Volume 33, number 3/4
March/April 2019
PNKF DATEBOOK
Please note, registration fees and bento fee are now separate this year (Vancouver club will not sell
bento on tournament day). $12 per Bento (Donburi style lunch + water). Registered shinpan will get a free
bento (both competing and non-competing shinpan). The entry fees for competitors are as follows: $16 per
Junior Participants (15 and under), $20 per Senior Participants (16 and over). Tournament Categories: 9 Years
& Under (modified based on number of participants), 10-12 Years, 13-15 Years, 16-20 Years, 21-30 Years, 31-40
Years, 41 & Over, Womens (16+), Junior Team, Senior Team.
We are pleased to have the following sensei attend this year's camp:
Ryoichi FUJII, Kyoshi 8 dan, Yamaguchi Japan
Yoshihiro UGAJIN,Kyoshi 7 dan, Tokyo Japan
Futoshi SATO, Kyoshi 7 dan, Chiba Japan
Mitsuyoshi WADA, Renshi 7 dan, Tokyo Japan
Hisashi NAGASAKI, Renshi 7 dan, Oita Japan
Ako FUJII, Renshi 7 dan, Yamaguchi Japan
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:
- Opening
- Demonstration – Iai
- Hokushin Ittouryu
- Shin Tamiyaryu
- Naginata
- Kodansha Tachiai
- Keiko
Purpose: 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
PASSAGE
Four people related to our Kendo community have left us in recent days.
Ruby Ayako Yasui, the widow of the late head sensei of Seattle Kendo Kai, Kiyoshi Yasui, passed away peacefully on
April 3, 2019. Born February 17, 1921 in Lingle, Wyoming, she moved to Seattle with her family, where she lived
for over 70 years. Yasui Sensei predeceased her in 2012, and she is survived by sons Kenneth (Joann), Ronald,
daughter Alice, and grandchildren Shawn and Timmy.
Lorraine Kathleen Sako Pai lost a protracted battle with glioblastoma, including surgery, and following that a
devastating massive stroke. When we were encouraged by Peter Mizuki to begin Kendo in early 1979, a key person
Peter introduced us to was Lorraine, and for our 50th birthday in June 1981, she presented us with a professional
landscape drawing of the pond which is still gracing the southeast corner of the garden. At UW Lorraine studied
Landscape Architecture under Kenichi Nakano, and went on to study landscaping and garden building in Kyoto. With a
profound sense of social justice and advocacy, her life became deeply centered and involved in the Chinatown
International District and the intense programs of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience.
Her friends and allies included Cathy Honda Inouye, Mari Watanabe, Susie Kozawa, Manuel Cawaling, Frank Abe, Corky
Lee, Alan Chong Lau, Kazuko Nakane, Mayumi Oda, Stuart and Renko Dempster, Trisha Tsutakawa, Lori Matsukawa, Yoko
Murao, Sharon Maeda, Andy Mizuki, Dean Wong, Ken Mochizuki, Sharon Tomiko Santos, the late Donny Chin and Bob
Santos, to name but a few. A contributing author to the International Examiner, an organizer in the Pride movement,
an actor who played the mother in the film International House of Feet, and helped design, lead, and build the
Danny Woo Community Garden, she was introduced to artist John Pai by Ron Chew, who also officiated at their
marriage November 17, 1996. She died at home in the presence of her husband and daughters April 4, 2019. She is
survived by her beloved husband John, daughters Mirabai and Naima, sisters Elaine Posey and Melanie Sako, and
parents Saburo and Lillian Sako.
Ray Murao Sensei’s mother Kimiyo Murao, born in Steveston, BC, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2019, at the age
of 93, surrounded by her loving family. She was predeceased by parents Yasutaro and Miwa, daughter Toshimi, sister
Miwako and daughter-in-law Anne, and is survived by and will be dearly missed by her husband of 72 years, Toshio;
children, Kay (Kelvin), Ray, Louise (Peter), Ken (Janet), Joyce (Randy) and Dick (Debbie); 13 grandchildren and 6
great-grandchildren; sisters Chiyoko, Yachiyo, and Sazare; and many nieces and nephews.
As reported in a courtesy note from his sister Mrs. Mildred James, Highline member from the 1980s and continuing
Kenyu reader Jack Glen-don Nuckolls had died at age 84 on November 3, 2018. Jack was born November 29, 1933 in
Colusa County, California. He was a retired police officer, remembered for his quiet, unassuming steadiness.
