ANU Open Day
Our stall again attracted many students – thanks to Bek, Steve and Garath, and Darren, Bek and Brendan for demonstrating, MC’d by Martino.
Squad training
Phil Baker, Martino Ellero, and Sharyn Wragg drove to Melbourne to attend another challenging and inspiring squad training weekend, held at the Budokan on December 8-9.
2007 NSW State Championships, Dec 1-2
Report by Stephen Ellis
Asides from the National Championship, the NSW State Kendo Championship is arguably the most prestigious individual shiai on our kendo calendar. This year’s competition was held of the 1 December at the University of Sydney’s Cumberland Campus. Six members of the ANUKC made the trip up to Sydney to represent their club, territory and university; including Donald, Brendan, Stephen, Darren, Martino and Joe Sensei (as well as his son Nathan, who joined the road trip to support his father and the club).
The day unofficially started out at 0530 with Joe demonstrating his experience at packing large amounts of bogu and shinai into the small confines of his Tarago; also affectionately known as the ‘kendo bus’. Someone however made the mistake of placing Darren and myself in the back, which put those people unfortunate enough to sit in front of us at our childish mercy (sorry Brendan) – I think there’s a lesson to be learned here for everybody.
Thanks to Martino’s unmatched skill at navigating, we arrived right in time for the opening ceremony. While the three kids divisions were being contested, Brendan and Donald had a small amount of time to change and prepare themselves for competition, while Martino and Joe assisted with shimpaning.
For Donald, it was his first shiai, and excitedly commented on how he could feel his heart rate rising just prior to his match. Donald found himself in a tough pool, which included the eventual winner of the kyu competition. Thus, he unfortunately did not progress past this round.
However, Donald’s performance was exceptional and was characterised by fearlessness and positive attack. The highlight of this match was when he did what few others did on the day, and scored a be au tifully timed kote cut on the young man who won the division. The other highlight was seeing Donald’s ear-to-ear grin that stayed on his face for the next few hours – I think its safe to say he has been bitten by the shiai bug, and will soon competing hard to earn his place on the kyu team.
Being an experienced kyu competitor, Brendan had a little more pressure on him to fight well – and as always, he did not disappoint. Before making it out of his pools, he first had to make it though a young lady who was Moo Kwon Do’s kyu champion, and who later that day would go on to beat members of the Australian women’s team to win the women’s title. Brendan fought cleverly and was rewarded with two beautiful points. He continued to progress through the rounds, until he was unfortunate to loose in a ten minute encho (overtime) marathon. After this as well as his performance in the ACT Open, Brendan has very much become the encho king – opponents beware.
With the conclusion of the kyu and women’s division which followed, it was time for the Dan competition to get underway. As I’ve recently discovered, the big difference between dan and kyu divisions, is that every dan grade competing knows how to score points, and any mistake or loss of concentration will lead to you being relegated to the role of spectator for the rest of the day.
First up was Martino, who was unlucky not to make it out of his pool. Joe also found himself matched against two strong opponents and did not, on this occasion, make it past this round. This trend soon changed, with Darren continuing his recent good form, and scoring some solid points to make it out of his pool. In the next round, he came up against a very tough opponent. Although he did not win this match, it would be unfair to say he lost – the match came right down to the wire, and there were a number of close calls. Darren’s performance was, in my mind, the highlight of the day, and is a testament to what happens when one commits themselves to regular training. His example is also one that should be followed by everyone in the club. Finally, Steve (me) also made it out of his pool, but was beaten the following round (insert disappointment here).
Overall, the day was a good one, with a lot of fun and many l au ghs had by all. If there’s anything that can be collectively learnt it would be that while we are undoubtedly on the right path, we still have a way to go if we are to reach our potential – which of course is what Kendo is all about. It is also something to keep in mind with nationals, and grading just around the corner. Until next time 🙂
Two weddings and a farewell
Congratulations to past club-members Norman and Shin-ji Oeklers, who married in Germany, and to David Huang who married on December 23rd.
The club also farewells Andy Cheng, who is leaving to go to Hong Kong.
Canberra-Nara Candle Festival and DOI demonstrations
The ACT once again supported the Canberra-Nara Candle Festival on October 20th with a demonstration of 6 club members. Those participating were: Phillip Baker, Greg Wyncoll, Martino Ellero, darren Boyd, Rebecca Marshall and Reika Cunningham, with David Cunningham as MC. Earlier that day, Phil and Greg performed impressively at the Defence Open Day, with Sensei Joe Semmler and Antony Pollock narrating.
