Volume 31, number 11/12
November/December 2017
PNKF DATEBOOK
December 2017
- 12/10, 12/24, and 12/31: no practice at Seattle Kendo Kai.
January 2018
- 1/1: Hatsugeiko, Mon, 6:30am Seattle, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Gym, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 1/1: Hatsugeiko, Mon, 9:30-11am, Obukan, Fulton Community Center, 68 SW Miles Street, Portland, OR.
- 1/6-7: Iaidaho 2018, Sat 12noon-5pm/Sun 10am-2:30pm, Iaido Seminar, on Seitei topics, competition, group enbu, and shinsa, Boise State University, Kinesiology Gym, Boise. Kendo Fri 1/5, 6:30-8pm, West Boise YMCA.
- 1/13: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 1/27: PNKF Kata Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, Chinook Middle School, 18650 42nd Avenue S., Seattle.
- 1/27: 2018 Intercollegiate Taikai, Sat, 10a, McKinnon Gym, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnery Road, Victoria BC.
February 2018
- 2/10: 56th Steveston Taikai, Sat, 9am, McMath High School, 4251 Garry Street, Richmond BC.
- 2/10-11: FIK America Zone Kendo Referee Seminar, Sat-Sun, Centre sportifETS, 1111 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- 2/10-11: Hoshu Dojo Jodo Mini-Camp, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 7am-12pm, Justice Institute of British Columbia, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. Schedule: Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 7am-12pm.
- 2/24: PNKF Shinsa, Sat, Iaido 9am-12noon; Kendo 12:30-4pm, open keiko 4-5pm Tyee Educational Complex, 4424 S. 188th Street, SeaTac, located right off I-5 at S. 188th Street.
March 2018
- 3/17: Highline Taikai, Sat, doors open 8:30am, opening ceremonies 9:30am, White Center Community Center, 1321 SW 102nd Street, Seattle.
- 3/17-18: 22nd Annual Shoryuhai, Sat/Sun, Malkin Athletic Center, 39 Holyoke Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 3/24: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 3/31: 30th Anniversary Kendo Tournament / GNEUSKF Championships, Sat, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH.
April 2018
- 4/1: GNEUSKF Kendo Education Seminar led by Masaharu Kakehashi Sensei, Hanshi 8th Dan, former chief instructor of Tokyo Metropolitan Kendo as well as GNEUSKF shinsa and Iaido seminar led by Shozo Kato Sensei, Kendo Kyoshi 8th Dan Iaido Kyoshi 7th Dan, Sun, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.
- 4/8: 2018 AUSKF Jr. Nationals, Sun, Marina High School, Huntington Beach, California. The gym will be open the day before (April 7) for preparation.
- 4/14: UW Taikai, Sat, 10am, Intramural Activities Building (IMA), UW campus, Montlake Boulevard NE.
- 4/14-15: AUSKF Board meeting and Kodansha Shinsa, Sat-Sun, SCKO venue TBD.
- 4/21: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 1-6pm, Highland Park Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue.
- 4/22: Cherry Blossom demo, Sun, Seattle Center.
May 2018
- 5/5: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 5/19: Bellevue Junior Taikai, Sat, 9:30am-3pm, Highland Park Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue.
- 5/26: 52nd Vancouver Kendo Tournament, Sat, 10am-6pm, Byrne Creek Secondary School, 7777 18th Street, Burnaby, BC.
- 5/31-6/4: AUSKF Iaido Seminar, Salt Lake City.
June 2018
- 5/31-6/4: AUSKF Iaido Summer Camp and Jodo Seminar, Thu-Mon, with Iaido Hanshi 8th Dan Teruo Mitani and Iaido Kyoshi 8th Dan Atsumi Hatakenaka, Eccles Student Life Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
Schedule:
• Thursday (May 31, 2018) – Iaido Seminar (9:00 AM – 4:45 PM)
• Friday (June 1, 2018) – Iaido Seminar (9:00 AM – 4:30 PM)
• Saturday (June 2, 2018) – AUSKF Iaido Championships (9:00 AM – 4:30 PM)
• Sunday (June 3, 2018) – Iaido Shinsa (9:00 AM – 11:45 AM), Jodo Seminar (1:00 PM –
4:00 PM), Jodo Shinsa (4:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
• Monday (June 4, 2018) – Jodo Seminar (9:00 AM – 11:30 AM)
- 6/9: Rose City Taikai.
- 6/14-17: 11th Annual US Nito Kendo Camp, Seminar, and Shinsa, Thu-Sun, with Ryoichi FUJII, Yamaguchi, Kyoshi 8 dan, Yoshihiro UGAJIN, Tokyo, Kyoshi 7 dan,Futoshi SATO, Chiba, Kyoshi 7 dan, Mitsuyoshi WADA, Tokyo, Kyoshi 7 dan, Taichi KISA, Osaka, Kyoshi 7 dan, and Ako FUJII, Yamaguchi, Renshi 6 dan, College of Idaho, J.A. Albertson Activities Center, Caldwell, Idaho.
Schedule:
* Thursday, (June 14, 2018) – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Welcome Keiko
* Friday, (June 15, 2018) – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Seminar
* Saturday (June 16, 2018) – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Seminar (Banquet 6:30 pm)
* Sunday, (June 17, 2018) – 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, Shinsa and Taikai
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 Shinsa, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
September 2018
- 9/14-16: 17WKC, Fri/Sat/Sun, Seoul, Korea.
- 9/15: PNKF Board meeting, 9-11am, Sat, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle.
- 9/28-9/30: PNKF Iaido Seminar and Tournament, Fri, Sat, Sun.
Teachers: Iaido Kyoshi 8th Dan Hideo Noguchi; and Iaido Kyoshi 7th Dan Shigehiro Aoki
and Kaoru Suzuki.
Schedule: Fri, 7-9pm Jodo/Iaido; Sat, 9am-5pm Iaido; Sun
9am-12noon Iaido Tournament; 1-5pm Iaido.
October 2018
- 10/6: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, Sat, 12noon-5pm, Kent Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 10/20: Tacoma Taikai, Sat, 9:30am Opening Ceremonies (doors open at 8:30am), Curtis High School, 8425 40th Street West, University Place, WA 98466 (tentative).
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, Kendo Commons Recreation Center, 525 4th Avenue N, (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 12/9: PNKF Jodo Shinsa.
PNKF BOARD NEWS
At their November 18, 2017 meeting, the new 2017/2018 Board was seated, and Officers were elected.
President – CJ Chaney (Sno-King), Vice-President – Doug Imanishi (Seattle),
Treasurer – Mary DeJong (Highline), Secretary – Tom Bolling (Bellevue). UW Advisor –
CJ Chaney.
Other Board members are: Sean Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Cougar Capoeman (Tacoma), Frederic Fourie
(AiShinKai), Mark Frederick (Northwest), Noelle Grimes (Sno-King), Mart Hughes (Obukan), Taryn Imanishi (Cascade), Michael Mabale (Seattle), Curtis Marsten (Kent), Elizabeth Marsten (Highline), Vicki Marsten
(Federal Way), Tiarnan Marsten (Kent), Edward Olson (Tonbo), Chris Ruiz (Spokane), Russ Sinclair (Spokane), Robert Stroud
(Idaho), Val Vulfson (Northwest), Francis Walsh (UW), and David Yotsuuye (Bellevue).
