NW Kendo is led by Shinichi Koike, a 7th-dan kendo instructor from Japan and former US Kendo Team coach. The essence of our kendo philosophy is diligent training in the use of the shinai (training sword) and bokken (wooden practice sword) as a path to physical and mental growth. We use the challenges of practice in our club, at other clubs, and in tournaments and kendo examinations to help us grow and improve our skills, as well as support our personal and professional aspirations.
We are a diverse mixture of languages and professions of all ages of men and women. We value training hard and having fun and we provide a safe and encouraging practice environment for all of our students.
To start, new students need only to have comfortable exercise clothing and a shinai and bokken. As students progress, the additional kendo equipment (called bogu in Japanese) may be purchased via online retailers such as: Maruyama, Osakura, e-Bogu, or Aoi. More information about the worldwide kendo community can be found here: Kendo-World Magazine / Pacific NW Kendo Federation / All US Kendo Federation / All Japan Kendo Federation / International Kendo Federation.