Bellevue, Highline, and Sno-King Kendo

her measures of the successful program are the number of "home grown" high ranking members of the club. Highline has produced more black belt kenshi than most of the clubs in the United States. The facility located in south Seattle looks and feels like the practice halls in Japan. Several of the Highline members and sensei have had extensive training in Japan with not only the Osaka special police, but also the Tokyo special police. These are both very prestigious and famous kendo dojo that have produced many of the All Japan Kendo Champions. Because the club has a high population of black belt members, a new student essentially receives a private instructor all to themselves. Students are taught a set curriculum that is adjusted to the student's physical and mental ability and the student moves from unit to unit based on their progress in mastering the material. The Bellevue Kendo Club was founded in 1989 by Jeff Marsten. The club offers instruction through the Bellevue Parks & Community Services department. Bellevue Kendo Club has the largest junior population (15 years and under) of all the clubs of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation. It offers a special junior kendo camp during the summer for its members and others through Bellevue Parks & Community Services. The instructors at Bellevue Kendo Club are recognized for their skill and ability and have distinguished personal kendo careers. They have nurtured and helped hundreds of kendo students during their long teaching tenure. Both the Beginning and Intermediate classes are taught to a set curriculum consisting of weekly units. The class progresses through each unit based on the ability of the majority to master the class material of each unit. If the majority of the class has not mastered the unit it is repeated until satisfactory progress is made. The Bellevue beginning and intermediate classes are based on a 10 week course but sometimes the sessions are greater than 10 weeks. There is a summer break taken between mid-August and mid-September. The Sno-King Kendo Club was founded in 2003 by Jeff Marsten. The club offers instruction through the Seattle Parks and Recreation department. At the time there were no kendo clubs serving the north end of Seattle and south end of Snohomish County. The club serves not only the north Seattle area but Shoreline, Edmonds, and Lynnwood and points in between. The classes are located at Broadview-Thompson Elementary School East Gym / Bitterlake Community Center Annex, 13052 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle. The annex is at the far east end of the parking lot adjacent to the playground area. Classes are taught to a set 10 week curriculum with each week consisting of a new unit covering the lesson for that week. There are 3 instructors that team teach the beginning class. During the students second quarter they will work with the main class developing their skills and progressing into armor when appropriate skill has been obtained. There is a summer break taken between mid- August and mid-September.