18th INVITATIONAL TACOMA KENDO TAIKAI – October 21, 2017, Curtis High School, University Place
9 and Under 10-12 Years Kyu
1st place - Ezra Cocoro-Marx, Federal Way 1st place - Jonathan Yu, Northwest
2nd place - Kaito Ayers, Sno-King 2nd place - Nicholas Chu, Bellevue
3rd place - Owen Kaufman, Portland 3rd place - Hana Koob, Bellevue
Participant - Maddy Day, Kent
Participant - Joey Oday, Tacoma
Participant - Karis Kim, Tacoma
13-15 Years Kyu 16-18 Years Kyu
1st place - Taiki Miyamoto, Northwest 1st place - Kengo Underhill, Northwest
2nd place - Josh Kim, Federal Way 2nd place - Kyle Fukuda, Cascade
3rd place - Danny Chung, Cascade 3rd place - Michizane Ohata, Bellevue
Adult 0-2 Kyu Adult 1 Kyu-1 Dan
1st place - Victor Blancarte, Sno-King 1st place - Cougar Capoeman, Tacoma
2nd place - Leo Gao, UW 2nd place - Philbert Lin, Bellevue
3rd place - Anthony Yorita, UW 3rd place - Gregory Vielhaber, Portland
Youth Dan Adult 2-3 Dan
1st place - Andy Yuen, Seattle 1st place - Tiarnan Marsten, Kent
2nd place - Allison Kojima, Bellevue 2nd place - Koyo Yoshida, Everett
3rd place - Drake Imanishi, Seattle 3rd place - Koichi Toshima, Portland
15 and Under Team
1st place - Northwest A (J. Yu, Keiji Underhill, Taiki Miyamoto)
2nd place - Bellevue A (H. Koob, L. Ohata, S. Kojima)
Senior Youth Team
1st place - Seattle (A. Yuen, Kengo Underhill, D. Imanishi)
2nd place - Cascade (K. Fukuda, T. Seyduzov, D. Yip)
Mudansha Team
1st place - Bellevue (J. Jeon, H. Su, L. Ohata)
2nd place - UW (A. Yorita, L. Gao, T. Lee)
National Anthem Singer - Alisa Yoshikawa
Sportsmanship Pledge - Daniel Kao
Shinpan Cho - David S. Yotsuuye
43rd ANNUAL PNKF KENDO TOURNAMENT – November 4, 2017, Kent Commons Recreation Center
10 Years and Under 11-12 Years
1st place - E. Chui, Steveston 1st place - H. Homma, Renbu
2nd place - N. Son, Renbu 2nd place - J. Hung, Steveston
3rd place - D. Buckham, UVictoria 3rd place - O. Benson, Youshinkan
3rd place - F. Benson, Youshinkan 3rd place - E. Cho, Renbu
13-15 Years High School Boys
1st place - R. Kim, Renbu 1st place - B. Liao, Bellevue
2nd place - A. Son, Renbu 2nd place - A. Yuen, Seattle
3rd place - B. Miki, Steveston 3rd place - E. Chui, Steveston
3rd place - T. Miyamoto, Northwest 3rd place - M. Ohata, Bellevue
0-4 Kyu 3-1 Kyu
1st place - H. Su, Bellevue 1st place - KE Underhill, Northwest
2nd place - G. Li, OSU 2nd place - C. Pak, Portland
3rd place - T. Chui, Steveston 3rd place - A. Yorita, UW
3rd place - J. Davis, Northwest 3rd place - Y. Paik, Tacoma
Women Kyu Women Dan
1st place - K. McIntosh, Federal Way 1st place - W. Robillard, Steveston
2nd place - E. Law, UW 2nd place - N. Grimes, Sno-King
3rd place - J. Wong, Bellevue 3rd place - H. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - A. Tan, UW 3rd place - M. Oya, Palouse
1-2 Dan 3 Dan
1st place - E. Lee, Renbu 1st place - D. Miura, Hawaii
2nd place - B. Pae, Northwest 2nd place - T. Marsten, Kent
3rd place - D. Anzai, Obukan 3rd place - M. Yoneda, Kent
3rd place - D. Imanishi, Seattle 3rd place - I. Miki, Steveston
4 Dan and Above
1st place - H. Kim, Hawaii
2nd place - T. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - K. Kobayashi, Youshinkan
3rd place - S. Harris, Hawaii
Junior Team
1st place - Renbu A (K. Squance, Y. Lee, A. Son, K. Itagaki, R. Kim)
2nd place - Steveston A (R. Nakano, C. Robillard, E. Chui, B. Miki, J. Hung)
3rd place - Renbu B (N. Son, KE Yoshimura, E. Cho, I. Son, H. Homma)
3rd place - Bellevue A (H. Koob, T. Koob, M. Tawara, T. Dage, S. Kojima)
Senior Team
1st place - Vancouver (K. Darbyshire, J. Schmidt, H. Yamada, S. Jung, T. Yamada)
2nd place - Hawaii (V. Yancy, D. Miura, S. Harris, H. Kim, T. Buntin)
3rd place - Renbu (E. Lee, A. Espiritu, E. Kita, O. Young, D. Taguchi)
3rd place - Youshinkan (K. Kobayashi, K. Takeuchi, C. Takeuchi, J. Chien, T. Nakamura)
Taikai Co-Chairs - CJ Chaney and Taryn Imanishi
Shinpan Cho - Tatsuhiko Konno
Court Manager - David S. Yotsuuye
Sportsmanship Pledge - Allison Kojima
Shoji Trophy - Kengo Underhill
Presidential Service Award - Daniel Ichinaga
Presidential Service Award - Darrick Lew
AIEA TAIHEIJI KENDO TOURNAMENT 2017 – November 19, 2017, Halawa Gym, Aiea, Oahu
Yonenbu (11 Years and Below) Shonenbu (12-14 Years Old)
1st place - Caden Matsumoto 1st place - Nobuhiko Tamura
2nd place - Ethan Amano 2nd place - Zachary Yamamoto
3rd place - Jacob Amano 3rd place - Mari Shimabukuro
3rd place - Ethan Suyama 3rd place - Brandyn Matsumoto
Seinenbu-Nidan Women's
1st place - Brycen Kawakami 1st place - Nicole Chun
2nd place - Joshua Amano 2nd place - Megan Watanabe
3rd place - John Pitts 3rd place - Gale Mejia
3rd place - Eric Young 3rd place - Tina Kaku
Yudansha 3+ Yudansha Masters
1st place - Hyun Kim 1st place - Iwao Sato
2nd place - Wesley Fujimoto 2nd place - Ken Sugano
3rd place - Christopher Goodin 3rd place - Bert Shibuya
3rd place - Daiki Miura 3rd place - Carl Nakamura
Children's Team Adults' Team
1st place - Kenshikan A 1st place - Mililani A
2nd place - Kenshikan B 2nd place - Aiea
Grand Champion
Hyun Kim
21st KENT INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT – December 2, 2017, Kentwood High School, Kent
10 Years and Under (Jr A) 3-1 Kyu
1st place - N. Chu, Bellevue 1st place - Ken Underhill, Northwest
2nd place - I. DeBlieck, Sno-King 2nd place - A. Yorita, UW
3rd place - JU Paik, Tacoma 3rd place - E. Lam, Kent
3rd place - D. Shilov, Highline 3rd place - B. Sprenger, Obukan
11-12 Years (Jr B) 1-2 Dan
1st place - H. Koob, Bellevue 1st place - J. Yamauchi, Cascade
2nd place - A. Mabale, Seattle 2nd place - B. Park, Bellevue
3rd place - P. Jewett, Spokane 3rd place - J. Higa, UW
3rd place - J. Yu, Northwest 3rd place - S. Sinclair, Spokane
13 to 15 Years (Jr C) 3-4 Dan
1st place - T. Miyamoto, Northwest 1st place - K. Yoshida, Everett
2nd place - T. Koob, Bellevue 2nd place - B. Imanishi, Cascade
3rd place - Kei Underhill, Northwest 3rd place - I. Morgan, Kent
3rd place - SA Wetlesen, Obukan 3rd place - T. Marsten, Kent
4th place - S. Day, Kent
Women 4th place - T. Imanishi, Cascade
1st place - K. McManus, Kent 4th place - D. Huynh, Seattle
2nd place - M. Suzuki, Sno-King 4th place - M. Suzuki, Sno-King
3rd place - E. DeJong, Highline
3rd place - B. Park, Bellevue
4 Kyu and Under
1st place - H. Su, Bellevue
2nd place - T. Elliott, Spokane
3rd place - K. McIntosh, Federal Way
3rd place - B. Yorker, Kent
Junior Team
1st place - Northwest (J. Yu, N. Underhill, Kei Underhill, T. Ting, T. Miyamoto)
2nd place - Cascade (DV Chung, D. Terao, A. Fukuda, C. Baker, D. Chung)
3rd place - Seattle (A. Mabale, S. Wetlesen, A. Fung, F. Mabale, K. Hale)
3rd place - Federal Way (E. Corcoro-Marx, M. Day, S. Lee, I. Lee, J. Kim)
Senior Team
1st place - Kent Red (I. Morgan, K. McManus, S. Day, M. Yoneda, T. Marsten)
2nd place - Seattle (L. Durkan, A. Yen, D. Huynh, S. Guidi, M. Mabale)
3rd place - Bellevue (A. Kojima, M. Blechschmidt, B. Park, E. DeJong, L. Tsybert)
3rd place - Sno-King (D. Lew, T. Patana, A. Zee, M. Suzuki, CJ Chaney)
Sportsmanship Pledge - Keeley McManus
Head Shinpan - Curtis Marsten
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF KENDO KODANSHA SHINSA, November 12, 2017, Athletic Club Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia
6TH DAN:
Elizabeth Marsten, (PNKF).
PNKF JODO SHINSA, December 10, 2017, Mitchell Activity Center, Seattle Central College, Seattle
1ST KYU: Abigail Benoit (Tonbo), Duane Benoit (Tonbo), Robert Neff (Tonbo), Thomas Valencia (Yamakage Dojo
SWKIF), David Zambrano (Hoshu).
THE LAST WORD
May 2004, marked the 100th Anniversary of Butoku Kai. I cannot travel any longer, and most of my
classmates are gone. Yet after all these years, I remember each word of our school song. It was composed
by Yabe Osamu of Ehime Prefecture, a student of the twenty-first graduating class in l935.
Kanmu no Mikado itsu kimasu
Miyai wa chikaki manabiya ni
Yamato gokoro wo iya migaku
Kore zo Busen no hokori naru
Meiyo Renchi wo inochi to shi
Shitsu Jitsu Koken Mune to shite
Hibi ni isoshimu shuyo wa
Warera kenji no tsutome zoya
Tagai ni kitou tetsu wan ni
Fukutsu no chisho atsuku moe
Yama o mo nukan sono iki wa
Hiroku Tenka wo doyomosan
The rough translation of the three verses is:
I'm proud to be learning and polishing
my Yamato gokuro Japanese spirit
at Busen, this institute of higher learning
located near the Heian Jingu shrine.
This is Busens pride.
