until 4pm, price £10. This is a form of Koryu practiced by Hiroshi Ozawa, Kendo 8th dan and author of the book "Kendo: The Definitive Guide". Notes on the Mizaguchi-Ha-Itto-Ryu can be downloaded here. We are limited in the number of participants so please book early to avoid dissapointment. Application forms (PDF format) can be downloaded using the following link. Closing date for applications: 30th September 2010. www.kashinokikenyukai.org/HTML/Events.html