Volume 29, number 6/7
June/July 2015
PNKF DATEBOOK
- Jul 18, PNKF Board, Sat, 3-5pm, Kent.
- Aug 8, PNKF Shinsa, Sat, Iaido 9am-12noon; Kendo 12:30-4pm, open keiko 4-5pm, Kent.
- Sep 19, PNKF Board, Sat, 3-5pm, Kent.
- Sep 26/27, PNKF Iaido Seminar, Sat/Sun, Rain City Fencing, 1776 136th Place NE, Bellevue.
- Oct 3, PNKF Shinpan Seminar, 12noon-4pm, open keiko 4-5pm, Kent.
- Oct 17, Tacoma Taikai, Sat, 10am-4pm, TBA.
- Nov 7, PNKF Taikai, Sat, 9:30am, Kent.
- Nov 21, PNKF Board, Sat, 3-5pm, Kent.
- Dec 12, Kent Taikai, Sat, report time 9am, start 9:30am, Kent.
OTHER DATES
- Jul 18, Colorado Jodo Seminar, led by James Maestas, Naoki Tamesue, and Tom Groendal, on ZNKR Seitei Jodo
up to Ikkyu level, Boulder, Colorado. - Jul 24/25/25, AUSKF Kendo Summer Camp and Kodansha Shinsa, Fri/Sat/Sun, featuring Kendo Hanshi 8th Dan Shigeki Yamanaka, and Kendo Kyoshi 8th Dan Hiroshi Ozawa, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas. Camp fee $70, Sat/Sun breakfast and lunch $8.5o per meal, dinner available Fri/Sat $8.50 per meal, Saturday Banquet $35 at Fox and Hound Bar and Grill.
- Aug 1/2, 5th AUSKF Junior Open National Championships and Youth Seminar, Sat/Sun, with surprise special
guest. Sat, Aug 1: Championships; Sun, Aug 2: Junior Kendo Camp; Huntington Beach, California. - Aug 18, CKF Western Jodo Shinsa, Royal Oak Community Church, Burnaby, BC.
- Nov 14/15, AUSKF Board, Sat/Sun, TBD.
PASSAGE
Akinobu (Aki) Yotsuuye.
On June 19, 2015, the PNKF lost its great friend and photographic chronicler when Akinobu Yotsuuye passed away from complications
following a fall. Born December 25, 1923 in Ehime-ken Japan, Mr. Yotsuuye had come to Washington as an infant with his parents.
Their farm near Fife and Wapato Creek was known as Brookville Gardens, and this is where he grew up and worked almost all his life.
During World War II the family was interned at Minidoka, where they also worked hard in farming, famously saving the harvest of the
sugar beet crop. Thanks to a kindly neighbor, they did not lose the farm, and were able to return when the war ended. In 1955 Aki
married Chizuko Yasuda, and they had four children, David (wife Kathy), Gene (wife Nancy Martella), Vicki (husband Curtis Marsten), and
Wayne (wife Dawn). In 1967 Boy Scout Troop 115 at Tacoma Buddhist Temple began a project of studying the basics of Kendo, emphasizing
the spiritual aspect, to demonstrate at Scout-O-Rama, under the direction of Rod Nobuto Omoto, who had received his training at Budo
Semmon Gakko. He was assisted by Mas Tanabe and Yosh Tanabe, and this project was documented photographically by Mr. Yotsuuye. It
also evolved into the current Tacoma Kendo and Iaido Club (since October 1987 no longer sponsored by the Temple), including their first
tournament in 1970. Meanwhile, Kendo was proliferating generally, and Mr. Yotsuuye committed himself to thoroughly and meticulously
recording all the developments with his cameras, the early tournaments, the emergence of the Kendo Club at UW in 1972, the formation of
the WSKF (now PNKF) in 1975, and so on down to the present. He leaves us an immense pictorial legacy of our region’s post-war Kendo
history. Two of his children, David and Vicki, have become major pillars of PNKF Kendo, and all four of his grandchildren, Ashley
(husband Alec Boehmer) and Brandon Yotsuuye, and Conor and Tiarnan Marsten, have studied Kendo, with Conor and Tiarnan continuing
currently as prominent champion kenshi. Services were June 28 at the Tacoma Buddhist Temple. Our deepest condolences to his wife
Chizuko and his brother Tada (wife Yoshie), all the family, and numerous friends.
5th AUSKF JUNIOR OPEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND YOUTH SEMINAR – August 1/2, 2015, Huntington Beach, California.