It is our duty to diligently and vigorously train daily
to forge and temper our bodies and spirit
together with honor, grace and simplicity.
The world will sense that we have a tremendous force
that never quits, the power to move mountains
that will result in calming the world.
I sang our school song in Japanese for my few remaining classmates at Busen, and recorded it on videotape.
In that way, despite all the years in the United States, I am with them as they celebrate and grieve, for
I am Japanese in spirit even though I know a wider world and love the plumeria and gentle breezes of my
boyhood in Hawaii as well as the cherry blossom.
Last Days at Busen
I lived day by day and waited for the inevitable day I would leave Busen to report to the army. I didn’t
feel disloyal or even conflicted about serving in the Japanese army. To me it was just another war between
two countries. Neither my classmates nor the Japanese authorities questioned whether I was loyal to the
United States or Japan, even though I had dual citizenship. However, my Hawaiian background was likely
responsible for the government deciding not to send me to Tokyo to become an officer like my classmates.
Thus I never fought directly or in the Pacific Theater. My Hawaiian background likely saved my life.
Discussions with my classmates were not abstract. When we ate together or had a few minutes of spare time,
we would celebrate, drink sake and talk Kendo. But Kendo talk was specific: how clever it had been to
divert a kote hit by a feint and win with a men hit. The superior player opens and is missed only by
inches when he goes for the men; he has to be very fast or be defeated at the kote or do.
Kendo training is about action, not thinking; thinking requires time and distance from the practice. When
training, there is no room to think about yesterday or tomorrow, just this cut and that cut. When
fighting, thinking will kill you. Despite the books written about Kendo and other martial arts, words can
only delude us into, at best, partial understanding. There is “comprehension” that one cannot put into
words. We practice and that is educating the body in action. Miyamoto Musashi wrote that “you must study
this well” as he writes about methods, but always associates the “study” with comments such as: “You
must train hard to understand it” and “With detailed practice you should be able to understand it.”
Yes, listen, reflect and study but it requires physical practice; with enough “doing” the Do may become
part of you.
So at Busen there was no time for book “study” of Kendo. Our “study” of Kendo was to watch, do, and do
over and over again, training our body to have “muscle memory”. Reflection is a part of Budo. It would
come, if ever, later. In fact, about 50 years later for me.
So even though I don’t recall political discussion about going to war, I do remember my going away party.
We knew where I was going, and that those remaining would be following soon. In fact, mine was the last
party where a group could be gathered for a solitary send-off; the remaining students left en masse. So it
was a grand celebration! We laughed and played and ate and drank until we were literally rolling on the
floor, falling down laughing and dizzy with sake.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 30-32.
Available as free download at lulu.com.
PLEASE NOTE – THIS KENYU ONLINE IS THE EDITION OF RECORD
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation
Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Volume 31, number 7/8/9/10
July/August/September/October 2017
PNKF DATEBOOK
October 2017
- 10/21: Tacoma Taikai
- 9:30am Opening Ceremonies (doors open at 8:30am), Curtis High School,
8425 40th Street West, University Place, WA 98466.
November 2017
- 11/4: PNKF Taikai, Sat, 9:30am,525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 11/11-12: AUSKF Board and Kodansha Shinsa, Sat/Sun, TBD.
- 11/18: PNKF Board, Sat, 9-11am, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144.
December 2017
- 12/2: Kent Taikai, Sat, report time 9am, start 9:30am, Kentwood High School, 25800 164th Avenue SE, Covington, WA.
- 12/10: PNKF Jodo Shinsa, Sat, 11:30am, 1st Kyu only, Mitchell Activity Center,
Seattle Central College, 1701 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122.
January 2018
- 1/6-7: Iaidaho 2018, Sat 12:noon-5pm/Sun 10am-2:30pm, Iaido Seminar, on Seitei topics,
competition, group enbu, and shinsa, Boise State University, Kinesiology Gym, Boise.
Kendo Fri 1/5, 6:30-8pm, West Boise YMCA.
February 2018
- 2/10-11: FIK America Zone Kendo Referee Seminar, Sat/Sun, Centre sportifETS, 1111 Notre-Dame
Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
June 2018
- 6/4: AUSKF Iaido Camp will be held on the campus of the University of Utah in
Salt Lake City, Utah on May 31 – June 4, 2018.
September 2018
- 9/14-16: 17WKC, Fri/Sat/Sun, Incheon, Korea.
CHANGES IN GOVERNANCE OF THE PNKF
For over a year, the Board has been working hard to forge new By Laws for the PNKF. Finally, at
their July 22, 2017 meeting, the Articles of Amendment and the Restated Article of Incorporation were
approved. As a result, this fall the composition of the Board will reflect the changes, and we are
using a new process for Board Member nominations. PNKF Clubs with permanent status having 10-30
members may appoint one individual to the Board, while Clubs with 30 or more members may appoint two
individuals. Club representation count is based upon each Club’s membership as of September 1, 2017.
Each Club has been sent notification requesting their selected Board Members, as well as outlining
the process for selection of five at-large Members. Requested response date is October 28, 2017. At
the November 18, 2017 Board meeting, the new Board will vote for five Members at large from the pool
of nominees. Then the new Board, including the five at-large Members, will elect Officers for the
new fiscal year of 2017-2018.
USNF 17th CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT AND 1st PANAMERICAN MATCH, July 29, 2017, Sonoma State University
Dangai Engi Yudansha Engi
1st place - Xinyuan Lai/Yuki Nishimura, NCKF 1st place - Shannon Lew/Andrew Hong, SCNF
2nd place - Karl Spargur/David Huynh, NCKF 2nd place - Kei Tsukamaki/Karen Schmucker
3rd place - Simon Wan/Alex Lin, GNYNF 3rd place - Josh Sloan/Frank DiMarco, RMNF
Zen Nihon Naginata no Kata Dangai Women's Individuals
1st place - Bryce Harrop/Chris Coppeans, PNNF 1st place - Yuki Nishimura,NCNF
2nd place - Andrew Hong/Shannon Lew, SCNF 2nd place - Amy Coppeans, PNNF
3rd place - Karen Schmucker/Kei Tsukamaki, PNNF 3rd place - Michelle You, PNNF
Dangai Men's Individuals Yudansha Women's Individuals
1st place - Alex Lin, GNYNF 1st place - Katie Roche, GNYNF
2nd place - Xinyuan Lai, NCNF 2nd place - Andrea Vyas, RMNF
3rd place - David Huynh, NCNF 3rd place - Emily Ewen, ECNF
Yudansha Men's Individuals Women's Team
1st place - Axel Noorman, ECNF 1st place - Pacific Northwest Naginata Federation
2nd place - Ruben Ramirez, SCNF 2nd place - Greater New York Naginata Federation
3rd place - Saiyou Ohshima, NCNF 3rd place - Southern California Naginata Federation
Men's Team
1st place - Pacific Northwest Naginata Federation
2nd place - Greater New York Naginata Federation
3rd place - Northern California Naginata Federation
PanAm Match Women PanAm Match Men
Winners Winners
Yuki Nishimura, NCNF Andrew Boyd, CNF
Veronica Gunawan, NCNF Alan McDougall, CNF
Manon Dozois, CNF C.L. Chen, GNYNF
Mary Phan, CNF Eduardo Pereira, BNA
Jenny Bernot, SCNF Bryce Harrop, PNNF
Tomomi Hasegawa, BNA Antoine Fromentin, CNF
Kaori Kubo, CNF
10th ANNUAL PNKF IAIDO TAIKAI – September 22, 2017, Rain City Fencing Center, Bellevue, Washington
Mudansha Yudansha 1-2 Dan
1st place - S. Horita, Musokai 1st place - G. Pillei, AiShinKai
2nd place - K. Duong, Musokai 2nd place - K. Tekin, Norwalk
3rd place - M. Barlow, Musokai 3rd Place - V. Whitman, Seattle
3rd place - N. Varma, Seattle 3rd Place - Joe Cabrera, Palo Alto
Yudansha 3-4 Dan (Noguchi Cup) Teams (Murosako Cup)
1st place - H. Fukumoto, Seattle 1st place - Musokai B (G. Goerlitz, S. Horita, K. Duong)
2nd place - C. Parkins, Renma 2nd place - Musokai A (L. Miyauchi, G. Pillei, M. Barlow)
3rd place - B. Blomquist, Everett
3rd place - C. Goeke, Renma
SHINKYU SHINSA
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, July 9, 2017, Boise, Idaho
5TH KYU: Ryley Leach (RMKIF). 4TH KYU: Amanda Ellers (SWKIF0, Avery Grubbs (Idaho),
Taisei Summerhays (RMKIF), Jacob Velasco (SWKIF). 3RD KYU: Nathan Grubbs (Idaho), Tyler
Morris (RMKIF). 1ST DAN: Carlos Mutates (Idaho), Tyler Peterson (Idaho). 2ND DAN:
Eric Marquart (Idaho). 3RD DAN: Wesley Horn (Idaho), Jonathan Kaufman (Portland), Jeff Lamb
(Spokane), Ken Tawara (Idaho), Ireneo Rodriguez Torres (Mexico). 4TH DAN: Ronald Sentany
(SWKIF), Christopher Tilt (Portland).
