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After one month of practice, BUKA has grown into a very large club: roughly 40 students practice weekly, with at least 20 members in bogu (armor). Coach Alex Eitoku and Captain John Yi have rigorously trained BU’s kendoka (kendo practitioners)  – both new and experienced – for the coming Cornell Kendo Tournament taking place October 11th and 12th.

For the new members, Cornell will be their first exposure to kendo outside of practice. Cornell boasts a diverse group of schools from around the East Coast, allowing them to see how other teams play. It will be a means for them to fully absorb every aspect of their teachings and begin to grasp the concepts that have been stressed thus far. It will be a great learning opportunity, but it will also be a time for spectators to begin to bond with their peers and their sempai.

For the experienced members, this is our first opportunity to test ourselves against non-BU opponents. Historically, BU has performed well and we look to continue that legacy this year. For example, last year President Lucien Thomas and A Team Member Jessica Alexandria placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Mudansha (unranked) Individuals tournament. In 2011, BU members Jumpei Uchida, SungYeob Lee and Shawn Shou placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, and BU A placed 3rd in the team tournament. In 2010, BU’s A team placed 2nd in the team tournament and Alex Eitoku placed 2nd in Individuals. Many await the day they claim their first medal, but we must remind ourselves that medals are not the main focus of the tournament.

Competition is a learning experience for all of us regardless of rank. We learn as much about our strengths as we do our weaknesses. We learn solidarity and camaraderie. We also learn the importance of practice. As all martial arts, kendo requires constant practice and refinement of your basics. If you do not practice your basics, you will not improve. Cornell marks our first attempt at taking the next step.

This past weekend, we held our first practices of the semester. Along with retraining all of our muscles to perform in matches once more, we were tasked with the annual duty of welcoming our new kohai ("younger" members). After the Club Sports Expo, we received a larger amount of interested students than we had initially anticipated. Imagine our surprise when nearly half of those same students arrived at practice this past weekend?

We counted nearly 30 new kenshi on Saturday, with many more expressing their interest and apologies for missing practice. Sunday, we also had a special guest instructor - Jimmy Eitoku-sensei from California! Together with Coach Alex Eitoku, he lent his knowledge and efforts to both the beginners and experienced members, physically and mentally challenging both groups for the coming semester.

BU Kendo regulary attends a variety of tournaments throughout the school year. The first competition - the 13th Cornell Kendo Tournament - is scheduled for Columbus Day Weekend (October 12-13), and BU has championship aspirations (as usual). The semester will be rigorous, but Coach Eitoku and Captain John Yi have plans to ensure this team does nothing short of its best come October.

For some of us, this marks our final year at BU and as members of BUKA. We have grown as men and women, we have grown from kohai to sempai (older members), and we have grown as kenshi. We have grown from observers to competitors to champions! But, most importantly, we have grown as a team, as a family, and as a community. We have watched our kohai follow a similar path, and we will continue to watch them grow as we, too, improve ourselves. This year, our bond as a group will be tested, but the chains will never be broken so long as we work together.

This past weekend (April 27-28), BUKA hosted the BU Kendo Tournament for the second time. Ten teams from a mixture of six schools competed in the Tournament during which there were three events took place - individuals, teams and kachinuki (king-of-the-hill). BUKA seemed to truly blossom this weekend, as we witnessed progression from nearly every player. The teams were as follows:

 

BU A

1. Sempo: Lucien Thomas
2. Jiho: Brandon Kesselly
3. Chuken: John Yi
4. Fukusho: Jessica Alexandria
5. Taisho: Shawn Shou

BU B

1. Sempo: Julie Zhu
2. Jiho: Ray Feng
3. Chuken: Kenneth Jeng
4. Fukusho: Emily Camarata
5. Taisho: Ruei-Jr Wu

 

BU C

1. Sempo: Michaella Chung
2. Jiho: Erica Wiener
3. Chuken: Renee Wang
4. Fukusho: Daniel Kim
5. Taisho: Yevgeniy Temchenko

 

BU D

1. Sempo: Taryn Ross
2. Jiho: Kayla Gillespie
3. Chuken: Boshan Mo
4. Fukusho: Tori Moore
5. Taisho: Genevieve Boudreau

 

Results

• In the individual tournament, BUKA Captain John Yi and Vice President Shawn Shou placed third.
• Boston University A and B placed first and third respectively in the team tournament.
• Boston University A placed third in the kachinuki (king-of-the-hill) tournament
• Cambridge Kendo Club (a mixed team of BU and Harvard alumni) placed first in the kachinuki (king-of-the-hill) tournament

Highlights

• During the individual tournament, Shawn Shou scored his first ever do tournament point!
• During kachinuki, BU coach Alex Eitoku defeated three people in a row to take his team to first place!

