Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament

ions for the future of collegiate kendo. The term "collegiate kendo" itself has only become meaningful in the last several years. Prior to this, collegiate clubs were isolated by geography and by lack of recognition, often struggling to find instruction, equipment and practice space. However, the collegiate kendo community in North America has begun the slow process of consolidating into a recognizable entity. The two-fold membership increase in collegiate kendo clubs across North America since 1997 is a hopeful sign that collegiate kendo is about to blossom. It is with this in mind that the Shoryuhai tournament was conceived. Once a year, the Shoryuhai seeks to bring together a growing number of these clubs in order to develop intercollegiate relationships, to build a stronger collegiate kendo community. To realize this vision, the Harvard-Radcliffe Kendo Club welcomes kendo organizations from all over North America to the Shoryuhai. Through this competition, collegiate kendo's trend as a rising dragon - a "shoryu" - may be maintained for future kenshi. FROM MODEST BEGINNINGS... ::

In April 1997, several Northeast-region college students came together at Harvard for an informal good-will kendo tournament. The tournament was sparsely attended - totaling not more than 15 competitors. The following year, attendance increased three-fold, including teams from Harvard, Yale, Cornell, McGill University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Waterloo in Canada. The sudden growth in attendance indicated that there was a void being filled by the Harvard-Radcliffe Kendo Club's tournament...

...TO A PROMISING FUTURE ::

The Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament was thus founded in 1997 with the intention of bringing together the collegiate kendo community in North America. Since its inception 20 years ago, the Shoryuhai has grown into a tournament with international renown, respect and participation. Every April, teams from all over North America and Europe arrive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete for the coveted title of Shoryuhai Champion. FORGING A STRONGER COLLEGIATE KENDO COMMUNITY ::

The fundamental purpose of the Shoryuhai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament is to promote kendo at the collegiate level. To this end, the Shoryuhai team competition is open only to undergraduates from accredited colleges and universities in North America and Europe. While many members of the overall kendo community begin practicing kendo at an early age, most members of North American or European collegiate kendo clubs begin studying kendo only after being exposed to it in college. Because of this relatively even level of experience, collegiate kendo teams are perfectly matched for each other, more so than in many other sports where players potentially have years of prior experience. The Shoryuhai is currently the largest and most well-known intercollegiate kendo tournament in the United States.