July 2009
This month Kenkyu Kai practice has been cancelled due to July 4th Independence Day Holiday weekend according to Mr. Carl Nakamura.
The followings are the result of Leeward Oahu Tournament held on Sunday, Fathers’ Day, June 21st. Yonenbu: 11 Years & Under – 1st Dane Takenaka/2nd Makenna Needham/3rd Zoe Yamamoto & Channon Kotake Sonenbu: 12-14 Years – 1st Chase Takenaka/2nd Bradley Yoshida/3rd Rachel Ouye & Jordan Miller Seinenbu – 1st Keone Rivers/2nd Isao Takagaki/3rd Seth DeNardi & Young Row Women’s Open – 1st Nicole Yoshida/2nd Erica Hill/3rd Rina Ono & Divina Takenaka Yudansha Shodan – Nidan 1st Justin Lee/2nd Randall Parabicoli/3rd Ryo Eguchi & Russell Kihara Yudansha 3 dan & Above 1st Seth Harris/2nd Katsushi Chinen/3rd Andy Fujimoto & Wesley Fujimoto Yudansha Masters: 40Years & Over 1st Hiroshi Tokuhashi/2nd John Shishido/3rd Akihiro Okada & Lawrence Chun Parents/Children Team Match Parents 3/Children 3 Exhibition Team Match Hawaii WkTC 1/Hawaii Select 4 James Oka Kantosho Fighting Spirit Award – Seth DeNardi – Mililani Kendo Club. It was very nice to have some Steveston Kendo Club members from Canada headed by Ray Murao sensei participate in the tournament as well as Hilo Kobukan Dojo people from Big Island. If you have kendo friends in Mainland and/or foreign countries, suggest them to come and join our tournament on Fathers’ Day every year.
Some of Mililani Kendo Club members are going to Japan for training this month. They will visit Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki’s dojo in Akita Prefecture and Mr. Azumori Toyomura’s dojo in Tokyo. During their stay in Tokyo, they will participate in Dojo Renmei Children’s Tournament at Budokan. We hope them have a safe trip and have a wonderful time in Japan.
At the Leeward Oahu Tournament Mr. Ray Murao informed me that Steveston Tournament next year will be held most likely in May because usual February time Vancouver is hosting Winter Olympics.
I would like to congratulate those who passed dan examination on June 28th.
Dr. Noboru Akagi had a heart bypass surgery recently. He is recovering well as you saw him at the dan examination. According to Dr. Jinichi Tokeshi, Dr Akagi should be able to resume teaching us in a couple of months.
After Leeward Oahu Tournament, we watched the tournament video. Mr. Masafumi Fujimoto asked 10 year old Dane Takenaka, “If you want to improve your kendo, do you watch video of when you won or when you lost?.” Dane replied, “I watch the one I lost.” Dane was correct. In kendo and in our life, we often learn when we lose, fail and make mistakes. Those unfortunate things will help you to be a better kenshi or person if you don’t give up and learn from them.
Iwao Sato, Chief Instructor, Wahiawa Kendo Club