Last weekend our dojo participated in the 2015 Rose City Taikai, hosted by our friends at the Obukan Kendo Club in Portland. We had eight members, competing across five different individual divisions and the team division. All in all, we did really well, and I was happy to see that our newer members were able to fight well while also keeping the excellent basics that they've been working on. I also had my first chance to be an official shinpan. I didn't get to do many matches, as we had a lot of the higher-ranks on our court and they kept changing me out for 4 Dan or up, but it was fun nonetheless. This year I was also in the big boys' division - 3 Dan & Up. It was quite the experience, and one that I'm about to share with anyone that wants to read it... Our division started after lunch, so I was able to watch some amazing kendo before my matches. I was quite a ways in, too, and saw some surprises within our division. My match was up at the end of the
One man's Kendo journey