So another competition is almost approaching, This will be the second consecutive East Coast Seminar and Taikai I’ve been to. This time I will be moving up a division to face more challenging opposition.

We are all busying ourselves to sharpen our swords and polish our technique. All this to showcase our country’s ability to create talented Iaidoka. It is an honour to be selected as one of these individuals and I will do my best show what Canadian Iai is all about.

I have been studying in Oshawa and Peterborough with Wilson-Sensei since the early 2010’s. At Kenshokan dojo we practice interactively with each other to achieve perfect and fluid motion.

In addition to Iaido we also teach Jodo and Karate, both of which I also practice. My goal is to eventually be proficient in all three, and experiences such as this delegation will bring me closer to accomplishing my goal.

What I am going to do different this year is showcase my improvement from one year ago and impress myself on what I have gained. I am also going to network with more of our U.S. neighbours, and introduce myself to those I did not manage to last time.

Most importantly I am going to write more notes so I can recall what I have learned and share them with the rest of my dojo. Last seminar I learned about Tenouchi, when to relax and tighten grip, I am eager to find out what I will learn this time.

Overall last year was a blast I quite enjoyed the thrill of becoming a traveling swordsman, journeying far and wide to find the secret of this art. I believe that participating in a taikai is necessary to grow as a martial artist, to have a goal to work towards other than grading is very refreshing.