Martial arts discipline Kendo gains traction in WA

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The lesser known martial arts discipline of Kendo is gaining traction in WA and thanks to one passionate volunteer, it’s future has never looked stronger.

Transcript

00:00 It's a weeknight at Murdoch University Gymnasium and Connor Clark is preparing for training.

00:07 But it's not basketball or badminton he's gearing up for.

00:16 Connor is one of hundreds of kendo enthusiasts or kendoka who practice under the banner of

00:21 the WA Kendo Renmei.

00:22 Moving to university I wanted to try something different and sort of came across kendo and

00:27 fell in love with it and sort of stayed with it since.

00:29 Developed in 18th century Japan as a means for samurai warriors to practice swordmanship,

00:35 kendo has spread across the globe.

00:39 It arrived in WA almost 40 years ago and now boasts 200 participants across 11 clubs.

00:46 For international student Brian Doche, the martial art has helped him navigate the move

00:52 from the Philippines to Perth.

00:54 I have my weekly exercise here, I also learn proper discipline.

00:59 And thanks to Connor, kendo's profile in WA continues to grow.

01:04 The 28 year old was recently named Sportwest's 2023 Volunteer of the Year for his effort

01:11 to have kendo recognised as a state sporting association.

01:15 It's been around since the 80s and a lot of people have put I'd say a lot more time, a

01:19 lot more effort into building it up to this stage.

01:21 The World Kendo Championships take place in Italy in July, with Australia looking to improve

01:26 on its won bronze medal from Seoul in 2018.

01:30 And while the competitive spirit remains a key component of Connor's love of kendo, it's

01:35 the personal side of the sport that sustains his passion.

01:38 It's really something that's about I guess building personal integrity and sort of developing

01:43 a better understanding of yourself through the martial arts.

01:46 A traditional outlook for the modern stage.

01:48 [Kendo]

01:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended