Mark Uchida first saw Chūshingura when he was a child and was immediately hooked on Japanese swordsmanship. Unfortunately, he never really found a place to train until 1973. From there, he dived deeply into both kendo and iaido, which he started learning a year after kendo. He would later become the first head of the … Continue reading Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part II
Mark Uchida first saw Chūshingura when he was a child and was immediately hooked on Japanese swordsmanship. Unfortunately, he never really found a place to train until 1973. From there, he dived deeply into both kendo and iaido, which he started learning a year after kendo. He would later become the first head of the … Continue reading Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part I
David Cooper started later in life, but he was committed. From the beginning, Cooper enrolled in both kendo and iaido, training them side-by-side. He enjoyed both arts that Dallas-Fort Worth Kendo and Iaido Kyokai offered, where he is currently the historian. Today, Cooper walked us through the history of kendo and iaido in the Dallas/Fort … Continue reading Interview with DFWKIK Historian David Cooper: Reminiscing About the Past and Kendo
David Yotsuuye began kendo training while he was a Boy Scout under the tutelage of Rod Omoto, Mas Tanabe, and Yosh Tanabe. Picking the art back up while attending the University of Washington, he has not stopped training since. Today, he currently teaches with Jeff Marsten at Bellevue Kendo Dojo. All images provided by David … Continue reading Interview with Kendo Renshi David Yotsuuye: Influential Kenshi in the Pacific Northwest
Bryan Imanishi of Cascade Kendo Kai feels like he was born into kendo, starting his training at the age of eight. With most of his family participating in the art, to him, it felt like the right thing to do. Today, Imanishi discusses his kendo journey, from childhood to adulthood, some history of the Cascade … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Kenshi Bryan Imanishi: Kendo Training and Cascade Kendo Kai
Kenneth Strawn found kendo while he was in college, training under the American pioneer Benjamin Hazard. Between 1984 and 1986, he helped grow the Obukan Kendo Club. He returned to his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, quickly establishing his Charlotte Kendo Club and helped form the Southeastern United States Kendo Federation in 1988. Today, we … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Kenshi Kenneth Strawn: Starting From Scratch
Beginning his kendo training in the late 1970s, Tom Bolling saw the kendo community of the Pacific Northwest grow. He currently teaches at a number of kendo clubs in the Washington area. Bolling took some time from his busy teaching schedule to talk to us about the growth of kendo in the Pacific Northwest, notable … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Kenshi Tom Bolling: Kendo in the Pacific Northwest, Part II
Beginning his kendo training in the late 1970s, Tom Bolling saw the kendo community of the Pacific Northwest grow. He currently teaches at a number of kendo clubs in the Washington area. Bolling took some time from his busy teaching schedule to talk to us about the growth of kendo in the Pacific Northwest, notable … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Kenshi Tom Bolling: Kendo in the Pacific Northwest, Part I
With over forty years of kendo experience, Jeff Marsten began his kendo journey in 1971. From then, he founded five clubs and schools in the Pacific Northwest and served as the President of the All United States Kendo Federation from 1994 to 2000, helping to grow the organization’s membership. Today, Marsten took some time to … Continue reading Interview with Kendo Kyoshi Jeff Marsten: Kendo in the Pacific Northwest
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 