Volume 32, number 12
December 2018
PNKF DATEBOOK
December 2018
- 12/15: PNKF Juniors practice, Sat, 5-8pm, cost $5, Seattle Buddhist
Temple, 1427 S Main Street Seattle 98144.
January 2019
- 1/12: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 1/26-1/27: FIK Shinpan Seminar, Sat/Sun, Dallas, TX.
February 2019
March 2019
- 3/3: UW Kendo Prom, Sun, 6:30-9:30pm, UW Waterfront Activities Center Great Room, 3710 Montlake Blvd, Seattle, Washington 98195. Prom Tickets will be $20 per person and $35 per couple. For students (high school or college) tickets will be $10 per person and $15 per couple. They will also be having a raffle ticket drawing with AMAZING prizes! PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE
- 3/9: PNKF Jodan Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, featuring Kendo Renshi 6th Dan Harry Samkange, Broadview Elementary School (small gym), Sno-King Kendo Club, 13040 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98133.
- 3/16: Highline Taikai, Sat, doors open 8:30am, opening ceremonies 9:30am, White Center Community Center,
1321 SW 102nd Street, Seattle..
- 3/23: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S.
King Street, Seattle.
- 3/30: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, TBD.
April 2019
- 4/6: AUSKF Junior Open National Championships, Sat, South Forsyth High School, 585 Peachtree Parkway,
Cumming, Georgia 30041 http://auskf-jrnationals.com/.
- 4/6: UW Taikai, Sat, 10am, Intramural Activities Building (IMA), UW campus, Montlake Boulevard NE.
- 4/13: PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa, Sat, 9am-4pm, St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church Gym (Seattle Kendo Kai), 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 4/13-14: AUSKF Board meeting, Sat-Sun. Hotel is Radisson, 18118 International Blvd, Seatac, WA 98188. Gym
for Saturday evening Godo Keiko 5-7pm, is Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac, located
right off I-5 at S. 188th Street
- 4/14: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa, Sun, 11am-5pm, Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac, located
right off I-5 at S. 188th Street.
- 4/21: Cherry Blossom demo, Sun, TBD, Seattle Center.
- 4/??: Vancouver Taikai, Sat, TBD.
May 2019
- 5/4: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S.
King Street, Seattle.
- 5/18: Bellevue Junior Taikai, Sat, Highland Park Community Center.
June 2019
- 6/14-6/15-6/16: 12th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, Fri/Sat/Sun, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho.
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
- 6/22: Rose City Taikai, Sat, location TBD, Portland.
- 6/27-7/1: AUSKF Iaido Seminar, Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon.
July 2019
- 7/6-7/13: North American Women’s Kendo Tournament and Seminar, led by Kendo Renshi 7th Dan Chinatsu Maruyama, five time All Japan Champion, Seminar 7/6-7/11 Sat-Thu, Championship 7/13 Sat. https://womenskendo.com/
- 7/20: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S.
King Street, Seattle.
August 2019
- 8/10: PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sat, TBD.
September 2019
- 9/14: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S.
King Street, Seattle.
- 9/27-9/29: PNKF Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa.
October 2019
- 10/5: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
- 10/19: Tacoma Taikai.
November 2019
- 11/2: PNKF Taikai, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
- 11/9-10: AUSKF Board meeting.
- 11/10: AUSKF Kodansha Shinsa.
- 11/16: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S.
King Street, Seattle.
December 2019
- 12/7: Kent Taikai, Sat, TBD, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent.
PNKF BOARD NEWS
At their November 17, 2018 meeting, the 2018/2019 Board was seated, and Officers were elected.
President – CJ Chaney (SnoKing), Vice President – Doug Imanishi (Seattle), Treasurer – Mary DeJong (Highline), Secretary – Tom Bolling (Bellevue), UW Advisor – CJ Chaney.
Other Board members are: Masa Ando (Alaska), Jonathan Bannister (AiShinKai), Sean Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Steve Choi (Portland), Sean DeBlieck (SnoKing), Mary DeJong (Highline), Rory Elliott (Everett), Karin Fedderson (Tacoma), Mark Frederick (Northwest), Jane Higa (UW), Michael Mabale (Seattle), Curtis Marsten (Kent), Tiarnan Marsten (Kent), Vicki Marsten (Federal Way), George Nakayama (Portland), Ed Olson (Tonbo), Chris Ruiz (Spokane), Russ Sinclair (Spokane), Blake Sprenger (Portland), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Frank Wessbecher (Highline).
2018 NORTH AMERICAN IAIDO PARTNERSHIP EVENT – December 2, 2018, Canadian Kendo Federation, Etobicoke, Toronto
Pan-American Iaido - National Team Taikai
1st place - USA
Senpo - Thane Mittelstaedt (AiShinKai Fudo Myoo-Ji Dojo)
Chuken - John Mullin (Ken Zen Institute)
Taisho - Paul Shin (Shidogakuin)
2nd place - Canada
Senpo - Greg Fenton (Mu Mon Kai)
Chuken - Warren Wagler (Kenshokan)
Taisho - Juan Vasquez (Shidokan)
3rd place - Chile
Senpo - Cristian Zumelzu (Asociacion Metropolitana de Kendo)
Chuken - N/A
Taisho - Julio Villareol (Asociacion Metropolitana de Kendo)
3rd place - Mexico
Senpo - Ireneo Rodriguez (Asociacion de Kendo de Nuevo León)
Chuken - Saul Rocha (Asociacion de Kendo de Nuevo León)
Taisho - Oscar Mendez (Asociacion de Iaido y Kendo del Instituto Politecnico Nacional)
Pan-American Iaido – Goodwill Taikai
1st place - Atsuki’s Fantasico
Senpo - Oscar Mendez (Mexico)
Chuken - Flavia Silva (Chile)
Taisho - Hanna Ikeda-Suen (Canada)
2nd place - Senshin
Senpo - Jennifer Mayo (USA)
Chuken - Ignacio Lorca (Chile)
Taisho - David Cheng (Canada)
3rd place - Olivia’s Fantasico
Senpo - Saul Rocha (Mexico)
Chuken - Sandy Lee-Gonye (Canada)
Taisho - Gordon Hall (USA)
3rd place - Espados Hermanos
Senpo - Ireneo Rodriguez (Mexico)
Chuken - Edward Vierk (USA)
Taisho - Guillermo Vargas (Chile)
Pan-American Iaido – Embu Taikai
3rd Dan - Darwin Chan (Mu Mon Kai, Canada)
4th Dan - Tak Furuta (Ittokai, USA)
5th Dan - Patrick Suen (Mu Mon Kai, Canada)
6th Dan - Carole Galligan (Mu Mon Kai, Canada)
KENT TAIKAI – December 8, 2018, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent
10 Years and Under 11-12 Years
1st place – K. Maxfield-Matsumoto, Highline 1st place – A. Mabale, Seattle
2nd place – Y. Ryu, Cascade 2nd place – J. Yu, Northwest
3rd place – K. Ayers, SnoKing 3rd place – J. Paik, Tacoma
3rd place – O. Kaufman, Portland 3rd place – S. Kim, Seattle
13-15 Years 0-4 Kyu
1st place – J. Kim, Federal Way 1st place – A. Kim, Bellevue
2nd place – K. Underhill, Northwest 2nd place – YI Sun, Bellevue
3rd place – D. Chung, Cascade 3rd place – J. Lee, UW
3rd place – L. Ohata, Bellevue 3rd place – A. Lam, Bellevue
3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place – T. Miyamoto, Northwest 1st place – KE Underhill, Northwest
2nd place – N. Smith, Bellevue 2nd place – D. Imanishi, Seattle
3rd place – E. Midorikawa, UW 3rd place – K. Fukuda, Cascade
3rd place – H. Su, Bellevue 3rd place – A. Yuen, Seattle
3-4 Dan Women’s
1st place – I. Morgan, Kent 1st place – T. Imanishi, Cascade
2nd place – Y. Shim, Highline 2nd place – B. Park, Bellevue
3rd place – R. Ono, Cascade 3rd place – R. Ono, Cascade
3rd place – M. Yoneda, Kent 3rd place – M. Blechschmidt, Bellevue
4th place – T. Marsten, Kent
4th place – T. Patana, SnoKing
4th place – F. Wessbecher, Highline
4th place – B. Shieh, Cascade
Junior Teams
1st place – Bellevue (H. Koob, K. Takamatsu, L. Ohata, J. Chu, C. Park)
2nd place – Northwest (Ju. Paik, N. Underhill, J. Yu, Jo. Paik, K. Underhill)
3rd place – Seattle (A. Yuen, E. Kim, A. Mabale, S. Kim, K. Hale)
3rd place – Mixed (S. Johnson, M. Day, O. Kaufman, L. Jesequel, F. Mabale)
Senior Teams
1st place – Northwest (K. Underhill, T. Miyamoto, B. Pae, X. Wang, V. Vulfson)
2nd place – Bellevue (B. Park, M. Blechschmidt, L. Tsybert, M. Ohata, H. Su)
3rd place – SnoKing (D. Lew, M. Suzuki, A. Zee, T. Patana, N. Grimes)
3rd place – Kent (S. Day, J. Orwig, M. Yoneda, I. Morgan, T. Marsten)
Shinpan Sho – Curtis Marsten
Sportsmanship Pledge – Terry McManus
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF KODANSHA SHINSA, November 11, 2018, Dallas, Texas
5TH DAN: Satoko Boettcher (ECUSKF), Hiroki Fukui (ECUSKF), Eui Rae Ro (SEUSKF), Mark Masakuni Sasaki (MWKF), Mitsukuni Yoshida (MWKF).