Harken, gentle reader to an imperfect account of the last weekend in October 2007
Report by Gaye Horobin
Saturday October 27, in the Year of Our Lord 2007 dawned a bright and balmy day. The warriors of the ANU Kendo Club did join with diverse companions from New South Wales to do battle upon each other in a spirit of friendship. The experienced and battle-hardened were joined by the new and eager and all looked forward to the matches to come. Thus began the ACT Kendo Championships for 2007.
Having gathered at the appointed place (ANU’s new gym) they did set down the rules of combat and discussed at length who would control each aspect of the upcoming battles. In their wisdom, the sensei present did declare that the senior kyu grades would control the battles of the junior kyu grades, the junior dan grades would control those of the senior kyu grades and the senior dan grades would control those of the junior dan grades. These preliminaries having been completed, the battles were joined.
The junior kyu grades saw many enter the fray for the first time. The warriors of ANU did acquit themselves with honour but a dark horse arose from the ranks of New South Wales. Luke Lee was his name and all were laid waste before him.
Then began the battles of the senior kyu grades. Many fierce contests ensued and yet again the mighty Luke Lee was victorious.
As the day progressed the combatants did refresh themselves with freshly gathered sushi, fruit and fruit punches of such succulence that their like may not be seen again.
The day continued with the junior dans and senior dans each in their appointed times. The onlookers were duly amazed with the skill and daring demonstrated by all.
The day concluded with the contest between the ladies. Fair ladies they may be but they are also formidable opponents of considerable skill. Jess was victorious on the field and bravely bore the bruises of her encounters.
At day’s end some of our brave and fearless warriors did seek their beds and their homes but others did go forth into the town for a feast at the Blue Elephant. Their they were served spicy foods and much soothing, frothy ale and some bore the reminders of that the following day.
The next day dawned and again the diverse combatants gathered. Their numbers were thinned as not all had returned but the spirit of those left was undiminished. This was to be a day unlike any held at this venue. Of the warriors gathered, 11 teams were made up by the drawing of lots. Each of these teams comprising a warrior of great experience, one of middling experience and one of lesser experience. This format of competition is known as a “goodwill teams” event. The teams then proceeded to compete to see which team could prove victorious over the others. The champion amongst the women, Jess, arrived somewhat late but a quick rearrangement allowed her a place in a team which had until then, only two members. It would not do for so skilled a fighter to be excluded for mere tardiness.
The contests were mighty and many faced opponents new to them. At the end of the competition it proved no surprise that the team that possessed the senior dan grade champion would be victorious. All did heartily congratulate them.
The next event for the weekend was the Women’s Teams. Special mention must be made of Jemma who had worn men for just two weeks prior to the competition. Such courage and determination did she show as to face battle in borrowed dogi and did acquit herself well.
The final combat for the weekend was provided by an ACT and NSW team event. The remaining 8 brave souls from NSW faced off against a hand picked 8 from ACT. The cheers of the spectators urged the competitors on even after two gruelling days of contest.
Yea verily, the formal components of the weekend concluded with a spectacle of prize giving. The particulars of prize winners can be read elsewhere but here ye shall read of other things. The victors were all congratulated and photographs of the most exquisite type were captured by Darren. The smiles were truly broad and beaming. There was a sense of sadness that such a weekend was drawing to a close. A solemn rei ended the prize giving. The solemnity, however, was broken by the clanking of many medals against do and each other as all stood upright again.
It having rained during the morning, we were joyed to see the sun shining through so that a luncheon of traditional foods could be enjoyed outside by the barbeque. The cooks had prepared sausages aplenty so that all could enjoy and talk away the last of the remaining time.
Friendships were renewed and some were newly forged. Organisational skills had been tested and found to be a match for the tasks. Our hearty thanks go to all who assisted in the weekend. From those who tied ribbons, to the cooks and the scribes and the time keepers and others who performed in all manner of ways we offer our thanks. It was truly a wonderful weekend that all enjoyed-bruises notwithstanding.
View album through Webshots: ACT Open 2007
Photography credits to David Caton and Darren Boyd
| Event |
Result
|
| Junior Kyu |
TBA
|
| Senior Kyu |
TBA
|
| Junior Dan |
TBA
|
| Senior Dan |
TBA
|
| Women’s |
TBA
|
| Kyu Grade Teams |
TBA
|
| Dan Grade Teams |
TBA
|
| Women’s Teams |
TBA
|
Australian University Games
Report by Jun Tang
It is our honor to be supported by the ANU Kendo Club to participate in the 2007 Australian University Games at the Gold Coast. Although the results were not that impressive, we did learn some valuable kendo experience through the whole day event from which we will dedicate more efforts into our future training.
