Kendo held its sixth annual SA Federation cup championship at Parkhurst Recreation Centre
Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art descended from kenjutsu
March marked an eventful month for the kendo community.
A kendo international seminar was held on March 4 and the sixth annual South African Kendo Federation Cup Championship was held the next day at the Parkhurst Recreation Centre.
Kendo participant Logan Naidoo said the discipline was a modern Japanese martial art with combatants using bamboo swords and wearing protective armour.
“Scoring in kendo is extremely technical and must follow the principles by which a valid point occurs when one participant strikes his opponent with accuracy and using the correct posture.”
Naidoo noted that a strike was valid when the following happened: “There must be an accurate strike or thrust to the correct area and the strike or thrust uses the correct technique of the Shinai (game or match) with the correct cutting angle. The attacking participant must use verbal shouting to call the target that they are striking, etc.”
Naidoo joined kendo in 2015, which quickly became his lifestyle.
“I encourage people to find balance in their lives by pursuing activities that they are passionate about. I am grateful that these values such as resilience, patience, discipline, and integrity are passed down to my daughters who are achieving in their chosen fields.”
The South African Kendo Federation (Safk) will be taking the junior and senior teams to represent the country at the European Kendo Championship in France, scheduled to take place in May.
The public is encouraged to email me treasurer@sakf.co.za if they are interested in sponsoring the Kendo South African teams.