USNF NAGINATA SHINSA, July 30, 2017, Sonoma State University
1ST DAN: Andrew Boyd (CNF), David Huynh (NCNF), Xinyuan Lai (NCNF), Adam Lew (SCNF), Alan
McDougall (CNF), Marie-Angelique Metzger (SCNF), Wolfgang Metzger (SCNF), Michelle You (PNNF).
2ND DAN: Yves Crepeau (CNF), C.L. Chen (GNYNF), Jessica Espinosa (ECNF), Richard Metzger
(SCNF), Rebecca Pomeroy (ECNF), Talanda Williams (NCNF, Grace Wu (SCNF). 3RD DAN: Johanne
Chalifour (CNF), Manon Dozois (CNF), Axel Noorman (ECNF), Eduardo Pereira (BNA), Rytis Prekeris
(RMNF). 4TH DAN: Chris Coppeans (PNNF), Sasha Corchado (GNYNF), Frank DiMarco (RMNF), Bryce
Harrop (PNNF), Juan Hernandez (SCNF), Andrew Hong (SCNF), Saiyou Ohshima (NCNF), Antoni Rossi (SCNF),
Kelsey Shamrell-Harrington (PNNF).
AUSKF KENDO KODANSHA SHINSA, August 6, 2017, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan
5TH DAN: Julie Chen (PNKF).
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, August 12, 2017, Kent
3RD KYU: Abigail Benoit (Tonbo), Duane Benoit (Tonbo), Zehran Li (Musokai). 2ND KYU:
Nikhil Varma (Seattle), Nicodemus Edwin Widjonarko (Obukan). 1ST KYU: Adam Clark (AiShinKai),
Khoi Duong (Kent), Donald Wentworth (Tonbo). 2ND DAN: Thane Mittelstaedt (AiShinKai), Ken
Tawara (Idaho). 3RD DAN: Christopher Parkins (RenMa).
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, August 12, 2017, Kent
6TH KYU: Madeleine Day (Kent), Owen Frederick (Northwest), Ezra Corcoro Marx (Federal Way),
Kenjiro Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline). 5TH KYU: Juah Paik (Tacoma), Hoeun Son (Federal Way),
Dan Terao (Cascade). 4TH KYU: Carolyn Baker (Cascade), Nicholas Chu (Bellevue), Devin Chung
(Cascade), Teo Dage (Bellevue), Justin Davis (Northwest), Brandi Heyer (Edmonds), Matthew Hutchins
(Seattle), Daniel Kao (Tacoma), Sean Kim (Seattle), Ian Krupp (Cascade), Takakazu Maxfield-Matsumoto
(Highline), Krystal McIntosh (Federal Way), Matt Miyamoto (Northwest), Taiki Miyamoto (Northwest),
Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Maro Sciacchitano (Portland), Alec Yuen (Seattle). 3RD KYU: Robin
Allen (Portland), Bruce Alter (Portland), Aidan Chervin (Portland), Danny Chung (Cascade), James
Fadell (Portland), Raymond Fish (Edmonds), Leo Gao (UW) Kyle Hale (Seattle), Chizuko Heyer (Edmonds),
Daniel Heyer (Edmonds), Allyson Hinzman (Tacoma), Yeh Seo Jung (Portland), Hana Koob (Bellevue),
Isabella Lee (Federal Way), Jierong James Lee (UW), Laura Ohata (Bellevue), Neo Smith (Bellevue),
Royce Sessions (Tacoma), Abigail Tan (UW), Sun Terao (Cascade), Kassidy Ting (Northwest), Timaeus
Ting (Northwest), Nikhil Varma (Seattle), Jacob Weese (UW), William Wellborn (Bellevue), Anthony
Yorita (UW). 2ND KYU: Kamia Acoba (Everett), Victor Blancarte (Sno-King), James Faulkner
(Edmonds), Kiana (Ai) Fukuda (Cascade), Kyle Fukuda (Cascade), Hyunjun Jang (Cascade), Jin Ho Jeon
(Bellevue), Raymond Kao (Tacoma), Eugene Kim (Seattle), Kasey Kitchel (Sno-King), Daniel Lee
(Tacoma), Simon Lee (Federal Way), Elysia Midorikawa (UW), Jason Nguyen (UW), Poul Nichols (Edmonds),
Timothy Okamura (Bellevue), Joshua Paik (Tacoma), Catherine Park (Bellevue), Jonah Redaja (Edmonds),
Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Francis Walsh (UW), Fred Wang (UW), Shota Wetlesen (Obukan), Nicodemus Edwin
Widjonarko (Obukan). 1ST KYU: Eric Bortz (Alaska), Hien Katayama (Edmonds), Evan Kriechbaum
(Portland), Michizane Ohata (Bellevue), Young-ki Paik (Tacoma), Chi Pak (Portland), Edward Park
(Sno-King), Shun Wetlesen (Obukan), Victor Whitman (Seattle), Donna Wilson (Seattle), Binah Yeung
(Seattle). 1ST DAN: Drake Imanishi (Seattle), David Nash (Edmonds), Bryant Pae (Northwest).
2ND DAN: Clyde Bailey (Portland), Maya Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Kenneth Gordon (Obukan),
Soo-Hyung Kim (Seattle), Sadako Markle (Idaho), Keeley McManus (Kent), Andrew Miller (Portland),
Stephen Ting (Northwest), Andrew Yuen (Seattle). 3RD DAN: Jennifer DeJong (Highline), Laurel
Durkan (Seattle), Jongwon Lee (Portland), Maina Oya (Northwest), Dan Park (Bellevue). 4TH
DAN: Paul Gattone (SWKIF Tucson), Yoshihito Kanamori (Alaska), Lei Yu (Northwest).
BCKF/PNKF JODO SHINSA, August 19, 2017, Justice Institute of BC, Vancouver, BC
1ST KYU: Michael Harris (Tonbo), Jessica Hilliam (Hoshu Vancouver), James Jerrard (Calgary
Iaido), Josh MacDonald (Calgary Iaido). 1ST DAN: Rhona Mae Arca (Calgary Iaido), Roy Gawlick
(Hoshu Vancouver), Elena Kay (Calgary Iaido), Ronen Totonchi (Everett). 2ND DAN: Denis Boko
(Hoshu Vancouver), Kathleen Jorgensen (Tonbo), Keith Simpson (Calgary Iaido), Bruce Vail (Hoshu
Seattle). 3RD DAN: Brian Blomquist (Everett), Hiroaki Fukumoto (Seattle), Gao Gaitian (Hoshu
Vancouver), Jeffrey Kamo (Hoshu Vancouver), Kathleen Newcomer (Tonbo), Michael Park (Hoshu
Portland).
THE LAST WORD
My father always considered himself Japanese. During the War he was
threatened with prison. But not for long. My five sisters were nurses and their contributions were
needed desperately in the hospitals filled with wounded soldiers. They threatened to quit if he were
jailed. Their nursing skills trumped any perceived threat from my father and he returned home. His
longing for Japan, and to die in his homeland, was finally realized after the War when he returned to
his ancestral lands in Kure, leaving my mother behind. He lived there until he died at the age of 79.
In Japan, when a man went to war, it was assumed he would die, not that he “might” die. That is
something to ponder well, so I’ll say it again: “In Japan, when a man went to war, it was assumed he
would die.” The samurai warrior of old considered himself already dead, so he could be clear and
calm. Because I am a human being, I will die, but because I am a human being, like all human beings,
I don’t want to die. I don’t know when or under what circumstances I will die, but as I was a
soldier, I knew I would likely die sooner rather than later. This is a fact, “mono no aware” the
realization of being human. This is an acceptance. I accepted my fate, and when death came, I would
die with honor. That was part of being a traditional Japanese, and Busen was certainly traditional.
It is said that the sword and the brush – and the cherry blossom – reflect the soul of Japan. This is
a soul that is reflective of nature that all that live must die, but that while living, life can be
contemplative, discerning and beautiful. These natural qualities form the ideals of martial arts
which emphasizes skill but also wisdom, harmony and serenity. This is “Yamato” (Japan) “Damashi”
(soul). “Yamato Damashi” is difficult to explain. It is a term indicative of the people’s will. It is
the fighting spirit of the Japanese soldier. But it is not just a fighting spirit. It is part of the
great soul of the people, tied to the very origins of the Japanese. When I was at Busen, Yamato
Damashi spirit was very much alive. The Emperor was the spiritual head of Japan. Japanese believed
the Emperor was descended from the gods through unbroken line of descent and many could cite the
whole lineage. No one questioned any sacrifice required by the gods or the Emperor. Like a father,
the people were “his people” and his love for his people and theirs for him was sacred. As a Japanese
son would not disobey his father, so the Japanese people would not disobey their Emperor. But the
Yamato Damashi is hard to define. Thus, if I am pushed for a definition, my response would be a
comparison to the cherry blossom. It blooms abundantly for a brief moment, and then flutters down
with no regret. That is how the brave Japanese should be:
Shikishima no
Yamato gokoro wo hito towaba
Asahi ni niou
Yama zakura kana
Asked what a Japanese heart is,
just say it is like the fragrance in the morning sun
of the mountain cherry blossom Long after the War, in 1998, I received a letter from Tomano
Kenzan (Keitaro), a famous artist in Osaka, who recalled the story of an Australian Navy General. The
General gave a memorial service, from a podium draped with an Australian flag, for a brave Japanese
soldier who had tried to bomb an Australian warship from a suicide submarine. The General spoke with
the mother of the soldier, and was moved by the bravery of the young man, even though he was the
enemy, and even more by the bravery of his mother who assumed her son would die. He learned a lesson,
he said, from the enemy and began to understand much of the Japanese spirit from Mother Matsue’s
bittersweet waka, a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable poem:
Kimi ga tame
Shine to sodateshi
Hana naredo
Arashi no ato no
Niwa sabishi kere
For the Emperor,
raised you to die
like a cherry blossom
yet after the storm
how lonesome my yard
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 29-30.
