IGA KENDO CLUB
about igaken
OUR HISTORY
"Do not focus on winning. Just do beautiful kendo." - Koji Igarashi Sensei, 6th dan
We are a Kendo club based in Metro Manila (Philippines) under the tutelage of Koji Igarashi Sensei. His style of teaching kendo focuses heavily on Kihon (basics). He emphasizes on the importance of proper form and strong spirit rather than merely winning matches. To him, a good offense leads to good defense -- moving forward and attacking is better than evading and blocking attacks.
Koji Igarashi is a 6th Dan kendoka born in Tokyo, Japan. He has been a kendo practitioner since he was 13 years old under the tutelage of Suzuku Ikuo-sensei (8th Dan) at Chushinkan Dojo. He was inspired to continue kendo by his sempai (Takahashi Kiyoshi). He always dreamed of creating his own dojo and teaching the way of the sword outside his homeland.
When Igarashi-sensei got married and had kids, he and his family moved to Saitama Prefecture. A job opportunity came where he was sent to the Philippines for business trips. He heard that there was a kendo club in the country and started practicing there. However, when he had the chance to live in the Philippines (Makati City), he decided to start a small kendo club for kids. With the help of his wife, Igarashi Junko, Herald Kendo Club or Hera-Ken was established.
The opportunity to expand the club and extend the audience to older people came when Igarashi-sensei was acquainted with a Filipino kendoka (Kristopher Inting a.k.a. Kutch). Together, they built a club for students of the University of the Philippines, Diliman and other kendo enthusiasts in the Metro. As a result, IGA KENDO CLUB was born (2010).
We are composed of people from different walks of life that are drawn together towards a passion in kendo. We have members from 3 to 60+ yrs old (can't disclose the real age). Anyone can join in the fun!
OUR LOGO
Igaken's insignia is rendered as a Japanese traditional symbol to identify an individual or a family, known as a monsho (紋章) or kamon (家紋), also called a mon. Kamon is written as 家 [Ka] means family and 紋 [Mon] means symbol/mark, or to make it simple, a family crest.
The design for Igaken's Kamon is a SUN. It references both the suns of the Philippine flag and the Japanese flag. It also represents the members' rise toward being a better person/kendoka. The intertwining lines portray the 8 rays of the sun in the PH flag, but instead of the 8 provinces, these rays represent the 7 virtues of bushido plus our club's motto.
7 virtues of Bushido:
1. 義 Gi [Integrity/Justice]
2. 礼 Rei [Respect]
3. 勇 Yu/Yuuki [Courage]
4. 名誉 Meiyo [Honor]
5. 仁 Jin [Compassion]
6. 誠 Makoto [Honesty/Sincerity]
7. 忠義 Chu/Chuugi [Duty/Loyalty]
The 8th ray is for Igaken's motto: Enjoy Kendo!
The intertwining lines (rays) illustrate how Bushido's 7 virtues and the club's motto ("Enjoy Kendo") are connected and cannot exist without the other.
The circle depicts the wholeness of every element inside the Kamon. It shows the notion of totality with no beginning nor end: thus infinite.
The color Blue denotes bravery and dedication. It represents introspective journeys and symbolizes wisdom as well as depth of understanding. Blue is also associated with peaceful rest, profound insight, and spiritual realization.
Logo/ Kamon Design and Conceptualization by:
- Rikki-kun [Art Director/ IGA Kendo Club Senior Member]
Portfolio
It has been 11 years since I first set foot in a Kendo dojo in Quezon City. IGA Kendo Club, then headed by Igarashi Koji-sensei, was under the administration of his dojo manager, Kristopher “Kutch” Inting. He’s tall, with a low voice telling you how you did that day in Keiko. He’s serious in the dojo but dishes out dad puns outside of it. Most were terrible, but I guess that’s the funny part of it. And that’s just one side of Kutch, who has marked his place in Philippine Kendo history, becoming the first homegrown Filipino to achieve the rank of 5-Dan (Godan). “I’m really the ‘two takes to pass’ guy,” he shared, reflecting on his achievement. “It took me two tries to pass Sandan, Yondan, and now Godan. And more often than not, it’s the second attempt that feels like a long shot.” He’s being modest. The Godan rank is a monumental milestone in kendo, reflecting not just skill but years of disciplined practice and a deep understanding of the martial art. For Inting, the journey to this point has been anything but straightforward.[Read more...]
Born in a secret government facility. One of the youngest Filipina international supermodels. Jetted across the globe modeling for prestigious brands at 16. Outside the glitz and glamour, the statuesque Cebuana pursued varied interests such as taking culinary arts, overseeing their restaurant business, tending to an herb garden and doing martial arts training. And that’s just the opening for our 2-dan yudansha Verns Chiongbian. Where does Kendo come in? Well, this mother, wife and athlete is also a romance author, penning the award-winning novel “Hanami” which won second place at the 2015 Beacon Awards, sponsored by the First Coast Romance Writers under the Romance Writers of America. The main character in her series, Sakura Shintani, is a female Japanese kendoka. Verns’ foray into Kendo is actually to research the martial arts to make the scenes more authentic – and then she fell in love with the sport. [Read more...]
Shinmei Sugawara, 3-dan, said Kendo looked challenging and she likes challenges. Thus she took up the sport in 2008 in Kawaguchi City Junior High and continued training in IGA Kendo Club in 2013 when they moved to the Philippines. This always-smiling Kendoka is a licensed Medical Technologist but continued to challenge herself by pursuing further studies. She’s an incoming 4th year Medicine student at the Our Lady of Fatima University. [Read more...]
This week, let’s go down the memory lane of Rikki Daniel Reyes, Rikki-kun for many, the man behind most of the promotional materials of IGA Kendo Club Philippines. Whether it’s a poster, a video or a full-blown DIY publicity campaign of the club, just throw concepts and copies in his way, and he’ll render it visually. Just this June, Rikki, 2-dan, marked 11 years since he began training his childhood dream sport – Kendo. When he was a kid, his interest in the sport was cultivated by frequently watching TV shows that showcased Japanese culture. As he grew up, he continued to become an enthusiast of both swords and the Japanese pop culture. [Read more...]
Testimonial
I joined IGAKen with the intention of staying for no more than two years. After nine years, I am still a member of the club. Kendo has helped me in several ways. It promotes focus and discipline. It motivates you to improve yourself. Additionally, it fosters a sense of community, both locally and internationally.
It was in my late 40s when I first met Igarashi-Sensei, and started kendo not long after. A couple of years later I was in Hong Kong at the Asian Open Kendo Championships earning my 1st Dan and competing, something I thought I'd never get to do at my age, and with a team who were mostly half my age or younger! I am now 2nd dan and it has been almost ten years since I first started, and although my progress is comparatively slow I treasure the camaraderie, life lessons, discipline and increased physical and inner strength that kendo has afforded me.
"Joining IGA Kendo Club was one of the best experiences I have had. Not only did I learn from wonderful and accommodating Senseis, but I also made life-long friendships. Kendo also trained me to have a stronger body and mind."
