Category: News

Hello Fellow Kenshi! We are excited to announce the 2025 Detroit Kendo Dojo Kendo Seminar and our 27th Annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament!

SEMINAR : SATURDAY FEB.15, 2025
TOURNAMENT : SUNDAY FEB.16, 2025
LOCATION : Wylie E. Groves High School 20500 W. 13 Mile Rd, Beverly Hills, MI 48025

2025 Detroit Kendo Dojo Kendo Seminar

We are honored to receive two distinguished sensei in 2025!

Hidenori Iwasa-sensei, Kendo Kyoshi 8 Dan

Mizuki Matsumoto-sensei, Kendo Renshi 6 Dan

Please note – seminar instruction will be divided into two sessions:

• Iwasa-sensei will instruct men 18 and over in the main gym
• Matsumoto-sensei will instruct women & juniors 17 and under in the auxillary gym

Registration Deadline : Sunday, January 19, 2025
Seminar check-in : 11:00 am – 11:45 am Saturday February 15, 2025
Seminar : 11:50 am – 17:00 pm
Seminar Fee:
Pre-Registration : USD 40 (18 and over)
Pre-Registration : USD 30 (17 and under)
On-site Registration : USD 55 (18 and over)
On-site Registration : USD 45 (17 and under)

The 27th Annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament

Tournament : Sunday, February 16, 2025
Registration Deadline : Sunday, January 19, 2025
Tournament Start Time: Opening Ceremony starting at 7:30 am SHARP!!

Tournament Registration Fees

• 18 and over : USD 70
• 17 and under : USD 40

Bento Lunch : USD 16

• We will provide a free lunch box to those senseis who do not participate in the tournament as athletes but instead register only as Shinpan.

Tournament Division / Category:

For individual matches, each participant must choose only one category.

How to Register

All participants must be registered by 12:00(EST) Noon Sunday, January 19, 2025

Waiver

ALL PARTICIPANTS must consent to a waiver.

Each participant MUST complete the online waiver at the following link -> Kendo Seminar and Tournament Waiver Form

Kendo Seminar/Detroit Open Kendo Tournament

Each Dojo must appoint a Dojo representative.

Dojo representatives is required to fill out the Kendo Seminar/Tournament Registration Form attached to this e-mail and upload using this link -> Kendo Dojo/Club Registration Form

Please submit only one Registration Form per Dojo/Club

After uploading the Registration Form, please promptly complete the payment.

Participation fees can be paid by Check/Money Order or Zelle. Payment addresses are provided after registration via the Kendo Dojo/Club Registration Form

Payment Deadline

Pay by Check/Money Order : Send via mail to Monday, January 27, 2025 (received by date)

Pay by Zelle : 12:00(EST) Noon Sunday, January 19, 2025

If the application form and participation fee are not submitted by the application deadline, the application will be invalid.

Applications for categories other than those specified in the competition will be invalid.

Team Match

The Detroit Open Kendo Tournament Team Match is intended solely for competition between dojos. Participants in team match must form a team with a dojo that is registered with the Federation to which you belong. If there are not enough participants from a dojo to form a team, the Tournament organizers may form “mixed” teams at their own discretion.

Mejirushi

Participants must bring their own Mejirushi to the tournament. It won’t be provided by the tournament organizer. You may purchases from on-site vendors , but availability is limited.

Hotel Information

The Radisson Hotel Detroit Southfield has been selected as our official tournament hotel.

• Room type – Standard King Room $109 per night, up to two complimentary breakfasts included. –
• Standard Double Room $119 per night, up to four complimentary breakfasts included.

Breakfast will be served at 6:00 am on Saturday, Feb 15, and at 6:00 am on Sunday, Feb 16. Please make your reservations via this link or by calling the hotel directly at 248-358-7600. You may need identify yourself as members of the group rate of Detroit open Kendo Tournament when you make a reservation on the phone.

https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/HT17Y4

If you have any questions, please contact detkendotournament@gmail.com for more information.