6TH DAN: Masanao Fukuno (SCKO), Pau H. Shin (GNEUSKF).
7TH DAN: Yutaro Matsuura (MWKF).
RENSHI: Russell M. Ichimura (SWKIF), Nathan Makino (SCKO), Song Yi Yang (SCKF).
KYOSHI: Brandon Harada (SCKF).
MWKF FALL SHINSA, October 21, 2018, Oveland Park, Kansas
2ND KYU: Nick Karstens (Moline).
1ST DAN: Kate Classy Duffus (Moline).
4TH DAN: Seong Kim (Moline).
2018 NORTH AMERICAN IAIDO PARTNERSHIP SHINSA, December 2, 2018, Canadian Kendo Federation, Etobicoke, Toronto
6TH DAN: Jonathan Bannister (PNKF).
CKF WEST SHINSA, December 8, 2018, Steveston
5TH DAN: Jakob Schmidt (Vancouver).
THE LAST WORD
When I returned, I trained more new recruits. But this time, they were old, feeble men, often disabled and sick. All the men, college students and young men had already been drafted, leaving only the “Han” squad, these sad old men. The Japanese army was obviously in poor condition, and it was becoming apparent that Japan was losing the war. These old soldiers were throwaway men.
I thought that training these old people to fight, some of whom actually belonged in a nursing home, was absurd, a waste of energy, and cruel. So I gave them time to rest and recuperate. I would lead them out of the barracks with great gusto for training, but as we approached the training field, we just lay down and rested. If I had been caught doing this, I would have been court-martialed. But I guess the happy-go-lucky Hawaiian boy had emerged, and I thought, “What the heck! These old people can’t fight. They need rest more than anything else to merely survive.”
I felt very sorry for the old soldiers. 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.
My final order was to return to Kochi to gather the supplies we had saved by scattering them in the hills in farmers’ warehouses. The roads were narrow, the drivers inexperienced and the trucks easily slid into the rice paddies. We had no towing tools so when a truck was stuck, everyone would work together to heave the truck upright and attempt to get it back on the road. But that was easy compared to rescuing our own men who would often become trapped inside the truck when it rolled. One time a truck rolled over and pinned a soldier. Gasoline spilled from the truck and covered his body. We finally rolled the truck off him, but he was in no shape to continue his duties. Due to the gasoline burns, his skin was peeling from his entire body. He suffered horribly, especially when he moved. I sent him back to Hiroshima. Then came the Atomic Bomb that released his pain completely!
How perfunctory and cold my attitude now seems – he burned then died. No description of his unrelenting screams of agony, the calls to his mother, the terror in his eyes. But that is what happens in war. Too much suffering and death can drive a man insane unless the senses of pity and horror are numbed. Anger is acceptable. Soldiers are taught not to look in the eyes of an enemy if killing in close combat. Looking into the eyes creates a relationship. We are taught about relationship in Kendo. But there is no time in boot camp to learn how to create a life as well as take a life. In modern warfare, killing is, when possible, more distant. That is probably good for the mental health of soldiers, even though it avoids confronting the reality of death on a bloody battlefield.
Hiroshima, 1945
We were so isolated in Kochi that we had lost communications with our base in Hiroshima. We didn’t know about the Bomb or the end of the War until few weeks after Japan surrendered. But we weren’t surprised. The old soldiers were tired and already felt defeated, and most of us had known for some months that the war was lost. We just didn’t know the form that loss would take.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 36-37. 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
Volume 32, number 10/11
October/November 2018
PNKF DATEBOOK
November 2018
- 11/16: Jodo Seminar, Fri, 6:30-9:30pm, Hastings Community Centre, 3096 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.
- 11/17: Jodo Seminar, Sat, 1:30-5:30pm, SHIFT Movement and Healing Arts, 3517 Stone Way N., Seattle
- 11/17: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
December 2018
- 12/8: Kent Taikai, Sat, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 12/8: Jodo Seminar, Sat, 10am-4pm, Portland, TBD.
- 12/9: Jodo Seminar, Sun, 9am-12noon, Portland, TBD.
- 12/9: Jodo Shinsa, Seattle, TBD.
April 2019
- 4/6: AUSKF Junior Open National Championships, Sat, South Forsyth High School, 585 Peachtree Parkway,
Cumming, Georgia 30041 http://auskf-jrnationals.com/.
June 2019
- 6/14-6/15-6/16: 12th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, Fri/Sat/Sun, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho.
