IGA KENDO CLUB
about igaken
OUR HISTORY
Our Founder
“Do not focus on winning. Just do beautiful kendo.” - Koji Igarashi, 6th Dan
IGA Kendo Club is a kendo club based in Metro Manila, Philippines, founded under the guidance of Koji Igarashi. His teaching emphasized the importance of kihon (fundamentals), proper form, and strong spirit. For Igarashi-sensei, the goal of practice was not simply winning matches but developing sincere and beautiful kendo. He often reminded students that a good offense leads to good defense—that moving forward with conviction is better than retreating or merely blocking attacks.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Igarashi-sensei began practicing kendo at the age of 13 under Ikuo Suzuki (8th Dan) at Chushinkan Dojo. Encouraged by his sempai, Kiyoshi Takahashi, he continued to pursue kendo with the dream of one day building a dojo and sharing the way of the sword beyond Japan.
After marrying and starting a family, he moved to Saitama Prefecture. Work opportunities eventually brought him to the Philippines, where he discovered a small kendo community and began practicing with them. When he later had the chance to stay longer in the country, he decided to start teaching kendo to children in Makati City. With the help of his wife, Junko Igarashi, they established Herald Kendo Club, also known as Hera-Ken.
Later, Igarashi-sensei met Filipino kendoka Kristopher Inting (Kutch). Together, they helped build a kendo community among students of the University of the Philippines Diliman and other enthusiasts in Metro Manila. From this effort, IGA Kendo Club was established in 2010.
Koji Igarashi passed away in 2025, but the spirit of his teachings continues to guide the dojo and the community he helped build.
The Club Today
Today, IGA Kendo Club continues to train and grow while carrying forward the principles taught by our founder.
The club is led by Head Sensei Kristopher Inting, together with Senseis Loida Inting, Fides Descada, and Joshua Espiritu. Sensei Keitai Shingaki remains closely affiliated with the club, sharing his guidance and instruction with members. Through their leadership, students continue to train in the fundamentals of kendo while cultivating discipline, respect, and strong spirit.
Our members come from many different walks of life, united by a shared passion for kendo. The club welcomes practitioners of all ages—from young children to adults—creating a community where beginners and experienced kendoka train together, learn from one another, and grow through the practice of the sword.
While the club continues to evolve, its foundation remains the same: sincere practice, strong fundamentals, and the pursuit of beautiful kendo—just as Igarashi-sensei taught.
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."
