Welcome to the "What's Happening at Chuo" section where you can stay informed about Chuo Kendo Dojo, worldwide kendo news and kendo related topics. Here you will find the most recent kendo announcements and a calendar of kendo events.
Chuo Kendo Events Calendar
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As The World Grows Another Year Older, We Wish Everyone a New Year filled with a Biggest Slice of Happiness,
Peace and a Very Successful 2010!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !!!
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November 17 -- 2009
57th All Japan Championships 2009 - High Speed Camera Compilation
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August 31 -- 2009
Videos of the 14 WKC MEN'S TEAM FINAL
Japan (red) vs USA (white)
First Match (Senpo) ~ Japan: K. Shodai vs USA: M. Kawabata
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Second Match (Jiho) ~ Japan: D. Kiwada vs USA: S. Yoo
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Third Match (Chuken) ~ Japan: R. Uchimura vs USA: B. Harada
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Fourth Match (Fukusho) ~ Japan: S. Takanabe vs USA: D. Yang
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Fifth Match (Taisho) ~ Japan: S. Teramoto vs USA: C. Yang
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August 30 -- 2009
14th World Kendo Championship in Brazil ~ (third day ~ Men Team )
14th WKC Men Team Champion is Japan ~ Second USA ~ Third Brazil and Korea
Congratulation to Japan's Men Team for winning the 14 WKC and USA coming second. Third place Brazil and Korea.
See you in Italy for the 15th WKC.
August 29 -- 2009
14th World Kendo Championship in Brazil ~ ( second day ~ Women Individual ~ Women Team )
Women Individual Winner is Takama Japan ~ Second Shojima Japan ~ Third Takashina Brazil and Shizato Japan
Video of the final match where Yukiko Takami of Japan preveils over Sachie Shojima Japan
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Women Team Winner is Japan ~ Second Korea ~ Third USA and Brazil
August 28 -- 2009
14th World Kendo Championship in Brazil ~ (first day ~ Men Individual )
Video of 14 WKC Men Individual Semi-Final Teramoto Japan vs Lee Korea
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Video of 14 WKC Men Individual Final Teramoto Japan vs B Park Korea
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At the best 16 Kevin Huh (Chuo) in a very close fight lost to Furusawa. We wish good luck for the women Team USA for tomorrow's individual and team shiai.
Taro Ariga reporting from Brazil using twitter,
- 14WKC winner Teramoto Japan Ippon gachi MEN2 minutes ago from txt
- Finalists. Teramoto Japan B Park korea19 minutes ago from txt
- I have played at 7 WKCs in the past, but I think this is the 1st time that there is only 1 japanese player in the semifinals. Maybe hist ...36 minutes ago from txt
- Court b winner k lee korea. He takes down Wako in the quarter finals. I am very excited. I am glad I am here!!!!43 minutes ago from txt
- Kunpf X Wako. Wako wins 2 x 0, and will fight Lee in the quarter finals for court B.about 1 hour ago from txt
- Semi finalists, so far Court A Teramoto Japan Court B Court C B Park korea Court D W Kim Koreaabout 1 hour ago from txt
- C Yang usa loses to teramoto japan. Ippongachi. Teramoto advances.about 3 hours ago from txt
- Asaoka canada loses omasa brazilabout 4 hours ago from txt
- Henrique potugal wins his block and advances. Nakano jp loses to choi korea.about 4 hours ago from txt
- Kumpf germany just won his mtch against stuart kote. Ippon gachi.about 5 hours ago from txt
- Teramoto Japan just won his match against Kim korea after encho kote. Round robin round.about 5 hours ago from txt
- Opening ceremony now. the teams are marching now. Just played mj's thriller in the opening. Very exciting experience.about 7 hours ago from txt
- Just arrived at the gym. It it a huge basketball gym. Still quite empty but it will get full soon. Portugal team is warming up.about 7 hours ago from txt
August 26 -- 2009
Shiai 14th World Kendo Championship in Brazil ~
Michael Komoto is in Brazil to report on the latest results and happenings:
“This year, with the global economic crisis, and the H1N1 pandemic, it has been very tough on teams; however, everyone has made a great effort, and cooperated well, so we really expect a great tournament including the best competitors...” - Elizabeth Kodato, General Secretary & Administrative Director of the CKB, and a leading organizing committee member.
“We are doing everything we can to prepare well. We have (in this hotel) taken a conference room for video review and analysis of our practices… and are going there now…” - Chris Yang, Captain of the USA Team.
