On August 6-10, 2008 we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of JSS with a Budo Summer Camp in Bryn Mawr, PA.

It included parallel seminars in Iaido, Naginata, Kendo and Jodo.

More photos here, here and here

We had hosted the 2008 AUSKF Iaido Camp at Brym Mawr College, PA June 4-10, 2008.

Taikai (Championship)

Murosako-Cup (Shodan & 1Kyu)

Kanto-syo(Fighting spirit) Arthur Cain

Shinsa (Grading Examination)

• 4-dan: John Prough, Sachiko prough
• 2-dan: Arthur Cain
• 1-dan; Ji You Ni, John Libutti

Photos

The East Coast Iaido Alliance held its winter Seminar and Shinsa on January 27, 2008 at the CERC.  A large turnout of 116 also resulted in over 50 promotions.  This include 13 of our members advances in their Iaido ranks.  In particular two of our members were asked to recycle and try immediately for the next rank.  These new Ikkyu are John Libutti of JSS and Weichi Chen of PKC.  PKC's Michael Huang joined the Yudansha by passing his Shodan test.  There were 3 more Yudansha that became Nidan.  From the JSS Cheuk Tang and Lee Adamo and David Yang of PKC all joined the Nidan ranks.

01.27.2008 Shinsa Result

JSS members
2-Dan: Lee Adamo, Cheuk Tang
1-Kyu: Philip Pellican, John Libutti
3-Kyu: Serena Tang

PIKC members
2-Dan David Yang
1-Dan Michael Huang
1-Kyu John Shen, Weichi Chen
2-Kyu Geoffirey Underhill
3-Kyu Andrew Walsh, Peter Walsh, Victer Razuk

Photos

The East Coast Iaido Seminar and Shinsa for 2007 was held on January 21, 2007 at Victory Hall. The mob from last year was cut by half, The final count for testing was a little under 50. The JSS had 9 members testing and the Princeton Kendo Club had 10 testing. But, two of the Princeton clib were not able to make it.

The Shinsa had many promotions for JSS members:

Arthur Cain, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Cheuk Tang, Shodan
David Yang, Shodan
Chao I Huang, Shodan
Lee Adano, Shodan
Ji-you Ni, Ikkyu* (1st grade before black belt)
Michael Huang, Ikkyu*
John Shen, Nikyu* (2nd grade before black belt)
Philip Pellicane, Nikyu
Kenji Horiguchi, Nikyu*
Takeshi Horiguchi, Nikyu*
Tony Gomez, Sankyu* (3rd grade before black belt)
John Libutti, Sankyu *
Weichi Chen, Sankyu*
Geoffrey Underhill, Sankyu*
Matt Kantor, Sankyu*
Serena Tang, Yonkyu* (4th grade before black belt)

* Indicates this was their first Iaido test.

Photos

The 2006 AUSKF Iaido camp was held in Cincinnati Ohio at end of Sept. beginning of October. The Shiai had two winners: in Yamaguchi Cup for Shodan & Nidan, Jonathan Corum, 3rd place and for the Nakanishi Cup for Sandan and up: Sachiko Yamauchi Prough, 3rd place.

The Shinsa on October 1, 2006 had several promotions for JSS members.

Jonathan Corum, Sandan (3rd degree black belt)
Mark Magpayo, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Cheuk Tang, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)
Arthur Cain, Ikkyu
Chao I Huang, Ikkyu
Lee Adano, Ikkyu

Photos

On January 22, 2006 the East Coast Kendo Federations held a seminar and shinsa at Victory Hall in Jersey City NJ. It was rather over subscribed with 144 showing up. 81 actaually took a promotion test. Among our members who prevailed were:

Ellery Engalla, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Yulin Zhang, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)
Mark Magpayo, Ikkyu
Cheuk Tang, Nikyu (2nd grade before black belt)
Arthur Cain, Nikyu
David Yang, Nikyu
Lee Adano, Nikyu
Philip Pellicare, Sankyu* (3rd grade before black belt)

* Indicates this was their first Iaido test.