Available as free download at lulu.com.
PLEASE NOTE – THIS KENYU ONLINE IS THE EDITION OF RECORD
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation
Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Tom Bolling’s home page
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, August 12th, 2017, Kent, WA
6 KYU: Kenjiro Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Madeleine Day (Kent), Ezra Corcoro Marx (Federal Way), Owen Frederick (Northwest)
5 KYU: Juah Paik (Tacoma), Hoeun Son (Federal Way), Dan Terao (Cascade)
4 KYU: Brandi Heyer (Edmonds), Devin Chung (Cascade), Daniel Kao (Tacoma), Sean Kim (Seattle), Ian Krupp (Cascade), Takakazu Maxfield-Matsumoto (Highline), Carolyn Baker (Cascade), Téo Dage (Bellevue), Taiki Miyamoto (Northwest), Nicholas Chu (Bellevue), Alec Yuen (Seattle), Krystal McIntosh (Federal Way), Emilio Peralta (Obukan), Matt Miyamoto (Northwest), Justin Davis (Northwest), Matthew Hutchins (Seattle), Maro Sciacchitano (Portland)
3 KYU: Hana Koob (Bellevue), Isabella Lee (Federal Way), Timaeus Ting (Northwest), William Wellborn (Bellevue), Danny Chung (Cascade), Kyle Hale (Seattle), Sun Terao (Cascade), Kassidy Ting (Northwest), Yeh Seo Jung (Portland), Neo Smith (Bellevue), Royce Sessions (Tacoma), Abigail Tan (UW), Leo Gao (UW), Jierong James Lee (UW), Aidan Chervin (Portland), Anthony Yorita (UW), Jacob Weese (UW), Nikhil Varma (Seattle), Allyson Hinzman (Tacoma), Robin Allen (Portland), Daniel Heyer (Edmonds), Chizuko Heyer (Edmonds), Laura Ohata (Highline), Raymond Fish (Edmonds), James Fadell (Portland), Bruce Alter (Portland)
2 KYU: Joshua Paik (Tacoma), Catherine Park (Bellevue), Eugene Kim (Seattle), Kiana (Ai) Fukuda (Cascade), Jonah Redaja (Edmonds), Shota Wetlesen (Obukan), Simon Lee (Federal Way), Kyle Fukuda (Cascade), Kamia Acoba (Everett), Kasey Kitchel (Sno-King), Hyunjun Jang (Cascade), Blake Sprenger (Obukan), Elysia Midorikawa (UW), Jason Nguyen (UW), Fred Wang (UW), Timothy Okamura (Bellevue), Francis Walsh (UW), Nicodemus Edwin Widjonarko (Obukan), Daniel Lee (Tacoma), Victor Blancarte (Sno-King), Jin Ho Jeon (Bellevue), James Faulkner (Edmonds), Raymond Kao (Tacoma), Poul Nichols (Edmonds)
1 KYU: Michizane Ohata (Bellevue), Shun Wetlesen (Obukan), Evan Kriechbaum (Portland), Binah Yeung (Seattle), Hien Katayama (Edmonds), Donna Wilson (Seattle), Edward Park (Sno-King), Young-ki Paik (Tacoma), Chi Pak (Portland), Eric Bortz (Alaska), Victor Whitman (Seattle)
1 DAN: Drake Imanishi (Seattle), Bryant Pae (Northwest), David Nash (Edmonds)
2 DAN: Andrew Yuen (Seattle), Maya Blechschmidt (Bellevue), Keeley McManus (Kent), Kenneth Gordon (Obukan), Andrew Miller (Portland), Soo-Hyung Kim (Seattle), Clyde Bailey (Portland), Stephen Ting (Northwest), Sadako Markle (Idaho)
3 DAN: Jennifer DeJong (Highline), Maina Oya (Northwest), Laurel Durkan (Seattle), Jongwon Lee (Portland), Dan Park (Bellevue)
4 DAN: Lei Yu (Northwest), Yoshito Kanamori (Alaska), Paul Gattone (SWKIF)
PNKF IAIDO SHINSA, August 12th, 2017, Kent, WA
3 KYU: Zheran Li (Musokai), Abigail Benoit (Tonbo), Duane Benoit (Tonbo)
2 KYU: Nikhil Varma (Seattle), Nicodemus Edwin Widjonarko (Obukan)
1 KYU: Donald Wentworth (Tonbo), Khoi Duong (Kent), Adam Clark (AiShinKai)
2 DAN: Thane Mittelstaedt (AiShinKai), Ken Tawara (Idaho)
3 DAN: Christopher Parkins (RenMa)
PNKF KENDO SHINSA, July 9th, 2017, Boise, ID
5 KYU: Ryley Leach (RMKIF)
4 KYU: Jacob Velasco (SWKIF), Taisei Summerhays (RMKIF), Avery Grubbs (Idaho), Amanda Ellers (SWKIF)
3 KYU: Tyler Morris (RMKIF), Nathan Grubbs (Idaho)
1 DAN: Tyler Peterson (Idaho), Carlos Matutes (Idaho)
2 DAN: Eric Marquart (Idaho)
3 DAN: Ken Tawara (Idaho), Ireneo Rodriguez Torres (Mexico), Wesley Horn (Idaho), Jonathan Kaufman (Portland), Jeff Lamb (Spokane)
4 DAN: Ronald Sentany (SWKIF), Christopher Tilt (Portland)
Volume 31, number 4/5/6
April/May/June 2017
PNKF DATEBOOK
July 2017
- 7/6-9: 10th US Nito Seminar and Shinsa, Thu-Mon, Boise State University,
Rec Center Main Gym, 1515 University Drive, Boise, Idaho.
- 7/22: PNKF Board, Sat, 9-11am, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
August 2017
- 8/12: PNKF Shinsa, Sat, Iaido 9am-12noon; Kendo 12:30-4pm, open keiko 4-5pm,
525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
September 2017
- 9/11-9/16: Renbu 40th Anniversary week-long series of practices and seminars, Mon-Sat,
featuring Kendo Kyoshi 7th Dan Takamitsu Iwamoto, Head Sensei, Beppu University,
Meiho High School, and Kendo Kyoshi 7th Dan Arimitsu Kawakami, Assistant Head Sensei,
Kokushikan University, and other guest sensei, various venues TBD in and around Vancouver, BC,
all ages and levels invited, costs TBD.
- 9/16: PNKF Board, Sat, 3-5pm, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 9/22-9/24: PNKF Iaido Seminar, 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 Jodo/Iaido; Sat, 9am-5pm Iaido; Sun 9am-12noon Iaido Tournament; 1-5pm Iaido.
October 2017
- 10/7: PNKF Shinpan Seminar, 11:30am-5pm, open keiko 4-5pm, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 10/21: Tacoma Taikai
- 9:30am Opening Ceremonies (doors open at 8:30am), Curtis High School,
8425 40th Street West, University Place, WA 98466.
November 2017
- 11/4: PNKF Taikai, Sat, 9:30am, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 11/11-12: AUSKF Board and Kodansha Shinsa, Sat/Sun, TBD.
- 11/18: PNKF Board, Sat, 9-11am, 525 4th Avenue N. (corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
December 2017
- 12/9: Kent Taikai, Sat, report time 9am, start 9:30am, 525 4th Avenue N.
(corner of 4th and James St.) Kent.
- 12/10: PNKF Jodo Shinsa, Sat, 11:30am, 1st Kyu only, Mitchell Activity Center, Seattle Central College, 1701 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122.
September 2018
- 9/14-16: 17WKC, Fri/Sat/Sun, Incheon, Korea.