Our whole journey was cursed and it started with missing trains and then flight in Sydney. Moreover, the heavy rain in Gold Coast made us abort the traveling schedule.
The second day was going alright when the sunshine state showed her true appearance. After the morning talk with the guys from Sydney kendo clubs who stayed in the same YHA, we headed off to the Surfers Paradise in where we enjoyed the beach, sunshine, waves and watching those Sydney kendo fellows practicing nearby. At 4pm in Griffith University, we had shinai weigh-in and a meeting about the rules and details. So far, there were 6 universities involved in the kendo games.
Monday was a big day for us. However, our fighting spirits were worn out by directing to the wrong bus, being lost in the college and late for the group warm up because of the poor organization of sponsors. After the ceremony, the Games started with Kyu individual section which had 33 participants and I was assigned to a pool of four people. After one broken shinai, I won two matches and got out of the pool, while in the third game; I sprained my ankle and had to quit the game and sit on the bench for the rest of day. Catherine fought admirably in her first two games by getting 3 points, nevertheless, her opponent got same amount of points and she lost by only one point in the last extra match.
The winner of Kyu Individual was Adam Corbett from Ballarat University (Victoria) who is only 4 th kyu. Following by Open teams, kyu teams and dan individual, the kendo finally ended up with closing ceremony and free jigeiko.
All in all, the whole journey was not perfect and the results were not remarkable, but we strongly recommend other university students or beginners to participate this fabulous event so as to gain some kendo experience and make friends.
Thanks for the generous support from ANU Kendo Club and also the instructions from sensei and senior club members.
View album through Webshots: AUG07
Demonstrations
The ANU participated in ANU Open Day with a kendo demonstration on August 25th, thank you Martino, Bek and Jun.
Thank you also to Joe Semmler, Ian Flint and Donald Chambers for demonstrating for the 30th Japanese night on September 1st, hosted by the ANU Japan Centre, before a kubuki performance.
Squad training
Martino and Sharyn attanded the 1-2 September OzSquad training in Sydney. Unfortunately, Phil rolled his ankle and was unable to attend. The training was physically and emotionally grueling, and we left feeling equally sore and inspired that the bar had been set so high early in the campaign, and challenged to maintain that standard.
Founder’s Cup, Wollongong, Aug 11-12
Report by Sharyn Wragg
This was a very satisfying weekend, despite a mixed bag of results. ANU had 14 members grading, all of whom passed, except for Ian Flint, who made a strong attempt for 2 kyu, but extremely skilled grading opponents raised the bar on the nikyu exam. All 7 ungraded candidates were called back to a 5 kyu grading, and Daniel Sheridan for a 4 kyu grading, but the end result was that all ungraded ANU candidates achieved a commendable 5 kyu. The highlight of the ANU grading was Rebecca’s performance in her shodan exam, scoring clear points with trademark strong spirit and kiai, rounded off with a tidy performance in kata. Another shodan in the ranks of ANU! Congratulations to all successful candidates.
Our rooms at the historic Keiraleagh house were charming, comfortable and a short walk from the restaurant strip. We Canberrans took advantage of the balmy Wollongong climate to sit outdoors, enjoying beer, pizza and ice-cream.
Competition the following day commenced with kata, and Joe and David took gold in the dan event. The women’s event followed, with the defending ANU team much more experienced than last year (and now all dan), however we lost 2 matches and drew one to eventual winners Dae Han Moo Do Kwan Kumdo. The same dojo/dojang also took out the kyu teams, but ANU performed admirably in the pools, semis and finals with all members pulling out some inspiring kendo, especially the less-seasoned players Jun, and also Ian Flint who demonstrated ikkyu-level shiai.
The ANU dans came up against a strong UNSW team, and lost all matches except the 3rd, in which Yuko fought Kirby. Yuko’s skill was inspirational and Kirby was unable to score. Yuko was rewarded during the presentations with the Tajima Sensei Fighting Spirit Award, and Reika Cunningham with the Ron Bennett Spirit of Kendo Award. It was sad to then farewell Yuko who had given us so much in such a short time and some fun times.
Ron Bennett also gave ANU two bokken he made for Matsuda Sensei and Matsumoto Sensei, which we are to sign and deliver to them.
As always, these away events prompted discussion of our club’s strengths and weaknesses and what we need to improve upon, both individually and as a club.
Ian’s disappearance during the Saturday dinner prompted Steve to volunteer a report on the “Philandering Spirit” previously awarded to Brendan at Picton in February!
