This is the first major event of the United Kendo Federation of the Philippines (UKFP) outside of Metro Manila since the start of the pandemic, with the last seminar in Mindanao held just a month before the lockdowns in 2020.

“There are more participants this year compared to the last regional seminar we held here in February 2020. And many of the participants now are just new to Kendo, having only started training this year. This leaves me excited for the future development of kendo in Mindanao, and in Davao in particular. We hope to stage more events in Southern Philippines next year to keep the momentum going,” said UKFP President Kristopher Inting.

Attendees took advantage of the extensive whole-day program on Kendo etiquette, forms, and basic movements. Local coaches also benefited from the knowledge transfer with the session providing advanced instructions on how to run a shinsa (examination) and how to grade participants.

“This is the first official federation event attended by the Cotabato Kendo Club (CoKen) so we consider it a very special and historic day for us. The seminar was an unstoppable barrage of instructions, drills, and practical exercises but done very professionally,” said CoKen’s dojo manager Abdulrahman Talusan.

As with the previous seminars, the Federation remains firm in its safety protocols to ensure the safety of its attendees. The UKFP also implemented its Green Policy where sustainable practices are followed.

Organized by the UKFP, this series of seminars aims to help Kendokas prepare for the kyu and dan examinations on the upcoming Philippine Dan Shinsa which will be held in the Philippines for the first time in November.

The last leg of the UKFP’s Regional Shinsa Seminars will be held in the Visayas on September 25 at the Riverside Courts in Dumaguete City.

*Photo images by Lester Edillon