Congratulations to everyone, it has been a good year for BU Kendo, and we look forward to an even stronger one next year! FAITO!!!

This past weekend, the Boston University Kendo Association (BUKA) took part in Harvard's 17th Annual Shoryuhai Taikai. 18 BU students took part in the event, together with 2 BUKA affiliates - from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) and Tufts, respectively - serving as guest players. Here's a recap of the entire weekend:

Day One - Teams

BU A

1. Sempo: John Yi (SMG'14)
2. Jiho: Katsutoshi Kawakami (ENG'13)
3. Chuken: Lucien Thomas (CAS'14)
4. Fukusho: Jessica Alexandria (CAS'13)
5. Taisho: Shawn Shou (SMG'14)

BU B

1. Sempo: Julie Zhu (CAS'15)
2. Jiho: Raymond Feng (SMG'15)
3. Chuken: Kenneth Jeng (Tufts)
4. Fukusho: Erica Wiener (ENG'16)
5. Taisho: Brandon Kesselly (CAS'14)

BU C

1. Sempo: Taryn Ross (CGS'15)
2. Jiho: Michaella Chung (SED'15)
3. Chuken: Kayla Gillespie (CAS'16)
4. Fukusho: Genevieve Boudreau (CAS'16)
5. Taisho: Renee Wang (CAS'15)

Mixed Team Players

• Boshan Mo (ENG'16)
• Victoria Moore (CAS'15)
• Daniel Kim (ENG'16)
• Yevgeniy Temchenko (CAS'16)
• Rafael Kim (MCPHS)

Results

1st - University of California at San Diego (UCSD) A

2nd - University of California, Riverside (UCR) A

3rd - Boston University (BU) A & Stony Brook University (SBU) A   Highlights

• BU A took 3rd place overall!!
• BU A advanced to the Semifinals for the first time in two years!!
• BU A defeated NYU A in the Quarterfinals after being defeated by them at Rutgers
• BU B defeated Harvard A during the round robin!
• BU B tied Harvard A and NYU A in total wins during the round robin!

The Team tournament went rather well for BU.  The A team had a record of 4-0-1 and was the only one to advance to the Quarterfinals. BU A went on to defeat NYU A 3-1 in the Quarterfinals before UCSD A defeated them 2-0 in the Semifinals. BU A placed 3rd alongside SBU A.

BU B played strong despite a slow start. During the first match of their round robin group, NYU A defeated them 5-0 ( in wins-losses; 10-1 in points). For every subsequent match, however, BU B seemed to truly blossom as they went on to win every other match, including an upset against Harvard A, which brought their record to 4-1-0 and placed them in a 3-way tie with NYU and Harvard. Unfortunately, BU B was still unable to advance due to the number of total points they had scored throughout the round robin, ending their run in the tournament.

Day Two - Individuals

 

Highlights:

• Boshan Mo (ENG '16) scored his first tournament point: a Do!
• BU affiliate Rafael Kim (MCPHS) scored two Do points today!
• BU Captain John Yi (SMG'14) advanced to the Quarterfinal!

The individual tournament was not as strong for BU as the previous day. All of BU was eliminated before the Quarterfinal with the exception of BUKA Captain John Yi (SMG '14). Yi was unfortunately defeated during the Quarterfinal by Matthew Yang (Rutgers) who placed 3rd.

Last weekend, BU Kendo took a trip to New Jersey to compete at the 20th Annual Rutgers-Shidogakuin Tournament at Rutgers University. Rutgers is a higher level tournament than the Cornell Tournament with more divisions including age, rank and school. A lot of dojos compete at Rutgers, giving many of our newer members a chance to see what kendo is like outside of the the collegiate level. Various schools, dojos and sensei competed, and BU had a chance to test its mettle against the other kendoka in the region, sending two teams to the tournament:

BU A

1. Senpo: Brandon Kesselly
2. Jiho: Lucien Thomas
3. Chuken: Shawn Shou
4. Fukusho: Jessica Alexandria
5. Taisho: John Yi

BU B

1. Senpo: Genevieve Boudreau
2. Jiho: Kayla Gillespie
3. Chuken: Erica Wiener
4. Fukusho: Julie Zhu
5. Taisho: Raymond Feng

BUKA Coach and former Captain Alex Eitoku also competed last weekend in one of the Individuals tournaments.