Philandering Spirit
Report by Stephen Ellis
ANUKC has a reputation for playing hard, in and out of the dojo. Whether it is (very) senior members of the club drinking until after midnight with old acquaintances, or members of our ‘pitbull’ kyu team applying seme and creating opportunities with some of the AKR’s finest; the fun certainly does not stop after the days closing rei.
With the inauguration (or should I say instigation) of the Philandering Spirit Award at this years Picton weekend, there was a lot of talk as to who was looking good to bring home this prestigious title. While many people singled out Brendan as frontrunner (following a number of impressive outings), few saw the dark horse waiting in the wings.
Brendan put up a good fight (special mention must go to Cat who offered at one point to play ‘wingman’ for him), however, Ian F., ANUKC’s quiet achiever, led the way from start to finish. The highlight of Ian’s efforts was his quiet disappearance at dinner. While there is speculation as to where he went and why, I have unabashedly let myself again be bribed (this is certainly something new club members should keep in mind before endeavouring upon any inter-club networking or scandalous behaviour of any sort– for further information, please see the kyu or student rep), and must therefore refrain from further speculation. All I can say is Ian, you did well, especially given Brendan’s strong track record – you’ve certainly proved yourself a force to be reckoned with.
I am also sad to report that while this is only the beginning of the Philandering Spirit award, this will be the last time details get published (this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seriously consider bribery people). The reason being is twofold. Firstly, I have little desire to become the clubs gossip columnist – it may hurt any future attempts to take the award myself (small miracles do happen…I hope). Secondly, and more importantly, I feel it is counter-productive to fostering good competition in the future. As the dictum goes, ‘what happens on the road stays on the road’. Let the games begin.
View album through Webshots:
ANUKendoClub, Founder’s 2007
| ANUKC member |
Grade acheived
|
| Rebecca Marshall |
1 dan
|
| Jun Tang |
3 kyu
|
| Catherine Zhang |
4 kyu
|
| Lain Wu |
4 kyu
|
| Charlie Brondolino |
4 kyu
|
| Long Nguyen |
5 kyu
|
| Daniel Sheridan |
5 kyu
|
| Alex Holmes |
6 kyu
|
| David Caton |
6 kyu
|
| Tom Murphy |
6 kyu
|
| Gareth Oliver |
6 kyu
|
| Sieu Pheng Phang |
6 kyu
|
| James Richards |
6 kyu
|
Yuko’s visit
Report by David and Reika Cunningham
Yuko Tanaka from Tokyo visited the ANU kendo club from 7 to 10 August 2007 after her first visit to to the club in August 2006. She enjoyed homestays with club members and saw some more of the sights of Canberra.
Yuko joined our training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday and was part of the ANU team that participated in the Founders’ Cup event in Wollongong on the weekend of the 11th and 12th. Club members were impressed by her correct kendo and fighting spirit and look forward to seeing her again.
View album through Webshots: Yuko’s visit
2007 Foreign Leaders’ Kendo Summer Seminar
Report by Martino Ellero
The Foreign Leaders’ Kendo Summer Seminar is held in Kitamoto in July/August every year. This year there were 55 participants from 34 countries and I was fortunate enough to be one of two Australians selected to attend.
I could give you a blow-by-blow summary of what happened each day, but instead I have decided to talk about what you can expect to experience at the seminar.
Before I left, I only knew of the stories of the good old days, when the seminar felt like the sensei were going to grind you into the ground over the course of two weeks. I’d been told it was so hot and humid that the mere act of standing up in bogu would cause you to almost pass out from dehydration, and the only way to survive to was to drink the sweat of a Pocari. I was looking forward to it (aside from the transition from a Canberra winter to a Tokyo Summer)!
Unlike the stories I had heard about the past, the hall and rooms were air-conditioned and much more pleasant for those not used to the Japanese summer. Don’t expect to be taught any fancy moves or super techniques. Instead, most of the sessions focus on getting the basics spot on. Being a seminar focused on developing future sensei and club leaders, the goal is to reduce the number of bad habits we will impart to our students, along with developing good Kendo. Anyone who is Sandan or above (which is usually the minimum grade for this seminar) would have seen all this before in their regular trainings. The difference is here you do it for one intensive week, so you have the opportunity for the comments and the movements to sink in. You are in an environment where you have time reflect on what you are doing and why.
The summer school was a week of solid training broken up into four sessions a day. Our basic itinerary was:
6:30 to 7:30 – Basic kihon cuts with a bokuto, taken by Asano sensei.
The emphasis was on correct footwork and good posture. As the week went on the stretches (warm-ups) got longer, and if people keep a diary I would recommend recording the routine.