July 2019
- 7/6-7/13: 7th North American Women’s Kendo Tournament and Seminar, with Chinatsu Murayama Sensei, Renshi 7th Dan, 5-time All Japan Women’s Kendo Champion. Seminar: 7/6-7/11 Sat-Thu; Godo Keiko: 7/12; Taikai: 7/13, Sat, Bitterlake Community Center Annex, Sno-King Kendo Club, 13052 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98133
CANADIAN KENDO FEDERATION 2018 MCGILL KENDO TAIKAI – July 17, 2018, Montreal, Quebec
Mudansha-Shodan Women
1st place - Kathy La, Mississauga 1st place - Hanaca Yamada, Vancouver
2nd place - Etienne Matieu, Granby 2nd place - Bora Choi, Jung Ko Kendo
3rd place - Ryan Evans, York U 3rd place - Noriko Imaizumi, Granby
3rd place - Luke Pham, U Toronto 3rd place - Alysha Hum, Shidokan
Nidan-Sandan Yondan and Up
1st place - Rahmil Mustafa, U Toronto 1st place - Kyle Eunseob Lee, Chinook
2nd place - Yun Bao, JCCC 2nd place - Inseo Park, Jung Ko Kendo
3rd place - Daniel Lau, Carleton 3rd place - Tuan Anh Hoang, McGill U
3rd place - Patrick Kim, GSK 3rd place - Julio Kenji Toida, Montreal
Team Division
1st place - Team Canada Kendo Men
2nd place - Garden State Kendo Alliance
3rd place - McGill University 1
3rd place - Jung Ko Kendo
Fighting Spirit Women - Joanna Asare, JCCC
Fighting Spirit Men - Matthew Ricci, Hamilton Kendo Club
44th PNKF TAIKAI – November 3, 2018, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N., Kent
10 Years and Under 11-12 Years
1st place – N. Son, Renbu 1st place – A. Mabale, Seattle
2nd place – I. Hwang, Renbu 2nd place – DV Chung, Cascade
3rd place – T. Okurano, Youshinkan 3rd place – A. Yuen, Seattle
3rd place – A. Kobayashi, Youshinkan 3rd place – S. Kim, Seattle
13-15 Years 0-4 Kyu
1st place – C. Robillard, Steveston 1st place – L. Bobadilla, Oregon State U
2nd place – A. Son, Renbu 2nd place – A. Kim, Bellevue
3rd place – L. Ohata, Bellevue 3rd place – B. Wong, UW
3rd place – O. Benson, Youshinkan 3rd place – T. Elliott, Spokane
Women’s Kyu Women’s Dan
1st place – S. Lowes, UBC 1st place – B. Park, Bellevue
2nd place – E. Midorikawa, UW 2nd place – R. Ono, Hawaii
3rd place – R. Allen, Portland 3rd place – M. Oya, Palouse
3rd place – Y. Gao, Oregon State U 3rd place – W. Robillard, Steveson
1-3 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place – J. Jeon, Bellevue 1st place – YA Chen, UBC
2nd place – M. Miyamoto, Northwest 2nd place – P. Kim, Garden State
3rd place – T. Miyamoto, Northwest 3rd place – H. Shim, Renbu
3rd place – J. Tang, Langara 3rd place – J. Jeong, Youshinkan
3 Dan 4 Dan and Above
1st place – T. Marsten, Kent 1st place – S. Harris, Hawaii
2nd place – I. Miki, Steveston 2nd place – N. Tanimura, Seattle
3rd place – A. Fujii, UW 3rd place – G. Suzaka, Seattle
3rd place – D. Miura, Hawaii 3rd place – L. Hancock, Hawaii
Junior Teams
1st place – Seattle (S. Kim, A. Yueh, A. Mabale, E. Kim, KY Hale)
2nd place – Renbu A (N. Son, E. Cho, A. Son, H. Homma, K. Squance)
3rd place – Bellevue A (H. Koob, T. Chu, L. Ohata, T. Koob, K. Takamatsu)
3rd place – Youshinkan (M. Shirai, F. Benson, T. Okurano, O. Benson, H. Asaoka)
Senior Teams
1st place – Hawaii (D. Miura, R. Ono, L. Hancock, S. Harris, A. Fujimoto)
2nd place – Renbu (H. Shim, Y. Hayashi, J. Kurahashi, E. Lee, O. Young)
3rd place – Youshinkan (J. Jeong, J. Schmidt, K. Kobayashi, J. Chien, T. Nakamura)
3rd place – Sno-King (M. Scott, M. Suzuki, N. Grimes, T. Tagami, T. Patana)
Shinpan Sho – Shinichi Koike
Sportsmanship Pledge – Keigo Underhill, Northwest
Shoji Award – Josh Kim, Kent
Presidential Service Award – Mary DeJong, Highline
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF KODANSHA SHINSA, August 19, 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada
5TH DAN: Wayne Kikuo Abe (PNKF), Hoon Chang (AEUSKF), Sean Choi (NCKF), So Young Choi (SCKO), Tiana Cirkovic (SEUSKF),
Kenichi G. Kamimoto (SCKO), Won Kim (AEUSKF), George Lee (SCKO), Jaeyeon Lee (AEUSKF), Lewis Franklin Murphy (GNEUSKF),
Sara Tominaga (GNEUSKF).
6TH DAN: Steve Sang Hyun Choi (PNKF), Yoshiyuki Goya (SCKF), Zia Uddin (MWKF).
7TH DAN: Sandip Ghodgaonkar Maruyama (SCKO), Yuji Hosokawa (SCKF), Sang Hwan Huh (SCKF).
RENSHI: Ken Ikeda (SCKO), Yukiko Miura (SCKO), Youn-soo Shin (SCKO).
THE LAST WORD
I was put in charge, as an officer, of training new troops. They were young, too young in fact. Teenagers were called to fill the need for more soldiers. And because they were young, they were not only vigorous but also cocky. One day I was running in the lead during our morning exercises. One of the sergeants informed me that some recruits were complaining that it wasn’t fair that Omoto Minari Shikan carried only a light sword, but the recruits had to carry heavy rifles and machine guns. The next day, immediately after leaving the barracks, I yelled “Kake Ashi! (run!). Give me your machine gun and follow me.” We ran full speed. I left one soldier sergeant to follow at the rear and pick up all those who dropped out. At the end of the training run, many of the young kids had dropped out. I was never criticized again. And they had learned a lesson. There is a Japanese doll, the “daruma.” Knock it down and comes back up. There is an old Japanese saying, “Nan Na Korobi Ya Oki.” It means seven times knocked down, get up on the eighth! This is the way of the soldier, but when soldiers are still children, it is a difficult requirement. My Kendo training helped me to endure. I learned about “intent” to firmly focus only upon the present task, to firmly commit with absolute resolve, and thereby to win. And with meditation, I knew how to refresh my body, to relax and recuperate.
My training now was to learn to operate and repair Toyota 6- cylinder trucks. This was easy, for just as my father had been a blacksmith, so he had also repaired all parts of the Model T Ford and modified other sedans to use as cooler trucks for fruit, vegetable and fresh fish peddlers, I was familiar with mechanical repairs. After basic learning, I was sent on a winter convoy (Jidosha Taikan Kogun) for more truck experience. After traveling for three days on the long convoy route through the remote countryside of Hiroshima, we stopped near a large brewery with huge tubs of sake. This became a great celebration. Our spirits were lifted by a party; that cold evening we were warmed by sake in a brief respite from the harshness of life as soldiers. Our rations provided basic nutrition and did not include sake and no parties or R & R leave. The next morning, after filling our canteens with sake instead of water, we continued our travel. It was my turn to be flag man, moving between the trucks and to communicate to the truck in the rear distances and road conditions. I didn’t think I was very lucky to pull this duty because it was cold, and all the other soldiers were under the canvas, taking it easy with sake filled canteens. The trucks were loaded with three 50-gallon drums filled with fuel alcohol because Japan had almost completely run out of gasoline. Certainly none could be spared for military exercises.
As we were slowly moving on a narrow snow covered road, my truck started to skid toward the left side. All of a sudden the left front wheel ran off the road and started tipping over the cliff. Instinctively, I put my hands on the rail on the right side and somersaulted onto the road. I desperately tried to hang onto the edge of the road but failed and started sliding down a steep cliff until I caught a branch of a small tree about midway from the road and the rice paddy at least thirty feet below. I suffered scratches and bruises. Everyone inside was crushed by the truck and the 50-gallon fuel drums. Many hours later the ambulance came with stretchers. Not only did I survive the plunge, but as a bonus, I got a ride on the stretcher to the ambulance and safety.
Sometimes I wonder whether this reflexive response was due to Kendo training. Kendo is all offensive resolute action. Training hones the reflexes so that action is instantaneous, without thought. The greatest risk come with hesitation, when nerve is briefly lost. Survival depends on boldness. I had, of course, learned the strategy of examining my environment and was ready for the cliff, and I was in good physical shape, but without Kendo training, I’m not sure my response would have been quick enough to save my life.