Kendo Seminar Instructors

Hidenori Iwasa-sensei

Education Tokai University

Occupation Metropolitan Police Department

Title/Dan Kyoshi 8 Dan

Major Kendo Achievements

• 24th (2024) Prince Hirohito Cup Kendo 8th Dan Selection Tournament, 1st Place
• 22nd (2022) Prince Hirohito Cup Kendo 8th Dan Selection Tournament, 1st Place
• 21st (2021) Prince Hirohito Cup Kendo 8th Dan Selection Tournament, 3rd Place
• 18th (2018) Prince Hirohito Cup Kendo 8th Dan Selection Tournament, 3rd Place
• 17th (2017) Prince Hirohito Cup Kendo 8th Dan Selection Tournament, 1st Place
• 12th (2003) World Kendo Championship, Men’s Individual Competition, 2nd Place
• ・47th (2003) National Police Kendo Tournament, Men’s Team, 1st Place
• 50th (2002) All Japan Kendo Championship, 2nd Place
• 46th (2002) National Police Kendo Tournament, Men’s Team, 1st Place
• 49th (2001) All Japan Kendo Championship, 1st Place
• 46th (1998) All Japan Kendo Championship, 3rd Place
• 40th (1996) National Police Kendo Tournament, Men’s Team, 1st Place

Mizuki Matsumoto-sensei

Education Hosei University

Occupation Kanagawa Prefectural Police

Title/Dan Renshi 6 Dan

Major Kendo Achievements

• 63rd (2024) All Japan Women’s Kendo Championship, 3rd Place
• 58th (2019) All Japan Women’s Kendo Championship, 1st Place
• 35th (2018) National Police Tournament, Women’s Individual, 1st Place
• 17th (2018) World Kendo Championship, Women’s Individual, 1st Place
• 17th (2018) World Kendo Championship, Women’s Team, 1st Place (Taisho)
• 54th (2015) All Japan Women’s Kendo Championship, 1st Place
• 16th (2015) World Kendo Championship, Women’s Individual, 1st Place
• 16th (2015) World Kendo Championship, Women’s Team, 1st Place (Taisho)
• 48th (2014) All Japan Women’s Student Championship, 1st Place
• 57th (2010) National High School Kendo Tournament, Women’s Individual, 1st Place
• ・57th (2010) National High School Kendo Tournament Women’s Team Championship, 1st Place (Taisho)
• ・43rd (2010) Gyokuryu-ki High School Kendo Tournament Women’s Team Championship, 1st Place (Taisho)

This is a rare opportunity to learn from such distinguished Sensei and should not be missed!!

The Detroit Kendo Dojo will be hosting our 27th annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament at Wylie E. Groves High School in Beverly Hills Michigan on Sunday February 16th, 2025.

We are looking for volunteers and would love to hear from everyone who can help! We offer volunteer credits for students with community outreach quotas. The credits apply for the day of the tournament as well as any training sessions attended.

The application form is located at this link (click here!)

More information is also available in the flyers below.

Please keep an eye on this site for more information about the tournament, including our special guest instructors and how to register!

Tagawa-sensei was featured in the front page of the Japan News’ October edition! Click the pic to access the paper and read the article.

Thank you to the audience, all of the volunteers and the participants at the 2024 JBSD Japan Festival for their support this year. We had a great time!

The video of the demonstration is below from our YouTube channel. Please check it out and make sure to subscribe!

On May 14, 2024, Mr. Yoshiteru Tagawa, the President and Founder of Detroit Kendo Dojo, received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette Commendation at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor at the Spring and Autumn Room of the Imperial Palace (Tokyo, Japan). This award recognized his long-term contributions to cross-cultural understanding through the practice of Kendo in the United States.

Mr. Tagawa was sent to the United States as a Kendo instructor by the All Japan Kendo Dojo Federation in 1976. Since then, he has contributed to cross-cultural understanding by training himself and teaching the Japanese martial art of Kendo to people in the United States. In 2005, he received the highest rank in Kendo, 8th Dan, and in 2016, he received the title of Kendo Hanshi. This was the first Kendo Hanshi title held outside of Japan. Mr. Tagawa is currently the Chief Executive Advisor for the All United States Kendo Federation and the Vice President of the International Kendo Federation. Prior to this conferment of decoration, Mr. Tagawa received the Consul General of Japan Award in Detroit in 2013 and the 2016 Japanese Foreign Affair Minister’s Award for his contributions. We, the members of the Detroit Kendo Dojo, are proud of Mr. Tagawa’s honor and hope for his continued guidance in the future!

The Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese government honor which was established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji.