Photo courtesy of A. Melton A couple of weekends ago we packed up and headed over to compete in the 19th Annual Kent Taikai. This one is always one of my favorites, as I feel the atmosphere is very local and laid back. I've told people before, for me, it feels like getting together with old friends, making new friends, hanging out and occasionally beating up on each other as we go through the matches together. This year was no different and did not disappoint on the friends, the competition or the camaraderie. We pulled up the morning of the tournament, helped set up a bit, changed and warmed up and got ready for a day of kendo. There were ten of us total that were competing, across almost every division that they had this year (excluding the division for younger kids). I not only was able to compete, but this year I also acted as shinpan, and was able to help in judging a lot of the matches for the kids and the kyu divisions before competing myself. I have to say, shinp
One man's Kendo journey