By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer
Editor’s note: The writer of this piece is a member of the SFU kendo club.
Scraping ice from the windshield of our cars was not how I thought the tournament morning would start. I complained, but at least it wasn’t raining. Actually, the morning breeze was a nice experience as our team made our drive from North Saanich to the University of Victoria. This wasn’t anyone’s first tournament and hopes were up. It was actually my second, so my anxiety was on the rise.
On January 18, players from the SFU kendo club visited UVic to compete in the 2025 Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament. This year, four universities from the Pacific Northwest attended the tournament: UVic, SFU, UBC, and the University of Washington.
The tournament was divided into five divisions: non-bogu (non-armoured), men’s 0 Kyu–1 Dan (beginner to intermediate), women’s 0 Kyu–1 Dan, 2 Dan and above (advanced), and teams. In the non-bogu division, intermediate practitioners were tested on their ability to perform basic strikes and forms against armed and armoured motodachi, a fellow player who receives those strikes.
For both men’s and women’s divisions, the 0 Kyu–1 Dan was composed of intermediate practitioners that have been trained in full equipment (body armour, wrist gauntlets, helmet, and waist protector) for sparring matches. 2 Dan and above dealt with more experienced players that have practiced kendo for at least three years and had undergone formal examination and grading more than three times. Teams were constructed with five players of mixed ranks, and the points from each individual match were tallied to decide the winning team. The three universities present were able to field one to two teams each, with one mixed team of remaining UBC and SFU students.
Apart from non-bogu, which has its own rules on which strikes to perform and what constituted proper points, the rules of the tournament stipulated three-minute matches with extra time in the event of a tie for all other divisions except teams. To score a point, players had to hit one of the four accepted target areas on an opponent: men (helmet), kote (gauntlets), do (body armour), or tsuki (throat guard). The first player to score two points won. The intercollegiate tournament allowed for double elimination, so any players who were eliminated from the first round of matches could compete for a consolation prize. Four prizes were awarded for individual matches: first, second, and two third prizes. There were only two prizes for team matches: first and second.
“The camaraderie between players obtained through sparring is what makes these tournaments a rewarding experience, even when two ferry trips are involved.”
Shortly after we arrived at the UVic gym and got the opening ceremony and warm-ups sorted out, we jumped right into action. I was one of the first to compete, and I don’t know whether it was the espresso I drank or the breakfast muffin I ate, but I was very nervous. I was so nervous that I unintentionally went out of court twice, got two penalties, and lost the match. People always say there are five stages of grief. I say there are five stages of tournament nervousness: hot-blooded anxiety, recalling your own hopes, realization of mistakes, a quick-self reflection while your opponent runs at you for another strike, and an acceptance of results. I went through all of this during my (very long) three-minute match.
Remember the double elimination from earlier? Because of that, I was on the court again, paired against yet another UBC player. Amid the yells of inspiration from my teammates, this one was a clean two-point loss and did not last as long as the previous match.
True to the spirit of kendo, the aim of these matches were not to win, but to learn from and appreciate the experience. A lot of “thank you” bows and handshakes were exchanged between myself and the players I went against — the camaraderie between players obtained through sparring is what makes these tournaments a rewarding experience, even when two ferry trips are involved.
As one of the two SFU players left without a team, I was assigned to a mixed team with three other UBC players. What’s more ironic than this match-up was that the first team match was against the SFU team. It was strange and funny, having to spar against the same people you have been practicing with for the past year. My teammates did their best but we succumbed to a defeat.
SFU got to the finals. In a funny twist of fate, the team ended up facing off against UBC (we somehow brought a mainland college rivalry to the island). The tension, the energy, and the cheering were all immense. The fifteen minutes of matches were intense, with both teams inspiring their players. It was here that I knew what university spirit felt like. I am not sure how my teammates felt, but even as a spectator, I was at the edge of my seat. Every hit, every miss, and every movement from the referees was a breathtaking moment.
Overall, SFU did extremely well. In the individual 0 Kyu–1 Dan division, Kohei Awano (Burnaby North) came in second place and Victor Suwantaweechoat (SFU) was awarded the consolation champion. Riley Nakano (SFU) attained the consolation champion for the 2 Dan and above division. The SFU team emerged victorious against the mixed and the University of Washington teams, placing second in the finals against UBC.
It was both a learning and rewarding experience for all of us. Lessons were learned, friends were made, and new aspirations were kindled. It is with the memories from this tournament that the SFU kendo team will go on to the 61st Annual Steveston Kendo Tournament in February.
