British Kendo Association

Reminder Intensive training this weekend. 
It will be held at JFS, The Mall, Kenton, Middlesex HA3 9TE website: www.jfs.brent.sch.uk

Saturday : Sports Hall  from 12.00 till 17.00

Sunday : Dance Studio from 09.00 till 13.00

Please remember that attendance is open to all BKA members and it is important part for selection for the GB squad. But, more importantly, for your own kendo improvement and development.

Here are some comments from Intensive training in January, from 3 different groups, a novice, junior and a more experience kendoka (new to squad).

Read more »

The closing date for applying the Ozawa Seminar has been extended to 13th March and there are still a few places left. Ozawa Sensei is best known as the author of Kendo: The Definitive Guide and will be accompanied by other 7th Dan Japanese teachers. See Kashi no Ki kenyu Kai website for an application form.

http://www.kashinokikenyukai.org/news.htm

Ikkyu and Shodan grading at Wakaba Dojo on the 24th April

Online application now open and available till 30th March. Please log on to the membership database (http://membership.kendo.org.uk/).

Panel: Mr E Levi 5th Dan, Mr K. Masagaki 5th Dan, Mr S. Myamura 5th Dan, Ms E. Yoshikawa 5th Dan, Ms H. Wright 5th Dan

Panel Supervision: Mr Holt, 7th dan Renshi

Grading times:

• 10.30am              Registration
• 11am-12pm        Mock grading (all grades)
• 12pm-2pm          Ikkyu and Shodan Test

Please note that there will be a mock exam at the beginning in order to give an idea of what is expected from the candidates

See also here for information on the examiners training that will run as a part of this event.

Mr Holt will run a short session for all at the Wakaba Kendo grading, for both grading panel examiners and student examinees, before the grading (this is normal practice at any grading).

In addition, he will help a second “shadow” panel of examiners (throughout the entire grading) getting the skills needed to sit on future panel.

If you are interested in taking part in this shadow panel, please email the kendo grading officer at kendo.grading@kendo.org.uk.

More information can be found at http://kendo.org.uk/kendo/grading-panel-certification/

To all University Dojo Leaders,
University Taikai registration will close on Sunday March 7th.  Nobody will be allowed to compete if they do not register by this date.  If there are any problems, you can contact me at president@eukc.org.
Read more »

The Taikai took place in London on Saturday, 27th February 2010.  The results were as follows:

1st David Parkes, Oxford University
2nd Johnny Boswell, Liverpool
3rd Paul Hughes, Nagamitsu
3rd Lewis Gale,  Akai Ryuu

Fighting spirit Sophia Kellaway, Kobudokan

A new article has been published in the Articles section of the site on the topic “Kendo and Kata – its relationship with Humanity and Buddhism”.

Written by John Howell sensei, 7th Dan Kyoshi and past President of the British Kendo Association.

The article can be found here.

Don’t forget also that Mr Howell will be teaching at the National Kata Seminar taking place on the 27/28 March 2010.  Details of the seminar can be found here.

Congratulations to Kazuyo Matsuda for the tremendous achievement in Brussels.

Kazuyo is the first female member of the BKA to be awarded 6 dan in Kendo and she joins three other BKA ladies in the senior grade club:

Faye Goodman (7 dan Iaido), Anna Stone (6 dan Iaido) and Linda Tattoli 6th dan in Jodo.

We all hope that these achievements will be an inspiration to other women in our Association

For the European Kendo Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, on the 9-11th April 2010, the following people have been selected:-

Read more »

Sat 14th August 2010:

Seidokan Iwao Dojo visit:

• One day Seminar with Yukuo Iwao sensei 8th dan kyoshi Read more »

Jo Hirst, the BKA's new Complaints Officer

The NC has just co-opted a Complaints Officer whose job it is to be the receiving point for complaints and to advise members who are considering using the Complaints procedure.  Details of the Complaints procedure are given in the constitution here http://kendo.org.uk/files/minutes/BKAConstitutionAdopted30May09.pdf. Please see Article 13: Complaints Procedures.

Read more »

A copy of the BKA’s insurance policy for 2010 is available for download (pdf) in the Health & Safety section of the Resources page of the BKA website – or from the direct link here.

The nomination form for posts open at the 2010 AGM can be downloaded here and will be posted in the Resources section of this site.

Full details of the AGM can be found here.

The BKA is pleased to announce that the Watchet Kendo Seminar will be held at:

Danesfield School, North Road, Williton, Somerset, TA4 4SW

On the weekend of 15th & 16th May 2010.

Read more »