Tetsuya Ozawa, Director of the Teikyo University Kendo Club

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. 6th Dan in Kendo. During his high school days, he represented the prefecture and won the National Athletic Meet. During his time at Teikyo University, he was captain. After that, he joined the corporate Kendo Club (Fuji Xerox) before being invited to coach Kendo Club at our university. He is currently a staff member at our university. He became the head coach in 2013.

Many people know that there are ranks in kendo, but few know how to obtain them. Kendo is thought to have started at the same time as Japanese swords, in the Heian period. Over the next few hundred years, it changed through countless wars, and in the peaceful Edo period, it began to emphasize the way of life and other aspects of the mind as a sword that saves lives. As a result, kendo does not only evaluate "strength". It is essential to have excellent skills, but it is also essential to have mastered the kata (form) in demonstrations, and it is even more important that you are mindful of the finer details, such as your manners and etiquette. Only after passing all of these examinations can you obtain a rank.

The promotion exams are held eight times a year, and up to the fifth dan, they are completed through local examinations. For sixth dan and above, the exams become national and are held at one designated location. The location changes every year. I obtained sixth dan at the exam held in Nagoya six years ago. The tension is incredible. You don't know where you're being watched, so you can't let your guard down for even a moment. You are judged on your behavior during and before and after the exam, and in the venue. You must have worked hard for the same number of years as the rank to be eligible to participate in the kendo promotion exam. For example, you can only be eligible to take the third dan exam two years after obtaining second dan. I was sixth dan, so it was five years after obtaining fifth dan. The regulations for sixth dan state that "one who has mastered the essence of kendo and has excellent skills." In order to meet the qualitative items such as essence and mastery, you must devote your energy to everything, including etiquette, awareness, study, and physical training, even in your daily life. In order to challenge for the next rank of 7-dan, I need to continue to work hard for the next 6 years after I reach 6-dan. My seniors have told me that if I fail to get promoted, I will be shocked and will have to repeatedly question myself about the years I have spent, and now I understand this from personal experience.

Kendo is blessed with the power to form a community. For example, many people start kendo because their family, friends, or other close friends started going to the dojo. At the dojo, there are parents who are their teachers, and comrades who have shared the good times and the bad for a long time. The children who participate are also surrounded by adults and grow up in a strict but warm environment. The Teikyo University Kendo Club encourages the club to contribute to local dojos, and the members also visit the dojo when they return to their hometowns during summer vacation. Practicing at a familiar local dojo is a natural feeling for those who enjoy kendo. At the dojo, university students are respectable adults and may even instruct children. They are expected to behave in a way that sets an example. It is also an opportunity to reexamine their attitude as kendo practitioners, and they also develop an awareness of inheriting the dojo community.

The emphasis on etiquette in kendo is meant to provide a sense of security that the advanced skills are handled by disciplined people, and also to build a stable community environment. Younger people have an advantage in terms of strength and physique, but it takes time to continue to pursue a path deeply for a long time and reach a unique state of mind, and there is a way of thinking that can only be reached by people who continue to pursue it over the years. In fact, the number of years required to obtain a kendo rank is an indication of this. There is a deep meaning behind the fact that ranks are evaluated based on etiquette, not technique.

Currently, due to the trend of a declining birthrate and an aging population, the number of kendo practitioners is steadily decreasing. We are also concerned about this situation, and it is often brought up as an issue at federations and other organizations. Of course, there is also the idea of turning kendo into a sport to increase the number of participants. However, due to the nature of kendo, as symbolized by the promotion examination, doubts remain as to whether it can quickly become a sport that everyone can enjoy. I have heard that the word "sport" originally comes from the Latin word for "diversion." This is clearly different from the background of the birth of kendo, which started out as a deadly sword.

However, we cannot sit back and do nothing. We at Teikyo University Kendo Club are taking on some experimental initiatives. First, we are accepting new members who have little experience in kendo. Kendo Club which is the university's designated training club, is a place where members who are close to professional athletes gather, and is basically made up of players who have achieved results in national tournaments and other events. However, we are concerned that this alone will only emphasize skill and that the idea that being strong is enough will become prominent, so we are trying not to lose the culture of club activities as a dojo community. Even members with little experience are part of Kendo Club, and we believe it is important to create an environment that can promote the inheritance of Kendo and a re-recognition of etiquette through instruction. We also practice building programs for student-led expeditions and training camps. Items include selecting opponents to play against and deciding on training camp locations. By thinking and working on things for yourself, you will understand the local area, understand the abilities of your opponents, understand the connections in the Kendo community, and learn etiquette. Recently, when we planned a Kyushu expedition training camp, we received cooperation from many people in the kendo community, including parents related to members from Kyushu. Of course, as a designated training club, we are looking for results in the matches. This was the best opportunity to feel the power of kendo as a community, which is necessary for that purpose.

We are also focusing on projects related to foreigners. One of them is a trial class for international students. International students who have never touched or seen kendo equipment are given the opportunity to experience etiquette, practice, and competition. It has been several years since it started, and the event has become one in which about 15 to 20 international students participate each time. The members of the club who have little kendo experience are the ones who play an active role. In the tense club activities every day, they take kendo seriously and receive instruction while thinking about how to become stronger, so they are able to lecture from a perspective that is closer to that of beginners.

The other is the provision of kendo equipment in Ghana. The Republic of Ghana is located in West Africa, and in 2013, Ambassador Kaoru Yoshimura opened a kendo class there, where it has been popular ever since. However, Ghanaian kendo players have reported problems such as a chronic shortage of protective gear and the inability to repair broken equipment. In December 2021, the message "Teikyo University's goal of internationalization" from our university's Chairman and President Yoshihito Okinaga became a major catalyst, and Kendo Club and volunteer faculty and staff of our university donated kendo equipment. The relationship has continued ever since.