But sometimes action is not the best approach. When I returned to Hiroshima, I was assigned to a look-out on top of a roof for air raid watch. As always, I considered my surroundings; our base was darkened to avoid being identified as a target. A group of American bombers flew over my head almost close enough to touch. I didn’t shoot. Had I done so, the entire barracks area would have been discovered and bombed. But it may have been destroyed anyway if we had already been noted as the target. In that case, by not alerting our defenses, if I had survived, I would have been held responsible and likely executed, certainly I would have been utterly disgraced. I was very lucky, because there was another, completely unacceptable reason I didn’t shoot. Walter was my childhood friend in Wahiawa and I knew he, and other friends I had grown up with, were all fighting on the American side. If I had shot, would I kill Walter? I couldn’t shoot. I would rather have been shamed and executed. I could never have lived knowing I had killed one of my friends, even if from the distance of modern warfare. To have killed Walter would have destroyed my spirit and made life unbearable. Boot camp training does not teach how to deal with such regret.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 36-37. 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
Volume 32, number 7/8/9
July/August/September 2018
PNKF DATEBOOK
September 2018
- 9/28-9/30: PNKF West Coast Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa, Fri, Sat, Sun, Rain City Fencing, 1776 136th
Place NE, Bellevue.
- Teachers: Iaido Kyoshi 8th Dan Hideo Noguchi; and Iaido Kyoshi 7th Dan Shigehiro Aoki and Kaoru Suzuki.
- Schedule: Fri, 7-9pm; Sat, 9am-5pm Iaido; Sun, 9am-1pm Tournament; 2-4:30pm Shinsa/Seminar.
October 2018
- 10/6-10/7: AUSKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 9am-5pm, and Sun, 9am-1pm, with asageiko 7:30-8:30am, Chinook Middle School, 18650 42nd Avenue S., SeaTac, WA 98188. There will be a $15 seminar fee to be paid in CASH and collected at the door. In addition, Bento are available for lunch on Saturday at $10 each which will also be collected at the door Saturday morning. Dinner Party — Saturday night there will be a dinner and all are invited and encouraged to attend, details to follow. REGISTER ON-LINE NOW AT: https://goo.gl/forms/4biLMEpPvIkTDMLt2
- 10/20: Tacoma Taikai, Sat — CANCELLED.
November 2018
- 11/3: PNKF Taikai, Sat, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 11/10: AUSKF Board meeting, Sat/Sun, Crowne Plaza Dallas, 14315 Midway Road, Addison, Texas.
- 11/11: Kodansha Shinsa, Sun, 12:30pm, Greenhill School Cox Gym, 4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, Texas.
- 11/16: Jodo Seminar, Fri, 6:30-9:30pm, Hastings Community Centre, 3096 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.
- 11/17: Jodo Seminar, Sat, 1:30-5:30pm, SHIFT Movement and Healing Arts, 3517 Stone Way N., Seattle
- 11/17: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
December 2018
- 12/8: Kent Taikai, Sat, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 12/9: PNKF Jodo Shinsa.
April 2019
- 4/6: AUSKF Junior Open National Championships, Sat, South Forsyth High School, 585 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, Georgia 30041 http://auskf-jrnationals.com/.
June 2019
- 6/14-6/16: 12th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, Fri/Sat/Sun, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho
July 2019
- 7/6-7/13: 7th North American Women’s Kendo Tournament and Seminar, with Chinatsu Murayama Sensei, Renshi 7th Dan, 5-time All Japan Women’s Kendo Champion. Seminar: 7/6-7/11 Sat-Thu; Godo Keiko: 7/12; Taikai: 7/13, Sat, Bitterlake Community Center Annex, Sno-King Kendo Club, 13052 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98133
17th WORLD KENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS – September 14,15,16 2018, Namdong Gymnasium, Incheon, Korea.
Men Individuals
1st place – Sho Ando, Japan
2nd place – Jin Yong, Korea
3rd place – Byung Hoon Park, Korea
3rd place – Yuya Takenouchi, Japan
Fighting Spirit
Makoto Grosfils, Belgium Borna Ban, Croatia
Yosuke Katumi, Japan Jarrod Hatakeyama, USA
Dwight Park, Australia Man Uk Jang, Korea
Celso Tsuyoshi Takayama, Brazil Julian Williams, USA
Women Individuals
1st place – Mizuki Matsumoto, Japan
2nd place – Mariko Yamamoto, Japan
3rd place – Mei Fujimoto, Japan
3rd place – Maika Senoo, Japan
Fighting Spirit
Kumi Sato, Sweden Nicole Chun, Hawaii
Asteria Akyla, Greece Esther Kim, USA
Kasey Tada, USA Sayo Van Der Woude, Netherlands
Hwa Yeong Lee, Korea Ju Won Choi, Korea
Women Teams
1st place – Japan (T. Watanabe, Moeko Takahashi, H. Tominaga, M. Yamamoto, M. Matsumoto)
2nd place – Korea (S. Jung, J. Choi, Y. Ryu, H. Han, H. Lee)
3rd place – Canada (Bree Yang, Akiko Fukushima, Kyrene Kim, Man-San Ma, Hanaca Yamada)
3rd place – Australia (Jenny Song, Julie Feng, Daesul Chun, Alex Kambara, Vivian Yung)
Fighting Spirit
Pauline Stolarz, France Teodora Dimitric, Serbia
Saadet Kok, Turkey Maia Bober, Poland
Haruko Tsuzuki, New Zealand Sayo Van Der Woude, Netherlands
Elina Hideko Onaka, Brazil Yuri Kil, USA
Men Teams
1st place – Japan (Y. Maeda, K. Hoshiko, Y. Takenouchi, H. Nishimura, S. Ando
2nd place – Korea (B. Park, I. Park, M. Lee, MU Jang, J. Jo)
3rd place – USA (Lee, Yamaoka, Hill, Brown, Williams, Steele, Wang)
3rd place – Taiwan (C. Chu, PT Peng, HC Weng, CW Liu, C. Tsai)
Fighting Spirit
Wilfried Olivier, France Winston Dollee, Netherlands
Joel Salmela, Finland Miodrag Dimic, Serbia
Jonathan Bertout, France Edson Jundi Toida, Brazil
Wang Hon Kwok, Hong Kong Dario Baeli, Italy
11th ANNUAL PNKF WEST COAST IAIDO TAIKAI – September 30, 2018, Rain City Fencing Center, Bellevue, Washington
Sportsmanship Pledge – Hans Andersen, AiShinKai
Mudansha Yudansha 1-2 Dan
1st place – B. Burton, AiShinKai 1st place – V. Whitman, Seattle
2nd place – N. Varma, Seattle 2nd place – K. Duong, Musokai
3rd place – S. Gose, Musokai 3rd place – M. Hughes, Obukan
3rd place – K. Chang, Musokai 3rd place – S. Horita, Musokai
Yudansha 3-4 Dan (Noguchi Cup)
1st place – H. Fukumoto, Seattle
2nd place – F. Fourie, AiShinKai
3rd place – B. Blomquist, Everett
3rd place – C. Goeke, Renma
Special PNKF Iaido Committee Commendation Award – September 29, 2018
Presented to Iaido Kyoshi 8th Dan Hideo Noguchi in appreciation of his long-term
commitment of teaching Iaido at PNKF Annual Seminars.
SHINKYU SHINSA
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, August 11, 2018, Kent Commons Recreation Center, Kent, Washington
6TH KYU: Darwin Beck (Sno-King), DongYun Ryu (Cascade).
5TH KYU: Ezra Corcoro Marx (Federal Way), Joe Kabeshita (Obukan), DongHyun Ryu (Cascade), Tenu Ahn (Cascade), Matthew Park (Cascade).
4TH KYU: Drew Migita (Seattle), Lucien Jesequel (Obukan), Hoeun Son (Federal Way), Nina Underhill (Northwest),
Juno Lee (Federal Way).
3RD KYU: Alec Yuen (Seattle), Sean Kim (Seattle), Aneurin Mabale (Seattle), Takakazu Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Ian Krupp (Cascade),
Theo Koob (Bellevue), Zhaoyuan Xu (UW), David Yip (Cascade), Espen Hellevik (UW), Krysta Hart (OSU), Willard Wiseman (OSU), Tai Enrico (Seattle),
Gavin Higham (Seattle), Ju Oh (Highline), Derek Woodward (Everett),
Kate Rice (Portland), Andrea Calhoun (Portland), Mayumi Simpson (Portland).
