February 2009
Hawaii Kendo Federation is hosting an event to honor senior senseis, Mr. Yoshinaga, Mr. Okaji, Rev. Ikenaga and Dr. Akagi on Sunday, Feb. 1, from 9:30AM at Kaimuki Gym. Kenkyu kai practice is on Friday, Feb. 6 from 7:30PM at JCCH dojo. The agenda for the practice is yet to be announced. Hawaii Kendo Federation Annual Banquet is at Maple Garden on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 6PM. The cost is $25. Senior senseis who are 60 years and older are free (covered by HKF.) Contact your dojo chief if you want to join. Shintaro Onuma sensei who is an honorary member of Hawaii Kendo Federation and kendo and iai-do both 7 dan will visit us with 3 other kenshis from Feb. 12 to Feb 20. The details of practice schedule with them will be disclosed later. 47th Steveston Tournament in Canada will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14. The following Hawaii kenshis will be participating: Dane Takenaka, Zoe Yamamoto, Chase Takenaka, Jordan Miller, Shawn Miller, Keone Rivers, Neill Warrington, Kevin Chun, Braxton Fukutomi, Grant Matsubayashi, Andy Fujimoto, Seth Harris, Jerilynn Chun, Roxie Kubo and Iwao Sato From Mar. 4 till Mar. 10, 6 female and 10 male students from Tokai University lead by Yoshimura sensei, 8 dan, and Matsumoto sensei, 7 dan will visit Hawaii. Their practice schedule includes Myohoji on Thursday, Mar. 5, Kenkyu kai on Friday, Mar. 6 and Honbu dojo on Sunday, Mar. 8. Hawaii Kendo Federation is selling T-shirts to raise fund for Brazil World Championship Hawaii Team. You can view samples in HKF website www.hawaiikendo.com. We are collecting our club and HKF dues. If you have not submitted, please do so soon. If you do not know the amount, check with me. Generally speaking, Hawaii kenshis’ kiai is too small. Many senseis visited Hawaii from Japan repeatedly pointed that out. I told a kenshi, “You are not superior over senseis in techniques. At least you can be better than senseis in kiai.” When I have some anger and frustration in my daily life and come to practice. I yell out with my loudest kiai. Those anger and frustration seem to disappear or at least get smaller after my loud kiai. Physically loud kiai makes your lung function better. Mentally your big kiai will help removing so-called 4 diseases in kendo, astonishment, fear, doubt and hesitation. Your loud kiai will increase your fighting spirit and overwhelm your opponents.
Iwao Sato, Chief Instructor, Wahiawa Kendo Club