Kenbukan Kendo

This week at Kenbukan, we took some time to better understand Yūkō Datotsu (valid strike) through our “What is Ippon?” seminar, followed by a goal-setting session to help everyone work towards something meaningful for the rest of the year.
We explored the physical, mental and “spiritual” components of Ippon through a short lecture, games, and group discussions.
Everyone starts Kendo for a different reason. It might be health, confidence, discipline, mental wellbeing, relationships, competition, or simply wanting to challenge yourself.
Kendo teaches us to focus under pressure, build discipline, make decisions with confidence, deal with setbacks, and keep working towards something even when progress feels slow.
Ultimately, we hope that what we learn through Kendo doesn’t stay in the dojo, but becomes something we can carry into everyday life.

For the rest of the year, we’ll keep working towards our goals together, one training session and one Ippon at a time.

This is your chance to start. Kendo. Way of the Sword. A martial art like no other!

Our next beginners course kicks off Monday 20th July. No experience needed. Just a willingness to give it a go!

You'll learn the basics from the ground up in a friendly, supportive group. Great way to build focus, fitness and confidence.

Mondays and Thursdays 7pm to 8:30pm
Hurstville Public School

Spots are limited, so get in touch to reserve yours!

DM or Link in bio!

We're incredibly proud of Grazia, Sam and Iris for representing Australia at the 1st Asia Oceanic Kendo championships this year in Japan.

Sam earning 2nd place in the 3rd-dan and under women's competition.
Grazia, Sam and Iris - part of the women's team earning 3rd place.

What makes us proud isn't just the medals.
It's watching them navigate the ups and downs of the journey with courage and perseverance.
The many training camps, training when tired, working through injuries, managing life outside of kendo, and finding the strength to keep going when things didn't always go to plan.
It's seeing them continue to show up, trust the process, support one another, and grow through every challenge that came their way.

After returning home, we held a small seminar where they shared some of their favourite techniques and lessons from the competitors they faced. It was a fantastic opportunity for our members to learn directly from their experiences on the international stage and to see kendo through the eyes of athletes competing at the highest level.

Thank you for representing Australian kendo with such passion, humility and spirit. We're proud of what you've achieved, but even more proud of the people you've become through the process.

Congratulations, and we can't wait to see what comes next.

We've officially moved into our new home at Hurstville Public School!

Thank you Hurstville Public School for welcoming us and for giving us the opportunity to continue our kendo journey in such a fantastic space.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported Kenbukan Kendo's growth. What started as a small group has grown into a wonderful community, and this move gives us the space to continue learning, challenging ourselves, and building friendships through kendo.
We're looking forward to creating many new memories together in our new dojo.

Sydney University Kendo Club

After two and a half years, Kenbukan Kendo is saying goodbye to Mortdale Community Centre and moving on to a new home at Hurstville Public School.

It's a bittersweet one. Mortdale community centre is where Kenbukan started, where a lot of us picked up a shinai for the first time, pushed through tough but rewarding sessions, and slowly turned into the group we are now.
For our last training there, we had fun with an interactive warm up, challenged ourselves with two rounds of kirikaeshi party, and then shared food afterward to sit down together, walk down memory lane, and reflect on and celebrate the journey we've had so far.

Thank you everyone for being yourselves and bringing so much laughter and good energy into our lives (especially as we trauma bond via kirikaeshi party😏).

A special thank you to Takayama Sensei for the mentorship and support in building this club, and to our instructors for turning up week after week with so much patience, always giving your time to help the rest of us improve.
Thanks also to the Georges River Council and the Mortdale community for having us all these years and giving us a place to call home.
We're sad to leave, but we're excited for what's next. So, hello, Hurstville public school! Looking forward to our next chapter and all the memories still to come!


Sydney University Kendo Club Georges River Council

2026 May State Grading

Incredibly proud of everyone. Not just because everyone passed, but because of what it took to get there. The commitment to consistent training, the small improvements each session that slowly added up.

Arriving early, warming up together, and looking out for one another showed something more than just preparation.

Shows the willingness to be your best, by sharing your best.

Becoming leaders not just in your own life, encouraging others to do the same.

Feeling so blessed to be able to walk with you on this journey.

Congratulations!

Looking forward to learnings ahead!

Congratulation our 2026 intermediate group receiving their bogu!

Feels like just yesterday you were all starting out, and now you’re stepping into the next stage. Proud of the effort you’ve been putting in week in week out.

Excited to train and grow together!

Over the Easter weekend (4–5 April), our USYD Kendo members represented Team NSW at the Australian Kendo Championships!

Awesome results:
🥇 Alan Kishikawa – Men’s Dan Individual
🏅 Jordan Saito-Patch – Fighting Spirit (Top 8)
🥈 Men’s Kyu Team – Waeylin Pan, Bruce Bi
🥇 Women’s Team 2 – Shannon Tong, Grazia Nguyen, Kelly Kishikawa
🥉 Women’s Team 1 – Samantha Zhong, Iris Somera
🏅 Samantha Zhong – Women’s Individual (Top 4)

So proud of you all!

Good luck to everyone competing at the 1st AOKC and upcoming WKC 🔥