The Good

3 of our members placed in the individuals tournament brackets - President Lucien Thomas (CAS '14) took 1st in the Mudansha tournament, Coach Alex Eitoku (CAS '12) placed 2nd in the Shodan (1st Dan or "degree") tournament and Captain John Yi (SMG '14) placed 3rd in the Samdan (3rd Dan) tournament. Various members of the club did well in the tournament before their eventual defeats: A Team members Jessica Alexandria (CAS '13), Brandon Kesselly (CAS '14) and  Shawn Shou (SMG '14) each nearly made the quarterfinals of their brackets in the Mudansha tournament, and Alexandria nearly made the quarterfinals during the women's tournament as well. B Team member Rongdian "Julie" Zhu (CAS '15) also advanced in her bracket in Women's Individuals, while her teammates Erica Wiener (ENG '16) and Genevieve Boudreau (CAS '16) each scored their first ever tournament points! B Team's taisho, Raymond Feng (SMG '15) managed to hold his own against Shidogakuin DC's taisho, breaking even in their duel.

The Bad

Unfortunately, Boston University did not place in the Team tournament this time around. And the teams who beat both our A and B teams - New York University A and Shidogakuin DC - placed 2nd and 1st respectively. However, as opposed to letting this hang over our heads, we are taking this time to re-evaluate our strengths and weaknesses as both a team and as individual kendoka. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and we only grow stronger together. Captain Yi has already outlined his strategy to prepare us for Harvard, and we will be ready.

What's Next?

Last weekend we truly had a chance to bond as a team for the first time since last semester. This tournament may not have been our best, but it most certainly has not been our worst. And Harvard is right around the corner. Who knows what the future has in store for BUKA?

After a long semester of training, the remaining beginners of the Boston University Kendo Association (BUKA) took the bogu examination for the second time. The examination, as explained in my last post, is a comprehensive review of every technique, every training drill, every command that they have learned over the semester, as well as their overall comfort with them. There are 3 basic hits in Kendo: men (head), kote (wrist), and do (body). The variations of these hits, as well as the numerous drills involved in utilizing them, are tested along with other crucial aspects of kendo including suriyashi (footwork) and, most importantly, kiai (spirit breath or fighting spirit).

Last time, only 5 out of the original 13 beginners passed: Michaella Chung, Kayla Gillespie, Taryn Ross, Renee Wang and Erica Wiener. After today's examination, however, the remaining members passed and will officially be training to fight in next semester's three tournaments: Rutgers' Shidogakuin Tournament, Harvard's Shoryuhai Taikai, and BU's 2nd Annual Tournament.

As this semester comes to a close, we would like to officially welcome all of the new BUKA members of 2012-2013: Genevieve Boudreau, Kayla Gillespie, Christina Lupoli, Kathleen McKay, Boshan Mo, Victoria Moore,Yevgeniy Temchenko and Erica Wiener. Congratulations!

 

After the difficult training for Cornell, the focus of the club returned to training this year's new recruits for them to take the rite of passage known as the Bogu Exam. For the uninitiated, the equipment used in Kendo is known as Bogu, and the Bogu Exam is a test of skills that the captain and coaches use to judge who is ready for competition. In simple terms: this is the official tryout for the club's competitive side.

The Bogu Exam consists of a comprehensive review of all that the beginners have learned over the semester. This means every technique, every training drill, every command, and overall comfort with all of these is observed. There are 3 basic hits in Kendo: men (head), kote (wrist), and do (body). The variations of these hits, as well as the numerous drills involved in utilizing them, are tested along with other crucial aspects of kendo including suriyashi (footwork) and, most importantly, kiai (spirit breath or fighting spirit).

This year, the Exam was proctored by Coaches Alex Eitoku and Eugenia Yang, as well as Captain John Yi. There were 13 members taking the exam, and after two months of preparation and anxiety, their progress was judged today within two hours of demonstration.

Out of the 13, only 5 passed this first exam. As such, I would like to officially welcome Michaella Chung, Kayla Gillespie, Taryn Ross, Renee Wang and Erica Wiener to the ranks of the bogu members. This means that the road ahead will be harder than before, but the five of you have shown perseverance and comfort with the techniques thus far. Congratulations!