41st ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL KENDO TOURNAMENT – April 22, 2017
Women's 0-4 Kyu
1st place - W. Robillard, Steveston 1st place - B. Pae, Northwest
2nd place - E. DeJong, UW 2nd place - L. Gao, UW
3rd place - E. Marsten, Highline 3rd place - M. Eum, UW
3rd place - B. Lin, UW 3rd place - A. Rossi, Spokane
3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place - K. Toyokawa, Tacoma 1st place - S. O'Sullivan, Steveston
2nd place - H. Jang, Cascade 2nd place - K. McManus, Kent
3rd place - K. Fukuda, Cascade 3rd place - P. Lin, Bellevue
3rd place - T. Fukuda, Cascade 3rd place - K. Muramatsu, Renfrew
3 Dan 4 Dan and Above
1st place - R. Kuki, UBC 1st place - N. Nakano, Steveston
2nd place - T. Okitsu, Tozenji 2nd place - M. Rose, Renfrew
3rd place - C. Ruiz, Spokane 3rd place - V. Vulfson, Northwest
3rd place - S. DeNardi, Spokane 3rd place - B. Imanishi, Cascade
Teams
1st place - PNKF Men (J. Yamauchi, R. Lei, N. Tanimura, C. Ruiz, B. Imanishi)
2nd place - Bellevue (R. Takaishi, P. Lin, L. Tsybert, J. Jeon, S. Blechschmidt)
Taikai Chair - Sue Vanasouk
Head Shinpan - David Yotsuuye
Sportsmanship Pledge - Minari Omura
UW Most Improved - Jason Nguyen
Kazuo and Tomo Shoji Inspirational Award - Sue Vanasouk
16th NABESHIMA CUP TAIKAI and 10th TEXAS OPEN TAIKAI – April 22, 2017, Greenhill School Phillips Gymnasium, Addison
Women's Division Mudansha Division
1st place - Yebin Chae, Houston 1st place - Massim Shah, DFWKIK
2nd place - Alexandra Darrah, Houston 2nd place - Marc Hakim, Tuscon
3rd place - Ma Denise Verastigue, DFWKIK 3rd place - Israel Martinez, Nuevo Laredo
3rd place - Minjeong Park, Houston 3rd place - Nguyen Ly, DFWKIK
Kantosho - Sol (Joanne) Hong, DFWKIK Kantosho - Hogan Choi, DFWKIK
Elizabeth Pesek, Salinas Vivian Bentley, ZenBuKan
Yudansha Division Texas Open
1st place - Andrew Takahashi, New Orleans 1st place - Koki Masuo, Austin
2nd place - Allan Azurin, Houston 2nd place - Takuro Yamaoka, Omaha
3rd place - Nathan Williams, DFWKIK 3rd place - Makiko Adachi,
3rd place - Jonah Wu, Arkansas 3rd place - Katsuhei Yoshioka, Houston
Kantosho - Mike Sentany, Arkansas Kantosho - Carlos Guerra, Houston
Jake Dupre, New Orleans
51st ANNUAL VANCOUVER KENDO TOURNAMENT – May 13, 2017, Byrne Creek Secondary School, Burnaby
9 Years and Under 10 to 12 Years 13 to 15 Years
1st place - N. Son, Renbu 1st place - C. Robillard, Steveston 1st place - KG Underhill, PNKF
2nd place - D. Buckham, UVic 2nd place - K. Yoshimura, Renbu 2nd place - KJ Underhill, PNKF
3rd place - T. Okurano, Youshinkan 3rd place - R. Cho, Renbu 3rd place - A. Son, Renbu
3rd place - F. Benson, Youshinkan 3rd place - H. Homma, Renbu 3rd place - B. Miki, Steveston
16 to 20 Years 21 to 30 Years 31 to 40 Years
1st place - T. Marsten, PNKF 1st place - E. Kita, Renbu 1st place - M. Rose, Renfrew
2nd place - A. Lee, Vancouver 2nd place - T. Hamanaka, Tozenji 2nd place - R. Atagi, PNKF
3rd place - E. Lee, Renbu 3rd place - Y. Chen, UBC 3rd place - C. Ruiz, PNKF
3rd place - H. Shim, Renbu 3rd place - E. Chang, UBC 3rd place - W. Blades, Renfrew
41 Years and Over Women
1st place - I. Miki, Steveston 1st place - M. Ara, Renbu
2nd place - S. Day, Kent 2nd place - H. Yamada, Vancouver
3rd place - W. Wong, Steveston 3rd place - N. Fukushima, Vancouver
3rd place - K. Iwai, Steveston 3rd place - F. Ho, JCCC
Junior Team Senior Team
1st place - PNKF 1st place - Renbu
2nd place - Renbu B 2nd place - Vancouver
Fighting Spirit Awards
L. Murao, Steveston
K. McManus, PNKF
27th ANNUAL BELLEVUE JUNIOR TAIKAI – May 20, 2017, Bellevue
10 Years and Under 11 to 12 Years 13 to 14 Years
1st place - K. Maxfield-Matsumoto, Highline 1st place - A. Mabale, Seattle 1st place - J. Kim, Federal Way
2nd place - N. Chu, Bellevue 2nd place - J. Koob, Bellevue 2nd place - K. Underhill, Northwest
3rd place - Sean Kim, Seattle 3rd place - J. Paik, Tacoma 3rd place - K. Honda, Cascade
3rd place - J. Yu, Northwest 3th place - E. Kim, Seattle 3rd place - K. Takamatsu, Bellevue
High School Girls High School Boys
1st place - J. DeJong, Highline 1st place - T. Marsten, Kent
2nd place - B. Park, Bellevue 2nd place - K. Underhill, Northwest
3rd place - A. Kojima, Bellevue 3rd place - M. Ohata, Bellevue
3rd place - J. Higa, Bellevue 3rd place - K. Fukuda, Cascade
Junior Teams
1st place - Northwest (J. Yu, K. Underhill, T. Ting, D. Terao, K. Honda)
2nd place - Bellevue Red (L. Ohata, H. Koob, K. Takamatsu, M. Tawara, T. Dage)
High School Teams
1st place - Bellevue (B. Park, J. Higa, J. DeJong)
2nd place - Kent (K. McManus, K. Acoba, T. Marsten)
Head Shinpan - D. Yotsuuye;
Taikai Co-Chairs - Allison Kojima and Betty Park;
National Anthem - Leo Ohata;
Competitors' Pledge - Jane Higa;
Master of Ceremonies - CJ Chaney;
Awesome Spirit Award - Kenji Maxfield-Matsumoto, Highline.
2017 ROSE CITY TAIKAI – June 10, 2017, Portland Community College Cascade Campus
Women Juniors 9 and Under
1st place - J. Frazier-Day, Kent 1st place - J. Chang, Kogakukan
2nd place - V. Le, Obukan 2nd place - K. Maxfield-Matsumoto, Highline
3rd place - E. Marsten, Highline 3rd place - L. Chen, Oakland
3rd place - K. McManus, Kent 3rd place - C. Chai, Kogakukan
Juniors 10-12 Juniors 13-15
1st place - A. Yuen, Seattle 1st place - J. Kim, Federal Way
2nd place - T. Choi, Kogakukan 2nd place - T. Miyamoto, Northwest
3rd place - D. Chung, Cascade 3rd place - K. Underhill, Northwest
3rd place - J. Choi, Kogakukan 3rd place - S. Wetlesen, Obukan
Juniors 16-18 0-4 Kyu
1st place - B. Park, Bellevue 1st place - K. McIntosh, Federal Way
2nd place - J. DeJong, Highline 2nd place - A. Rossi, Spokane
3rd place - S. Wetlesen, Obukan 3rd place - G. Montoya, Spokane
3rd place - K. Underhill, Northwest 3rd place - E. Peralta, Obukan
3-1 Kyu 1-2 Dan
1st place - V. Blancarte, Sno-King 1st place - T. McManus, Kent
2nd place - T. Fukuda, Cascade 2nd place - K. McManus, Kent
3rd place - T. Peterson, Idaho 3rd place - V. Le, Obukan
3rd place - C. Pak, Portland 3rd place - J. Yamauchi, Cascade
3 Dan 4 Dan and Above
1st place - R. Takaishi, Bellevue 1st place - B. Imanishi, Cascade
2nd place - C. Ruiz, Spokane 2nd place - G. Suzaka, Seattle
3rd place - T. Marsten, Kent 3rd place - E. Marsten, Highline
3rd place - J. Lamb, Spokane 3rd place - B. Atagi, Idaho
Junior Teams
1st place - Northwest (T. Miyamoto, K. Underhill, T. Ting)
2nd place - Federal Way (S. Lee, A. Yuan, J. Kim)
3rd place - Oakland (M. Day, V. Chen, L. Chen)
3rd place - Bellevue (I. DeBlieck, A. Nagai, L. Ohata)
Senior Teams
1st place - Kent (I. Morgan, K. McManus, S. Day, T. McManus, T. Marsten)
2nd place - Portland A (A. Jantrania, C. Tilt, G. Nakayama, N. Cook, E. Woln)
3rd place - PNKF Women A (T. Imanishi, J. Chen, M. DeJong, E. Marsten, J. Frazier-Day)
3rd place - Seattle (D. Imanishi, A. Yuen, G. Suzaka, V. Whittman, A. Yen)
Head Shinpan - Doug Imanishi; Competitors' Pledge - Blake Sprenger; Master of Ceremonies - Van Le
AUSKF 2017 IAIDO CHAMPIONSHIP – June 11, 2017, Bryn Mawr
0-2 Kyu Mudansha Murakami Cup 1 Kyu and 1 Dan
1st place - Feng Wang, Mushinkan SWUSKIF 1st place - Helene Cousin, Sei Zan Kan AEUSKF
2nd place - Phil Sevin, ZenBuKan RMKIF 2nd place - Michael Schuldt, Agassiz MWKF
3rd place - Joseph Costa, Ittokai AEUSKF 3rd place - Thane Mittelstaedt, AiShinKai PNKF
3rd place - Adam Sandor, Agassiz MWKF 3rd place - Nathan Williams, DFWKIK SWUSKIF
Kantosho - Ritchard Higham, Ken-Zen AEUSKF Kantosho - Kevin Huang, Shidogakui Rutgers GNEUSKF
Murosako Cup 2 Dan and 3 Dan Yamaguchi Cup 4 Dan and Above
1st place - John Mullin, Ken-Zen AEUSKF 1st place - Debi Farmer, Shidogakuin NY GNEUSKF
2nd place - Kevin Thibedeau, Ken-Zen AEUSKF2nd place - Jonathan Corum, Nichibukan EUSKF