43rd ANNIVERSARY HIGHLINE CHALLENGE CUP – March 16, 2019, White Center
Yudansha Mudansha 1st place – K. Underhill, Northwest 1st place – B. Wong, UW 2nd place – B. Park, Bellevue 2nd place – L. Gao, UW 3rd place – S. Enomoto, Kent 3rd place – T. Miyamoto, Northwest 3rd place – C. Chan, Highline 3rd place – A. Rossi, Spokane Teams 1st place - UW, 39 points 2nd place – Bellevue, 26 points Shinpan Sho - Jeffrey Marsten, Highline Sportsmanship Pledge – Nancy Harris, Highline
23rd HARVARD/RADCLIFFE SHORYUHAI INTERCOLLEGIATE KENDO TOURNAMENT – March 23/24, 2019
Individuals 1st place – Akira Fujii, UW 2nd place – Sungha Park, Columbia 3rd place – Victor Peng, NYU 3rd place – Gen Takahashi, UCLA Teams 1st place - UW (Jason Nguyen, Leo Gao, Akira Fujii, Jane Higa, Brian Wong) 2nd place – UCSD (Angel Sambo, Kimi Sugino, Richard Garcia, Stephen Chang, Takashi Yubata) 3rd place – Stony Brook U A (Kyle Madison, J. Bolusi, Joshua Cho, Jirou Takahashi Duffy, Shay Hohokabe) 3rd place – UC Riverside A (Stanley Zhao, Noah Kim, Reid Watanabe, Robert Leevarinpanich, Andrew Gruhn) Also 1st place in the round robin – Mixed A (Andrew Hamilton from Drexel, Jason Kuo, Elysia Midorikawa, Abby Tan, Keeley McManus)
9th AUSKF JUNIOR OPEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – April 6, 2019, Cumming, Georgia
9 Years and Under 10-11 Years 1st place – Luke Ido, SCKO 1st place – Kaiyu Sugiyama, SCKO 2nd place – Yamato Kongo, SCKF 2nd place – Kento Seto, ECUSKF 3rd place – So Otsuru, ECUSKF 3rd place – Issey Lancelot, NCKF 3rd place – Lei Tomatsu, SCKF 3rd place – Koki Mori, SCKO Kantosho – Masahiro Otani, SCKO Kantosho – Akimasa Hotta, ECUSKF Kantosho – Bailey Shinada SCKF Kantosho – Jioh Yun, AEUSKF Kantosho – Jorge Rincon-Hayashi, GNEUSKF Kantosho – Masamune Seki, ECUSKF Kantosho – Takuma Sakuno, MWKF Kantosho – Yoshihiko Shimada, SCKO 12-13 Years 14-15 Years 1st place – Taro Ariga, SCKO 1st place – Tomohide Katayama, ECUSKF 2nd place – Eisuki Koike, ECUSKF 2nd place – Keita Tanabe, NCKF 3rd place – Keigo Ishida, MWKF 3rd place – Jonathan Huang, NCKF 3rd place – Jonathan Yu, Northwest 3rd place – Dave Nam, SCKF Kantosho – Hugo Mizuhashi, SCKF Kantosho – Jeffrey Choi, SCKF Kantosho – Shosuke Arai, MWKF Kantosho – Danny Chang, Cascade Kantosho – Taisho Shiono, SCKF Kantosho – Josh Kim, Federal Way Kantosho – Alec Yuen, Seattle Kantosho – Fumihiko Shimada, SCKO 16-18 Years 13 Years and Under Girls 1st place – Tylor Wang, WKF 1st place – Sarang “Rachael” Yoon, AEUSKF 2nd place - Riki Okawa, SCKO 2nd place – Juah Paik, Tacoma 3rd place – Tyler Chao, WKF 3rd place – Shion Okawa, SEUSKF 3rd place – Elden Chao, WKF 3rd place – Miori Kino, AEUSKF Kantosho – Changhao Hou Kantosho – Stephanie Tada, SCKF Kantosho – Tomoki Horiuchi, ECUSKF Kantosho – Mai Sakamoto, SCKO Kantosho – Musashi Clark, SEUSKF Kantosho – Kanon Saito, SCKF Kantosho – Daichi Sakuma, MKF Kantosho – Kirsten Choi, MKF 14-18 Years Girls 1st place – Daphne Chen, SCKF 2nd place – Manami Hayashi, SCKF 3rd place – Sochiko Jinnaka, GNEUKF 3rd place – Hinako Yokohagi, AEUSKF Kantosho – Catherine Ikeda, NCKF Kantosho – Aika Onitsuka, NCKF Kantosho – Emi Ichimura, NCKF Kantosho – Carolyne Ikeda, NCKF Youth Team Boys Team Girls Team 1st place – ECUSKF A 1st place – SCKF A 1st place - SCKF A 2nd place – SCKO A 2nd place – SCKO A 2nd place - PNKF A (Maya Blechschmidt, Isabella Lee, Betty Park) 3rd place – SCKF B 3rd place – GNEUSKF B 3rd place – NCKF B 3rd place – SCKF A 3rd place – WKF B 3rd place – SCKO
43rd ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL KENDO TOURNAMENT – April 6, 2019