2ND KYU: Hana Koob (Bellevue), William Wellborn (Bellevue), Suepapone Vanasouk (UW), Zhengnan Liu (OSU),
Yuning Gao (OSU), Krystal McIntosh (Federal Way), Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Gen Li (OSU), Yue Chen (Seattle),
Haoran Su (Bellevue), Robin Allen (Portland), Matt Miyamoto (Northwest), Justin Davis (Northwest),
Dan Rosanova (Seattle), Benjamin Marx (Federal Way), Chizuko Heyer (Edmonds), Raymond Fish (Edmonds).
1ST KYU: Catherine Park (Bellevue), Keiji Underhill (Northwest), Timaeus Ting (Northwest), Eugene Kim (Seattle), Ffion Mabale (Seattle),
Koki Takamatsu (Bellevue), Kassidy Ting (Northwest), Elysia Midorikawa (UW), Kyle Wang (UW),
Aidan Chervin (Portland), Timothy Jaybush (Bellevue), Daniel Lee (Tacoma), Raymond Kao (Tacoma), Bruce Alter (Portland).
1ST DAN: Shota Wetlesen (Obukan), Michizane Ohata (Bellevue), Kengo Underhill (Northwest),
Kyle Fukuda (Cascade), Kasey Kitchel (Sno-King),
Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Jason Nguyen (UW), Francis Walsh (UW), Binah Yeung (Seattle),
Athena Epilepsia (Bellevue), Victor Blancarte (Sno-King), Chi Pak (Portland).
2ND DAN: Drake Imanishi (Seattle).
3RD DAN: Jane Higa (UW), Richard Carroll (Cascade).
4TH DAN: Melanie DeJong (Highline), Austen Samkange (Bellevue), Sergey Shilov (Bellevue).
PNKF WEST COAST IAIDO SHINSA, September 30, 2018, Rain City Fencing Center, Bellevue, Washington
3RD KYU: James Thorne (AiShinKai).
2ND KYU: Brian Burton (AiShinKai), Alex Chang (Musokai), Kevin Chang (Musokai),
Steve Gose (Musokai), Manuel Teran (AiShinKai).
1ST DAN: Nikhil Varma (Seattle).
2ND DAN: Victor Whitman (Seattle).
THE LAST WORD
All kendoists and most Japanese know and revere Musashi, but I had not yet penetrated more than about twelve pages of the copy of the Gorin no Sho in the book called Kendo by Takao Sasaburo given to me by Miura Sensei when I left for Japan. And here I was in Kumamoto with no time for sight-seeing or study. But even a fool could appreciate the surrounding exquisite natural beauty. And I later realized that my response to the horses reflected Takano Sasaburo attitude on relationships, which was part of my body’s knowledge, between Uchi Tachi and Shitachi in Kata. For our morning training, we would run three miles to Suizenji Park, a thoroughly pleasant exercise. Then we learned how to dismantle buggies and cannons, pack them onto horses, and transport the parts into the hills to reassemble the cannons there. I groomed, fed, and cared for the horses. Being with the horses was my favorite duty. I respected and gained the trust of the horses, just as my father had as a blacksmith in Wahiawa. A quiet spirit is necessary as the horse can feel fear and will respond with fear by kicking or rearing or refusing to be still. During the cold winter, I snuggled with the horses and was saved from freezing. The horses had moist warmth and shared his flank with me. Kendo training helped me with the horses, something I would never have anticipated. Miyamoto Musashi taught that “Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased.” Every practice begins and ends with mei so. Generally the meditation period is brief, less than a few minutes, but that is time enough to leave behind all other concerns, leaving the mind open and the spirit to settle and quiet. In addition, we learned the kendo “gaze”. Described by Musashi, the gaze is twofold: perception and sight. “It is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things…to look to both sides without moving the eyes.” Thus the gaze is large and broad. So when I approached the horses, I was calm. I respected their power and their intelligence. I spoke to them softly, and noting how they communicated with each other by sharing breath, breathed into their nostrils. I did not stare into their eyes, which I now understand can both frighten and challenge them. My gaze was perception, not challenge. My attitude was acknowledged and reflected back to me. But food helped. When I could, I fed them their favorite foods, apples and carrots. I loved the horses and for about six months actually enjoyed my training at Kumamoto, unlike the other soldiers who never slept with the horses. After this training, I was sent back to Hiroshima, where I was designated Minarai Shikan, a graduate of military war school. I don’t know why. Promotion just happened in the Japanese army, not necessarily connected to time in service or aptitudes. An officer said I was Minarai Shikan, and so I was. At a young age, I came to appreciate the random nature of our lives.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 35-36.
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
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, August 11th, 2018, Kent, WA
6 KYU: Darwin Beck (Sno-King), DongYun Ryu (Cascade)
5 KYU: Ezra Corcoro Marx (Federal Way), Joe Kabeshita (Obukan), DongHyun Ryu (Cascade), Tenu Ahn (Cascade), Matthew Park (Cascade)
4 KYU: Drew Migita (Seattle), Lucien Jesequel (Obukan), Hoeun Son (Federal Way), Nina Underhill (Northwest), Juno Lee (Federal Way)
3 KYU: Alec Yuen (Seattle), Sean Kim (Seattle), Aneurin Mabale (Seattle), Takakazu Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Ian Krupp (Cascade), Theo Koob (Bellevue), Zhaoyuan Xu (UW), David Yip (Cascade), Espen Hellevik (UW), Krysta Hart (OSU), Willard Wiseman (OSU), Tai Enrico (Seattle), Gavin Higham (Seattle), Ju Oh (Highline), Derek Woodward (Everett), Kate Rice (Portland), Andrea Calhoun (Portland), Mayumi Simpson (Portland)
2 KYU: Hana Koob (Bellevue), William Wellborn (Bellevue), Suepapone Vanasouk (UW), Zhengnan Liu (OSU), Yuning Gao (OSU), Krystal McIntosh (Federal Way), Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Gen Li (OSU), Yue Chen (Seattle), Haoran Su (Bellevue), Robin Allen (Portland), Matt Miyamoto (Northwest), Justin Davis (Northwest), Dan Rosanova (Seattle), Benjamin Marx (Federal Way), Chizuko Heyer (Edmonds), Raymond Fish (Edmonds)
1 KYU: Catherine Park (Bellevue), Keiji Underhill (Northwest), Timaeus Ting (Northwest), Eugene Kim (Seattle), Ffion Mabale (Seattle), Koki Takamatsu (Bellevue), Kassidy Ting (Northwest), Elysia Midorikawa (UW), Kyle Wang (UW), Aidan Chervin (Portland), Timothy Jaybush (Bellevue), Daniel Lee (Tacoma), Raymond Kao (Tacoma), Bruce Alter (Portland)
1 DAN: Shota Wetlesen (Obukan), Michizane Ohata (Bellevue), Kengo Underhill (Northwest), Kyle Fukuda (Cascade), Kasey Kitchel (Sno-King), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Jason Nguyen (UW), Francis Walsh (UW), Binah Yeung (Seattle), Athena Epilepsia (Bellevue), Victor Blancarte (Sno-King), Chi Pak (Portland)
2 DAN: Drake Imanishi (Seattle)
3 DAN: Jane Higa (UW), Richard Carroll (Cascade)
4 DAN: Melanie DeJong (Highline), Austen Samkange (Bellevue), Sergey Shilov (Bellevue)
Volume 32, number 4/5/6
April/May/June 2018
PNKF DATEBOOK
July 2018
- 7/21: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
August 2018
- 8/11: PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sat, 12noon-4pm, open keiko 4-5pm, Kent Commons Recreation Center,
525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James), Kent.
