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BKA Announcements

Kendo Charity Event, March 2009

Kendo charity event announced:

more information

Letters from the ZNKR & FIK

Letter from the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei to all members - in regards to those 60 years or older taking examinations:

Letter

Letter from the International Kendo Federation to all members - in regards to high-dan examiners:

Letter

Refereeing Announcements

1) From Jan 2009 all refereeing experience necessary for grading applications will be gained via the National Refereeing Seminars to be held in the south of England, the Midlands and Scotland. All candidates for 3rd Dan examination and above will need to attend at least one of these seminars per year - according to your grading clock ie., between gradings. This means, for example, that if you have three years between gradings, then you must attend at least 3 seminars. These attendances will be recorded in your blue "Kendo Passport" immediately after each seminar and be countersigned by one of the seminar teachers ( so always remember to bring it with you!! ).

In addition, we are compiling a register of the 60 plus 4th + 5th Dan Kendo members. From Jan 2009 they will be required to make themselves available for at least one of the National taikai presently held i.e.., Bowden, Premier, British Open. We are also looking into the possibility of widening the opportunity for refereeing experience to some of the private taikai now in place.

These requirements will become operable from, and including, the October Grading at Mumeishi in London. This means that all members who intend to grade at Mumeishi have, at the moment, five opportunities to attend a necessary seminar, three in England, two in Scotland. The first of these is at Tora Dojo ( Waterloo ) Sat 22nd Nov08. They also have three opportunities for refereeing experience ( only one seminar and one refereeing experience will be required at the Mumeishi Grading during this initiating phase ).

If any members are eligable to grade before Oct 09, then they may do so under the existing system. At the Oct 09 grading ,applicants for 3rd Dan and above will need to have taken at least one refereeing seminar, and for 4th Dan and above also have evidence of refereeing at a national taikai - both within the preceeding 12 months.

All calculations for the new system will run from a backstop of the Oct 08 grading.

All members wishing to grade abroad must submit ,to the BKA President, a page copy of Refereeing seminars attended ( from their Kendo Passport ).

There will necessarily be a limitation on maximum numbers at each seminar and so a "1st come 1st served " approach will apply. Please apply early for a seminar, for if you miss a geographically suitable one then you may have to travel some distance to the next.

Mike Davis
Kendo Manager

2) The first Referee's Seminar in Scotland will be Sat 10th Jan in Edinburgh. Details will appear on the Kendo calendar.

Mike Davis
Kendo Manager

Grading procedure change for KENDO IKKYU and SHODAN

Please note the following grading requirement changes:

Grade being taken: 1st Kyu
Graded on: Kirikaeshi. Matches and Kendo Kata [1st 3 forms] and Written Test

Grade being taken: 1st Dan
Graded on: Kirikaeshi. Matches and Kata [ Tachi 3 forms from the 1st 5 as directed] and Written Test.

August 21st, 2008.

BKA Accounts 2007

Any paid up member wishing to receive a copy of the Annual accounts for 2007 should contact Treasurer@Kendo.org.UK who will get a copy mailed out to them. As usual copies will be available at the AGM

Maggies Kendo Workshop

We are coming to the end of this year's Maggie's Kendo Workshop as our website will stop collecting donations on the 23rd April. (www.justgiving.com/maggieskendo2008) I would like to thank all of the Kendoka who participated and their friends and families who made donations.
This year we saw £800 collected via online, plus £802.47 by cheque and cash including generous donations by companies: NRM-Bobrowski and Chapman Taylor Llp, and by adding the 28% TAX release, we have collected a massive £1891.98 which will go a long way in helping to run the Maggie's Centres. Thank you very much again for all your support it was very worthwhile in achieving such a high figure.
The publication of the event in Watford Observer on March 7th Friday generated a great deal of local public interest and on the BKA website article page we saw reports of participants' personal points of view about ‘how it was for them’ this was quite amazing, to see how people perceived and learnt through their own personal experiences on the day. Also it was very nice for me to receive positive feedback, which I can hopefully develop for future events.
I would especially like to offer a special thank you to Paul Budden sensei for his sincere support, also to Adrian Wagstaff and Paul Grey for PR, to Kodokan Kendo club for offering the venue and finally to Leah Jeffries of Maggie's Centres London for her kind advice and assistance.

Next year Maggie's Kendo Workshop is provisionally booked for Cardiff and scheduled again for the end of February, so please pencil this in to your diaries, if you would like to participate in this truly worth while cause.

Kind regards

Kazuyo Matsuda Organiser of Maggie's Kendo Workshop

Samurai Sword Ban

The latest Home Office information on the Samurai sword ban can be found at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/banning-swords

Notice of Changes to Dojo & Individual Renewal Timetable

Because some Dojo fail to comply with the laid down regulations, the EC have agreed that Dojo registrations will be moved forward to the end of November. This will affect individual member renewals. Please see this notice for clarification.

New Member Membership Forms

The new membership form is now available. Only a single copy now needs to be countersigned by your Dojo leader and sent to the Membership sectetary. The BKA membership form can be found on the website in PDF (Acrobat Reader v5 or later) format. Please refer to the menu on the left. It can be downloaded and printed or details filled in and printed (though not saved with the details entered).

Please note the change of address. Forms now should be sent to BKA Membership Secretary, PO Box 23, Southampton, SO32 3WX.

Fees for membership are as per the fee structure found on the left menu.

Insurance Enquiries

Any enquiries regarding insurance should be addressed to the EC directly care of the General Secretary. See the contact information page.

Constitution

Any member requiring a copy of the constitution should request this in writing from the General Secretary:

Mr Ric Schofield South View,
Cross Lane,
Braunston,
Daventry NN11 7HH,
United Kingdom.

Kendo Armour

If you have Kendo armour that you don't use anymore? we will be very happy to take it off your hands, as there are new clubs that are in desperate need of club equipment. Please contact the Kendo Bu.

Promotional work

The British Kendo association can offer unique sponsorship opportunities. If you are a TV, film company or Advertising agency and wish to feature one our Associated arts: Kendo, Iaido or Jodo. Then you should contact us, as the National Governing body through: Public Relations Officer Paul Gray E-mail:bka.pro@kendo.org.uk for concept approval [inc. H & S] and to ensure that you are provided with top level exponents for your project.

You should not, under any circumstance, contact individual clubs or members directly.