Women's 0-4 Kyu 1st place – W. Robillard, Steveston 1st place – S. Dang, UW 2nd place – K. Darbyshire, Vancouver 2nd place – R. Wang, UW 3rd place – M. Suzuki, Sno-King 3rd place – X. Liang, UW 3rd place – N. Grimes, Sno-King 3rd place – R. Long, UBC 3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan 1st place – T. Miyamoto, Northwest 1st place – D. Yao, Steveston 2nd place – C. Slater, UW 2nd place – S. O’Sullivan, Steveston 3rd place – L. Gao, UW 3rd place – E. Chui, Steveston 3rd place – A. Yorita, UW 3rd place – P. Lee, Steveston 3 Dan 4 Dan and Above 1st place – K. Nakaya, Portland 1st place – K. Unzei, UBC 2nd place – J. Ocada, Cascade 2nd place – T. Hamanaka, UBC 3rd place – B. Lin, Highline 3rd place – R. Asato, Vancouver 3rd place – F. Wessbecher, Highline 3rd place – SH Jung, Vancouver Teams 1st place - UBC (E. Cheng, Y. Chen, C. Chiang, K. Unzei, T. Hamanaka) 2nd place - Kent (I. Morgan, K. McManus, J. Frazier-Day, T. McManus, S. Day) Head Shinpan - David Yotsuuye Taikai Chair – Jason Nguyen Sportsmanship Pledge – Jane Higa UW Most Improved – Abby Tan Kazuo and Tomo Shoji Inspirational Award – Jane Higa
2019 WKF CHAMPIONSHIP – April 28, 2019, John Burroughs High School, Burbank
10 and Under 11-12 Years 1st place – Luke Ido, Gardena 1st place – Taiyo Ariga, Butokuden 2nd place – Masahiro Otani, Butokuden 2nd place – Yoshihiko Shimada, Gardena 3rd place – Jonathan Lee, Jungnoo 3rd place – Euvene Kae, Ildo 3rd place – Christian Kawano, Torrance 3rd place – Nathan Park, Jungmoo 13-15 Years 16-18 Years 1st place – Eugene Kae, Ildo 1st place – Riki Okawa, Long Beach 2nd place – Brandon Cho, Jo-Chun 2nd place – Shinnosuke Mizutamari, Gardena 3rd place – Han Yi, Las Vegas 3rd place – Nathan Lee, Ildo 3rd place – Haru Sakamoto, OSULA 3rd place – Elden Chao, Ildo Girls 18 and Under Adult Kyu 1st place – Kotone Ariga, Butokuden 1st place – Fei Ou, Butokuden 2nd place – Seowoo Hong, La Canada 2nd place – Abraham Ruiz, Torrance 3rd place – Seo Young Hong, La Canada 3rd place – Jai Park, Las Vegas 3rd place – Cassie Kim, Jo-Chun 3rd place – Ki Wan Kim, UCLA Women's Senior 1st place – Sunmi Lim, Jungmoo 1st place – George Lee, Jo-Chun 2nd place – Ryoko Sato, Gardena 2nd place – Atsushi Kajioka, West LA 3rd place – Isabel Lorimer, Butokuden 3rd place – Michael Yoon, Tustin 3rd place – Haruna Ariga, Butokuden 3rd place – Dongsuk Park, Tustin 1-3 Dan 4th Dan and Up 1st place – Daniel Lee, Ildo 1st place – Munik Zo, Las Vegas 2nd place – Brendan Wang, Ildo 2nd place – Kenneth Song, Las Vegas 3rd place – Tylor Wang, Ildo 3rd place – Julian Williams, Torrance 3rd place – Jonathan Han, Las Vegas 3rd place – Arashi Steele, Torrance Women’s Team Best 3 1st place – Butokuden A (Isabelle Lorimer, Filipa Ab Borges, Haruna Ariga) 2nd place – La Canada (SW Hong, S. Hong, HS Kim) 3rd place – Gardena (Shiori Segawa, Yumi Nagakashi, Ryoko Sato) 3rd place – Jo-Chun Team Best 5 1st place – Torrance 2nd place – Ildo A 3rd place – La Canada 3rd place – Butokuden A (Steve Hsueh, Sean Park, Howard Kim, Justin Park, Taiyo Ariga)
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF KODANSHA SHINSA, April 14, 2019, Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac
5TH DAN: An Giang (PNKF), Noelle Elizabeth Grimes (PNKF), Bryan Yoshio Imanishi (PNKF), Nozomu Ishimori SEUSKF), Jason Kim (SCKO), Suhyun Kim (AEUSKF), Younhwa Ko (AEUSKF), Sayaka Masuko (AEUSKF), Motoya Nakamura (PNKF), Ryo Nameshida (AEUSKF), Hiromi Akaya Robinson (SEUSKF), Victor Shin (SCKO). 6TH DAN: Tomohiko Hayashi (MWKF), Robert Gene Peterson (MWKF). 7TH DAN: Shuntaro Shinada (SCKF), Kotaro Yoshida (MWKF). RENSHI: Agustin Dionicio Martinez (NCKF), Elizabeth A. Marsten (PNKF), Naoaki Tanimura (PNKF).