- 8/18: 5th Annual Houston Kendo Kyokai Team Taikai, Sat, opening ceremony 8:45am, Gilruth Fitness Center, 2101 E. NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas.
September 2018
- 9/8: PNKF Senior Kendo Seminar, Sat, 8:30am-4pm, Bitterlake Community Center Annex, Thompson Broadview Elementary, 13052 Greenwood Avenue N., Seattle.
- Tentative agenda: doors open 8:30am; 9-10:30am, injury prevention; 10:30am-12noon, Competition;
12noon-1pm lunch; 1-1:30pm warm up; 1:30-3pm shinsa; 3-4pm open keiko.
- 9/14-16: 17WKC, Fri/Sat/Sun, Namdong Gymnasium, Incheon, Korea.
- 9/15: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 9/28-9/30: PNKF West Coast Iaido Seminar, Tournament, and Shinsa, Fri, Sat, Sun, Rain City Fencing, 1776 136th
Place NE, Bellevue.
- Teachers: Iaido Kyoshi 8th Dan Hideo Noguchi; and Iaido Kyoshi 7th Dan Shigehiro Aoki and Kaoru Suzuki.
- Schedule: Fri, 7-9pm; Sat, 9am-5pm Iaido; Sun, 9am-1pm Tournament; 2-4:30pm Shinsa/Seminar.
October 2018
- 10/6-10/7: AUSKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 9am-5pm, and Sun, 9am-1pm, with asageiko 7:30-8:30am, Chinook Middle School, 18650 42nd Avenue S., SeaTac, WA 98188. There will be a $15 seminar fee to be paid in CASH and collected at the door. In addition, Bento are available for lunch on Saturday at $10 each which will also be collected at the door Saturday morning. Dinner Party — Saturday night there will be a dinner and all are invited and encouraged to attend, details to follow. REGISTER ON-LINE NOW AT: https://goo.gl/forms/4biLMEpPvIkTDMLt2
- 10/20: Tacoma Taikai, Sat — CANCELLED.
November 2018
- 11/3: PNKF Taikai, Sat, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 11/10: AUSKF Board meeting, Sat, venue TBD.
- 11/11: Kodansha Shinsa, Sun, venue TBD.
- 11/17: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
December 2018
- 12/1: Kent Taikai, Sat, Kent Commons Recreational Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 12/9: PNKF Jodo Shinsa.
April 2019
- 4/6: AUSKF Junior Open National Championships, Sat, South Forsyth High School, 585 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, Georgia 30041 http://auskf-jrnationals.com/.
June 2019
- 6/14-6/16: 12th Annual US Nito Kendo Summer Camp, Fri/Sat/Sun, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho
8th AUSKF JUNIOR OPEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – April 8, 2018, Marina High School, Huntington Beach, California
9 Years and Under 10-11 Years
1st place – Issei Lancelot, NCKF 1st place - Taiyo Ariga, SCKO
2nd place – Ryuga Madokoro, SCKF 2nd place - Jacob Huh, SCKF
3rd place – Bailey Shinada, SCKF 3rd place – Euvene Kae, WKF
3rd place – Yuta Onitsuka, NCKF 3rd place – Demian Roh, SCKF
Kantosho – Yuichi Sato, SCKF Kantosho – Jonathan Yu, PNKF
Kantosho – Yoshihiko Shimada, SCKO Kantosho – Devin Chung, PNKF
Kantosho – Sora Kanemoto, SCKF Kantosho – Kokoro Kusayanagi, SCKF
Kantosho – Luke Ido, SCKO Kantosho – Jacob Kim, WKF
12-13 Years 14-15 Years
1st place – Jonathan Huang, NCKF 1st place – Tomohide Katayama, ECUSKF
2nd place – Andrew Kang, SCKF 2nd place – Riki Okawa, SCKO
3rd place – McCartney Hong, SCKF 3rd place – Tylor Wang, WKF
3rd place – Scott Fujiwara, SCKO 3rd place – Dave Nam, SCKF
Kantosho – Ennio Kim, SCKF Kantosho – Bryan Yoo, WKF
Kantosho – Dylan Hil, SCO Kantosho – Benjamin Ahn, WKF
Kantosho – Hayden Kim, SCKF Kantosho – Josh Kim, PNKF
Kantosho – Yosuke Takubo, SCKF Kantosho – Keisuke Yamamuro, SCKO
16-18 Years 13 Years and Under Girls
1st place - Branden Wang, WKF 1st place - Daphne Chen, SCKF
2nd place - Gen Takahashi, SCKO 2nd place - Misaki Matsunaga, ECUSKF
3rd place - Steven Yoo, WKF 3rd place - Kayleen Kim, SCKO
3rd place - Kyle Fukuda, PNKF 3rd place - Grace Huh, SCKF
Kantosho - Benjamin Huh, SCKF Kantosho - Sayaka Masuo, SWKIF
Kantosho - Teruya Mochizuki, ECUSKF Kantosho - Naomi Yu, SCFK
Kantosho - Lucien Levins, SCKO Kantosho - Mai Sakamoto, SCKO
Kantosho - Nathan Sueki, SCKF Kantosho - Ffion Mabale, PNKF
14-18 Years Girls
1st place - Aika Onitsuka, NCKF
2nd place - Betty Park, PNKF
3rd place - Hana Yamamoto, SCKO
3rd place - Colleen Fan, NCKF
Kantosho - Allison Kojima, PNKF
Kantosho - Chika Hotta, ECUSKF
Kantosho - Anne Morita, SCKO
Kantosho - Keeley McManus, PNKF
Youth Team Girls Team Boys Team
1st place - ECUSKF A 1st place - PNKF A (K.McManus,B.Park,A.Kojima) 1st place - SCKO A
2nd place - SCKO A 2nd place - SCKF A 2nd place - WKF B
3rd place - SCKF B 3rd place - NCKF A 3rd place - PNKF B
3rd place - SCKF A 3rd place - NCKF B (J.Paik,K.Honda,D.Chung,KEUnderhill,K.Fukuda)
3rd place - ECUSKF A
42nd ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL KENDO TOURNAMENT – April 14, 2018
Women's 0-4 Kyu
1st place - H. Yamada, Vancouver 1st place - D. Yip, Cascade
2nd place - K. Darbyshire, Vancouver 2nd place - A. Kim, Bellevue
3rd place - W. Robillard, Steveston 3rd place - B. Wong, UW
3rd place - M. Gardner, UVic 3rd place - M. Xu, UW
3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place - A. Yorita, UW 1st place - B. Liao, Bellevue
2nd place - L. Gao, UW 2nd place - P. Lee, Steveston
3rd place - A. Rossi, Spokane 3rd place - E. Chui, Steveston
3rd place - B. Sprenger, Obukan 3rd place - A. Kojima, Bellevue
3 Dan 4 Dan and Above
1st place - K. Sugiura, UW 1st place - T. Yamada, Vancouver
2nd place - M. Yoneda, Kent 2nd place - H. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - J. Croes, Portland 3rd place - N. Nakano, Steveston
3rd place - T. Marsten, Kent 3rd place - T. Hamanaka, Tozenji
Teams
1st place - Vancouver (K. Darbyshire, R. Asato, H. Yamada, S. Jung, T. Yamada)
2nd place - Steveston A (E. Chui, D. Yao, S. O’Sullivan, N. Nakano, W. Robillard)
Head Shinpan - David Yotsuuye
Taikai Chair - Minari Omura
Sportsmanship Pledge - Sue Vanasouk
UW Most Improved - Esther Law
Kazuo and Tomo Shoji Inspirational Award - Minari Omura
28th ANNUAL BELLEVUE JUNIOR TAIKAI – May 19, 2018, Bellevue
10 Years and Under 11 to 12 Years 13 to 14 Years
1st place - I. DeBlieck, Sno-King 1st place - J. Yu, Northwest 1st place - K. Underhill, Northwest
2nd place - K. Ayers, Sno-King 2nd place - N. Chu, Bellevue 2nd place - J. Kim, Federal Way
3rd place - K. Maxfield-Matsumoto, Highline 3rd place - S. Kim, Seattle 3rd place - L. Ohata, Bellevue
3rd place - E. Cocoro Marx, Federal Way 3th place - D. Chung, Cascade 3rd place - T. Ting, Northwest
High School Girls High School Boys
1st place - B. Park, Bellevue 1st place - K. Fukuda, Cascade
2nd place - K. McManus, Kent 2nd place - S. Enomoto, Kent
3rd place - M. Blechschmidt, Bellevue 3rd place - D. Imanishi, Seattle
3rd place - A. Kojima, Bellevue 3rd place - K. Underhill, Northwest
Junior Teams
1st place - Northwest (J. Yu, N. Underhill, K. Underhill, A. Fung, T. Ting)
