Pictures from the 2011 National IAIDO Seminar

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Castle Rock AIKIDO

Traditional Japanese Martial Arts Exclusively for Adults

Pictures courtesy of Gordon Hall.

Next year's Nationals Seminar will be

held in Tacoma, Washington. 

Hope to see you there!

Nearly 70 candidates tested for rank.  In Iaido, testing for higher ranks is no walk in the park.  For example, of those 17 testing for 4th degree black (Yon-Dan), more than half did not pass.  Two people tested for 6th degree black belt and neither passed!  They certainly don't just hand out rank in Iaido.

Above: Iwakabe, Hideki Sensei was one of a dozen of higher-ranking Sensei who oversaw the competition and testing.

Left: The seminar was 4 days long.  The first two were seminar with the two visiting Hachi-Dan from Japan.  Saturday was the TAIKAI or competition, and Sunday was the SHINSA or testing examination.

Rocky Mountain Kendo/Iaido Federation (RMKF) member, Seth Rissmiller placed 1st for the Murosako Cup in the 1st kyu and 1st Yudansha Division.  This is the 2nd year in a row that Seth has placed 1st!

Iwakabe, Monica Sensei placed 2nd in the 2nd and 3rd degree black belt division. 

Iwakabe Sensei also earned her 4th degree black belt (Yon-Dan) at the Nationals Seminar.

Castle Rock IAIDO students, Peter Alexander (left) and Sean Hannon (right) were promoted to their next respective KYU (under black belt) ranks.

Peter performed very well during Saturday's TAIKAI competition, winning his first two matches.

A dojo from Canada put on an impressive contact weapons demonstration during lunch on Saturday.

Hachi-Dan (8th degree black belts) Kishimoto, Chihiro Sensei

and Yamasaki, Masahiro Sensei of Japan were the seminar's featured guest instructors.

Nearly 140 students of Iaido attended this year's AUSKF Nationals Seminar, which was held at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.  Kent State is the location of the anti-war shootings that occurred on campus in May of 1970.