The Whistler Kendo Club (WKC) has reached an impressive milestone: prevailing at the 61st Steveston Kendo Tournament on Feb. 8 for the very first time.
Club founder Hiroaki Yano and his unit rose above 30 other teams to win the senior division, grinding out a tiebreaker over Hawaii. Four of the Hawaiians represented their state in last year's World Kendo Championship, but weren't able to overcome the feisty Whistlerites.
A total of 10 WKC members saw action in Steveston, with five of them (four adults and one high school student) making up the senior team roster. They weren't able to train as a group much due to various work and academic commitments, but rose to the occasion nonetheless.
Yano added to his own trophy case with gold in the 4th Dan-plus category, joining a very short list of athletes to three-peat in Steveston: North America's most historic kendo contest that draws approximately 300 participants to the Richmond neighbourhood each year.
"I am truly proud that we were able to achieve victory with our small Whistler dojo," said Yano. "Three years ago we started gathering members, and at that time simply participating in tournaments was our biggest challenge. Over time, our team grew, we began winning matches, and now we have achieved victory.
"There are many famous legends' names engraved on the [Steveston] trophy, and I am proud to add 'Whistler' to it. Moreover, the trophy had been held by U.S. teams for the last four tournaments but we finally brought it back home to Canada."
Another WKC practitioner, Mizuki Shigeta, finished second after a hard-fought run through the 3rd Dan event.
"He is a sincere, humble, and patient individual, and I believe these qualities were reflected in his kendo … leading to this result," Yano said of Shigeta. "He focused on each match, gave everything he had, and secured second place. I am truly proud of him. Although he hasn't been able to train as much as he would like, his dedication to kendo serves as a great example for other students."
The way of the sword
Whistler's final match against Hawaii was quite the nail-biter.
In kendo's team format, five athletes compete in sequence and the winner is determined based on the number of individual victories, followed by total points scored. The Hawaiians jumped out to a 2-1 edge in wins, but Yano was able to establish a tie by notching one point in his initial matchup.
Yano stepped up again to decide the podium. After a climactic six-minute bout, he landed the winning blow on his opponent.
"This triumph was made possible because each team member stayed focused, trusted their teammates, and continued to support one another even in moments of defeat," Yano said. "The atmosphere remained positive throughout the competition. Behind us were not only our Whistler members, their families and friends, but also other Canadians who came to cheer for us.
"Their encouragement gave us the strength to push forward. I really appreciate their support. It wasn’t just individual effort—it was the combined energy of everyone involved that led us to this incredible team victory."
Steveston was the inaugural tournament experience for two of the WKC's underage members. They lost each match, but Yano says they displayed potential as both returning juniors got into the win column.
Nowadays the club is home to more than 20 martial artists from Whistler and Pemberton who vary in age and experience level.
"Kendo is a lifelong pursuit with no end to its training. It can be started at any age, and approximately six million people across more than 70 countries and regions practice," said Yano. "In Japanese, [the word 'kendo'] literally translates to 'the way of the sword.' Winning matches is not the sole purpose of kendo. I am honoured to have reached this milestone [of a three-peat in Steveston], but I remain committed to continuous training and growth.
"I have been fortunate to achieve good results in several tournaments, but those victories are just one part of my journey. As long as I live, I believe that true kendo is about striving to improve—not only through daily practice but also in life, work and school."
Check out the WKC Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.
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