2nd place - Seattle (A. Mabale, E. Kim, F. Mabale, K. Halve, N. Orita)
High School Teams
1st place - Kent/Federal Way (S. Lee, S. Enomoto, K. McManus)
2nd place - Bellevue Red (N. Smith, A. Kojima, B. Park)
Head Shinpan - David Yotsuuye
Taikai Co-Chairs - Hide Iba and Leonid Tsybert
National Anthem - Maya Blechschmidt
Competitors’ Pledge - Betty Park
Master of Ceremonies - CJ Chaney
Awesome Spirit Award - Juah Paik, Tacoma
Centurion Bellevue Highline Sno-King Youth Leadership Award - Maya Blechschmidt, Bellevue
53rd ANNUAL VANCOUVER KENDO TOURNAMENT – May 26, 2018, Byrne Creek Secondary School, Burnaby
9 Years and Under 10 to 12 Years 13 to 15 Years
1st place - Ka. Yoshimura, Renbu 1st place - Y. Lee, Renbu 1st place - R. Kim, Renbu
2nd place - Y. Asaoka, Youshinkan 2nd place - N. Son, Renbu 2nd place - K. Underhill, Northwest
3rd place - M. Ishizuka, Youshinkan 3rd place - K. Yoshimura, Renbu 3rd place - A. Son, Renbu
3rd place - M. Shirai, Youshinkan 3rd place - J. Yu, Northwest 3rd place - K. Kono, Tozenji
16 to 20 Years 21 to 30 Years 31 to 40 Years
1st place - S. Enomoto, Kent 1st place - K. Komoto, UBC 1st place - K. Lee, Chinook
2nd place - K. Muramatsu, Renfrew 2nd place - K. Unzei, AOI 2nd place - T. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - K. Higo, Kent 3rd place - W. Chung, UVic 3rd place - M. Rose, Renfrew
3rd place - T. Marsten, Kent 3rd place - E. Kita, Renbu 3rd place - I. Lin, Chinook
41 Years and Over Women
1st place - I. Miki, Steveston 1st place - J. Kurahashi, Renbu
2nd place - S. Shiono, Calgary 2nd place - H. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - S. Kim, Renbu 3rd place - A. Fukushima, Vancouver
3rd place - D. Chiu, SFU 3rd place - N. Fukushima, Vancouver
Junior Team Senior Team Fighting Spirit
1st place - Renbu B 1st place - Team Canada B. Buckham, UVic
2nd place - Renbu A 2nd place - Vancouver A K. McManus, Kent
2018 AUSKF IAIDO TAIKAI – June 2, 2018, Salt Lake City, Utah
Mudansha Division (0 - 2 kyu)
1st place - Ben Senderling, SWKIF, Omaha Kendo & Iaido Kyokai
2nd place - Bruce Hiraoka, RMKIF, Castle Rock Iaido
3rd place - Jeffrey Cardin, SWKIF, Mushinkan Kendo & Iaido Dojo
3rd place - Cierra Nix, RMKIF, Castle Rock Iaido
Kantosho - Jonathan Hoopes, SWKIF, Salt Lake Kendo & Iaido Kyokai
Murakami Cup (1 kyu - 1 dan)
1st place - Feng (Blade) Weng, SWKIF, Mushinkan Kendo & Iaido Dojo
2nd place - Ma. Denise Verastique, SWKIF, Dallas-Fort Worth Kendo & Iaido Kyokai)
3rd place - Dongying Song, AEUSKF, Ken-Zen Institute)
3rd place - Nathan Williams, SWKIF, Dallas-Fort Worth Kendo & Iaido Kyokai)
Kantosho - Helene Cousein, AEUSKF, Seizan Kendo Kai)
Murosako Cup (2 dan - 3 dan)
1st place - Thane Mittlestaedt, PNKF, Aishinkai Fudo Myoo Ji Dojo)
2nd place - John Mullin, AEUSKF, Ken-Zen Institute)
3rd place - Edward Vierk, SWKIF, Omaha Kendo & Iaido Kyokai)
3rd place - Jennifer Mayo, RMKIF, Castle Rock Iaido)
Kantosho - Sergey Zalubovsky, NCKF, Mountain View Dojo)
Yamaguchi Cup (4 dan & above)
1st place - Debi Farmer, GNEUSKF, Shidogakuin NY Shidokan)
2nd place - Susan Sekreta, AEUSKF, Ken-Zen Institute)
3rd place - Paul Shin, GNEUSKF, Shidogakuin NY Shidokan)
3rd place - Gordon Hall, AEUSKF, Ken-Zen Institute)
Kantosho - Monica Iwakabe, RMKIF, Rocky Mountain Budokan)
2018 ROSE CITY TAIKAI – June 9, 2018, Portland Community College Sylvania Campus
Women Juniors 10 and Under
1st place - K. McManus, Kent 1st place - V. Chen, Oakland
2nd place - E. Ishii, Kent 2nd place - I. DeBlieck, Sno-King
3rd place - M. Blechschmidt, Bellevue
3rd place - J. Higa, UW
Juniors 11-15 0-4 Kyu
1st place - Jo Paik, Tacoma 1st place - A. Kim, Bellevue
2nd place - Ju Paik, Tacoma 2nd place - E. Hellevik, UW
3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place - B. Sprenger, Obukan 1st place - K. McManus, Kent
2nd place - C. Pak, Portland 2nd place - J. Higa, UW
3rd place - S. Lee, Federal Way 3rd place - M. Blechschmidt, Bellevue
3rd place - J. Jeon, Bellevue 3rd place - A. Miller, Portland
3 Dan 4 Dan and Above
1st place - T. Marsten, Kent 1st place - I. Morgan
2nd place - J. Lee, Portland 2nd place - G. Nakayama, Portland
3rd place - J. Croes, Portland
3rd place - A. Fujii, UW
Junior Teams
1st place - Sno-King (I. DeBlieck, D. Shilov, D. Beck)
2nd place - Tacoma (Ju. Paik, I. Lee, Jo. Lee)
Senior Teams
1st place - Kent (I. Morgan, K. McIntosh, K. McManus, E. Ishii, T. Marsten)
2nd place - Seattle (D. Imanishi, Y. Chen, C. Capoeman, Y. Paik, A. Yen)
Head Shinpan - Doug Imanishi; Competitors' Pledge - Lucian Jesequel
Master of Ceremonies - John Hancock
2nd TADAO TODA HAI KENDO TAIKAI – June 17, 2018, Caldwell Idaho
Upper Division Lower Division
1st place - Fumihide Itokazu, Covina 1st place - Cougar Capoeman, Tacoma
2nd place - Seth Harris, Hawaii 2nd place - Andrew Barnett, Young Moo Kwan
3rd place - Michio Kajitani, Arkansas 3rd place - Sten Kajitani, Arkansas
3rd place - Frank Wessbecher, Highline 3rd place - Jordy Davis, Zenbukan
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF IAIDO SUMMER CAMP AND JODO SEMINAR
2018 AUSKF Iaido and Jodo shinsa, June 3, 2018, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
IAIDO SHINSA
4TH KYU: Jonathan Hoopes (Salt Lake City Kendo & Iaido Kai), Lam Nguyen (Salt Lake City Kendo &
Iaido Kai), Michael Webster (Zen Bu Kan). 3RD KYU: Frauke Hachtmann (Omaha Kendo & Iaido
Kyokai), Bruce Hiroaki (Castle Rock Iaido), Caleb Johnson (Zen Bu Kan), Philip Markunas (---),
Anandhavel Nagendrakumar (Zen Bu Kan), Tyler Wilson (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Cierra
Waitman (Castle Rock Iaido). 2ND KYU: Alex Cherry (Salt Lake City Kendo & Iaido Kai), Kevin O’Mara
(Zen Bu Kan) Brett Thompson (DFWKIK), Michael Curtis (Rocky Mountain Budokan), Nathanial Thomason
(Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo 2kyu), Andrew Webster (Zen Bu Kan). 1ST KYU: Adam Sandor
(Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Ben Senderling (Omaha Kendo & Iaido Kyokai), Jeffrey Cardin
(Mushinkan Kendo and Iaido), Michio Kajitani (Arkansas Kendo club), Francisco Moreno Ramirez
(Club de Iaido Mexico Asia), Joshua Stadtlander-Miller (Ken-Zen). 1ST DAN: Jared Bowler (ZenBuKan),
Michael Jacobson (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Gary Lee Moulder (Palo
Alto), Philip Sevin (ZenBuKan), Dongying Song (Ken-Zen), Feng (Blade) Wang (Mushinkan Kendo and Iaido
Dojo), Darryl Woods Mushinkan Kendo and Iaido Dojo). 2ND DAN: Dominque Alfandari (Sei Zan Kendo Kai),
Helene Cousin (Sei Zn
Kendo Kai), Alberto Kiramoto (DFWKIK), Jay Salazar (River City Iaido &
Kendo Kyokai), Michael Schuldt (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Ma. Denise Verastigue (DFWKIK), Nathan Williams (DFWKIK).
