Name: Keiko Marumo

International Kendo Experience:
I was a member of the Women’s Kendo Team Canada Member and participated in the 14th World Kendo Championships that were held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2009. I participated in the Women’s Individual and was an alternate member for the Women’s Team.

Seminar Experience:
I have participated in seminars in Edmonton, AB, and Saskatoon, SK, over the past 4 years. I have also participated in seminars held in Steveston, BC, for Team Canada training.

Rank:
Sandan – 2008
Nidan – 2006
Shodan – 2000

My Experience:
I started kendo in 1990 at the age of 6 years old. All I can recall from that time was that my parents wanted me to do some sort of Japanese martial art. I was too young to do Iaido, which was their first choice, but some of their friends suggested that I try kendo instead. We visited the Renbu Dojo in Burnaby, BC, to watch a practice and by the end of it, I had been signed up!

I was a member of the Renbu Dojo for 7 years where I learned all of my basics. There were a lot of sensei and sempai from Japan who came to practice at the club so I received a lot of instruction from them. My younger siblings also practiced kendo and we participated in many of the local BC tournaments as well as a few in Seattle. We became a very competitive family!

In 1997, my family and I changed clubs and became a member of the Sunrise Coquitlam Kendo Club, which had just started under the direction of Bruce Campbell. The Sunrise Coquitlam Kendo Club was a branch of the Sunrise Kendo Club so I often practiced with both dojos. Later, after Bruce Campbell achieved the rank of rokudan, Sunrise Coquitlam became independent from Sunrise Kendo Club and the name was changed to Matsu Kai Dojo. My family also visited other kendo dojo where I got the chance to be instructed by different sensei and increase my knowledge of kendo. We still continued to participate in several tournaments. In 1998, I achieved the rank of ikkyu and in 2000, I achieved the rank of shodan.

I decided to move to Edmonton to attend the Faculté Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta in 2002. I decided to put kendo on hold while I was in university so I could focus more on my studies, but whenever I returned to BC, I would always go back and practice with Matsu Kai Dojo. Despite my decision to take a break from kendo, I had brought my shinai and bokken with me to Edmonton so I could do suburi drills and kata on my own whenever I could find the time.

After some time, I found that I missed practicing kendo so in 2005, I returned to it and became a member of the Edmonton Kendo and Naginata club. I achieved the rank of nidan in 2006 and sandan in 2008. I participated in the National Kendo Championships held in Mississauga, ON, in the summer of 2008 and was awarded the Fighting Spirit Award. I also took part in the Team Canada tryouts held at the same time and was fortunate enough to get a position on the Women’s Team. I trained for a year in both Edmonton and Vancouver to prepare for the 14th World Kendo Championships, which were held in São Paulo, Brazil.

Today I’m one of the assistant instructors of the EKNC and I help teach kendo to both new and senior members alike. I hope that I can continue to have kendo throughout the rest of my life and pass on my knowledge of kendo to others.