Sport Editor Will Duffield sat down with Edinburgh University Kendo Club to discuss recent success, cutting costs and the mental benefits of learning a martial art
“Kendo is a sport, but it’s also a martial art. It’s a way of life. If you join kendo, you’re not just going to get the physical activity that a lot of people join for, you’re also going to get that mental growth.”
The first thing that struck me about John Frankel, Margaux Gauthier and Kian Sullivan was their incredible sense of passion and love for kendo. Founded in 2009, the University of Edinburgh Kendo Club is one of the oldest of its kind in the UK.
Translated as “the way of the sword,” kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, derived from the fighting methods of the samurai, that use bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armour (bōgu). Whilst Frankel, captain of the club, was quick to point out that kendo is a modern competitive sport, he additionally shed light on its importance in Japanese culture as well as the mental benefits it provides.
“Kendo is teaching you about self-discipline. It’s about how to use your body and how to control your mind. It’s also about confidence and self-assurance. You can’t do something unless you believe in yourself. For example when we strike our opponent, if you don’t think you are going to succeed, you won’t.”
It is this sense of bettering yourself through kendo that was prominent throughout. It should therefore come as no surprise that the kendo community here at the University of Edinburgh is incredibly diverse, and one thing that President Gauthier is really proud of.
“Community is a very big part of kendo, whether that be here in Edinburgh or in Japan. The uniforms are all the same, there is no difference between men and women so it’s a great opportunity for women and gender non-conforming people to join kendo and find a comfortable space to do sport,”
“It’s great to be in a mixed sport and support inclusive sport culture. To have people at the club from different gender and sexual orientations is great,”
“Most of our intake this year has been overwhelmingly women which has been great for the club.”
With 72 members currently, consisting of undergraduates, PhD and master’s students, as well as some professors at the university, it’s clear that the kendo club is incredibly inclusive and welcoming. Their impact has also been felt outside the university, where they helped to organise the Women’s Kendo Seminar in Edinburgh, the first of its kind in Scotland in over 15 years.
In fact, the positive steps that the club has taken is one of the reasons why Sullivan, a second year history student, joined in the first place.
“I started kendo when I was quite young and I wouldn’t have gone to university if they didn’t have a good kendo club. I knew Edinburgh Kendo Club had a good reputation.”
Of course, part of the attraction also comes from Edinburgh’s success in recent competitions. Glasgow hosted the Scotland University Championships and Edinburgh dominated proceedings. Standout performers were Innes Pruden and Ece Yaraşik who both took home gold medals in the Mixed Open and Women’s Open respectively. In addition, Yanee Chin took home the bronze in the Women’s Open whilst also picking up the award for Fighting Spirit. To pick up both achievements is incredibly rare and as such shows the exemplary level of kendo on show.
It was in the team event, however, where Edinburgh really showed their dominance. Team B – consisting of Yaraşik, Vasu Verma, Yufei Fan, Eric Zhang, and Janson Li – picked up the bronze medal. Team A took home gold, which included Lele Ju, Shae Tjong, alongside Pruden, Sullivan, and Frankel, who believes that they can replicate this performance in the upcoming UK Championships held in Strathclyde at the end of March:
“We don’t want to be arrogant but we are hoping to defend our title.”
Gauthier added: “Our kendo during the Scottish University Championships showed what kendo was about. They definitely deserved their titles.”
With an incredible community, and such success, it feels as if Edinburgh Kendo Club is the perfect society to get involved with. There are, as with every sports club at the university, concerns about the financial commitment new members, both experienced or inexperienced, will have to make. A full-year membership is currently £45 which is considerably less than many other clubs. However, since training takes place at Pleasance, a gym membership is also required. On top of that, kendo is practiced wearing traditional Japanese clothing and protective equipment, which can add up to a fairly expensive total. However, Gauthier believes that they have implemented plans to cut costs and make kendo at the University of Edinburgh more accessible.
“Kendo can be really expensive, but I did kendo at King’s College London (KCL) and I would say that this club definitely has ways in which members can practice without putting so much money into it.”
“First, membership to the club isn’t that bad. The Sports Union does have grants that some of our members take advantage of.”
“A lot of the money that we make off memberships is used to buy armour for the club so members can lend it. People who are graduating will return the armour they have lent so it gets passed down.”
Allowing members to borrow armour has been a really effective way for the club to cut costs as it has meant new members can enjoy kendo without making a huge financial commitment.
It is clear that the devotion and care Gauthier, Frankel, and Sullivan have for kendo has been passed down to the running and organisation of the club here at the University of Edinburgh. They are taking progressive steps towards inclusion as well as cutting costs to make the sport more accessible. This is all happening whilst maintaining an incredible level of performance and success rate in competitions.
It is a club that embodies what kendo, and more broadly sport, is all about, and that is the biggest endorsement I can give. I will conclude with Frankel’s words, which I believe perfectly encapsulates the benefits of joining Edinburgh University Kendo Club.
“Kendo has helped me find some of my best friends in the last five and a half years and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Why should you join Kendo? It’s fun. Why am I still doing Kendo? Because it makes me a better person.”
The club has beginner sessions at Pleasance Studio on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Alternatively, you can get in contact by following their page on Instagram – @eukendo
Image credits: Shenjia Ding
