Akishima Center Kendo Club Is on the Throne in 2 Years

Junior kendo players from all over the country aiming to become the best in Japan have gathered in Budokan, and the National Boys’ Kendo Club Competition is held. The elementary school student division match was held on the first day, and it was the final between Akishima Center Kendo Club, Tokyo that has won first place consecutively in 2015 and 2016, and Fukuoka Nyosui-kan that is aiming for first place in 4 years since 2014.

After they drew in the initial match, the second player Kuboki of Akishima Center Kendo Club has hit the opponent’s wrist, and Ishibashi went closer to hit back, but Kuboki has hit the wrist again and won two matches with a large point gap.   

The third match was a draw. Hashimoto of Akishima Center Kendo Club has hit the opponent's torso in the fourth match and seals the victory. However, Fukuoka Nyosui-kan tough it out, and Yano hits the opponent’s wrist, and it had become a draw. Fukuoka Nyosui-kan somehow held on to it until the fifth match, and Hayashi has hit the opponent’s torso first, so he makes the situation where they can proceed to the sixth match if he hits once more. However, Ikeda ran in, targeting the head has hit the opponent twice consecutively, and Akishima Center Kendo Club seals the victory. "They are average in the practice match, but our boys don’t easily lose in the competition. However, I didn’t expect to win first place today. I can’t believe it. Coach Shoichiro Miura of Akishima Center Kendo Club recalled the championship like that. The club has about 60 players. They had the honor of getting the third championship in four years after winning first place for the first time three years ago. Senshin Dojo, which has won first place for the first time last year, has advanced to the quarterfinal again this year after a series of fierce battles.

Semifinal was a match with Fukuoka Nyosui-kan. Hayashi of Fukuoka Nyosui-kan started freshly by winning two games, and second player Ishibashi followed him by winning two games. The third match was a draw, but the fourth player Morishima of Senshin Dojo had tough it out a few times but loses to Yano by getting hit in the head twice. Hayashi of Fukuoka Nyosui-kan wins the fifth match, and Fukuoka Nyosui-kan advances to the final with an unexpectedly large gap in the score of 4-0.

On the other semifinal, Fukuoka Isshin-kan was challenging that was about to win a place since winning second place eight years ago after Akishima Center Kendo Club. A situation developed where each team couldn’t score against each other, but Okoshi of Akishimia Center Kendo Club has won in the third game by hitting the opponent’s wrist after drawing in the first two matches. 

Each team attacked each other at the same time in the fourth and fifth match but couldn’t score, so Akishima Center Kendo Club has won after a close battle. Thus, Fukuoka Isshin-kan couldn’t advance to the final for the second time due to one match difference.