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Kendo Camp 2004 Hawaii Kendo
Federation Kendo Camp At Camp Erdman,
Mokuleia August 28-August
29 With not a minute to rest, Camp Coordinator and kendoist Bert Shibuya made sure everyone was busy with an activity in between games, lectures and of course kendo practice. Camp Erdman
located in Mokuleia was the setting for our “camp.” Upon arrival to camp, we participated in “meet”
games and got to know everyone fast.
We continued on with an afternoon hike (led by Bert Shibuya)
through the countryside in back of the campsite.
We checked in our rooms and had to get ready for
“KP” duty and dinner. We
had a kendo practice in the Rotary Hall led by brothers Andy and Wesley
Fujimoto and later met to roast marshmallows at the campfire on the
beach. What activities should we expect for all day
Sunday? Early Sunday
morning, wake up was 5:45 am, hardly enough time to get ready with bougu.
We met for “zazen” or morning meditation led by Seth Harris.
For our early morning kendo practice, we were divided into teams
and our objective was to “pop” the balloons tied to the men with our
shinais. We had breakfast and met soon after for a lecture
on the history of kendo by Wesley Fujimoto. We also had some strenuous
but most enjoyable games to participate in.
We had a game called “Daikon (turnip)” in which we had to cut
a dangling daikon (turnip) with
a bokken. Sensei Tusha Buntin thought the young kendoists
should experience feeling of “cutting with a bokken.” The young men
holding the daikon on the rope controlled the movement of the daikon. One had to be quite experienced with a bokken
to cut a moving or flying daikon through the air. Everyone participated and enjoyed the “daikon”
experience. The next event was
to cut a watermelon using a bokken while blindfolded. Everyone shared in the cleanup by eating the
cut melons. Our final
kendo practice before lunch was another of fun.
We had the usual kendo practice but we had to participate in
games that showed our dexterity and coordination in kendo.
We had a guest,
Fumio Ikeda Sensei from Japan
attend camp with us. He participated
in all of the activities and enjoyed himself. Many, many
thanks to Bert Shibuya, Sensei Tusha Buntin, Andy and Wesley Fujimoto,
Seth Harris and Akiko Furutani who
were responsible for the various activities. The camp was
so much fun and all the participants were talking about the “next” kendo
camp. |
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