User:BGiordano/Kendō and Iaidō in Uruguay

Kendō (剣道) and Iaidō (居合道) in Uruguay started in 2001 and officialized with the Uruguayan Association of Kendō and Iaidō (official full name in Spanish: Asociación Uruguaya de Kendo-Iaido; AUKI), although it had been practiced for some time before this by a small number of Kendoka, who were instructed by Brazilian and Argentinian Sensei in a seminar basis.

A.U.K.I was founded by Aldo Ipuche in the year 2004. Its main assignment is the promotion, the diffusion, the investigation and teaching of the Japanese fencing, according to 'The Concept and Purpose of Kendo'.

History of kendō and iaidō in Uruguay

Anecdotically, Kendo was practiced in Uruguay by the Japanese immigrants at first. These practicants seem to have not legated the discipline to their descendants, or opened to locals as there is a long silence until Uruguayans start to practice on their own.

Amongst the first recent dojos in Montevideo, we can mention the Montevideo Rowing Club, where the fist genetation of Kendoka practiced.

In 2004 at existing Judo Bushidō Dōjō (武士道道場), AUKI starts to convene, and kendō and iaidō in Uruguay have been developing slowly since, in 2006 a new dojo was funded: Yamato Dōjō (大和道場), which is currently the one with most participants.

Uruguay was second place in the 2006 South American team competition in Buenos Aires, and fourth in 2007 in Chile. Thanks to efforts of the Kenshi community, Uruguay got it first high degree Sensei on September 2007 thru JICA, Ikushi Kubo Sensei (kendō and iaidō nanadan (７段)) and his wife Ikue Kubo Sensei (kendō and iaidō godan (５段)) who remained in the country until March 2008. Among the achievements he helped develop is the first group ikkyū (１級) generation of Uruguay, who attempted shōdan (初段) in Sao Paulo Jul/2008. On January 2009 Ikushi Kubo and Ikue Kubo came back to Uruguay to teach until January 2011, where they helped raise the kendō and iaidō residend degrees to NiDan.

On 2009, at Yamato Dōjō, were founded two new associations: The Uruguayan Association of Kendō (official full name in Spanish: Asociación de Kendo del Uruguay; AKU) and the Uruguayan Association of Iaidō (official full name in Spanish: Asociación de Iaido del Uruguay; AIU). This new achievement allowed the country to found a National Federation.

Currently two more permanent practices are in place, but with a lesser amount of members than in Yamato Dōjō, the City Hall Employee Club (Club Municipal) hosted a Dojo since July 2010 and it is slowly beginning to grow. As well Senior Members from Yamato have opened a practice instance in the JKA Dojo and Bushidō Dōjō (武士道道場) that has been reopened.

Yamato Dōjō has acquired its own venue at street Santiago De Chile. There used to be practices in the AIKIKAI central Fujiyama Dojo, and in Montevideo Aikido, but they currently hold no activity.

The practice

Kendō and iaidōpractices are held regularly in Bushidō Dōjō and JKA Dōjō under AUKI, and Yamato Dōjō under AKU.

Kendō practices

Each session starts with warming exercises, kata, techniques training, and sparring.

Iaidō practices

Respect shown to the sword (tōrei) before and after iaidō practice.

Not as kendō, iaidō practice consist only on forms.

Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido

This is the iaidō style of the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF, Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei or ZNKR), also often known as Seitei Iaidō (制定居合道).^[1]

From this style are practiced the twelve established froms. An by practicing them, practitioners are graded by the Kyū (級) and Dan (段) grading systems.

Musō Shinden-ryū

Musō Shinden-ryū (夢想神伝流) is a branch of the discipline iaidō, an old Japanese way of the martial art: Koryū (古流).

From this discipline are practiced the Shoden, Chūden and Okuden levels.

There are also iaidō lessons outside AUKI, at the Martial Arts Kokyu Dojo Association (official full name in Spanish: Asociación de Artes Marciales Kokyu Dojo, held by the shōdan iaidōka Walter Moyano.

Notes and references

^ Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iai, English Version Manual 3rd edition, published October 2006, by All Japan Kendo Federation, Tokyo, Japan.

External links

International Kendō Federation (FIK).
Artes Marciales Armadas Japonesas - Uruguay - A site with Dojo-neutral information regarding all Kendo, Iaido and future possible armed Martial arts in Uruguay.
Uruguayan Association of Kendō and Iaidō (AUKI).
Bushidō Kendōjō.
Yamato Kendōjō.
Asociación de Artes Marciales Kokyu Dojo - Academia de Aikidō y Iaidō.

[1] Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iai, English Version Manual 3rd edition, published October 2006, by All Japan Kendo Federation, Tokyo, Japan.

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