Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Kendo Club

2011 AUSKF Iaido Camp

2011-06-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

The All United States Kendo Federation has its 2011 Iaido Camp at the Kent State University near Cleveland June 9-12. Jim, Chris G, and Chris Z attended camp. Both Chris G and Chris Z participated in the national tournament and tested. Congratulations to them on their new Iaido ranks!

History lesson: The Kent State campus was in the world spotlight and has a place in history. On May 4, 1970 four students were killed and nine wounded when they were shot by members of the National Guard during a student anti-war protest. The students were all registered and in good standing with the university. None of the students were armed. The protests were because of the announced US expansion of the Vietnam War into the country of Cambodia. There is still debate today on why the National Guard fired on the students.

Family Training Day

2011-05-15T22:29:00.002-04:00

May 14 was Family Training day at The TEA House Martial Arts & Learning Center. It lasted from 12:30 until 5:30 and was an opportunity to try out a number of the martial arts offered as well as Tekulve Acceleration Training. There was a session of Battlefield Chivalry (team battle with soft weapons) from 3:30 until 5:30. The day was offered at no charge. Afterwards the Kendo Club got together with instructors at the Hibachi Master Restaurant located in the same plaza.

The Johnson Cup won by Shaun Yoshida was on display at The TEA House. He won it at great effort this past December at the ECUSKF regional Kendo Tournament. Note: We have been awarded the regional tournamemt once again this coming December.

Stay tuned in July. We’ll host a regional Joint Practice at the Corryville Rec Center. The ECUSKF Kendo Team will be with us in preparation for the Kendo Nationals in Atlanta this coming August.

Johnson Cup Results and More

2010-12-23T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,

1.) As you know, we were the host for the East Central United States Kendo Federation's Johnson Cup Kendo Tournament this past weekend. This was the first time we were chosen to host the event. I'm pleased to report that we did well. Shaun Yoshida was the winner of this year's Johnson Cup! Mark placed third. This is a first for our club. We never had a first place finisher in this tournament. As far as I can remember, the highest we have achieved in the past was a third place finish. This year the great performances continued. Justas placed second and Rey placed third in the Mudansha division. Justas of course is a junior, and he was competing in his first adult competition. He won a youth tournament earlier this year, but to do so well in an adult tournament is fantastic. Rey was competing in his first ever Kendo tournament, and made a strong showing. One of the highlights of the tournament was when Jimmy and Justas were called up to fight a tie breaker. They were tied through the regulation time period, then they went into overtime with no time limit. After about 12 minutes into overtime, someone at the scorer's table found that there had been a mistake. Jimmy and Justas did not have to fight in a tie breaker. It was high drama anyhow because nothing could go forward until they were done, so they had everyone in the gym watching their match. Finally, we had two teams entered for team competition. NKY placed third in teams division. Shaun, Mark and myself made up the "A" team, Rey, Jimmy and Justas were on the NKY "B" team. Our results at the Johnson Cup was a great wrap up of the year. We had success on the tournament floor and with promotions of our members for rank promotions. It has been a good year!

2.) After the tournament we went to the party where I passed out award certificates. Kosuke and Takaya Yagimoto won Best Newcomers, Ami Yagimoto won Best Effort, Seira Ikarashi won Best Footwork, Flo won Best Spirit, Jimmy won Best Epic Battle (for the long match with Justas at the tournament), Chris won Guest Instructor of the Year, Justas's mother and father won Parents of the Year, Mark won Instructor of the Year.

3.) Class will be cancelled at the Step 'N Out Dance Studio in Covington this Sunday December 26. The next class after this will be at Corryville Wednesday evening on December 29th.

4.) Work continues at our new main location, The TEA House Martial Arts and Learning Center located at 8182 Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati 45255. Last night furniture and flooring were moved in. Contractors should be finished with cleaning the floors, so next week the doors should be open. I'll have a schedule in the email for you within a couple days. We are planning to maintain classes Sunday mornings at Step 'n Out Dance Studio and Wednesday Evenings at the Corryville Recreation Center as well as a schedule for the new location. If you have spare time over the next two weeks, please stop by to lend a hand. There is plenty of mopping and sweeping that needs to be done.

Here is a funny story from moving things stored at my house for new place. I rented a U-Haul truck to move things I had stored in my garage, living room, hallways, and basement. Students of Master C.M. Brown of Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky Hwa Rang Do martial arts drove out with his students to help load the truck. Little did I know, one of the neighbors didn’t like the idea of “someone and somebodys” showing up in my driveway after dark with a 14ft truck. After about 10 minutes of loading, the first two police cars showed up. As the officers got out of their cars, I just happened to be playing with a lightsaber. One of the officers approached the house, and the other one stayed with his car and started laughing,”Watch out, he has a lightsaber!” Anyway, things were under control by the time the third police car rolled up. I can’t promise this much excitement all the time, but please stop by when you get a chance and help with preparing The TEA House.