The PNKF will support any member kenshi age 18 and younger to attend this event, and will cover registration fees, lunches, plus
$250.00 each toward travel and lodging. Dates: August 1st (tournament) and 2nd (seminar). Individual Divisions: 9 and younger, 10-11,
12-13, 14-15, 16-18, 13-under girls, 14-18 girls. Team Divisions, Two Teams per Federation per division: 5-person Boys Mixed-age Team,
3-person Girls Team, 3-person Youth Team.
16th WORLD KENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS – May 29,30,31 2015, Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan.
Men Individuals
1st place - Tadakatsu Amishiro, Japan
2nd place - Yuya Takenouchi, Japan
3rd place - Man Uk Jang, Korea
3rd place - Hidehisa Nishimura, Japan
Fighting Spirit
Jonathan Bertout, France Krzysztof Bosak, Poland
Fabrizio Mandia, Italy Christopher Yang, USA
Giuseppe Gianetto, Italy Jin Yong Jo, Korea
Ryo Murase, Japan Sandor Dubi, Hungary
Women Individuals
1st place - Mizuki Matsumoto, Japan
2nd place - Yun Yung Hu, Korea
3rd place - Bo Kyung Won, Korea
3rd place - Yukiko Takami, Japan
Fighting Spirit
Roxine Kubo-Nakamoto, Hawaii Akie Tayama, Japan
Hwa Yeong, Korea Fleur Smout, Netherlands
Sayo Vanderwoude, Netherlands Hanaca Yamada, Canada
Mana Kawagoe, Japan Nishiki Sano, USA
Women Teams
1st place - Japan (Yoko Sakuma, Moeko Takahashi, Tai Watanabe, Mariko Yamamoto, Mizuki Matsumoto)
2nd place - Korea (Sun A Jung, Yun Yung Hu, Min Ji Cha, Bo Kyung Won, Seung Hee Kim)
3rd place - USA (Esther Kim, Yuri Kil, Nishiki Sano, Sumi Domen, Kaori Kikunaga)
3rd place - Brazil (Aline Lie Kimura, Cristiane Lie Toide, Marcia Miyuki Hayashi, Eliete Harumi Y. Takashina,
Elzami Miwa Onaka)
Fighting Spirit
Mizuki Matsumoto, Japan Elzami Miwa Onaka, Brazil
Stella Wong, Singapore Serena Ricciuti, Italy
Bree Yang, Canada Safiyah Fadai, Germany
Nishiki Sano, USA Yun Yung Hu, Korea
Men Teams
1st place - Japan (Yuya Takenouchi, Yosuke Katsumi, Masahiro Shodai, Sho Ando, Ryoichi Uchimura)
2nd place - Korea (Man Uk Jang, Jin Yong Jo, Byung Hoon Park, Je Min Yu, Kang Ho Lee)
3rd place - USA (Sandip Ghodgaonkar, Daniel Yang, Simon Yoo, Brandon Harada, Christopher Yang)
3rd place - Hungary (Akos Szegofi, Attila Dubi, Gabor Babos, Balazs Toth, Sandor Dubi)
Fighting Spirit
Sho Ando, Japan Christopher Yang, USA
Alberto Masumi Takayama, Brazil Chung-Yang Chang, Chinese Taipei
Xuan Chen, China Guillermo Flores, Mexico
Akos Szegofi, Hungary Kang Ho Lee, Korea
2015 ROSE CITY TAIKAI – June 13, 2015, Portland Community College Cascade Campus
Women Juniors 12 and Below 1st place - A. Nakayama, Obukan 1st place - J. Shim, Obukan 2nd place - E. DeJong, UW 2nd place - K. Underhill, Northwest 3rd place - E. Marsten, Highline 3rd place - J. Kim, Federal Way 3rd place - J. Frazier-Day, Kent 3rd place - B. Choi, Kogakukan Senior Dan Juniors 13-15 1st place - C. Marsten, Kent 1st place - K. McManus, Kent 2nd place - D. Yotsuuye, Bellevue 2nd place - O. Jeong, Kogakukan 3rd place - H. Iba, Bellevue 3rd place - E. Choi, Kogakukan 3rd place - T. McManus, Kent 3rd place - K. Underhill, Northwest 3 Kyu and Below 2 Kyu and 1 Kyu 1st place - T. Yamashita, Seattle 1st place - J. Yamauchi, Cascade 2nd place - J. Wigant, Portland 2nd place - C. Chan, UW 3rd place - L. Le, UW 3rd place - A. Miller, Portland 3rd place - C. Bailey, Portland 3rd place - A. Kanemasu, Kent 1 Dan and 2 Dan 3 Dan and Above 1st place - J. DeJong, Highline 1st place - S. Choi, Portland 2nd place - T. Imanishi, Cascade 2nd place - A. Yen, Seattle 3rd place - E. Hashimoto, Northwest 3rd place - A. Melton, Spokane 3rd place - B. Lin, UW 3rd place - C. Ruiz, Spokane Junior Team 1st place - Federal Way (J. Kim, D. Lee, K. McManus) 2nd place - Northwest (B. Underhill, T. Miyamoto, E. Underhill) 3rd place - Cascade A (H. Jang, K. Fukuda, JY Lee) 3rd place - Obukan A (J. Shim, Shota Wetlesen, Shun Wetlesen) Adult Team 1st place - Highline (J. DeJong, S. Smith, F. Wessbecher, E. Marsten, C. Chaney) 2nd place - Obukan A (G. Nakayama, J. Chen, N. Holtorf, J. Mapp, A. Nakayama) 3rd place - Spokane A (C. Ruiz, W. Kuster, M. Wolf, W. Sinclair, A. Melton) 3rd place - Portland A (J. Croes, N. Cook, A. Miller, C. Bailey, S. Choi)