3rd place - Callie Goeke, Ren Ma PNKF 3rd place - Aram Kailian Shicogakuin NY GNEUSKF
3rd place - David Dudek, Ken-Zen AEUSKF 3rd place - Jason Hankins, ZenBuKan RMKIF
Kantosho - Orsolya Kiss, Cleveland GNEUSKF Kantosho - Joe Sheldon, River City SUSKIF
7th AUSKF JUNIOR OPEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – June 22, 2017, Independence High School, San Jose, California
9 Years and Under 10-11 Years
1st place - Akimasa Hotta, ECUSKF 1st place - Taiyo Ariga, SCKO
2nd place - Joshua Koines, SCKO 2nd place - McCartney Hong, NCKF
3rd place - Joshua Hong, AEUSKF 3rd place - Takahide Katayama, ECUSKF
3rd place - Euvene Kae, WKF 3rd place - Peter Yu, SCKF
Kantosho - Ren Fujimoto, MWKF Kantosho - Kyle Sakai, SCKO
Kantosho - Mai Sakamoto, SCKO Kantosho - Ryosuke Yamamoto, SCKO
Kantosho - So Imura, SCKO Kantosho - Taisho Shiono, SCKF
Kantosho - Yuta Onitsuka, NCKF Kantosho - Misaki Matsunaga, ECUSKF
12-13 Years 14-15 Years
1st place - Tomohide Katayama, ECUSKF 1st place - Paul Ikeda, NCKF
2nd place - Dave Nam, SCKF 2nd place - Koji Ishimori, SEUSKF
3rd place - Haru Sakamoto, SCKO 3rd place - Riki Okawa, SCKO
3rd place - Eugene Kae, WKF 3rd place - Sean Hsu, SCKO
Kantosho - Andrew Kang, SCKF Kantosho - Tylor Wang, WKF
Kantosho - Daniel Jung, SEUSKF Kantosho - Bryan Yoo, WKF
Kantosho - Yosuke Takubo, SCKF Kantosho - Benjamin Hur, SCKF
Kantosho - Akira Fujiwara, SCKO Kantosho - Ethan Chen, NCKF
16-18 Years 13 Years and Under Girls
1st place - Gen Takahashi, SCKO 1st place - Daphne Chen, SCKF
2nd place - Masahiro Muramatsu, EUSKF 2nd place - Grace Huh, SCKF
3rd place - Tyler Barrone, MWKF 3rd place - Sarah Kang, SEUSKF
3rd place - Hiroshi Kiuchi, SCKO 3rd place - Yewon Chae, SEUSKF
Kantosho - Teruya Mochizuki, ECUSFK Kantosho - Naomi Yu, SCKF
Kantosho - Ian Kotake, SCKO Kantosho - Minami Matsunaga, ECUSKF
Kantosho - Koji Tohmon, NCKF Kantosho - Yui Koyama, AEUSKF
Kantosho - Brenden Wang, WKF Kantosho - Catherine Ikeda, NCKF
14-18 Years Girls
1st place - Takino Morishima, SEUSKF
2nd place - Seyeon Park, NCKF
3rd place - Emi Ichimura, NCKF
3rd place - Colleen Fan, NCKF
Kantosho - Taery Kim, SCKF
Kantosho - Ririka Satoh, SCKF
Kantosho - Keeley McManus, PNKF
Kantosho - Manami Matsunaga, ECUSKF
Youth Team Girls Team Boys Team
1st place - SCKO A 1st place - NCKF A 1st place - WKF B
2nd place - ECUSKF A 2nd place - SCKF A 2nd place - ECUSKF A
3rd place - AEUSKF A 3rd place - SCKF B 3rd place - NCKF A
3rd place - SCKF A 3rd place - NCKF B 3rd place - SCKO B
14th ALL UNITED STATES KENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS – June 23/24/25, 2017, Independence High School, San Jose, California
Junior Youth Boys Junior Youth Girls
1st place - Riki Okawa, SCKO 1st place - Seyeon Park, NCKF
2nd place - Leon Stewart, SEUSKF 2nd place - Aika Onitsuka, NCKF
3rd place - Tylor Wang, WKF 3rd place - Betty Park, PNKF
3rd place - Ethan Chen, NCKF 3rd place - Naomi Yu, SCKF
Kantosho - Benjamin Ahn, WKF Kantosho - Sarah Kang, SEUSKF
Kantosho - Kengo Underhill, PNKF Kantosho - Mika Nikaido, SCKF
Kantosho - Aidan Jokela, MWKF Kantosho - Aibrean Langan, EUSKF
Kantosho - Joe Shimada, GNEUSKF Kantosho - Daphne Chen, SCKF
Senior Youth Boys Senior Youth Girls
1st place - Mashu Sugiyama, SCKF 1st place - Takino Morishima, SEUSKF
2nd place - Mario Tanabe, NCKF 2nd place - Jamie Tada, SCKF
3rd place - Kai Shimada, GNEUSKF 3rd place - Ririka Satoh, SCKF
3rd place - Tiarnan Marsten, PNKF 3rd place - Taery Kim, SCKF
Kantosho - Hayden Gingrich, EUSKF Kantosho - Carolyne Ikeda, NCKF
Kantosho - Arata Ogikubo, SCKO Kantosho - Jennifer DeJong, PNKF
Kantosho - Hiroshi Kiuchi, SCKO Kantosho - Allison Kojima, PNKF
Kantosho - James Ro, SEUSKF Kantosho - Emi Ichimura, NCKF
Mudansha Seniors
1st place - Akira Minamitani, SCKF 1st place - Hiroshi Ichimura, NCKF
2nd place - Christina Lin, SCKF 2nd place - Atsushi Kajioka, SCKO
3rd place - Gregory Lewis, SEUSKF 3rd place - Behzad Hadizadeh, AEUSKF
3rd place - David Pantoja, NCKF 3rd place - Eiichiro Nakano, SCKO
Kantosho - Kai-Lin Jang, SCKF Kantosho - Hoon Chang, AEUSKF
Kantosho - Kiutran Phan, SCKO Kantosho - Takaaki Sato, MWKF
Kantosho - Jonathan Han, WKF Kantosho - Nozumu Ishimori, SEUSKF
Kantosho - Sungjin Kim Kantosho - Shuji Matsushita, AEUSKF+
Women's Men's
1st place - Esther Kim, SCKF 1st place - D.J. Huh, SCKF
2nd place - Shiori Chimielewski, MWKF 2nd place - Arashi Steele, MWKF
3rd place - Makiko Adachi, SWUSKIF 3rd place - Kenneth Song, WKF
3rd place - Yuri Kil, SCKF 3rd place - Ken Mizobe, SCKF
Kantosho - Elizabeth Marsten, PNKF Kantosho - Taro Ariga, SCKO
Kantosho - Minako Harigai, SCKO Kantosho - Takuro Yamaoka, SWUSKIF
Kantosho - Yuko Saito, SCKO Kantosho - Ryoma Tominaga, GNEUSKF
Kantosho - Grace An, NCKF Kantosho - Julian Williams, SCKF
Junior Youth Boys Team Junior-Senior Youth Girls Team Senior Youth Boys Team
1st place - WKF 1st place - SEUSKF (T. Morishima, Y. Chae, G. Castro, S. Kang) 1st place - SCKO
2nd place - SCKF 2nd place - NCKF 2nd place - SEUSKF
3rd place - NCKF 3rd place - SCKO 3rd place - NCKF
3rd place - SCKO 3rd place - SCKF (S. Maekawa, T. Kim, R. Satoh, J. Tada) 3rd place - SCKF
Mudansha Team Seniors Team Men's Team
1st place - NCKF 1st place - NCKF (J. Eitoku, H. Ishimura, C. Park, A. Mizunoue) 1st place - SCKF
2nd place - SCKF 2nd place - SCKO 2nd place - GNEUSKF
3rd place - SEUSKF 3rd place - SCKF 3rd place - MWKF
3rd place - SCKO 3rd place - EUSKF 3rd place - SWUSKIF
Women's Team
1st place - SCKF (L. Fu, K. Tada, E. Kim, A. Dong, Y. Kil, K. Liu, Y. Arima)
2nd place - PNKF (J. Frazier-Day, N. Grimes, M. DeJong, T. Imanishi, B. Lin, J. Chen, E. Marsten)
3rd place - MWKF (S. Masuko, S. Chmielewski, R. McCarty, M. Ahn, M. Fujimoto, Y. Suzuki Saathoff)
3rd place - SCKO (H. Nohara Hsueh, M. Harigai, Y. Saito, Y. Miura, S. Segawa, V.Kuo)
LEEWARD OAHU KENDO TOURNAMENT – June 25, 2017, Mililani District Park Gym
Yonenbu 8-10 Years Shonenbu 12-14 Years
1st place - Jacob Amano 1st place - Brandyn Matsumoto
2nd place - Maiki Uda 2nd place - Caden Matsumoto
3rd place - Trinity Kishimoto 3rd place - Zachary Yamamoto
3rd place - Ethan Amano
Seinenbu 14-16 Years Seinenbu 17 Years and Older
1st place - Go Hayakawa 1st place - Yunsang Park
2nd place - Landon Wong 2nd place - Brent Suyama
3rd place - Kai Kishishita 3rd place - Brian Howell
Women's Yudansha Yudansha 1-2 Dan
1st place - Nicole Chun 1st place - Shoshi Hashimoto
2nd place - Gina Kishimoto 2nd place - Yoshinori Imagawa
3rd place - Kano Hashimoto 3rd place - Eric Young
3rd place - Jessica Sneed 3rd place - Eric Tomishima
Yudansha 3-4 Dan Yudansha 5-6 Dan
1st place - Kevin Chun 1st place - Grant Matsubayashi
2nd place - Nicklaus Matsumoto 2nd place - Chris Goodin
3rd place - Daiki Miura 3rd place - Katsushi Chinen
3rd place - Jack Yamada
Yudansha Masters 45 Years and Over
1st place - Elton Ushio
2nd place - Ron Miller
3rd place - Elbert Yoshida
3rd place - Marvin Acklin
Team Match Parents/Kids Team Match
1st place - Kenshikan Parents - 4
2nd place - Waipahu Seibukan Kids - 1
James Oka "Kantosho" Fighting Spirit Award - Maiki Uda
SHINKYU SHINSA
AUSKF KODANSHA SHINSA, April 9, 2017, San Jose, California
5TH DAN: Scott Chang (SCKF), Jeff Cheng-yu Chen (NCKF), Dale Hatakeyama (NCKF), Hidenori Kongo
(SCKF), Hidenori Kongo (NCKF), Jeffrey Marsten (PNKF), Hitoshi Tanabe (NCKF), Linda Tanaka (NCKF),
Hiroaki Yano (SCKO), Suzan Zau (SCKF). 6TH DAN: Jason Brown (SCKF), Dong Jin Huh (SCKF), Sunmi
Lim (WKF), Taisuke Mori (MWKF), Shinji Onitsuka (NCKF), Kijae Song (WKF), Teruo Tamano (SCKO). 7TH
DAN: Kevin Abe (SCKF), Masataka Sakaue (SCKF). Renshi: Jimmy Eitoku (NCKF).