Breakfast
9:30 to 10:30 – Kata taken by Sueno sensei (3rd Dan and below).
In these sessions we were given the opportunity to refine all our kata. On the last day we had the opportunity to do all 10 with blunt metal blades.
10:30 to 11:30 Basics with Shinai taken by Asano sensei.
At the start of the week this session was focused on single cuts. As the week moved on we progressed into more complex waza. As with the other sessions, there was quite a bit of instruction going on.
Lunch
2pm to 3:30 – Shinpan Practice taken by Masago sense (4th Dan and above) and Sueno sensei (3rd Dan and below).
People’s improvement was very obvious as the week progressed. At the start of the week, we were all over the shop, but by the end we were working as a single unit. I originally questioned the inclusion of shinpan practice in the seminar but it quickly became obvious that it was required and a good choice of focus by the sensei.
3:30 to 5:00 – Keiko.
The first half was jigeiko between the participants, the second was sensei keiko.
Dinner
8:00 to 9:00 – Kendogu Repairs.
After dinner we would go up stairs to watch and chat with bogu repairers to get a better understanding of how to maintain and repair our equipment. As our equipment was being repaired for us, it was expected that we were proactive in learning what had to be done.
10:30 – Lights out. Well, some rules are made to be broken…
Of course there is more to a seminar like this than just training. Between the trainings and writing up journals and diaries, there was also time for making new friends and acquaintances. With everyone having a passion for Kendo and most people being partial to having a drink or two, it was not long before stories were traded (usually being translated two or three times), photos were taken and shenanigans ensued (Anyone attending should ensure the beer fridge is filled before the staff finish for the night). Usually a sensei or official would drop in for a short chat and to release pearls of wisdom. Some lucky few were invited into the sensei’s room.
I did have the opportunity to train at another dojo later in my trip. I got the impression that the people running the seminar have changed the format from that of a regular dan level training to a format more accommodating to a week-long seminar, involving less kekio and more kihon waza.
To me the seminar was defiantly worth it. It gave me the time to look at my own basics and the opportunity to focus on improving. I am always amazed how sensei of that calibre are able to look at someone’s technique and identify the issues and give clear, concise solutions.
Most importantly, we were able to improve our understanding of the basics and what area of kendo they are meant to improve. By improving our own kendo, we are able to reduce the number of bad habits we might pass on to our students, allowing them to develop faster.
I would recommend that anyone who is sandan or above, who is in a position where they are responsible for running training at their dojo, enquire about their national body’s criteria for attending the Seminar.
Martino Ellero
National Kendo Championships, Melbourne
Kyu Individual and Kyu Teams
Report by Charlie Brondolino
Kyu Individuals
The ANU kendo club was strongly represented in this year’s individual kyu grade championship. Catherine Zhang, Rebecca Marshall, Brendan Kee, Andy Cheng, John Larkings, Nathan Hill, Ian Laird and Charlie Brondolino all competed, five of which would win their pools.
Rebecca faced a tough match up in her pool, contending vigorously with the eventual champion. She was the only person who would win a point on him that day, but would not go through her pool. Likewise Catherine fought strongly, but went out losing both pool matches. Charlie lost his pool on points and won one, and drew one.
John, Andy, Ian, Nathan and Brendan all progressed through their respective pools convincingly, and lead the ACT into the round of 16. Ian would lose his first knock out match. Brendan won through to the quarter final, but was unable to progress, losing in a hard fought match.
John convincingly swept through his next two matches, to make it to the semi-final. His match up against a young Paris Davey proved too much as he lost a hard-fought match, conceding two kote cuts. Likewise, Andy and Nathan would sweep through their next two matches, and face each other in the semi final. The match was contested strongly by both kendoka, but Nathan emerged the victor after scoring the only point of the match (men), and sealing his place in the final.
The final was played between Nathan and Paris Davey of Queensland. Paris was able to take the match off a tired looking Nathan with two men cuts. Although not victorious, Andy and John helped secure both third places, and Nathan the second place, to complete what was a hard fought competition. Our congratulations are extended to them for this fantastic achievement.
Kyu Teams
The kyu team was the culmination of some three months of preparation (the team will never look the same way at the ANU squash courts again). The team was represented by John, Andy, Charlie, Brendan, Nathan, and Ian (sub).
The first match up was against Queensland, fielding a team of four. John was able to secure the first match 2 – 1, but both Andy and Charlie were unable to improve the ACT’s position, both going down 1-2. Brendan’s match was conceded by Queensland, leaving match in Nathan’s hands. A convincing kote and men cut put ACT through to the semi-final.
