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Volume 5 Issue 5 |
Editor: Dave Christman | JULY/AUG 2003 |
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All Photos by Dave Christman |
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Summer Camp The MWKF summer camp came off without a hitch over the weekend of August 8-10. Yoshiteru Tagawa sensei from Detroit kendo dojo and Thomas Hooper sensei from the Ken Zen dojo in New York City were our leaders for the weekend. Held at the same venue as in the past few years, Kalamazoo College, the weather was delightful. Tagawa and myself were a bit disappointed in the numbers of people who attended though. We topped out at only about 30 people, and there was a distinct lack of yudansha in the 2nd to 4th dan levels. Detroit dojo had the most people with about 12-13 participating. I'm proud to say Battle Creek had 3 kendoka, and 3 iaidoka in attendance at various practices. I myself hobbled about with a cane, having strained a knee on vacation the week earlier (see below) |
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History was made
last weekend as we offered instruction in iaido for the first time in MWKF
summer camp history. This brought out a few people who are iaido only, and it
brought out a few people who are kendoka, yet who practice iai also. A
exponent of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu, Hooper sensei knew he was with a
crowd who had best stick with the ZNKR seitei gata
For more info and photos Click here. |
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Izui Scholarship Award I'm pleased to announce our dojo had been awarded the first George K. Izui Summer Camp Scholarship Award. This is a free pass to the annual MWKF Kendo Summer camp, and will be awarded annually from now forward. It must be applied for, with the applicant awarded to the most deserving kendoka with a financial need who otherwise might not attend. The requirement is merely to apply directly to the MWKF President in writing as to why you'd like to attend camp. Only MWKF members currently in practice and in good standing at their local MWKF dojo will be considered. |
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KAMIDANA Ex-dojo member (still in our hearts) Atsushi Ikenobu has sent us a O-fuda from a Shinto shrine near his home in Japan. We installed it in the center Jinja. Thank you Atsushi ! |
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PRACTICES There is still some
discussion going on about
Peter Boylan agreeing to get together with interested people maybe, and doing a
bit of Jodo on alternate Saturdays at EMU. I'm very much interested, if anyone in B.C. is interested, let me know.
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My Dream Vacation How more exotic can it get? I went helicopter skiing in New Zealand this summer (left). I took this photo (right) moments before I strained my gastrocnemius ligament. We are at the top, 500 yards down I fell and I was done for the rest of the vacation. I watched a lot of NZ TV, with my friend, a bag of ice. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
CHARLESTON: AUSKF National Summer Camp......Oct. 11-12 Being held at Citadel University in South Carolina. Top instructors from Japan and the U.S. will be there. A national testing board will hold a test for 1st through 7th dan. JERSEY CITY, NJ: East Coast Iaido Seminar and Shinsa......Oct. 19 A Iaido exam for up to 2nd dan along with a pre-test seminar held by Hooper and Kato sensei. CHICAGO: MWKF Annual Taikai....Nov 8-9 More info to come later..... |
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FOR SALE:Toshiba Digital Camera PDR-M1(1.5 megapixels) with 2 smart media cards.......$100 e-mail Dave dtc12(nospam)@comcast.net to reach me just remove the (nospam) from the previous address. |
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New Monthly Feature |
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I've collected a lot of stories, quotes, koans, and haiku. Here is one I really like: "When people are alive, they are soft and supple. When they are dead, they become hard and rigid. When a plant is living, it is soft and tender. When it is dead it becomes withered and dry. Hence the hard and rigid belong to the company of the dead. The soft and supple belongs to the company of the living.....the softest of all things overrides the hardest of all things " (Lao Tzu) |
e-mail the editor: let me know your comments at: dtc12(nospam)@comcast.net to reach me just remove the (nospam) from previous address.
