Delegation to FIK Referee Seminar in Hong Kong

FIK Asian-Zone Kendo Referee Seminar was held on December 11 and 12, 2004 in Hong Kong Park Indoor Games Hall Complex. The instructors were

Mr. Nariaki Sato -Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Koji Kato -Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Masatake Sumi -Hanshi 8 Dan.

Referee trainees of 42 from Australia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong In addition, some 40 Kendo practitioners including 11 Hong Kong national team nominee hopefuls joined as match players and contributed to a success of the event. Noteworthy is four emergency life guards were kept in the courts for the two whole days.
  After the opening ceremony on the morning of the first day, the Chief Instructor, Mr. Sato gave a lecture about mission, duties, and attitudes of referees, and how to show their judgment. His remarks were translated into English, Korean, and Chinese languages. Then, a model refereeing was demonstrated by Messrs. Sueno, Tamura and Furukawa, all 8 Dan from Japan. The trainees were divided into two groups by Dan, experiences and age. The top group focused on judging a valid point by mental charge and physical posture of the competitors, and the Hasuji of the Shinai. After 4, all the participants enjoyed Keiko.
 On the second day, IKF Chairman Mr.Takeyasu who arrived at Hong Kong at the previous night made an encouraging address to the hall, saying that improvement of refereeing Kendo is an acute challenge to the world Kendo since it is spreading into the world so fast. “You are requested to practice Kendo regularly and promote friendship exchange among the participants.”

On the morning session, the same two groups continued the refereeing practice.

The points which should be noted are

1) Few attendees were likely to nail down both Hasuji and physical attitude when the competitors hit a strike, though they spotted the strike.

2) Few could anticipate the movements of the competitors, and resultantly they ran after the fighters without paying attention to the journey of the other referees.

Kendo and Iaido Delegation to South America

AJKF sent the following experts to Brazil, Argentina and Chile between July 14 and July 27, 2004 with an objective of developing Kendo and Iaido in the region.

Mr. Shuji Fukumoto, Director of AJKF and Kendo Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Isao Nishide, Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan
Mr.Tomoharu Ito, Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan and Iaido Kyoshi 8 Dan.

(1) Sao Paulo, Brazil on July 16 and 17: Iaido Seminar by Mr.Ito fascinated 28 people of 5 Dan or lower Dan holders because he gave hands-on training by posting 4 hypothetical enemies at the four points, back and forth, left and right after explaining Riai. They could learn each action of the 12 Kata from the point why such a motion shall occur. 
Kendo-Kata seminar had 72 participants. Each Kata was taught with focusing on which point should be struck, and whether it reached the opponent or not.
Refereeing Seminar by Mr.Fukumoto consisted of a lecture of the art of refereeing, and Yuko-Datotsu points easy to overlook, and of refereeing skill practices including how to raise the flags and positioning in matches.  He also led a seminar of how to instruct/ practice Kendo with 65 attendees and also delivered a lecture entitled “Effects of Contemporary Kendo”, speaking about the essence, purpose, and goals of Kendo and Kendo instructors’ attitudes.    

(2) Brazilian Kendo Yudansha-Taikai and South American Kendo Championships, Sao Paul, Brazil on July 18: From 7 countries in the region, 362 Kendoists competed for individual and team Champions. Brazil became the Champion in the inter-national category, and was followed by Chile and Aruba. The event was carried out under the sponsorship of Japanese Consulate for the first time and Consul General Mr. Ishida observed the matches.   

(3) Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 19 thru July 21: the seminars of Iaido, Kendo Basic Skills Practice with wooden sword, Kendo-Kata, and a lecture entitled “Effects of Contemporary Kendo” were conducted with some 50 attendees from seven areas.

(4) San Chago, Chile on July 22 thru July 25: According to the Federation, the Kendo population is some 200 and the half live in the capital. The participants consisted of 20 Dan holders and 40 beginners, which made the seminars of Iaido, Kendo-Kata, Basic Practice, and Refereeing focus on the basics respectively. The demonstration by the 3 experts included Iaido, Kendo-Kata and instructive Keiko with 3 assigned participants.

As the other activity, the Japanese delegation members joined the jury panel of the Dan-Kyu grading examination which is produced by Kendo federation of each country .

**This delegation was supported by the Japan Foundation.**


Delegation to 19th EKC at Budapest

19th European Kendo Championships were held on April 23 through 25, 2004 in Budapest, Hungary.  From recode-high 28 countries, 262 competitors got together in an arena within the National Stadium Complex. From Japan

Mr. Jun Takeuchi,  General Secretary of International Kendo Federation
Mr. Hideo KOBAYASHI,  Kendo Hanshi 8 Dan
Mr. Osamu ASANO  Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan
Mr. Tadashi HAGA  Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan

joined the annual event as the Shimpan-cho and Shimpan-shunin which is carried out off years of the triennial World Kendo Championships. 

.The results are, see 19th EKC Page !!!

The followings are brief comments from Mr. Haga;

1. Referee skills of 18 Shimpan who served in 3 courts were improved considerably day by day because of Shimpan meetings before and after every day match. Their hard works and toughness were amazing.

2. Players of the best 8 male teams in the quarterfinal had no difference in skills and played high-leveled intense matches by showing subtle and esoteric strikes and Debana-Waza sometimes.

AJKF delegation consisted three Kendo experts has been visited to Brunei Darussalam located in South East Asia in the end of March 2004.

They are

Mr. Tadashi KUMAMOTO, Kendo Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Katsuo ENDO, Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan
Mr. Hiroaki TANAKA, Kendo Kyoshi 7 Dan.

