New Orleans Kendo Club

It's been a busy couple of months at the New Orleans Kendo Club! We're sad to see a couple of departures, but we're grateful for their contributions to the club. We also were able to welcome several guest sensei in the month of May.

🐸 Firstly, some good byes and good luck. One to Terry, a member of NOKC since before we were at NOAC. He has accepted a new job out of state. He was our assistant instructor and would often help with training new members. And another to Keishi, who wasn't with us for long, but shared his skills from his hometown in Tokyo. Both received their 3dan ranks during their time with NOKC! Please come visit us again soon!

🎉 Secondly, May has been an eventful time for many conventions and shows in New Orleans. As a result, we were very lucky to host so many guests. Each practice was like a seminar for us all. Thank you all so much for coming out to practice with us, even with your busy schedules! There are many people to tag, so if you see yourself, please feel free to comment!

👀 Interested in joining kendo? Our beginner classes meet on Sundays from 1:30-3:00pm in the ballroom of the -- the class is a part of the gym membership! DM us with any questions. We'd love to welcome you!

🏆 Last weekend, NOKC met up in Dallas, TX for the Nabeshima Cup Invitational Taikai, hosted by -- this event occurs every two years. It is a fantastic time for our dojo to meet and train with friends in our federation and beyond.

🏅 Congratulations to Michael M., who received one of the kantosho awards for the team matches! It was the first time teams were a part of this taikai.

🆙 The SWKIF Spring Shinsa took place on Sunday. Congrats to Robbin A. and Michael M. on earning their 1dan ranks. Entering the yudansha division is a major milestone in the kendo journey. Quest M. is now ranked 1kyu, and has shown up excellently for the mudansha division.

👀 In the New Orleans area and looking to try kendo? Come find us on Sundays at 130-3pm at the where kendo is part of the gym membership!

🐍 It's a new year! We are celebrating our 2024 award winners, all of whom received a special tenugui from Japan as a reward. Keep up the great work!

🟣 Most Consistent: Coming to practice as often as possible to keep growing.

🟢 Most Improved: Greatest development throughout the year.

🟡 Rookie of the Year: Promising newcomers making a splash in practice, tournaments, and community.

🔴 Kenshi of the Year: Providing key value points to the club, such as helping everyone grow from their own expertise and leveling everyone up as a whole.

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✨ Part of our celebrations also comes from our last and first practices of the year. Kendo is all about improvement! If you're interested in a sport that combines discipline, tradition, spirit, and community, come try a class on Sundays at 1:30pm at the historic

‼️Japan Fest is happening TODAY, Saturday 10/26, from 10am-4pm at the in City Park! NOKC will be doing a demo at 11:30am in the Great Hall. Come out and support us!

Apologies for the late post; the poster just got back from Japan and has been jet lagged. 🙇‍♀️ First photo was taken at the Tozando Nishijin 3rd Floor Showroom; second photo was taken at the Longhorn Taikai in Austin.

🤠 Last weekend, NOKC made their way to Austin, TX to attend the 19th Longhorn Invitational Team Kendo Taikai, hosted by Austin Kendo Doshikai. Twenty teams participated, and two of those teams were ours, including our friend from GKA, Allan.

🥉Congratulations to NOKC Team A for getting 3rd place in the tournament! And a well-done first showing for NOKC Team B!

🆙 The SWKIF Fall Shinsa took place the next day. Congrats to Keishi for earning 3dan; Robbin and Michael on 1kyu; and Quest for getting his first rank at 2kyu. Tournaments and tests like this help us all grow as kenshi, allowing us to meet and train with kenshi across the nation.

👀 In the New Orleans area and want to try a class? You can find us at the with beginners welcome on Sundays at 1:30pm. Please DM us if you have any questions.

Congratulations to the New Orleans Kendo Club for many achievements at the Inaugural Tulsa Rensei Taikai hosted by Michael Lindsay-sensei and his club earlier this month! It was a fantastic event that began with a seminar on shiai for beginners, led by Yamaoka-sensei of and Yamamoto-sensei of , where we learned the importance of harmony and demonstrating good kendo and manners.

Team NOKC brought back 3rd place, and 2dans Terry and Keishi helped other teams compete by filling in the gaps. Kendo is, at its core, about community and helping others grow, and this taikai was an excellent experience for all in attendance!

Three of our current members and one NOKC alum also earned their requested AUSKF ranks on Sunday, May 5th. These ranks are recognized not only nationally, but worldwide! Well done everyone, and thank you to Dupre-sensei for teaching us well. Great job to Ahmad for earning 2dan, Christopher for earning 1dan, and Michael and Robbin for earning 2kyu! Here's to more ranks in the future!

Interested in joining? The NOKC practices at the which is one of the most beautiful old buildings in the city! DM us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you.

We are proud to share a big achievement for the New Orleans Kendo Club: we now have our very own logo, which symbolizes so many aspects of our city, our club, and our kendo. The concept originated from NOKC alum Ahmad and was designed by club manager Robbin!

The New Orleans Kendo Club, meeting at on Sundays and Wednesdays, is a part of the All United States Kendo Federation and the Southwest Kendo and Iaido Federation. Beginners are welcome during our Sunday practices at 1:30pm! If you are visiting New Orleans and would like to practice, please send us a message.

We are grateful to have practiced with two visiting kenshi in February! Katsumi Matsumoto-sensei (Renshi, 6dan) of and Kay Liu-sensei (5dan) of shared their time and experience with us. Thank you both for your visit!

Kendo is a challenging sport rooted in discipline and hard work. The camaraderie that comes with training can be seen worldwide. If you would like to try kendo, please come check us out at on Sundays at 1:30pm! All you need is comfortable workout clothes and a club member will teach you the basics. Please DM us with any questions you may have.

Coming to New Orleans for a conference, convention, or a simple visit and want to train with us? Send us a DM and we will be happy to have you!

Happy Mardi Gras and a belated happy Lunar New Year to you all from the New Orleans Kendo Club! May you all have an auspicious year...and hopefully y'all had your king cakes for the season!

Thank you to Colin Haney and Zach Gonzales Sensei for coming from Dallas to practice with us! We had a blast!