AUSKF 2015 IAIDO CHAMPIONSHIP – June 20, 2015, San Jose City College
0-2 Kyu Murakami Cup 1 Kyu and 1 Dan 1st place - Zachary Park, KenBuKan 1st place - Allen Smith, Mushinkan 2nd place - Ben Sardinas, South Florida 2nd place - Rodney Castillo, South Florida 3rd place - SangKi Lee, DFWKIK 3rd place - Steven Touchi, Rancho Cordova 3rd place - Sean Zhu, DFWKIK 3rd place - Korhan Tekkin, Norwalk Kantosho - Keita Tanabe, Salinas Kantosho - Pedro Sors, South Florida Murosako Cup 2 Dan and 3 Dan Yamaguchi Cup 4 Dan and Above 1st place - Takanori Furuta, Itto Kai 1st place - Paul Shin, Shidogakuin 2nd place - Tomoyuki Hirasawa, DFWKIK 2nd place - Susan Sekreta, Ken Zen 3rd place - Yuko Nishida, Shidogakuin 3rd place - Jason Hankins, ZenBuKan 3rd place - Sergey Zalubovsky, Mountain View 3rd place - Terry Fukui, Ken Zen Kantosho - Ahn Trieu, AiShinKai Kantosho - Monica Iwakabe, Rocky Mountain
6th US NAGINATA CHAMPIONSHIP – June 20, 2015, McGill University, Montreal
Engi 1st place - Ai Ajiki and Misaki Nukii, Japan 2nd place - Miyo Inoue and Seishi Sakai, Japan 3rd place - Axel Noorman and Faye Noorman, Netherlands Individual Women Individual Men 1st place - Hasumi Hayashida, Japan 1st place - Kosuke Tanaka, Japan 2nd place - Ai Ajiki, Japan 2nd place - Francois Dermine, Belgium 3rd place - Misaki Nukii, Japan 3rd place - Hirotaka Kato, Japan Team Women 1st place - Japan (Misaki Nukuu, Miyo Inouye, Hasumi Hayashida) 2nd place - USA (Kei Tsukamaki, Shannon Lew, Kelsey Shamrell-Harrington) 3rd place - France (Amadine Babule, Sophie Schmitz, Chloe Bellec) Team Men 1st place - Japan (Kosuke Tanaka, Seishi Sakaki, Satsuki Sahashi) 2nd place - Belgium (David D'hose, Tyl Dermine, Francois Dermine) 3rd place - Canada (Antoine Fromentin, Daniel Bouchard, Tomas Almonte)
LEEWARD OAHU KENDO TOURNAMENT – June 28, 2015, Mililani District Park Gym
Yonenbu 11 Years and Under Shonenbu 12-14 Years
1st place - Brandon Matsumoto, Kenshikan 1st place - Go Hayakawa, Aiea Taiheiji
2nd place - Zachary Yamamoto, Waipahu Seibukan 2nd place - Shoshi Hashimoto, Wahiawa
3rd place - Trinity Kishimoto, Mililani 3rd place - Orion Kishimoto, Mililani
3rd place - Caden Matsumoto, Kenshikan 3rd place - Kano Hashimoto, Wahiawa
Seinenbu Yudansha 1-2 Dan
1st place - Matthew Takemoto, Hawaii Daijingu 1st place - Kevin Chun, Kenshikan
2nd place - Gavin Mata, Hilo Hongwanji 2nd place - Kenton Chun, Mililani
3rd place - John Pitts, Ainakoa Shiseikan 3rd place - Grant Oliver, Kenshikan
3rd place - Skye Nakayama, Kenshikan 3rd place - Gary Komenaka, Ainakoa Shiseikan
Women's Mudansha Women's Yudansha
1st place - Katsumi Takemoto, Hawaii Daijingu 1st place - Rina Ono Brown, Mililani
2nd place - Megan Watanabe, Waipahu Seibukan
Yudansha 3-4 Dan Yudansha Masters 3 Dan and Above Over 45 Years of Age
1st place - Chris Goodin, Aiea Taiheiji 1st place - Garrett Matsumoto, Kenshikan
2nd place - Braxton Fukutomi, Aiea Taiheiji 2nd place - Tusha Buntin, Wahiawa
3rd place - Yusuke Masumo, Mililani 3rd place - Kojun Hashimoto, Wahiawa
3rd place - Gregory Gates, Aiea Taiheiji 3rd place - Marvin Acklin, Wahiawa
Yudansha 5 Dan and Above
1st place - Hyun Kim, Kenshikan
2nd place - Andy Fujimoto, Mililani
Team Parents/Kids Team
1st place - Mililani Parents - 2
2nd place - Kenshikan Kids - 4
James Oka Kantosho Fighting Spirit Award - Nicklas Matsumoto, Kenshikan
SHINKYU SHINSA
AJKF KENDO SHINSA, May 17, 2015, Biwajima Sport Center, Nagoya
6TH DAN: Tomoko Suzuki (Youshinkan).
