Two Brisbane Kendo Club members (Shu Hosoya and Ho Chuang) participated in the Monash University Kendo Club (MUKC) 30th Anniversary Event in Melbourne. Their experience at the venue is presented as below:
Shu Hosoya:
I was nervous about going to Melbourne for the first time, but MUKC members were very friendly and accommodating, making me feel welcome at this event. At my shiai, I felt cautious and stiff as it was my first formal shiai in Australia. Furthermore, I could not readily fathom how to interact with my opponent in an environment utterly unfamiliar to me. The speed and intensity presented by local kendo athletes was phenomenal, taking me some time to condition myself to the shiai level.
Overall, I was so impressed with the development and quality of kendo in Melbourne where there were many university and community clubs. It was so beautiful to see a lot of students and young people being interested in Kendo. I identified various learning points for my improvement after the event. I am glad that I visited Melbourne and helped me advance my kendo journey.
Ho Chuang:
Shu and I went to the Monash Taikai on 30/07/22. As soon as I walked into the venue, I received cultural shock from the scale of the event and the number of participants. At the same time, I was so impressed with the collective effort that everyone put into every aspect of the event from registration, shinai checking, shiaisha list, schedule control to resource management.
Participation in the event was my very first shiai experience Mr Shih Thin Wong from Tora dojo was my opponent. I have to admit that he looked so ready and prepared. Soon after my shiai started, he swiftly closed in and dominated the ambience while I was still trying to put myself together.
My experience told me that my kendo journey had just begun with countless goals to achieve. I am so grateful for many benefits that this event brought to the journey. I am looking forward to the next opportunity.
