【Sequel No.1】Aim to Be the First in Both Kendo and Life

Since the summer of 2016, Maika, who’s a senior and the captain of the team, has been a regular participant of all tournaments. Maika is from a well-known Imajuku’s Boy Kendo Club in Fukuoka and has made exceptional team and individual records in nation-wide middle school tournament when she was in Genyo Middle School. Then, when she entered high school, she became a regular participant since her first year and won the individual title in the Inter-High Tournament as a sophomore student last year.

She has exceptional strength. I have been teaching for a long time, but she’s a rare, high-level practitioner, who’s even been given a call from the training camp of the national team. Furthermore, I believe she’s found a good timing, because she has great practitioners around her now and I am putting a lot of effort to them.’, said head coach Iwaki.

Other members in this team were comparatively less experienced. Last year at Inter-High, all the 4 members except Senoo were 3rd year students. However, this year, all three members other than Morooka who is a senior are sophomore students and they have no team tournament experience. Furthermore, the only experience Morooka has is participating in both the Gyokuryuki and Akita as a back-up member.

“Compared to the teams that have won so far, our current team is the weakest. We have an ace called Senoo, but we have no idea whether anyone of the first four will ever score a win. In a nation-wide tournament, it seems like there is something more than strength that is important. That is why I didn’t compliment them much even after they won, but told them that there will not be another chance if nothing more is done.”

In fact, in the Kyushu Invitational High School Kendo Tournament held on February 10th to 11th, prior to the nation-wide drafting tournament, the team lost to Miyaki High School, Saga, in the quarterfinals, so couldn’t pursue further than becoming the best 8. The first one and the second one of the team scored a draw and the third one and the fourth one lost. So Senoo didn’t even get the chance to take the turn and it ended.

“It was sort of like a lesson prior to the nation-wide tournament and a good time for a self-reflection. I told them this, because it was already one of my points of concerns, but they probably wouldn’t have thought this would happen to them. I rather believe it was good that it happened, because I think it gave them a good lesson. Last year, our team won four tournaments, which clearly indicates that everyone has great individual strength. If anyone would ask me if we could win any this year, I would say it wouldn’t be a surprise to win none. The team will not endure until the leader would have her turn.”

The attitude of rebuilding from scratch every year is the same as that of head coach Komeda of Kyushu Gakuin Lutheran High School. For the head coach Iwaki, the consecutive losses of the team could have been something that would eventually follow. However, even if the team was weak, the only option was winning the championship. There would surely be a reason why they were able to actualize it even while having to participate in different matches daily.

The school was established in 1960. Recently middle school students joined the team, so they currently have six members practicing together.

Kendo Club of Nakamura Gakuen Girls” Senior High School was founded in 1973, and Hiroki Kuma laid the foundations of it and led the club for the Inter-High and national invitational tournaments . 

In 1997, head coach Iwaki was appointed for the team and won the first championship in 2005 and won six more since then.

In the national invitational tournament, the first championship was won in 2008 and, including the most recent one, has won a total of 5 championships. The team has also won the title at the Inter-High in 2016 and claimed countless glorious moments by winning it the next year as well.

That year, they have extended their activity range by participating in 4 huge tournaments, including the Gyokuryuki and Akita Tournaments, but nevertheless won the championships in all of them.

It has become a prospering team that is writing a new history in women”s high school kendo.

Although the club activity is actively managed, there are other sports besides kendo, like tennis and basketball the school has earned the championships at Inter-High from. Hence, the team can”t say that they are satisfied with the environment they are put in.

Despite the court being a lot wider than other normal tournament courts, the team has to share the court with the naginata club. The naginata club uses the entire court on Mondays and Wednesdays, and kendo club takes the turn on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, the two clubs take half courts each.

On Mondays when the team can”t use the court, they do other trainings and on Wednesdays they usually take a day off or hold a meeting.

 “We don't always take our day off on Wednesdays, but members could do anything they want to do. Some just go home and for those that need more training, we train them then. For those who want to practice, they will do so anywhere they want.”

As for the training part, the team is getting advised by a trainer from outside the school since 10 years ago. Despite coming from a different sports background (soccer), the trainer visits and observes the activities of the team attentively to advise the members of moves they need to make and guide them through based on the individual”s weaknesses.

Currently, the team is comprised of five seniors including the manager, six 2nd year, and five 1st year in high school. Other than two students, including Senoo, the rest of them stay at dorms in school. The dorms are shared with students of other sports clubs, but everyone in the kendo club shares the same floor.

 “Every once in a while, I visit the dorms without a notice. I do so to check if they have cleaned up the place well and ask the dorm manager how they are doing.”

Inside the court, there are positive words written, not only on the chalk board, but also on papers here and there, alongside some which seem like the members” individual aims.

Practices on normal days start from 4:30 PM and it last for about 3 hours, ending at about 7:40 PM. It is kept comparatively short, because they have the spring and summer to add more hours to.

 “We have countless matches planned out ahead of us from now, so it is important to keep things efficient. We have to keep minimum injuries. During winter, we have to keep ourselves trained, so that when the climate gets warmer in spring time, we can move without being restrained.”

It was impressive how head coach Iwaki was kind and respectful to the students when teaching them what the aims were of the practices they were doing, the points to be cautious, and how to use their body correctly. He said that the content of the practices could change annually.

 “The overall and basic things could be the same every year, but, for example, different techniques must be implemented depending on the size of the students that year. We try to use the right practice method suitable to the students that year and so is the same for the tactics. As for this year, the students are comparatively smaller, so we are focusing on using footwork and increasing the workout intensity. We are also putting importance on weight training.”

Before the practices begin, the leader, Senoo, reads the letter that is posted on the wall, which starts with, “We will, at Inter-High, which begins on Aug. 9, 2018,…”. It”s a list of goals the members have written and they would shout after Senoo as she reads them. Other than that letter, there are many more posted and written on the chalk board, containing individual goals and points to be extra cautious about. Head coach Iwaki is putting a great deal of importance and time on guiding the mentality of the students. The letters posted everywhere in the court seem to be the outcome of that. It was also impressive to see all the students shouting on top of their lungs every time they were told to do so.

It”s certain that it is still a developing team in terms of skills and body. The reason behind their victory might lie on the guidance of the ‘heart’.