The semi final was fought against the home state, Victoria. John faced stern competition, but emerged the victor after a long match: 2 – 0. Andy also fought hard to take his match 2 – 1. Charlie was unable to keep momentum, and lost 2 – 0, and Brendan produced a draw in his match up. Again Nathan performed admirably, and sealed the team victory with a men and kote cut: 2 – 1.
This placed the ACT in the final against NSW. John was fought admirably, but could not score in the first match, eventually losing 0 – 2. Andy was able to start a fight back, claiming his match. Likewise, Charlie and Brendan were able to seal victory in the team competition for the ACT, both posting a 1 – 0 result. Nathan again performed reliably, and claimed the final match.
Congratulations to the ACT team for their performance in taking the Australian Kendo Championship Kyu Team crown.
Dan, Seniors, Dan Teams and Kata Teams
Report by Ian Laird
Dan Individual
Unfortunately none of our Dan individual competitors made it to the second round, however some truly excellent kendo was displayed. Of particular note was Joe Sensei’s 2-0 win against Shoko Bunder (N). Mal’s drawn match against K. Kumamoto (Q) was a model of control. Greg drew 0-0 against both his opponents (J. Felix (V) and J. Forrester (W)).
Seniors Competition
On day 2 of the Nationals the more mature members of the club prayed to the gods elastoplast and dencorub and did battle in the Seniors Competition. Although none of us made it to the second round, some interesting matches were played. Joe Sensei had success winning his first match 2-0 against K. Humphries (Q), but unfortunately lost 0-2 against T Nishimoto (N) playing nito. Greg had a draw 0-0 against J. Isaacs (Q) and then won 1-0 with one of his excellent do cuts (you know the one) against the eventually Seniors Competition winner R. Walker (V). Mal’s first match against G. Nicholas (Q) was very physical, and Nicholas used his size and strength to advantage and wore Mal down. In his second match, Mal matched fought a very feisty Yakov Sensei (V). This proved to be another very physical match and although Yakov Sensei won 2-0 in the end, Mal gave as good as he got and eventually knocked Yakov Sensei’s men off. Wonder if the video caught that? I had two very satisfying matches thanks largely to an “I’ve got nothing to loose” attitude. In my first match I managed to hold Sano Sensei (N) to a 0-0 draw and in my second match I held G. Oliver (V) to a 1-1 draw. All I need to do now is bring that mental state to the rest of my kendo.
Dan Teams
The ACT was again unlucky and did not progress to the second round, loosing to Victoria in round one. But the team fought hard. Of particular note were the performances of Dave and Phil. Although he lost 1-2 to R. Ward, Dave executed the perfect men cut demonstrating true ki ken tai no ichi. The crowd roared with that one. Phil then cranked it up another notch or two and beat K. Sugimoto 2-1 with two perfect men cuts of his own. And again the crowd roared.
Kata
An excellent performance by our kata team, Greg and Dave, saw them win 2-1 against NSW in round one. Unfortunately, despite displaying excellent form, they lost to Victoria 1-2 in round two.
ACT Kyu Team, 2007 National Champions
(L-R) Charlie Brondolino, John Larkins, Ian Laird (captain), Phil Baker (coach), Nathan Hill (taisho), Brendan Kee, Andy Cheng.
Women’s Individuals and Teams
Report by Rebecca Marshall
Women’s Individuals
Four women represented the ACT at the 32nd Australian Kendo Championships this year: Sharyn Wragg, Reika Cunningham, Catherine Zhang and Rebecca Marshall. Catherine and I competed in the kyu individual event on the Saturday morning, but neither of us managed to get out of our pools.
The women’s individual event was held straight after the kyu individuals. Reika, Catherine and I again couldn’t beat the likes of Chiaki Kobayashi, Shoko Bunda, Kate Sylvester and Sue Bonar to get out of our pools. However, Sharyn was successful in her pool and then beat Vivian Yung to a spot in the semi finals! She then played an excellent match against Sue, but was beaten by the eventual women’s champion. She did come away with third place, though!
Women’s Teams
The ACT drew WA in the teams matches the next day. Sharyn was up first in a rematch against Sue Bonar. Sharyn won this time, and the point she scored ended up carrying us through to the finals! As the WA team only had two members, Reika won her match by default. I went last against Alison, who won that match.
We were up against a formidable team from Victoria in the final; every one of them had represented Australia at last year’s world championships. I was up first against Chiaki Kobayashi, and managed to score a men cut, but she won the match 2-1. Reika was unfortunately unable to beat Claire Chan, then Sharyn just lost to Kate Sylvester. We were still pretty pleased with second place though! I also scored some extra bling and a suburito when I received a fighting spirit award.
I think everyone exceeded their expectations on the weekend. Congratulations to all!
ACT Women’s Team, 2nd place.
ANU Sport and Recreation Awards Night 2007
ANU Kendo Club: Club of the Year 2007
The Kendo Club was awarded the Australian National University’s Sport and Recreation Association’s “Club of the Year” during the SRA Awards ceremony on 5 June, 2007.
The award reflects the strong participation and sporting excellence of the club throughout the year, attending five competitions and achieving thirteen placings, seven awards and twenty gradings. The Club hosted a grading, a national squad training, social events, two full beginner’s courses, and participated in community events including demonstrations at ANU and the Canberra-Nara Candle festival.
We also cultivated ties with visitors from Japan and Russia, especially the Kounoike dojo in our sister-city Nara, though Matsuda Sensei (Kyoshi 8 dan) and Matsumoto Sensei (7 dan) who generously provided a week of unparalleled instruction to our club.
These successes were underwritten by diligent administration, a willingness from club members at all levels to volunteer in all aspects of running the club, and strong instruction and leadership from our Sensei Joe Semmler and other senior members. Thank you also to Secretary Darren Boyd for preparing the Club of the Year and Blues applications.
ANU Kendo Club operates under the auspices of the ANU Sport and Recreation Association, and thanks the SRA for its ongoing support.
ANU Kendo Club members present were Joe Semmler Sensei, Darren Boyd (Secretary), Sharyn Wragg (President), Rebecca Marshall (Student Representative and Half-Blues recipient), Martino Ellero (Treasurer).
Rebecca Marshall: Half-Blue awardee
Rebecca was awarded a half-blue award. Rebecca is valued for her enthusiasm and commitment to her kendo and her club, notwithstanding the demands of her fourth year Computing Science degree and job.
Rebecca’s dedication was rewarded by grading to 2 kyu, then 1 kyu during the year, by competing in the ACT women’s team which placed 1st in the NSW state championships, and being awarded the Ron Bennett Spirit of Kendo Award at the same event. Congratulations Rebecca!
Club Secretary and President accepting the Club of the Year Award. Award photos: Stuart Hay.
ANU Kendo Club members at Awards Night.
Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb presenting Rebecca Marshall with a half-blue award.
Congratulations
Hearty congratulations from all ANUKC club members to the following for their achivements:
Martino: Saitama Summer School
Martino one of two Australian kendoka selected to attend Kendo Summer School in Saitama in July/August. This is the same summer school that Phil attended two years ago, and Joe a few years before that.
David and Reika’s grading
Congratulations to David and Reika Cunningham who graded to sandan and shodan (respectively) on 27 May in Japan.
| ANUKC member |
Grade acheived
|
| David Cunningham |
3 dan
|
| Reika Cunningham |
1 dan
|
The 10th Korean Kumdo Championship, May 12, Maquarie University Sydney
Report by Nathan Hill
Kyu Team
Mostly everyone was leaving for the comp Saturday morning, except for Andy Cheng, Tsutomu Nakajima and me. We opted to leave on the Friday afternoon, so we could relax and have a rest before the competition the next day. Andy’s brother agreed to accommodate us for the weekend at his apartment. So Friday night was spent talking about how we would do in the comp and who we would eventually come up against in the final (oh and watching an episode of “the next pussy cat doll” on TV).
The day started early, as we all got ready and collected our gear for the long drive (45 min) to where the comp was being held. Getting there before any other ANU Kadoka, we secured a corner of the hall for our bogu and gear. Before long, the whole ANU team showed up and it was the normal high spirited high five’ing and talking.
Kyu individuals
Unfortunately I didn’t make it out of my pool. I won the first match and lost the second, both opponents were skilful and the eventual winner of my pool deserved to go through to the next round. Other people did fairly well in getting out of there pools, but special mention goes to Andy Cheng (his second shia and he got to the quarter finals) and Tsutomu. Tsutomu’s first shia in Australia and he made it to the semi finals, unfortunately he didn’t advance further than that.
Kyu teams
The first match was against (insert name) and won (insert score). Second match was against (insert name) and won (insert score). Spirits where high, and I saw this opportunity to give the “troops” an inspirational pep talk……basically telling them the jobs not over, focus and more importantly: go out there and kill!! It was my pep talk or the fact that they all trained very hard and are very skilled Kendoka (minor details) that saw us into the final against UNSW. We won 4 matches to 1, thus securing the title. The one match we lost was mine; my opponent was fighting for team pride (as they had lost the fist 4 matches). And as expected, fighting with such zeal, he scored two very nice Do cuts on me.