“Brazil has the influence of many cultures from around the world, and this includes food. But we can say that two types are most popular: Portuguese, and traditional Brazilian, a mixture of European cuisine with the indigenous foods of the native people. One of the really famous dishes is “churrasco” a kind of Bar-B-Que. Traditionally, meats, mainly beef, are roasted on a spit, with little more than salt. In recent times, other types of fare, pork, chicken, sausages and so on, have been included. However; the traditional type is beef…. There is another type of restaurant; they are “riberies”…” (KW) Sorry, I don’t know that word…. “Riberies, they are kind of restaurants in which all you can eat is ribs. I just made that word up…..” – Caio Abramo, CBK Organizing Committee.
“The one thing that is remarkable is the fast response and good preparation of the organizing committee… If I sent a mail, the response would come back immediately. It is unusual anytime, but in particular with such an event as a WKCs. It was a pleasant surprise and made our own preparations go smoothly….” Mikko Salonen, Delegation Manager, Finland
“…It was the first time we saw that ‘rough kendo’ in Taipei. Now, I wonder what direction kendo will take from now on…. I think that in today’s Shimpan (referees’) Seminar there will be discussion and advice to try to reduce this kind of kendo, but even so, from the referee’s position, it is very hard to draw the line. It requires criteria and regulations. We are taught that kendo should be done in a proper manner, but there are no rules that compel the competitors to do so, therefore it is very hard to manage this sort of thing in a match. The Japanese did not expect such rough kendo from the US Team in Taipei, and were visibly off-balanced by it. The Koreans; however, did not let it distract them, and showed that they could beat the roughness with technique and proper kendo. It was an exemplary demonstration. So then it is not the case of Japanese or Korean, but who will succeed by doing proper kendo. From now on, we will see how the future of kendo is to be….” - Rainer Jattkowski, FIK Director, 14WKC Councilor
“…What is important to me is not who wins, but with what kind of kendo they do. Kendo (which is proper and deeply spiritual) is what I would most like to see go on and continue….” “… Kendo is a gift to the World….” - Rainer Jattkowski, FIK Director, 14WKC Councilor
Anti-Doping (relating to performance enhancing drug use) controls will be implemented for the first time in the 14WKCs. In regards to this, members of the Swedish delegation responded: “… it is nothing new to us. The Swedish Sports Confederation, the umbrella organization of all the recognized sports bodies in Sweden already has a protocol in place, and conducted testing for our national championships since last year. The fact that they can do it makes it practical and fiscally possible for us. In the nationals, they tested all the medalists plus one participant that was randomly selected. (by the way, all persons passed without trouble.)” – Dan Fuji, Delegation Leader, and Nils Bjorkegard, Team member, Sweden.
July 30 -- 2009
2009 All Japan Student's Championships
57th All Japan Men's Individual Student Kendo Championship held on the 5th of July at the Osaka Furitsu Gymnasium. The final match was between Nishimura of Tsukuba University (Red) and Matsuo from Tokyo University of Agricultural Science (White).View
July 29 -- 2009
Air Kendo -- Choose one of the equipments from "Men", "Kote" or "Do", and you can be a Kenshi swordmen, simply swinging your iPhone. It was just a matter of time before a kendo app shows up for the iPhone/iPod Touch. And here it is ~~ the Air Kendo.
It cost $0.99. Here is a youtube video and you decide if it's worth buying or not. View
June 25 -- 2009
14th World Kendo Championship Tournament ladder have been decided at the Drawing in FIK Headquarters on 24th of June 2009.
Woman Team ~ Men Team ~ Woman Individual ~ Men Individual 14th WKC Drawings
June 24 -- 2009
Musashi Kai Nito Kendo Seminar
by Neil Sharp
‘Yes we can!’
This is the second Musashi Kai Seminar I have attended in the United States, the first was organised as part of a Japanese cultural event in Salt Lake City, Utah. For those not in the know the Musashi Kai, it is a Non Profit Organisation dedicated to the systematic learning and application of Nito kendo. They are led under the main instruction of Nakamura Tenshin. And probably most well known for their book ‘Nito-Ryu no Waza to Riron’. Which is, as far as I’m aware the only systemised guide to the application of nito in shinai kendo. They do not have a dojo as such but meet once a month for keiko. All members practice at other kendo clubs and all practice Itto kendo alongside nito kendo.
The seminar was led by Sato Futoshi, Rokudan Renshi, Chief Director of Musashi Kai NPO and Fujii Ryoichi, Nanadan, Kyoshi, Fukuoka Branch President. They were assisted by two 4th dan members of the club. The seminar programme was much more extensive than previously, due to the 2 day, 10am-6pm schedule. Needless to say as soon as I received an invite I was swiftly looking for cheap flights to Washington.View article
June 7 -- 2009
How to become a member of the Korean National Kendo Team for the 14th World Kendo Championship.
