Sensei

Kendo



Training at the University of Wollonong Kendo Club we are fortunate in having Ted Rixon, Yondan (4th dan) Kendo, as Sensei (instructor) for the entire period the club has existed.

Since 2001 he has been assisted by his brother Paul Rixon Sensei, Rokudan (6th dan) Kendo. Dojo steward is David Bunder, Yondan (4th dan) Kendo.

We have had other sensei working with us, for the first six months of 1997, Wollongong also had the good fortune of having Sensei Katsumi Kuramochi, at the time Godan Kendo, formerly based in Ballarat and the 1996 Australian Open Shiai Champion as a second Sensei, leading our Sunday training. He has since moved on to Northern Queensland. Itakura Takashi, Godan Kendo has assisted regularly since 2002.

In addition we enjoy good relations with other NSWKA and ACTKR Kendo Clubs, in particular Sydney and ANU. Sensei from all of these groups have attended or conducted training events here. Wollongong Kendo Club hosts an annual NSW training weekend near Picton on the southern highlands (since in 1996), that since 1997 has incorporated the state grading, allowing our students contact with Sensei from throughout the country.


This photo is of Sensei Rixon (on the left), and Sensei Gould at the time the Central Coast Kendo Club (which is based in Gosford/Wyong) instructor conducting a NSW State Kyu Grade Training in Wollongong prior to the 1996 Nationals in Perth (where NSW kyus had a clean sweep of the individuals as well as winning the team event).



This is Sensei Rixon with his instructor, Sensei Shizawa, Professor of Kendo at the Japanese Physical Education University (Nitaidai) in Yokahama (and Shizawa Sensei's wife) in Sydney, August 1994.





Sensei Katsumi Kuramochi, on the occasion of his second visit to Wollongong in 1996, at which time he was based in Ballarat, Victoria. He joined us in January 1997 after moving to NSW. He is currently teaching Kendo, Jodo and Iaido in Cairns.




Iaido



Our Seitei Iaido Instructor, Robert Brown, has reached the grade of Yondan (4th Dan) in Seitei Iaido. This is only the second time in the history of the club that we have had our own Iaido sensei.

In Wollongong, untill Robert reached Sandan in 2004, traditionally we did not have access to an Iaido Sensei of our own, so our practice in the 1990s was very limited except when we could arrange visits by Sydney (Blue Leaf) Iaido Club members for higher level instruction, or when there is the opportunity to attend training camps such as the two week training in Perth over the Easter period in 1996 where two of us from Wollongong were among those to have the benefit of two hours a day of the late Hiraga Sensei.

For the first half of 1997 we had Sensei Katsumi Kuramochi who instructed in Iaido as well as Kendo, and since 2000 the University of Wollongong Kendo Club has been represented at all of the annual Iaido national championships and seminars.


This is Hiraga Sensei!


From 2003 the University of Wollongong Kendo Club has had the honour of Ray Lawrence Sensei (Perth Budokan) assisting with our iaido training through notes and personal instruction with one or two training visits per year, together with several visits from other NSWKA affiliated iaido instructors, Dean Hawthorn, Ruth Franklin and Hans Fricke.

Ray Lawrence (middle) with Wollongong's Robert Brown and Sydney Iaidoka Ruth Franklin on the occasion of his training visit to NSW, April 2003.




Jodo



The University of Wollongong Kendo Club has never had a Jodo sensei of its own, instead students support their self practice on Sundays by periodically travelling to the Sydney Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo dojo on saturday mornings for instruction under Paul Maloney, backed up by attending the annual national Jodo seminar and gradings. From May 2003 until the end of 2006 Maloney sensei arranged for himself or another of his qualified instructors to visit for a 3 hour session once a month, this gave our training a significant boost until our experience increased. Regular weekly training is lead by Robert Brown (Yondan Seitei Jodo) and Aden Steinke (Sandan Seitei Jodo).


Paul Maloney on the ocassion of his first monthly seminar in Wollongong May 2003
E 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,2009aden_steinke@uow.edu.au