3RD DAN: Tekin Korhan (Norwalk Kendo Dojo). 4TH DAN: Genaro Luis Cervantes (Club de Iaido Mexico Asia), Rodolfo Lynch
(Ken-Zen), Elizabeth Pesek (Salinas), Terry Sewell (DFWKIK), Edward Vierk (Omaha Kendo &
Iaido Kyokai).
JODO SHINSA
1ST KYU: Tyler Wilson (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), James Maestes (Yamakage Dojo), Jaden Olah
(Yamakage Dojo), Adam Sandor (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Michael Schuldt
(Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Robert Tranchin (DFWKIK), Francisco Moreno Ramirez (Club de
Iaido Mexico Asia), Veronica Taylor (Baltimore-Annapolis), Sarah Scherr (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz
Dojo), Amber Adams (Butokuden Kendo Dojo), Michi Takeda (Butokuden Kendo Dojo), Bob
Schneider (Butokuden Kendo Dojo), George Carr, Jr. (Yamakage Dojo).
1ST DAN: Genaro Luis de Cervantes (Club de Iaido Mexico Asia), David Bressler (Ken-Zen), Judit Olah
(Yamakage Dojo), Jaden Olah (Yamakage Dojo), Adam Sandor (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Michael
Schuldt Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Kevin Thibedeau Ken-Zen), Michael Jacobson
(Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), Bradley Anderson (Musoshindenryu Iaido - Agassiz Dojo), An Nguyen
(Butokuden Kendo Dojo), Kazuhiro Kawashima (Shidogakuin NY), Bob Fushimi (Yamakage Dojo),
N. Tasume (Yamakage Dojo) James Valencia (Yamakage Dojo).
2ND DAN: Amado Maldonado (US Kobujodokai), Alec Milton (Ken-Zen).
3RD DAN: David Gravens (US Kobujodokai), Sandor Ver (US Kobujodokai), Elizabeth Sapareto (US Kobujodokai).
11th ANNUAL US NITO KENDO CAMP, SEMINAR – June 17, 2018, College of Idaho, J.A. Albertson Activities Center, Caldwell, Idaho
PNKF KENDO SHINSA
3RD KYU: Cory Leslie, Idaho Kendo Club PNKF. 1ST KYU: Sten Kajitani, Arkansas SWKIF. 4TH DAN: Young
Sub Shim, (Detroit MWKF), Ethan Waln, (Portland PNKF).
THE LAST WORD
I was sent to the Tokyo Tank School for about six months to learn how to operate tanks and how to dismantle
and assemble them. We also learned to attack tanks with yellow bombs (Oh shoku yaku)
that we carried under our arms, and were taught to jump right into the wheels of the tanks, destroying
both the tank and ourselves. “Seppuku” the ritual suicide performed by cutting open of the hara with
the sword, performed ceremoniously was the honorable way to die for failure, defeat in battle or a
mistake or disgraceful act for the Lord. The slang term “harakiri” (literally gut cutting) coined
by the West during WW II debases the conscious will and courage implicit in the traditional concept.
Nonetheless, the average soldier needs to be honored, even if his suicide was not so pure as that
of the samurai.
Tradition required one to die honorably for one’s mistake or disgraceful act by seppuku. But Ogawa
Kinnosuke Sensei told me that modern Kendo did not require Seppuku. “If you make a mistake or a
disgraceful act, Omoto, live as long as you can. You can’t recover the mistakes you made, but
value yourself and show your bravery and repentance by being useful to your neighbors and the world for
as long as you live.” My modern kendo spirit, modern bushido, or Hawaiian Yamato spirit, would not allow
me to commit suicide, but rather survive to throw more bombs. I would fight to live, and live to
fight more. Would I have committed suicide if I could not imagine an alternative or had I been ordered,
as were the kamikaze pilots? I have to answer that I don’t know.
Luckily I did not have to face that decision, but likely, were the order to have been issued, I would
have complied and thereby at least died honorably. But I would have been dead either way. To refuse
an order is treason, punishable by death. However, war is about death. War means blood and pain – death –
that is the bottom line.
If you are a foot soldier in close combat, survival is luck, or perhaps karma. So it proved for me.
The day I left Tokyo, I learned that the tank school had been bombed. There were few, if any, survivors.
To survive by hours was my karma, and had no relationship to Kendo training or personal
control. I was lucky for my order to depart, just as I would have been unlucky to be
ordered to stay at the school another day or to sacrifice myself.
My next assignment was for horse and buggy training at Kumamoto Castle, located on the southern
island of Kyushu and noted for its beautiful gardens, mountains and history, especially as the area where
Miyamoto Musashi spent his last days and wrote the Book of Five Rings. I especially
enjoyed this assignment. When Musashi was fifty-six years old in 1640, after his sixth and final
battle during the siege of Shimabara, in 1637, he took up residence at Kumamoto as a guest of Lord
Hosokawa Tadatoshi. He was given the rank of a general of a division. Here he participated in his last,
and as always victorious, duel, and then took residence in the old castle of Chiba, adjacent to Kumamoto Castle.
He spent most of his time practicing the arts of calligraphy, painting, and tea ceremony. Shaken
by the death of Lord Hosokawa in 1641, he retreated to fulfill the Lord’s command to explain the ideas of
his strategy that had guided his life as a samurai. In 1643 at fifty-nine years old, Musashi departed
for Mount Iwato, located about twelve kilometers southwest of Kumamoto, where he lived in Reigando
(spirit rock) cave. Here he remained and wrote the Gorin no Sho (The Book of Five Rings).
He died at the age of sixty one in 1645.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 34-35.
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
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