Nanseikan Kendo Club 南西館剣道クラブ

 We welcomed back Nanseikan training last Saturday for the start of Term 3.  We had most of the members hoping to get their 6th Kyu hard at work practicing their reiho and suburi while the administration side is hard at work sorting out all the fine details for our first club grading.  Let's hope that it all goes smoothly.  ファイト! This term is a 10 week term, but we will be heading to Monash 30th Anniversary Taikai on the 30th July so there will be no training at Heidelberg West that day. Our twice-a-year beginners course will be starting on the 6th August at 9am.  I just sent out the information pack to everyone signed up and we're looking forward to welcoming you all.  If you haven't signed up yet and want to join in, please fill in the form here:  https://forms.gle/3Gty3cVRyYAE6R3g7   There is more information about the beginners course on our About page. Lastly, congratulations to Nick for winning the Fighting Spirit award at the Otsuka Memorial Taikai at the Kenshikan l

This July-August will be a busy time. The main things are the first club-based grading on Saturday 23rd July at 10am for 6th kyu to 4th kyu which Nanseikan will be hosting and also the grading the following day at Kenshikan for 3kyu to 1st kyu. The other big event is the Victorian Kendo Championships which is an entire weekend on the 13 & 14 August.  A reminder:  if you want to keep up with last minute changes and info, download the free smartphone app Signal and we can invite you to our two groups: Nanseikan Announcements and Nanseikan Casual. See below for what's coming up in detail:

  It is with great sadness that I pass on the news of the passing of Larry Mahaffy. Larry was not a Nanseikan member but he was a regular visitor to our dojo. He started Kendo late in life but had a rare passion and commitment for the art. He understood implicitly what it represented and how it fitted into his life. For a time he practiced with his son Finn at MBK-Kenshikan Dojo. Throughout his battle with cancer he continued to practice undaunted. During Covid lockdowns he regularly and enthusiastically attended our online Zoom trainings.  My last text message exchange with him was at the end of May and we were making plans for club members to go to his house and train with him, at whatever level he felt able to. He said the doctors had exhausted all treatment options. His last text was,  "I'd love to think I could manage a bit of suburi (walking around the block has been a struggle of late!) Stay warm!"  Two weeks later I texted to invite him to attend dinner at our Kan

This weekend just past saw the successful staging of our first ever, two-day gasshuku. Held right after the winter solstice, it was an appropriately chilly Kangeiko! The program was ambitious but we succeeded in covering everything on the schedule. Judging by the smiles and feedback, everyone got something out of the weekend. It was especially good to host kenshi from other dojos, whether they were dojo leaders or beginners. Nanseikan members did a wonderful job as hosts, being available not just to help but to take on various roles in the running of the weekend. Special shout-outs and thanks to Soon, Nick and Chie. Thanks also to William, Quinn and Chee for coming in on Friday to help set up. And thanks to everyone who helped with the most difficult part of the entire weekend - the clean-up afterwards! There were some important absences and apologies. Some of our own members were away because of illness or family commitments. Matsumoto sensei sent her apologies for not being able to a