Summery of an article in the Chosun Ilbo. (Chosun Ilbo is South Korea's largest daily
newspaper, circulation of about 4 million)
The 12 national team members were picked from 120 people through 16
evaluations over 17 months. Choi Chol-Kyu (23, Gwangju) was among those who
made the final cut. His father was also a national team member.
In October 2007, 120 of the nation's top kumdo competitors - those who have
place third or better in various tournaments - assembled at the Korean Kumdo
Federation's central training facility. The first task given to them was to
hit 5,000 mori (men) without stopping. This is a task that takes more than
an hour. The 50 people who dropped out were immediately cut from the roster.
At the second evaluation two months later, 56 people were cut. After an
intense winter training session another two months later in February 2008,
40 people remained. There were 13 more evaluations over the next year,
resulting in the final 12 members.
An evaluation typically consisted of a 5 day/4 night "hapsook" (gasshuku)
training session. Training began at 6 a.m. and lasted until 1 a.m. If a
candidate was injured, they were cut from the roster. Director Koh Kyu-Chol,
67, and Coach Kim In-Buhm, 45, based their choices on 10 categories,
including mental toughness and competition sense.
There was an opportunity for those who had been cut to battle their way back
onto the team. Kim Yong-Chol (27, Gwangju), who had been cut from the roster
after the December 2007 second evaluation, got second place at the National
Sports Competition in October 2008, and eventually earned a place on the
national team. "The national team selection process is a war. I approached
it with a do-or-die attitude," Kim Yong-Chol said.
One person who didn't make the final cut was Huh Dong-Jin (23, Kwanak-ku).
He showed his potential when he became the only college student (sophomore
at the time) to make the national team at the 2006 world championships in
Taiwan. But a ruptured Achilles tendon in May 2007 put him out of commission
for a year. The coaching staff kept his name on the roster in
acknowledgement of his potential, but after he performed poorly at the final
evaluation, they cut him from the list. "The psychological pressure to
survive was intense," Huh Dong-Jin said.
The reason that the selection process was so intense was to maximize the
chances of beating Team Japan and winning the championship. Team Korea
defeated Team USA in 2006 and won the title for the first time in 36-year
history of the world championships, but it did not defeat Team Japan. Korea
still has the unrealized goal of defeating Team Japan. "Just as Korea
achieved independence from Japan after 36 years of colonization, Team Korea
clinched the title after 36 years," Director Koh said. "But the task of
defeating Team Japan at this year's championship remains.""
June 5th -- 2009
Chuo Kendo Dojo opened second location at Simi Valley, California View Article
June 4th -- 2009
57th Kansai Collegiate Championship
The finals of the 57th Kansai Collegiate Kendo Champs (individuals - men's) between Morihara Ryo of Osaka University of Health and Sports Science in white vs. Shimoi Yasuhiro of Ritsmueikan University in red. View
June 1st -- 2009
WKC14 (Brazil) Japanese Team Announcement
The Japanese team for the 14th World Kendo Championships to be held this year in Brazil has been announced on June 1st. I am sure you will spot many familiar names, in both the mens and ladies teams.
Its not surprise that the mens team mainly consists of police. What is slightly different from before is the more experienced age of the ladies team.
Team leader:
Inoue (Nara)
Mens manager: Kato (Tokyo)
Mens coach: Furukawa (Hokkaido)
Mens team:
1. Uchimura, 29, 5dan, Tokyo, Police (Keishicho)
2. Kiwada, 30, 6dan, Osaka, Police
3. Shodai, 28, 5dan, Kanagawa, Police
4. Takanabe, 32, renshi 6dan, Kanagawa, Police
5. Teramoto, 34, renshi 6dan, Osaka, Police
6. Nakano, 29, 5dan, Kyoto, Police
7. Furusawa, 31, renshi 6dan, Kumamoto, Police
8. Hojo, 33, renshi 6dan, Kanagawa, Police
9. Matsuwaki, 30, 6dan, Tokyo, Police (Keishicho)
10. Wako, 32, renshi 6dan, Hokkaido
Ladies manager: Kanzaki (Osaka)
Ladies coach: Ishida (Osaka) [renshi 7dan]
Ladies team:
1. Otsuji, 26, 5dan, Osaka, Police
2. Kondo, 30, 6dan, Osaka, Police
3. Sakuma, 23, 4dan, Yamagata, Teacher (high school)
4. Shimokawa, 28, 5dan, Kagoshima, Teacher (university)
5. Shojima, 32, renshi 6dan, Tokyo, Police (Keishicho)
6. Shinzato, 27, 5dan, Nigata, Sports Association worker
7. Takami, 23, 4dan, Chiba, Teacher (private)
8. Tsubota, 28, 5dan, Okayama, Police
9. Murayama, 34, renshi 6dan, Saitama, Police
10. Yamamoto, 20, 4dan, Osaka, Police