Kyoshi: Masayasu Ando (PNKF), Tetsuo Komizu (SWKIF).
ZNKR KENDO SHINSA, June 4, 2017, Shizuoka, Japan
5TH DAN: Samantha Du, Shanghai.
AUSKF IAIDO SHINSA, June 11, 2017 Bryn Mawr
3RD KYU: Jayson Gesulga (Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF, Igor Motov (Doshikai AEUSKF), Gilberto
Perez (Toku Bu Kan SEUSKF), Ben Senderling (Omaha SWUSKIF), Joshua Stadtlander-Miller (Ken-Zen
AEUSKF), Nathanial Thomason Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF), Darryl Woods (Mushinkan SWUSKIF).
2ND KYU: Soo Chul Bang (Shidogakuin NY GNEUSKF), Joseph Costa (Itto Kai AUSKF), Michael
Jacobson (Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF), Phil Sevin (Zen Bu Kan RMKIF), Feng (Blade) Wang
(Mushinkan SWUSKIF). 1ST KYU: Dylan Abrams (Cherry Hill EUSKF), Jeremie Clark (Doshikai
AEUSKF), Ritchard Higham (Ken-Zen AEUSKF), Peter Kim (Doshikai AEUSKF), Hiroyuki Maeda (Idaho PNKF).
1ST DAN: Dominique Alfandari (Sei Zan AEUSKF), Cheyenne Baker (Dallas-Fort Worth SWUSKIF),
David Carroll (River City SUSKIF), Helene Cousin (Sei Zan AEUSKF), Michael Schuldt (Musoshindenryu
Iaido-Agassiz MWKF), Scott Watson (Michigan Koryu MWKF), Nathan Williams Dallas-Fort Worth SWUSKIF).
2ND DAN: John Baker (Dallas-Fort Worth SWUSKIF), Jordy Davis (Zen Bu Kan RMKIF), Celeste Rosell
(Zen Bu Kan RMKIF). 3RD DAN: Jose Arenas Gomez (Aizen BRAZIL), Michael Sareyani (Ken-Zen
AEUSKF). 4TH DAN: Sasha Corchado (JSS EUSKF), Orsolya Kiss (Cleveland Touyuukai GNEUSKF),
Michael Pattarozzi (Rocky Mountain RMKIF), Kevin Thibedeau (Ken-Zen AEUSKF). 5TH DAN: Gordon
Hall (Ken-Zen AEUSKF). 6TH DAN: David Bressler (Ken-Zen AEUSKF), Jason Hankins (Zen Bu Kan
RMKIF), Nancy James (Sei Zan AEUSKF), Samuel Okuno (Norwalk SCKF).
AUSKF JODO SHINSA, June 11, 2017 Bryn Mawr
1ST KYU: Bradley Anderson (Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF), David Bressler (Ken-Zen AEUSKF),
Nikiforos Fokas (US Kobujodokai AUSKF), Bob Fushimi (Yamakage SWUSKIF), Jayson Gesulga (Musoshindenryu
Iaido Agassiz MWKF) Michael Jacobson (Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF), Kazuhiro Kawashima
(Shidogakuin NY GNEUSKF), An Nguyen (Butokuden SCKO), Jaden Olah (Yamakage SWUSKIF), Raab Rashi
(Seitokan EUSKF), Adam Sandor (Musoshindenryu Iaido Agassiz MWKF), Michael Schuldt (Musoshindenryu
Iaido Agassiz MWKF), Kevin Thibedeau (Ken-Zen AEUSKF), Richard -Todosichuk (Doshikai AEUSKF), Phillip
VanDenBerghe (Baltimore-Annapolis SEUSKF), Scott Watson (Michigan Koryu MWKF). 1ST DAN: Peter
Kim (Doshikai AEUSKF), Gina Konstantopoulos (Ken-Zen AEUSKF), Alec Milton (Ken-Zen AEUSKF).
THE LAST WORD
To renew, when we are deadlocked with the enemy, means that without changing our circumstances we
change our spirit and win through a different technique. (Musashi) The true Way of the strategy is the
craft of defeating the enemy in a fight, and nothing other than this. If you attain and adhere to the
wisdom of my strategy, you need never doubt that you will win. (Musashi) I did not graduate from
Busen. I would have been the 31st class to graduate from Busen in 1944, but I was drafted into the
Japanese military in 1942. There were two entering classes after mine, and then Busen closed forever.
Japan was at war, and many of the Sensei’s and students had been called to serve in the Japanese
military before I received my draft notice during my second year of classes. Actually attending Seiho
Middle School for Japanese (Kokugo) and then Ritsumeikan University for Chinese classical writing
(Kanbun), allowed me to remain out of service for longer than many of the students. Each year Ogawa
Sensei submitted an exemption form for me, but my exemption finally expired. Because most of the
senseis had already been drafted, there was certainly no excuse for not serving. Once notified,
military service was mandatory. And I served from October 1942 to September 12, 1945, the end of World
War II. I recall the Nisei song composed by one of the Japanese language teachers at the Wahiawa
Hongwanji Buddhist temple. He composed it from an old Japanese school song and adapted the words to
our life in Hawaii. We all knew the song and sang it almost as what would be called a pep rally song
today. I recently recorded it to send to Kyoto for the Busen anniversary, together with the Busen
school song.
Rekishi Wa Nagashi Sanzen Nen
Koto Kagayaku Hinomoto No
Fubo No Chi Ukeshi Warera Nari
Seigi Wo Motte Kuni Wo tate
Sekai Ni Kan taru Tomi Wo Motsu
Amerika Shimin No Warera Nari
Long 3,000 year history,
of the shining unbroken Japanese Imperial line.
We, the heirs of this 3,000 year lineage,
With justice we build this country
A nation unsurpassed in the world as ours
American citizens we became.
I don’t know what my father’s view of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was, but in 1941, he sent my
brother Tomio (Brian) to Japan, knowing that he would be drafted into the Japanese Imperial Army. I
saw him for one day; the next he answered the draft. Brian fought in the Japan-China War, which began
in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria. His was a more gentle nature than mine when we were kids in
Wahiawa, so I doubt that Brian was eager to be a soldier. But he had no choice but to obey my father.
He spoke of his war experience rarely, but his time in service was not easy. He was pure Japanese, but
having been raised in Hawaii, his language skills were more lacking than mine when I arrived at Kyoto.
A worthy Japanese does not speak pidgen. His fellow soldiers not only rejected him but beat him
frequently. The Japanese invasion of China brought hell, and the Japanese army brought Brian nothing
but a constant, tortuous hell.
–Rod Nobuto Omoto, Autobiography, edited by Charlotte Omoto, 2014, p. 28-29.
Available as free download at lulu.com.
PLEASE NOTE – THIS KENYU ONLINE IS THE EDITION OF RECORD
Kenyu – Monthly Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation
Tom Bolling, Editor – 7318 23rd Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Tom Bolling’s home page
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