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, April 13, 2019, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Seattle
3RD KYU: Maurice E. Benas III (Tonbo). 2ND KYU: Shamina Chang (SUSKIF), Derek Reynolds (Alaska), James Thorne (AiShinKai). 1ST KYU: Abigail Benoit (Tonbo), Brian Burton (AiShinKai), Michi Kaifu (San Mateo/Palo Alto), Teran Manuel (AiShinKai). 1ST DAN: Adam Clark (AiShinKai). 2ND DAN: Mikako Burton (Musokai), Khoi Duong (Musokai), Sean Horita (Musokai). 3RD DAN: Ahmed Gaballa El Sayed (Shidogakuin Miami), Steven Touchi (Palo Alto).
SCKO KENDO SHINSA, April 21, 2019, Butokuden, Irvine
3RD KYU: Insiya Bambot (UCLA), Heng Chen (UCLA). 1ST KYU: Kiwan Kim (UCLA), Akira Suzuki (UCLA). 1ST DAN: Steven Yang (UCLA). 3RD DAN: Hana Luciana Ariga (Butokuden), Isabelle Lorimer (Butokuden), Kimi Wang (UCLA). 4TH DAN: Daisuke Furukawa (UCLA).
THE LAST WORD
Once an intake sergeant came to me with a picture of a lady. He said one of the old soldiers who had just been
inducted a couple of days before had the photograph in his wallet. It was typical that the old soldiers were
harassed for trivial things. To try to “shape them up,” they were given a “Binta,” a hard whack on both sides of
the face. But taking the picture was psychological cruelty. I called for the old man and asked him to identify the
lady. “My wife,” he answered softly, shaking because he thought I would give him another Binta. “Okay.” I said.
“Put this back in your wallet and go back to your bunk.” Then I called the soldier who had taken the picture from
the old man. I reprimanded him, and came close to calling him a bully. “Don’t do that to the soldiers. They have
the right to carry their wives’ pictures in their wallets,” I barked. “And before you give Binta to any of them,
see me first. I want to know why, and it better be a good reason!” Long after the War when I was living in Matsue,
this nameless old soldier found me and came to thank me.
Early spring, 1945, I had full responsibility for the welfare of my troops; all were novices, the very young and
the elderly. My troop consisted of four six-cylinder Toyota trucks, and four squads, a total of eighteen soldiers
including two sergeants, a driver, an assistant, and two flaggers. We were assigned to serve in Kochi City in Kochi
Prefecture on Shikoku Island. We rarely stayed in the city, however, and usually camped in scattered places on the
hillside surrounding the city.
Our mission was tough, beginning before dawn and ending late at night; some days we worked around the clock. Our
rations were minimal, and we were always hungry, but we kept on moving and rested only when we were completely
exhausted. We cut and loaded logs from the mountains with no towing tools of any kind, and then hauled them to the
Kochi shoreline to furnish barricade materials for the infantry soldiers protecting the Japanese Mainland from
invasion. The Allies were at our borders. On the return trip, we hauled food and supplies from the Kochi warehouse
for redistribution to the farmers’ warehouses located throughout the hills. Food was critical and in this way we
tried to avoid losing all our supplies to bombs and create more access points.
We kept moving through the dark one night, long after we all wanted and severely needed to rest. One of the
sergeants asked me to allow the soldiers to sleep in the shoreline warehouse, where we had stopped for a few
minutes after loading for the return trip. The warehouse was now half empty and seemed luxurious compared to our
usual sleeping conditions. I rejected the request and after a rest of only a few minutes, started up the hill with
very unhappy soldiers. About midway, we heard B-52 bombers flying over very high, but they didn’t drop any bombs.
“Turn off the lights,” I ordered, “and sleep right where you are!” Shortly thereafter, from way out in the Pacific,
a swarm of P-151’s sprayed some kind of liquid flame accelerant on the Kochi warehouse. Then the second line
dropped flare bombs. In seconds the entire warehouse exploded, lighting the shoreline of Kochi. They ignored our
little convoy, or perhaps never spotted us. No one complained about lack of sleep that night! Once again, luck was
with us.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 37-38. 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