2008 SEUSKF Shinsa Results (Memphis Kendo Members)

Congrats to the Memphis kenshi who passed shinsa this past weekend: Rogers Gossett - 4.dan Jeremiah Mazurek - 1.dan Conrad Delancey - 1.kyu Chris Cole - 1.kyu Darren Williams - 1.kyu Jon Kahre - 2.kyu Rowan Troyer - 3.kyu Joshua Schoeneberger - 3.kyu Chris Corleone - 3.kyu Shinn Tanaguchi - 5.kyu

2008 SEUSKF Tournament Results

There was a lot of great effort made by a host of volunteers (new students, moms and dads, etc.), and were it not for those folks, the tournament simply could not have happened. Thanks to everyone who sacrificed their weekend to help out!!

Final tournament results are as follows:

Youth A:
1. Riku Imamura, 6.kyu (Little Rock)
2. Sayaka Givens, 5.kyu (Little Rock)
3. Kai Imamura, 5.kyu (Little Rock)
3. Chris Corleone, 4.kyu (Memphis)

Youth B
1. Yuki Kasuya, 2.dan (Memphis)
2. Masumi Kamimura, 2.dan (Memphis)
3. Hayato Desouza, 1.dan (GKA)
3. Conrad Delancey, 2.kyu (Memphis)

Mudansha
1. Kevin Kim, 1.kyu (GKA)
2. Jamie Tillman, 1.kyu (Nashville)
3. Jiff Kim, 1.kyu (GKA)
3. Paul Kutz, 3.kyu (Charlotte)

1dan/2dan
1. Shingo Watanabe, 2.dan (Nashville)
2. Craig Philbeck, 2.dan (Charlotte)
3. Pavel Litterbach, 2.dan (GKA)
3. Yuki Kasuya, 2.dan (Memphis)

Women
1. Masumi Kamimura, 2.dan (Memphis)
2. Ryoko Barr, 5.dan (GKA)
3. Sonoko Mori, 3.dan (Gulf Coast)
3. Reiko Desouza, 4.dan (GKA)

3.dan+
1. Tomoya Tanaka, 4.dan (GKA)
2. Katsuyuki Tamura, 4.dan (GKA)
3. Masahiro Ishizaka, 3.dan (Little Rock)
3. Yukihisa Tokunaga, 3.dan (Triangle)

Senior
1. Susumu Yazaki, 7.dan (Nashville)
2. Sakae Imai, 4.dan (Nashville)
3. Michio Kajitani, 6.dan (Little Rock)
3. Kunitoshi Arai, 6.dan (GKA)

Team
1. GKA (A) - Akira Hara (3.dan), Pavel Litterbach (2.dan), Ryoko Barr (5.dan), Tomoya Tanaka (4.dan), Katsuyuki Tamura (4.dan)
2. Memphis (A) - Yuki Kasuya (2.dan), Don Crittenden (2.dan), Rogers Gossett (3.dan), Kazuto Yasuda (4.dan), Patrick Register (4.dan)
3. GKA (B) - Yuki Desouza (3.dan), Daniel Kim (3.dan), Stephen Kang (3.dan), Hyon-ki Yi (3.dan), Kentaro Hara (4.dan)
3. Nashville (A) - Dale Kirby (1.dan), Jamie Tillman (1.kyu), Susumu Watanabe (2.dan), Sakae Imai (4.dan), Susumu Yazaki (7.dan)

Takaaki Nakahama Memorial Kanto Sho Award - Patrick Register, 4.dan (Memphis)
Chris Aday Memorial Kanto Sho Award - Pavel Litterbach, 2.dan (GKA)

Kendo Medical Alert - Achilles Tendon

Pay attention to this and make yourself aware ----
Even though injuries in kendo are, by and large, not terribly common and not terribly major, Achilles Tendon injuries are not unheard of and they can be, to varying degrees, serious business. Snapping the Achilles Tendon isn't life threatening and, as I understand it, they tend to heal just fine with surgery and don't have real long-term detrimental effects to your ability to walk, run, etc., but those kinds of injuries can certainly affect your kendo future, so pay attention to this email I received a little while back, but have put off posting here...

++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Fellow Kendoka and students of Budo:

This message is an urgent medical alert for all Budo students and specifically for Kendo and Naginata students.

Distribution list:
Budokai Kendo List
Budokai Business List
Arai Sensei
Maeda Sensei
Hyun Sensei
Strawn Sensei
Seto Sensei
ALL SEUSKF DOJO CONTACTS
Dr. David Hall / courtesy
Dr. Bill Dvorine / courtesy
Dr. T. Inoshita, GNEUSKF / courtesy
Summerlin Walker / courtesy
Mr. Alex Bennet, Kendo World Magazine / courtesy

On Tuesday, July 8 (yesterday), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a "Black Box" warning regarding the antibiotic drug Cipro. Specifically, the warning alerts all users of this drug, and the related antibiotic drugs Avelox, Floxin, Proquin, Levaquin, and Norfloxacin, that the use of these prescription antibiotic drugs has been linked to a significant weakening of muscular tendons, particularly the Achilles Tendon and the Rotator Cuff, and may contribute to tendon rupture or tendonitis.

See this link: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011544965

The story is also being given wide circulation on Reuters, the Associated Press, and CNN, and was a lead story this morning on CNN at 7:52 am EST.

