September 2011
Andy Fujimoto and Mark Miyamoto passed 6 dan examination on August 5th in Japan. We are happy and proud that they accomplished it on their first try. Congratulations.
Atsuo Nishioka Sensei in Hilo had passed away on August 8th. He had been teaching kendo in Hilo many years. His sons, Owen and Curtis, will take over and continue to keep Nishioka Sensei's kendo legacy in Hilo.
Takehito Tanabe Sensei, 6 dan from Kanagawa, came to practice with us in Kaimuki Honbu dojo on August 14th. I am so glad that some senseis from Japan carry their bogus all the way to Hawaii to teach us during their family vacation.
Kokushikan University students led by Kinji Baba Sensei will visit Myohoji on Thursday, Sept. 1st, Kenshikan on Saturday, 3rd and Kaimuki Honbu on Sunday, 4th. Please come and observe their keiko and join with them for goodwill keiko.
Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation Tournament will be on Saturday, Novermber 5th. More kenshis than usual year expected to participate this year from Hawaii. Let me know if you want to go if you haven't done so.
Hawaii Kendo Federation will have 1 kyu and dan examination in November. A few of our club members have started refreshing kata. We will help them pass the examination.
Mrs. Atsuko Kimura, 6 dan from Hokkaido, will fulfill her many years desire to revisit and practice with us came true. She will come from October 6th till 10th. She has been my inspiration to make my kendo better after she visited us 1st time. Since then she achieved 6 dan and I finally got 7 dan. Come practice with her when she is in Hawaii.
We started Zippy's ticket sale. Tickets are $8 each and have four choices, chili, Portuguese bean soup, meat sauce and cookie dough. We will use fund raised not only for our club expense but also promotion of kendo in Hawaii. Help us with tickets.
After our club practice, I would like to have everyone feel, "I am glad that I came to practice today. I had a good work out." One thing to refrain from obtaining such feeling is an injury. We do good warm up and constantly check our shinai and equipment condition to prevent possible injuries. In a recent practice, a kenshi had sustained a bruise injury bad enough to seek medical treatment. We practice with children and women together. As Hiroshi Sasaki Sensei from Akita reminded us, we have to think how hard we strike them. Proper tenouchi strike should not injure your practice partners. Let us have good, injury free practices.
Iwao Sato, Chief Instructor, Wahiawa Kendo Club