From our club, Noa Mulder passed 1 Kyu and Jessica Sneed-Wong passed 4 Dan respectively at Hawaii Kendo Federation 1 Kyu and Dan examination held on Sunday, May 19th. Congratulations to them and others who passed. Now, work on next ranks.

We had a rare Nito-Ryu person, Nagasaki Hisashi Sensei, Renshi 7 Dan from Oita visited
Hawaii Daijingu Kendo Club on Friday, May 24th and Kenshikan Kendo Club on Saturday, May 25th. We want to thank Seth Harris Sensei who kept contact with him and brought him over.

 

We are happy and sad for Taiyo Kanemitsu who graduated from University of Hawaii and now leaving back to Japan. His parents, 2 sisters and grandmother came for his graduation and visited Hawaii Daijingu Kendo Club on May 3rd. He donated his good running car to Hawaii Kendo Federation through Kokua In Kind program. We will miss him. Good luck for him in his future in Miyazaki Prefecture where he already got a municipal job waiting for him.

 

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force members on Training vessel, Kashima, will visit Kenshikan Kendo Club on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4th and 5th. They will arrive in Pearl Harbor on Monday and leave Thursday. 8 members on Tuesday and 5 members on Wednesday will be there. We are lucky to have them create time to practice with us out of their busy schedule.

Leeward Oahu Kendo Tournament will be held on Sunday, June 23rd at Mililani District Park Gym. Let your teachers know soon if you want to participate. The entry deadline comes soon. One kendo equipment company from Mainland will be there. If you want to make sure that you get certain items or things require your measurements, contact the company beforehand.

Mr. Nemoto Yutaka, 56 years old and Kendo 4 Dan, from Kanagawa will visit Hawaii from July 1st through 10th. He plans to visit Kenshikan Kendo on July 2nd, 3rd and 6th. Also he visits Kaimuki Honbu Dojo on Sunday, July 7th. Be there and practice with him.

Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation Women’s Tournament is on Saturday, July 13th in Renton, Washington. We may not be able to form Team Hawaii so far with lack of participants. Let me know quick if you want to participate. The deadline of entry ends soon.

 

Foreign Kendo Leaders’ Seminar, also known as Gedatsukai Summer Camp, will be held from July 19th through 26th in Kitamoto City, Saitama. This year from Hawaii Jack Yamada and Billy Kang are participating. Enjoy the seminar and make friends from all over the world.

 

When they were asked, many sensei from Japan told us that Hawaii kenshis lacked kiai, yelling. I, as one of teachers, tried to show loud kiai to Hawaii kenshis as an example. My mentality was, “How can others produce loud kiai when their sensei’s one is small?” I practiced with Yamada Masayuki Sensei when he came to Hawaii in January. I was shocked and saddened to realize that his kiai was much bigger than mine. My kiai was same as those of Hawaii people though my mind maintained to keep loud kiai for others The thought was there but in actuality, it got assimilated into others’ level without realizing it. It is good to have sensei from other places to come practice with us. They often wake us up even in simple thing like kiai besides teaching many other technical things.