Kuala Lumpur (Japanese) win inter-dojo kendo competition
KOTA KINABALU: Teams based in the national capital dominated the top placings in the Japanese Ambassador's Cup/3rd Malaysia Kendo Association (MKA) Inter-Dojo Competition here yesterday.
After several heated matches, team Kuala Lumpur (Japanese) emerged champions followed by team Kuala Lumpur while Sabah and Penang finished joint third.
Eight teams from six dojos across Malaysia took part in the competition held at the SM Lok Yuk hall in Likas here.
The competition, which was jointly organised by the Japanese government and MKA, was held for the first time in East Malaysia.
Head of the Consular Office of Japan here Hiroko Matsuo commended the efforts of MKA, especially their activities in introducing and promoting Kendo in Malaysia.
"I am very happy that the Consular Office of Japan in Kota Kinabalu and the MKA are co-hosting this third InterDojo competition which is held for the first time in East Malaysia.
"As you may know, the objective of Kendo is usually referred to “the way of developing the person”. Kendo is not just a mere sport, but is also Budo, a way of life encompassing the physical, spiritual, and moral aspects with a focus on self-improvement through continuous harsh training, “Keiko”.
"I would also like to add that no matter what results may follow (from the competition), you have already gained something good through your hard training.
"I hope that through this competition, the people in Sabah will have a better understanding of Japanese tradition and the heart of the Japanese," she said during the opening ceremony speech.
Meanwhile, a joint training session and grading exam were also held in the afternoon after the main event.
For the participants, the competition offers a rare opportunity to learn from trainers and mingle with association members from other regions.