Photos

The 2005 AUSKF Iaido camp, shiai and shinsa was held at Wilson Park, Torrance California in October. Sachiko Yamauchi Prough won the Yamaguchi Cup for 1st place in the Shodan/Nidan Iaido Championship. The next day judgement for ranks. Sachiko Yamauchi Prough and John Prough both were promoted to Sandan (3rd degree black belt).

Photos

 The May 2005, IAIDO Seminar, Victory Hall, Jersey City,NJ.

Photos

The Jersey City East Coast Iaido Shinsa (promotion test) was held on October 24, 2004 at the CERC in Jersey City.

Seven of our members tried for promotion, and all were successful:

Jonathan Corum, Nidan (2nd degree black belt)
Mark Lichtenstein, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Ellery Engalla, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)
Dominique Roux, Ikkyu
Yulin Zhuang, Nikyu (2nd grade before black belt)
Lee Adamo, Sankyu (3rd grade before black belt)
Margaret Welsh, Sankyu

The 2004 AUSKF Iaido Summer Camp was hosted by the Yamakage Dojo in June 2004 at CU-Boulder in Boulder CO.

Two of our members tried for promotion, and one was successful:

Derrick Wallace, Nidan (2nd degree black belt)

In addition, Jonathan Corum was given the Fighting Spirit award for his performance in the Yamaguchi Cup Taikai (shodan & nidan tournament).

In November 2003 we enjoyed our third visit by Matsuoka Sensei from Nagoya, who taught and demonstrated Shinkage Ryu iaidô. The proof of his high level training in Seitei-gata Iaidô from the AJKF was demonstrated last year when he was promoted to Hachidan (8th degree black belt) in Iaidô. He was one of only 8 people out of over 200 who tried.

The East Coast Iaidô Seminar & Shinsa (promotion test) was held on Sunday, October 19, 2003 at Shidogakuin dojo in New York.

Five of our members tried for promotions. All were successful. They are:

Sachiko Y. Prough, Nidan (2nd degree black belt)
Eric Molinier, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Jonathan Corum, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Ellery Engalla, Nikyu (2nd grade before black belt)
Dominque Roux, Nikyu (2nd grade before black belt)

The East Coast Iaidô Seminar & Shinsa (promotion test) was held on Sunday, February 23, 2003 in NYC at Shidogakuin dojo.

Five of our members tried for promotions. Four were successful. They are:

Eric Molinier, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)
Jonathan Corum, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)
Ellery Engalla, Sankyu (3rd grade before black belt)
Dominque Roux, Sankyu

A great deal of their success was the wonderful help from Yamamori Sensei. Motohiko Yamamori is a visiting Iaido Sensei from the Nagoya area who is currently working in Long Island. He holds a Rokkudan (6th degree black belt) in Iaidô and a Yondan (4th degree black belt) in Kendô. He has been helping with our dôjô Iaidô for the past few months. Our students have greatly benefited from his instruction.

February 10, 2002 at the Iaidô seminar held at Shidogakuin Dojo in New York City three of our members tried for promotions. All three were successful. They are:

Sachiko Y. Prough, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Eric Molinier, Nikyu (2nd grade before black belt)
Michael Powell, Nikyu

November 9 and 10, 2001 we had our second visit by Matsuoka Sensei from Nagoya. He was accompanied by Mizuno Sensei from the EUSKF. In addition to his excellent instruction on Seitei-gata Iaidô from the AJKF, he also demonstrated his Shinkage Ryu iaidô kata. This was very interesting for all our members. He also brought from the children of his dojo senba-zuru (1000 folded paper cranes) as a memorial for the WTC victims. These were placed at the wall on the pier where the temporary morgue was set up.

July 1, 2001 at the AUSKF Iaidô seminar held near Portland Oregon three of our members tried for promotions. All three were successful. They are:

Louis Rodriguez, Sandan (3rd degree black belt)
Derrick Wallace, Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Sachiko Y. Prough, Ikkyu (1st grade before black belt)