This event was held with support of the Japan Foundation and Japanese embassy as a part of the Japan Week which commemorated the 20th Anniversary of establishment of Brunei-Japan Diplomatic Relations.

The showcase in the nation which literally means eternally peaceful Brunei was started with their appearance on the popular TV program on the Friday morning of March 26. Friday in Brunei is equivalent to Saturday of Japan That is why so many people, more than 1,000 observed the three evening performances held in Chancellor Hall of University of Brunei Darussalam. This figure of the cumulative audience is said extremely rare in the Capital city with the population of 60,000.
Both on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to the demonstrations, the Japanese Kendoists instructed 11 Kendo practitioners from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia on the mornings and had workshops for some 40 students on theafternoons.

**This delegation was supported by the Japan Foundation.**


Delegation to FIK Referee Seminar in Taiwan

Kendo Referee Seminar in the Asian Zone was held on March13 and 14, 2004 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC).
The instructors this year were

Mr. Kunitomo Kokubu, Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Kiyomitsu Goto, Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Hitoshi Murakami, Hanshi 8 Dan.

Referee trainees of 70 from Australia, Hongkong, Korea, Japan and Taiwan with special attendee from Peking got together in a gym of National Feng Hsin Senior High School with 18 college and senior high students as bout players.
In the opening ceremony on the morning of the first day, Mr.Jun Takeuchi, Secretary-General of IKF made an opening address, saying that Shimpan was very important in Kendo and all the Shimpan are required to referee the bout with feeling of tension and responsibility. After a welcome address by Mr. Hsiang-Lo Wu, President of ROC Kendo Association, the Chief Instructor, Mr. Kokubu gave an overall of Shimpan, like objectives, attitudes, duties, essence of trio referee system, and flag handling.

The skill practice started with demonstrations by representatives of each group of Japan, Korea, HongKong, and Taiwan, which was good for all the participants to share the unified understanding of application of the Shiai rules and regulations, and for the instructors to grasp approximate Shimpan level in each organization. In the afternoon session, the attendees were divided into groups and every trainer had a chance to serve as Shushin. The major problems the instructors gave advices to were as follows,

1) Judgment of Yuko-datotsu and prohibited acts
2) Positioning of Shimpan
3) Shushin’s poor management or control of the games

Delegation to FIK Referee Seminar in Canada



Kendo Referee Seminar in the American Zone was held on March 13 and 14, 2004 in Toronto, Canada. The instructors were

Mr. Koji Kato, Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Kunio Hayashi, Hanshi 8 Dan,
Mr. Tadahiro Ajiro, Kyoshi 8 Dan.

Enthusiastic 71 participants from Canada, US, Brazil, and Argentina got together in Japanese Canadian Cultural Center. They consisted of 23 Seventh Dan, 14 Sixth Dan, 17 Fifth Dan, and 17 Fourth Dan.
The instructors explained the following points which were expected to be mastered as referees.

1. Judgment of Yuko-datotsu: (Article 12 of the Regulations of Kendo Shiai and Shimpan) It is critical to judge it by assessing all the requirements, factors, and Zanshin of Ki-Ken-Tai no Icchi.
2. Settlement of Tsuba-zeriai
3. Judgment of prohibited acts
4. Positioning of Shimpan
5. Brisk Moving
6. Correct procedures and Senkoku
7. Rotation of Shimpan Trio

First, to explain the above items, experienced Shimpan joined in 12 WKC demonstrated their skills, then all the attendees joined the bouts either as Shimpan or as a player and received advice from the instructors.


Delegation to FIK/EKF Referee Seminar in Brussels

Kendo Referee Seminar in the European Zone was held on February 7 and 8, 2004 in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium, as there in the previous years. The instructors this year were Messrs.

Hideo Kobayashi, Hanshi 8 Dan

Kazuyoshi Okada, Kyoshi 8 Dan

Akira Matsui, Kyoshi 8 Dan

This was the 13^th annual event and had so many participants as 181 from 13 countries, that the venue of A.D.P.E.S gymnasium looked so small.

In the opening ceremony, Mr. Kobayashi made a speech of “Referee’s purpose and duties”. For the following hands-on training, the attendees were divided into two groups for more effective training. Group A was conducted by Messrs. Kobayashi and Matsui, and B by Messrs. Okada and Ken’ichi Yoshimura, Kyoshi 8 Dan who lived in Paris for some 30 years. Major items of instruction were judgment of Yuko-datotsu, assessment of prohibited acts, how to hold the Shimpan-ki (flag), and how to make presentation of judgment. Group A consisted of experienced referees, and they showed great improvement by this seminar. There remained some problems as follows:

1. Some trainees sometimes lost an ideal positioning which always is supposed to make a triangle by the three Shimpans with Shushin at the apex and they were late in responding briskly. As a result, those trainees had to move with seeing the back of the players.

2. Some lack such high-level Shimpan skills as short-cut movement, preemptive movement with anticipation of players’ performance, etc.

3. Many couldn’t judge subtle and esoteric strikes (Genmyo-na-waza) which were light but definitely shooting.

For reference to the trainees, the three 8 Dan Japanese instructors demonstrated a model refereeing.

The first day program concluded with Keiko of 7 Dan holders challenging to 8 Dan Motodachi, and with instructive Keiko to attendees of 6 Dan and lower Dan holders.Next morning, all the participants enjoyed a wrap-up class of Shimpan training and instructive Keiko before adjourning the Seminar.