The mechanism by which these drugs weaken muscular tendons is unclear, but it is believed that they raise the toxicity level in muscular tendons, thereby weakening the tendons and rendering them much more susceptible to rupture. What is certain, however, is that there is now a undeniable linkage between these drugs and an increased probability of tendon rupture, particularly the Achilles Tendon. As all Kendoka know (or should know), rupturing the Achilles Tendon is the most common and debilitating injury in Kendo, so this news is of particular interest to us. If you are practicing any martial art and particularly Kendo or Naginata, and you are taking any of these prescription drugs, you are in danger of rupturing your Achilles Tendon or tearing your Rotator Cuff. The obvious stress placed on the Achilles tendon in the practice of Kendo makes Kendoka particularly susceptible to this threat. If you are a Kendo student and currently taking any of these drugs, please consult your physician to see if there is a prescription alternative to these drugs, or consider modifying your practice schedule. Perhaps it is time to brush up on your Kata?

As Budokai Chairman for 2008, I request that all Budokai instructors share this information with their respective practice groups. As a member of the SEUSKF and a Kendoka, I urge my fellow Dojo leaders in SEUSKF, as well as the Dojo and Federation leaders copied in this message as a courtesy, to consider passing this message on to your clubs and students. I am also of the opinion that the AUSKF should probably alert member Federations as well.

I hope this message proves to be timely and useful to the Kendo community, and I pray that it serves to prevent any Kendoka on these medications from suffering an injury that would prevent them from enjoying this art that we all love so much. May we all train in good health!

Yours in Kendo,
Reverend Chion Ernest Lissabet
Chairman of the Board 2008
Capitol Area Budokai, Washington DC USA
Wednesday July 9, 2008

Club Zekken/Nafuda for Memphis Kendo

As the SEUSKF tournament approaches, some of you folks in bogu have been involved with kendo long enough for you to need a "nafuda" (or "zekken" or "thing-with-your-name-on-it-that-fits-on-the-tare").

It is highly recommended, encouraged, etc. (in fact, AUSKF laws REQUIRE it), that you purchase such an item prior to the SEUSKF tournament and since it normally takes around 4 weeks for them to get it back to you, this is something you need to think about (and order) fairly soon.

In order to maintain consistency (letter style, size, etc.) with those who already have them, we ask that you please place your order with E-BOGU at the following link:
http://www.e-bogu.com//SearchResults.asp?Search=zekken

If you order on your own, $35 is a fairly standard price to pay, regardless of what company you go with, so... please... go with E-bogu. If you go with anybody else, that's fine, but be advised that your zekken may NOT look exactly like everyone else's.

If at least 5 of you can get your collective minds and money together, there is a discount (see the link) if you order at the same time. Shipping is also free for any order more than $100 (I think that's still true.. see the website for details).

Ordering instructions:
1. access the above website linked.
2. click on "add to cart" and go through the process of filling out your information AND paying for the item
3. then PRINT OUT this form: http://www.e-bogu.com/Customer-Downloads/ZekkenOrderForm040220.pdf
4. on the form, write MEMPHIS across the top line; write your last name in Romanji (that's "English") on the bottom line; write your last name in Katakana (or Kanji, if applicable) vertically down the center. It doesn't have to be perfect handwriting in any case, just so long as it's legible.
If you are not absolutely 100% certain of how to spell your name in katakana, please consult Yasuda-sensei.
5. after filling out the form in full (be sure to have your order # handy to write on the form as well), FAX the form to E-bogu. ***Obviously, you'll need several of these forms if you order as a group ****

MK's Don Crittenden passes Iaido Shinsa

Congratulations to Don Crittenden who successfully challenged his 3.dan shinsa for Iaido in Pennsylvania recently!

No More Menjo in Japanese

Effective June 1, 2008, the AUSKF will no longer issue menjos in the Japanese language.

2nd Largest Club in the SEUSKF

Memphis Kendo Club, with 34 registered members, tied Koryu Dojo (Virginia) as the SECOND LARGEST kendo dojo in the Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation. 299 kenshi joined the SEUSKF this year and the breakdown is as follows: 1. Georgia Kendo Alliance - 62 members 2. Memphis Kendo - 34 members 2. Koryo Dojo (VA) - 34 members 4. Charlotte Kendo - 21 members 5. Northern Virginia Kendo - 19 6. Triangle Kendo Club - 15 7. Knoxville Kendo - 14 8. South Florida Kendo - 13 9. Baltimore-Annapolis Kendo - 12 9. Georgia Language School Kendo Club - 12 11. Summerlin Academy Kendo (FL) - 11 12. Nashville Kendo Club - 10 12. Peachtree City Kendo (GA) - 10 14. Shudokan USA (VA) - 9 15. East Georgia Kendo - 7 16. Annapolis Kendo - 6 16. North Raleigh Kendo - 6 18. Meguro Kendo Kai (FL) - 4 Clubs not having submitted dues: Charleston Kendo Club Gulf Coast Kendo Il Kum Kwan Renshinkan Shinseikai Memphis Kendo Club's registered AUSKF/SEUSKF membership jumped from 22 people in 2007 to 34 in 2008. The SEUSKF covers kendo in 7 states: TN, GA, VA, NC, SC, FL, and MD Great job, everyone! Thanks for joining!