From the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club, everyone have a terrrriffic holiday!

Jim

Johnson Cup Kendo Tournament in Cincinnati

2010-12-04T16:30:00.002-05:00

We will be hosting the East Central United States Kendo Federation (ECUSKF) Johnson Cup Kendo Tournament on December 18th, 2010 along with "The TEA House Martial Arts and Learning Center". It will be held at the Corryville Recreation Center (where we hold Wednesday evening class) located at 2823 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45219. It is scheduled to start about 10:30 am until 4:30 pm. After the tournament there will be an open practice until about 5:30. The open practice is an opportunity for everyone to practice with the high ranking instructors of our region. If you are not practicing in Kendo armor, you can still participate. Don't forget to bring your shinai, and please wear your club tee shirt. Be sure to invite your friends and family to see this event. It is a chance to introduce them to what you do in Kendo. There is free admission and free parking

After we are finished at the Corryville Rec Center, we'll all gather at the Buffalo Wild Wings located at 200 Calhoun Street, Cincinnati OH 45219, for the ECUSKF Holiday Party. Normally the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club has its own Holiday Party, but this year since we are hosting the regional tournament, we'll have a combined function. During the celebration I'll give out certificates for special achievements of the year for things like; Student of the Year, Parent of the Year, Best Kote Strike, Best Footwork, and more....

Contact me by Friday December 10 if you are coming with friends or family. The dinner is $15 per person. We need to get a good head count for the restaurant, so contact me as soon as you know.

Jim-san

2010 Winter Hours at Corryville Recreation Center

2010-09-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

A reminder for class this Wednesday Sept 15; we are returning to Winter hours at the Corryville Rec Center. This means that we are moving back to the Dance Studio, and we will will only have Kendo class. Kendo starts at 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm.

Jim

September 2010 Events

2010-09-02T18:48:00.003-04:00

Before I get into the events for September, last month we had a referee seminar in Columbus, hosted by our regional federation. The referee seminars are a great opportunity to attend the training of the tournament referees. Even if you are not high enough in rank to judge, there is plenty of opportunity to participate in mock matches which give the referees a chance to tune their eyes for real Kendo tournament matches.

We also gave a demonstration of Iaido and Kendo to the Adult Program at the Kenton County Library on August 28th. We were well received and had fun talking with the people afterwards.

Coming up in September on the 11th, there will be a joint practice held in Indianapolis IN. It is hosted by our region. It will run from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. After practice everyone will get together for dinner at a local restaurant.

The following weekend September 17,18,19, there will a seminar in Cleveland. Friday evening will be an open practice. Saturday morning there will be Iaido practice. Saturday afternoon is a referee seminar. Sunday there will be a youth and student Kendo tournament for up to age 18. The weekend is hosted by the Greater Northeast United States Kendo Federation. The guest head instructor will be Shozo Kato Sensei. He is an 8th Dan in Kendo and 7th Dan in Iaido. It's not often you get to spar with someone that high in rank, not to mention Kato Sensei is one of the highest ranking Kendo instructors in the US.

Finally, another event on the 11th, there will be a seminar hosted by Aikido of Cincinnati. Carl Long is a high ranking Iaido instructor with the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido school of Iaido. He is very knowledgeable and very approachable when you have questions. If you would like to participate, contact Dick McKeever at Aikido of Cincinnati (513)984-0047 or (513)1976 or me. If you would like to watch a session, please contact me so I can get permission for you to watch but not participate.

Spring Meeting and Social Event

2010-05-31T20:39:00.003-04:00

May 21, 2010 the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club had a Spring Meeting and Social Event at Matsuya Japanese Restaurant in Florence Ky. Before the meeting, there was a Club tee shirt presentation to members, with two special "Gold Shirts" awarded.

One of the shirts went to Justas Jodele, for his big improvements and dedication to practice in Kendo, and for maintaining a high grade point average at school. In Kendo, this past November Justas placed 3rd in both individual (14 to 16 yr olds) and team competition at the Kendo Youth Tournament in Lexington Ky. He worked hard after that, improved, and last month in April he won an individual first place at the youth tournament held at Michigan State University in the under 16 year old and younger division.

The second "Gold Shirt" was awarded to Gerald Meade for his work for the Club as "the invisible man". Gerald does many things to help maintain and grow our Club. He provides support in such a way as to not call attention to himself. His work is greatly appreciated. Congratulations to both Gerald and Justas!

The 2010 National Iaido Camp is June 10 through 13 in San Antonio. The National Kendo Summer Camp is July 2 through 4. If you need information about either event, please contact me.

Jim

2010 AUSKF Iaido National Summer Camp

2010-04-11T21:01:00.002-04:00

The Iaido National Summer Camp arrangements are near complete. Right now it looks like it will be held June 9-13 at Trinity University in San Antonio Texas. There will be more details later

Jim

Time Change for Wednesday Evening Class in Cincinnati

2010-03-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

Our class times for the Wednesday evening class is going to change this coming week due to a schedule change at the Corryville Rec Center in Cincinnati. We will start Kendo class at 7:00 pm Wednesday March 31. There will be no Iaido class at Corryville at least for a couple weeks. I'll let everyone know when our time will change again.

The Sunday morning schedule will not change for Step 'N Out dance studio in Covington KY.

Jim

European Sword Events

2010-03-02T08:23:00.002-05:00

1.) This Sunday March 7th classes will be at the normal times in Covington at the Step'N Out Dance Studio (Iaido 8:00am until 9:15am, Kendo 9:30am until 11:00am). We will share the dance studio with the Cincinnati Fencing Academy and their coach, former Olympian Ed Wright. They will have a Fencing tournament that will start on the second floor while we are still practicing. Once we are done with Kendo, the fencers will move down to the first floor. It will be a good opportunity to watch a tournament using point weapons (foils). I've been invited to help judge the Fencing matches, so I might leave Kendo practice a little early.

2.) The following weekend March 13th and 14th, I'll be teaching a Japanese Swordsmanship class for the regional seminar of the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) at the Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights KY. I'm scheduled to teach on Saturday the 13th. I'm planning to participate in some of their other classes as well. If you are interested in watching or participating in my class, let me know. It might be possible for me to get permission for you to visit and watch one of the other classes. The SAFD teaches Stage Combat to actors for use on stage, television and movies.

3.) Since I'll already have my goodies packed for the SAFD seminar, I'll have a sword presentation for Iaido class on Sunday March 14th at the Step 'N Out in Covington. I'll bring swords from my collection (broadsword, rapier, katana....) and we'll talk about how they are used and differences in their construction.

Jim

Academic All-Star

2010-02-28T20:38:00.002-05:00

I would like to pass on congratulations to Justas Jodele. I spoke to his dad and found out that Justas got a 4.0 on his last report period. Great Job!!!

Jim

A Busy 2009 for Northern Kentucky Kendo

2009-11-22T21:15:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the highlights for 2009. At the recent Youth Kendo Tournament held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Justas Jodelle won two medals for third place. He won one medal for individual honors in the 13 to 15 year old age group. His second medal was for team competition. Justas was on a mixed team with members of the Cleveland Japanese School Kendo Club.

The Club performed a number of Kendo demonstrations. We performed for the Kenton County Library's Youth Japanese Club. Most of the events we performed, were recorded for broadcast as a local sports event on Insight Cable TV, in Northern Kentucky, and Columbus Ohio. A number of our regular classes were recorded for broadcast as well. Our thanks to Chris George, and Danessa Smith from the University of Cincinnati Kendo Club for their help. From Northern Kentucky Kendo Club; Bill Baker, Don Collins, Maria Collins, Gerald Meade, Mark Clark, Roland Figgs, and Justas Jodelle.

We had a number of Iaido events as well. Gerald and I performed at the Kenton County Library. Chris and Roland performed with us during taping of our regular class at the Corryville Rec Center in Cincinnati.

I was invited again this year to be a guest instructor for the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) at their regional "March Madness" seminar held at Northern Kentucky University. The SAFD teaches actors stage combat techniques for use on stage, television and movies. Roland and I were invited back for their summer session to teach a class on empty hand techniques.

A couple individual honors: First, Gerald has been granted a teaching license to teach Muso Jikiden Eishen Ryu style of Iaido. He continues to promote this style of Iaido to groups east of the Mississippi.

Second, I was invited by the Kenton County Library to pose for a poster for their READ program. Assisting me in the poster is Bailey Peterson of Premier Martial Arts in Florence Kentucky. Bailey won a scholastic award as one of the top elementary students in the country. The poster will be on display at the library through next year.

Finally, congratulations to everyone who passed testing for rank in 2009!