To those who did not pass, please be advised: This is not the end. There will be a second exam on December 8th. Continue to practice, and I am confident that your hard work will be rewarded in due time.

As you all know, this past weekend was the 2012 Cornell Kendo Tournament. As such, I would like to announce the highlights from the tournament:

1) In the Mudansha Individuals, Lucien Thomas and Jessica Alexandria placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. Also, Harvard Captain Aidan Daly placed 3rd along with Jessica.

2) During the Round Robin, not only did BU B advance to the main tournament, but they won their bracket after defeating both RIT and Yale. They later went on to face SBU B in the Quarterfinals. Ray Feng hit a stunning kaishi do and Kenneth Jeng (guest player from Tufts' Club) hit a great kote men and kotenuki men during the Round Robin!

Cornell Individuals

Cornell Teams

 

The countdown continues! With one week left until the annual Cornell Kendo Tournament, the team has been working tirelessly with captain John Yi and coaches Alex Eitoku and Eugenia Yang. BU will be sending two teams this year, and combining members with our sister club - the Harvard Radcliffe Kendo Club (HKRC) - for a third team, for a total of 12 team players from BU. All of the team players will also compete in individuals, as well as an additional BU player for individuals only, bringing our roster to 13 in total.

The practices have become more technique focused the closer to the tournament we have gotten. Coach Eitoku and Captain Yi have been pushing for the team to become more skilled in combinations while Coach Yang has been drilling the team into developing signature techniques and general kendo theory. The more we learn, the more we have come to realize how much we actually know as opposed to learning for the first time. There have been many lessons learned these last few weeks, but none can be clearer than this: no matter what happens, we need to work harder in the tournament than we do in practice. Winning is not the true end goal, but more of a result of our own self-improvement and the improvements we have made as a team and as a family. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and we only grow together. Victory can only be achieved through the effort we put into becoming better kenshi, through the "bitter work" we put into our training.

Are the practices getting harder? Yes. Does it make some doubt their abilities? Of course. But all of that is to make sure we realize our own potential as one. Our abilities - or lack thereof - tend to be from what we have truly worked to attain. I have a message for anyone in BUKA who is competing next weekend at Cornell: clear your mind of any and all doubts (or your confidence), and focus on playing your absolute best when the time arises. We learn from both our victories and our defeats, so just play your best and think of nothing else. You have trained for this more than you think. Go BUKA! FAITO!!!

After a month-long process of registering people for the club and the paperwork of FitRec, the Boston University Kendo Association (BUKA) has been fully established for the Fall 2012 semester. A lot has gone on in such a short time: we have gained new members, we have witnessed the departure of champions, and the returning members of previous years have developed a greater acumen for swordsmanship and kendo than ever before. Jackets have been made, equipment is being finalized and more members are graduating from pure technique practice to bogu practice. All of this has been great and as we welcome the new members, we also get to instill upon them the spirit of BUKA, starting with the Cornell University Kendo Tournament.

Since the beginning of the semester, the goals have been simple:

1. Train (and re-train) every bogu member to shine at Cornell
2. Train the beginners to be ready for bogu

So far, reaching those goals has not been easy, but everyone has been working hard. Since their phenomenal victory over Harvard at the BU Tournament in April,  Coach Alex Eitoku (CAS '12) and Captain John Yi (SMG '14) have been working with both groups in order to ensure that every member of the team - new and experienced - makes as much progress as humanly possible. This means that every is improving their technique, fitness and gaining confidence in their abilities. With the departure of a large number of seniors last year, BUKA's legacy continues through us, and we intend to keep it strong!

With Cornell two weeks away, the pressure is on, and the results have yet to be seen. This weekend and the next will be critical for all BUKA kenshi who wish to repeat April's victory or even BU's 2011 Cornell record. Last October, BU dominated the Mudansha (unranked) bracket in individuals with Jumpei Uchida (SMG '12), SungYeob Lee (CELOP) and Shawn Shou (SMG '14) taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Alex Eitoku also received the Spirit Award in the Yudansha bracket, with BUKA affiliates Matthew Yang (Rutgers) and Brian Joo (Harvard) placing 1st and 2nd. Boston University Team A also took 3rd place in the team tournament. How will we do this year? Only time will tell. But BUKA will be ready for whatever the tournament throws at us. FAITO!!!