January 2020
Third Atarashi Naginata Seminar in Moscow
We hosted the third atarashi naginata seminar at our dojo, led by Daria Litunenko, President of the Russian Naginata Association. Although only six participants gathered, the quality of instruction and keiko was exceptional. Daria corrected our techniques and introduced new ones, while the second day saw spirited keiko sessions that made the most of our small space. Anna then travelled to St Petersburg for a return visit, continuing the exchange of knowledge. We remain committed to the path of the naginata.
February 2020
Takenouchi Shohei and Remi visited us
Our kendo routine was enlivened by a series of visits from our French friend Remi (kendo yondan), who trained with us over several days. We were also joined by our dear friends and mentors: Shohei Takenouchi (ZNKR kendo rokudan) and Ivan Bannikov (nitō-ryū kendo shodan). Shohei is a wonderfully talented kendo-baka who always brings something new, while Ivan is a highly skilled nitō-ryū practitioner and a remarkably talented person all round. The keiko was, as promised, intense and rewarding.
St. Petersburg Seminar with FKA Instructors
Our team travelled to St Petersburg for the annual seminar led by Finnish Kendo Association instructors — Markus Frey (kyoshi nanadan), Mikko Salonen (kyoshi nanadan) and Kari Ruuhilahti (renshi rokudan). The seminar delivered its usual high standard, with valuable suburi exercises and insightful keiko with the sensei and our St Petersburg friends. After training, we enjoyed the city's night-time beauty and the warmth of our second dojo. We are grateful to the St Petersburg Kendo Federation for their hospitality and will certainly return.
Moscow Regional Championships
At the Moscow Regional Championships — a qualifying event for the Russian Kendo Championship — our sempai Andrew secured a well-deserved bronze in the men's individual competition. This achievement reflects the collective effort of the entire club, as each member contributes to Andrew's growth. We also congratulate our friend Ashkhen Charchykian on her gold in the women's division. We now look ahead to the national championships, determined to improve on our 2019 results.
March 2020
Dojo Relocation
We moved to a new, larger venue with excellent kendo flooring at Akademika Pilyugina 14A, School No. 117. The first session at the new location took place on 6 March. We hope to see a full house at our new home so on.
Tameshigiri Seminar with Sugio Hitoshi sensei
Our friend Ivan Bannikov alongside with our dojo KAMINARIKAN brought an extraordinary guest to Moscow for International Women's Day: Sugio Hitoshi sensei — a two-time Japanese tameshigiri champion and a master of the sword. Sugio sensei is also iaido 7-dan kyoshi and a practitioner of koryu kenjutsu. His demonstration of shizan tameshigiri was breathtaking, and his teaching opened a door to a deeper understanding of the fundamentals. We have shared several of his instructional videos on our Telegram channel for members to study at home. We are deeply grateful for this unforgettable experience.
Stay tuned for more news from KAMINARIKAN — and if you're in Moscow, come and say hello!
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