2010 1st Iwasaki Mini Tournament

2nd place
In the 1st 'annual' Iwasaki cup there were to levels for the tournament.  Rankless to 1st kyu and 1st dan to 3rd dan.   Somehow through all of it I ended  up in second place for the tournament (Rankless to 1st kyu tournament).  All Kendoka were set up to have 6 matches.  The rank didn't have anything to do with who you were matched with.  Of all the matches there are some that are more memorable then others but being among the most memorable was the first one.  Ashley was his last name, a professor of biochem ( I believe) at University of Illinois.  He was a 1st Kyu and a very strong willed kendoist.  He had one strike that was meant for my men but it hit my left thumb instead.  The strike was so swift that it immediately swelled the tissue under my thumb nail and tore tissue making it bleed.

Now during the match he had one point and I had none.  Knowing this I did all i could think of and used my pain to an advantage.  I squeezed my shinai with my left hand as hard as I could to inflict as much pain on my self through my thumb.  Now just think about some tortureist putting needles under your finger nails.  Now I stuck, I tried not to think about everything that I knew or learned and kept going.  I didn't stop, I struck.  Remembering what Hiro sensei said, 'just strike'.  And so I did.  2 points later for me, I won my first tournament match.

Another match that I remember clearly.  There was on kendoka with an injured leg.  He had been away from kendo for a while and came back to participate in the tournament.  He had re injured himself and in our match it seemed as though he wanted to be pushed out of the tournament area so I could win by penalties.  I refuse to win a match like that, I will not push opponents out of the area to win.  I think that is highly disrespectful and show ones inability to practice good kendo

The next match I remember was with a 1st kyu who tried to hold a strong kamiya (sp?) as I was striking men.
He didn't strike much, all he did was try to keep me away from him.  I did the only thing that came to my mind.  I struck him.  Multiple times I went for it.  No fear to impale myself, I did what Hiro said... STRIKE!  Two things I learned at that time.  Why Sensei become so mad when I began doing what my opponent was currently doing and that if you want to throw your opponent off, just act as though they don't have a sword at your throat at all, they won't know what hit them... literally. 

The last and most memorable match was the final match.  At this point I had been hit incorrectly in the do about 7 major times.  My thumb wouldn't stop bleeding, my head was ringing, both of my forarms were welted and bruised and at that point I would swear that I had a stress fracture in my food from fuhikomi (sp?).
To my surprise my opponent was the same as my first match.  Again, I didn't throw in the towel or make it easy in any way but I was very tired and soar and no matter what I did the judges wouldn't give me a point.  At the same turn they were very reluctant to give him a point either.  I knew my arms were heavy and my fuhikomi was weak.  Finally he took the opportunity that I had mistakenly left open and landed a beautiful men strike to end the match, it was a good day for both of us.  I felt as though I had done everything respectfully and properly and that my actions would properly reflect on my dojo and senseis. 


As I'm headed back now, keep in mind I drove my bike, I stopped in some town outside of the border of illinois.  I hooked up with a Mcdonalds and sat down to eat.
bike ride there
Bike ride back/ Fred

missed dinner

Shinpai lessons/ judging