Jim Atkins

Winter is Coming- Winter hours are back at Corryville

2009-11-17T20:29:00.004-05:00

Cooler temperatures are back in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. It's time to go back to winter hours for Wednesday evenings 2009 at the Corryville Recreation Center in Cincinnati. Iaido class starts at 6:00pm until 7:00pm. Kendo class begins at 7:00pm and lasts until 8:45. We need to be out of the building for closing by 9:00pm. We will move back into the dance studio for class.

Class times for Sunday morning at the Step 'N Out studio in Covington KY are the same. No changes.

-Jim

2009-06-15T13:43:00.003-04:00

TIME CHANGE FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING CLASS

Wednesday evening classes at the Corryville Rec Center will be during the new Summer hours. The doors will be open at 6:30 pm. From 6:30 pm 'till 7:00 pm we'll have an Open floor available for personal practice, stretching and a short Iaido class with a Seitei Kata review. Kendo class will start at 7:00pm until 8:45 pm.

KENDO AND IAIDO DEMONSTRATION

Saturday June 20 at 2:00pm, we have been invited to perform a Kendo and Iaido demonstration at the Kenton County Library located at 502 Scott street in Covington KY. The library is just a couple blocks from Step 'N Out studio where we practice on Sundays. The event is a Japanese cultural festival for their teen program. The festival lasts from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm, with our 30 minute performance beginning at 2:00 on the main floor inside the building. They will have a table for us under a tent in the parking lot, so if you can either come early or stay late, please come and talk with the people who will stop by with questions at our table.

-Jim

Dues and Fees for 2009

2009-01-13T18:24:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, I would like to give you information on the dues and fees for the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club for 2009. I will go over the local Dojo monthly dues first, then if you would like to attend a regional practice, national practice, test for rank or practice in a dojo other than the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club, you will need to pay the once-a-year fees for both the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF), and the region's fee for the East Central United States Kendo Federation (ECUSKF).

First off, the basic local monthly dues for the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club are $35. The monthly dues should be paid to either me (Jim Atkins), or Gerald Meade, no later than the 10th day of each month. Dojo dues must be paid each month for you to practice. If you will be out of town or unavailable for a month; maybe you have a "personal situation" brewing, speak to Gerald or myself about a waiver for the month. As you know, we practice Sunday mornings in Covington Ky and Wednesday evenings in Cincinnati at the Corryville Recreation Center. The Corryville Rec Center is a public facility. As a result, you will also need to complete a membership at the Corryville Center and obtain a membership card. If you cannot make it to Corryville to fill out the paperwork, speak to Gerald or me. Once you are a member at Corryville, you can participate in the programs and facilities the have available, in addition to our club practice there.

Secondly, to attend a regional practice, national practice, test for rank, or practice in a dojo other than the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club, you will need to pay regional and national dues. When you pay this once-a-year fee, your national and regional membership is good from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009

**Make you checks payable to the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club**

Membership Fee
AUSKF
Adult $40.00 (18 years old and over)
Youth $25.00 (17 years old and under)

ECUSKF
Adult $25.00 (18 years old and over)
Student $10.00
Youth $10.00 (17 years old and under)

***Please have your regional and national dues paid to the Dojo by February 15th, 2009***
If you intend to practice ONLY with the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club, you will only pay local Dojo monthly dues

Jim Atkins

Corryville Holiday Closures

2008-12-19T19:12:00.001-05:00

Class at Corryville will be cancelled due to the holidays Dec 24 and Dec 31. The next class at Corryville will be Jan 7

Holiday Party at Matsuya Japanese Restaurant

2008-11-30T22:52:00.002-05:00

The Holiday Party will be at Matsuya's Japanese Restaurant in Florence KY starting at 6:30pm. It's located at 7149 Manderlay Drive. From Cincinnati, travel south on route 71/75, past the Florence Y'all watertower to the Florence/Union exit. It will be the second Florence exit. Turn left onto rte 42. You will pass Burger King on your left, Rally Hamburgers and a Safeway gas station on your right. Continue about a half mile and you will see a church and school complex on your left just before the light. Make a right turn at the light on to Dixie Hwy. You will pass Mark's Guns on the left. Continue to the next light where you will see an abandoned super market on your left and a Marathon gas station. Make a left and you will see Matsuya's next to the Marathon in the little strip mall. The phone number for the restaurant is 859 746-1199. The Club will provide a combination of sushi and rolls to get started. If you would like dinner, the restaurant has a great selection of meals that range from $8-$15, or you can order sushi and sashimi ala carte. Please pay for your own drinks. I'll do my best not to go to Boston and get snowed in this year!

Contact me if you have any questions

Jim Atkins
Northern Kentucky Kendo Club
(C)859 912-0520