IKF KENDO SHINSA, June 1, 2015, Olympic Youth Centre, Tokyo
5TH DAN: Lunwei Zhang (China). 6TH DAN:
Blake Bennett (New Zealand), Seth Harris (Hawaii), Sue Lytollis (New Zealand), Grant Matsubayashi (Hawaii), Christopher Wong
{Malaysia). 7TH DAN: Graham Sayer (New Zealand), Buster Sefor (South Africa).
AUSKF IAIDO SHINSA, June 21, 2915, San Jose, California
4TH KYU: Keita Tanabe. 3RD KYU: Angela Gibson, Gina Konstantopoulos. 2ND KYU: Noriko Ambe, Jim
Chandler (ZenBuKan), Jordy Davis (ZenBuKan), Sangki Lee (DFWKIK), Ashley Moore (DFWKIK), Celeste Rosell (ZenBuKan), Denise Verastigue
(DFWKIK), Sean Zhu (DFWKIK). 1ST KYU: Derek Kordash, Zachary Park (ZenBuKan), Benjamin Sardinas (SFKC). 1ST
DAN: Frank Campione, Ahmed Gaballa ElSayed, Alec Milton, Allen Smith, Korhan Tekin. 2ND DAN: Pedro Batista, Frank
Burke, Pamela Carlson (DFWKIK), Rodney Castillo (SFKC), Michael Sareyani, Pedro Sors (SFKC), Steven Touchi (NCKF), Jeremy
Wong. 3RD DAN: Terry Sewell (DFWKIK), Kimiye Touchi (NCKF), Edward Vierk, Yoshimasa Watanabe. 4TH DAN:
Brian Beckford, David Chiu (Simon Frazer U), Hiroaki Fukumoto (PNKF), Takanori Furuta, Tomoyuki Hirasawa (DFWKIK). 5TH
DAN: David Cooper (DFWKIK), Monica Iwakabe (Rocky Mountain).
THE LAST WORD
I graduated from Leilehua High School in l938. I had achieved the rank of 2nd Dan, which was a considerable achievement for my
age, but by then I knew there was so much more to learn. The discipline of Kendo had the physically demanding practice sessions, but I
had finally realized, as Miura Sensei had told me from the beginning, that the real discipline was of myself, to temper and refine my
spirit. Although I had won tournaments in Oahu and had once, in 1934, traveled to Hilo on the Big Island with Miura Sensei to
participate in a tournament, I felt that my skills were strong, but my character was far from the ideal of the Bushi, the feudal
samurai warrior of Japan. Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, stresses kindness and benevolence as well as courage. I trained hard yet
reflected on my progress. Was I benevolent or courageous? I didn’t think so. My mind was definitely not quiet, and my pride and ego,
punctured any thoughts of humility. I certainly never considered death as a serious threat, and the concept of Bushido as “the resolute
acceptance of death” was a recitation for my head but not something I could relate to. No one wants to die, and when Miura Sensei told
me that the Way of the Warrior is death, it seemed an arcane thought relevant to feudal Japan but of little consequence in the fragrant
Hawaiian countryside alive with the aloha spirit of hospitality and sharing. But I had not discussed or questioned these statements. I
accepted on the authority of Miura Sensei that if I applied myself, someday I, too, would understand. Mostly, however, I was a
happy-go-lucky Hawaiian teenager and thought I knew everything I needed. To understand the Way of the Warrior and concepts of Bushido
was not my primary goal.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto,
Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 18. Available as free download at lulu.com.
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation Kenyu Online
Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115