Miss Yuki Oyamada, Kendo 4 Dan, arrived on April 7th from Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. She will be staying in Hawaii for almost 3 months and practicing kendo mostly at Meikyokan and Kaimuki Honbu Dojo. If she visits your dojo, please welcome her and practice with her. Especially Hawaii ladies take this opportunity to practice with her.

Mr. Shota Suenaga, Kendo 5 Dan, from Osaka visited Mililani Kendo Club on Thursday, April 11th. He was fast and vigorous. His kiai was big. He practiced with Miss Mariko Yamamoto, Japan’s Women’s Champion when he was in his high school. (Miss Yamamoto with her father, Masahiko Yamamoto Sensei, Kyoshi 8 Dan, visited Hawaii and practiced with us on November 26th and 27th, 2015.)

Ogawa Kingo Sensei, Kyoshi 7 Dan, from Kurume, Fukuoka will visit Kenshikan Kendo Club on Saturday, May 4th and Kaimuki Honbu Dojo on Sunday, May 5th. This is going to be his 2nd Hawaii visit this year. Last one was January 19th and 20th when he visited Kenshikan and Kaimuki with 4 other senseis. We are fortunate and honored to have him back in Hawaii.

​

Hawaii Kendo Federation 1 Kyu and Dan examination will be on Sunday, May 19th at Kaimuki District Park Gym. There are two persons from our club taking the examination this time. Good luck to them. Promotional examination is a good step stone to climb up. Do not get too much discouraged if you do not pass the examination.

Leeward Oahu Kendo Tournament is on Sunday, June 23rd at Mililani District Park Gym. I want our club members to participate in the tournament if you are available on that day. Let me know when you are sure to enter into the tournament, I will put your name in.

Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation’s Women’s tournament is on Saturday, July 13th in
Renton, Washington. I am trying to recruit all Hawaii ladies available for this tournament. Let me know if you want to be a Team Hawaii member.

Wahiawa Kendo Club T-shirt Sale - Sizes -S/M/L/XL for $15, XXL - $17. Black in color. The
back of T-shirt says,”KENDO WILL MAKE IT BETTER.” Contact me if you want to have one.

If you have cars, running or not running, which you want to get rid of, consider donating it to Hawaii Kendo Federation through Kokua In Kind plan. By doing so, you can get a tax deduction since Hawaii Kendo Federation is the tax deductible organization.

When I was young, I had an attitude as such, “I do not need higher kendo rank. I can show the caliber of that rank.” My father told me, “When parents look for kendo dojo for their children to start, if they do not know much about kendo, they look for the dojo which has higher rank senseis rather than lower rank, inexperienced senseis. That made sense to me. Anything you want to start, it is normally said that you should start under good senseis. (Problem is hard to find good senseis if you do not know the subject you want to start. That is why ranks become one of determining factors.) Pursue higher ranks. It also gives you very good measuring tool for your improvement and give you good feeling of accomplishment.

2019