A Happy New Year. Hope that Year 2020 is good for you both in Kendo and personal life.

 

Former Kenshikan Kendo Club member, Daniel Anzai and his newly married wife, Tomoko, came to Kaimuki Honbu Dojo on Sunday, December 29th and Mililani Kendo Club on Monday, December 30th. They belong to Obukan Dojo in Portland, Oregon. This is the 3rd couple I remember who practiced kendo during Honeymoon trips. Congratulations and lots of happiness.

 

Emoto Tadashi Sensei of Kanagawa is arriving on January 1st and staying in Hawaii till February 3rd. He will be visiting various dojos during his stay. Please welcome him when he comes. We are very lucky to have some senseis like him pay yearly visits to be with us.

 

Another regular visitor, Yamada Masayuki Sensei of Iwate Prefecture, will be in town in March instead of usual January. We are looking forward to having him yearly, too.

 

FIK American Zone Referee Seminar will be held in Vancouver on January 25th and 26th. Hawaii delegation will be headed by Hawaii Kendo Federation President Yukimasa Furutani Sensei. We want them to keep themselves warm. We expect that they will conduct Shinpan Seminar in Hawaii sometime after they come back.

 

58th Steveston Kendo Club Tournament in Richmond, B.C., Canada will be held on Saturday, February 8th. We are anxious to present the best team there because in Year 2019 we had Championship after 28 years absence of getting to be one. We are trying to make Team Hawaii now. We may be able to manage forming Team Hawaii without borrowing persons from other organizations. The entry deadline is approaching. Contact Mrs. Cynthia Fukutomi, Mr. Garrett Matsumoto or me, if you want to go or participate if you have not done so yet.

 

Nihon Sports Science University (Nittai Dai) Delegation will come in February and demonstrate various sports including kendo in Hawaii. Keep eyes on Hawaii Kendo Federation posting for the information about their visit.

 

Otsuka Mayumi Sensei and Amano Satoshi Sensei of Tokai University will bring some students again in February. Their schedule will be disclosed soon. Be with them when they invite us for their practices.

 

I will be collecting our Club and Hawaii Kendo Federation dues in January and February for year 2020. I may collect our Club dues and one for HKF separately because of increased HKF dues. Let me know if you do not know how much. Every year I mention to you that the best support you can give to organizations you belong to is to pay dues and to participate in their activities.

 

Teaching is learning. Without mastering what you teach, you cannot teach subjects correctly with confidence. Teachers must have learning attitudes all the time and ready to be corrected when they are wrong. I see persons teach or doing wrong things without realizing and also without trying to master correctly what they teach. That is why they have difficulties to improve their kendo.