A special thanks gos out to all ANU kendoka in helping us prepare and train for the event, especially Joe Semmler, Phil Baker and Greg Wyncoll, whose training, guidance and encouragement have been vital and inspirational. Congratulations to the ANU Kyu team who came 1st, defeating UNSW 4-1 in the final.
Summary of results
-Tsutomu finished 3rd in the Kyu Individuals.
-Greg and Martino made to the quarter-finals of the Dan Individuals.
-The Dan team lost by one point to the eventual winners (Sydney) in the semi.
-Joe picked up the Outstanding Player Award.
Market Day, February 14th
The ANUKC once again had an impressive stall, thanks to Darren who organised and oversaw the set-up. The ANUKC women turned out in force to man the stall and were a great success drawing the interest from the students, thankyou Bek, Lain and Catherine; Stephen, Martino and Darren for representing the club on Market day.
Picton Seminar Weekend, 3rd & 4th February
Report by Stephen Ellis
The Picton weekend signals the first of the year’s road trips for the ANUKC. Compared to other trips to Sydney and beyond, the Picton weekend, comprising of a seminar and grading, is as Darren says, ‘rather civilized’ (famous last words).
The convoy of 11 left Canberra at the 0630, arriving at Picton High School at 0915. After a quick change and warm-ups, led by 4 times Australian champion Kirby Smith, the group of about 60 kendoka was led through 1.5 hours Kihon Uchikomi by Payne Sensei.
Following this was 1.5 hours of kata practice. With a number of sensei supervising, it proved to be a great opportunity for those grading the following day to practice with new partners.
Following lunch, the NSW kyu team broke away for their own practice. Although we thought this would be a good opportunity for potential members of the ACT kyu team to practice alongside NSW’s best, we were disappointed when the clubs kyu grades were specifically told they could not participate (is that fear we smell??). The benefit of this was that we were all free to participate in a great session with Sano Sensei, who focused on harai and hiki waza (for a great account of this and other session seehttp://nintai.blogspot.com/).
After a great gigeiko session, the group, including Dave and Reika (who arrived later in the afternoon) headed to the infamous Wirrimbirra Sanctuary (which for us first timers, lived up to its reputation of beer, bugs and bad beds).
Many things occurred that night – mostly on account of large quantities of beer, but this is all a part of post keiko kendo. Highlights include Brendan, who took home the inaugural ‘philandering spirit’ award while keeping the group entertained with his inebriated antics, much of which was recorded on video and due to be released later in the year. I believe the current title of this short film is Kendo: The Grueling Challenge (or is that already taken?).
Martino also picked up the ‘Most Dubious Stains on Pants’ award. Unfortunately, this was not caught on camera, and was thus accredited to a night sleeping (alone…) on a table.
Overall, it was a great night with countless highlights and many laughs. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I’ve been bribed, I can’t disclose any of the juicy details – all I can say is that I’d encourage new members to the club to come along to Picton next year to experience the debauchery for themselves.
Sunday morning included many tired, hung-over and stressed faces – it was time to grade. Although some were feeling the ill effects of a big night more than others were, the entire ANU squad (including Charlie, Ian, Scott and Donald, who arrived that morning) got straight down to business, demonstrating great kendo in every grading level. The three-standout performances were Brendan and Reika, who both attained Ikyu, while standing out from a huge group of candidates. The third standout was Martino, who acted as Motodachi for a number of gradings. From basic kihon through to shiaigeiko for a Sandan grading, he showed exceptional skill and fighting spirit.
At this point, I would like to take the chance to thank Darren, Martino, Sharyn, David, Bek, Ian, and Catherine, for the support they gave to all of us grading over the weekend. For organizing the weekend, a special thanks also has to go to Darren.
Following the grading was a final session of gigeiko, followed by a trip to George IV pub for some celebratory drinks and nibbles.
In summary, the weekend was full of fun and great kendo by all ANU club members. I think it is fair to say that this is a testament to Joe Sensei, as well as the other senior instructors at the club. Finally, thanks should also go to the NSWKR for organizing an excellent event.
Darren, John, Bek & Steve
Brendan prepares for his 1 kyu grading
| ANUKC member |
Grade acheived
|
| Stephen Ellis |
1 dan
|
| Brendan Kee |
1 kyu
|
| John Larkings |
1 kyu
|
| Reika Cunningham |
1 kyu
|
| Scott Reading |
1 kyu
|
| Ian Flint |
3 kyu
|
| Charlie Brondolino |
5 kyu
|
| Long Nguyen |
6 kyu
|
| Donald Chambers |
6 kyu
|