2021 Virtual National Kendo Seminar

We are honoured to welcome Renée Hock, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Mental Performance Consultant with the Canadian. Sport Psychology Association (CSPA), and an NCCP Level 3 Certified Coach. She holds a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and is a pioneer for women in judo. Renée Hock will speak on the unique values of martial arts and how they help us to manage stress and live our best lives. She will delve into strategies for optimizing mental performance, pulling from her personal experiences competing in Judo for Canada at the Pan American Games and the World Championships, as well as coaching both Men’s and Women’s National Teams. We invite you to watch her TEDx Talk on Life Lessons from Judo:  A Judoka’s Tale from 2018, and learn about Mind in Motion, the sport, performance, and mental health counseling practice she works out of.

Taro Ariga is the founder and Head Instructor of Butokuden Martial Arts Centre in Irvine, California. As the founder of the University of Waterloo Kendo Club, Ariga Sensei continues to have strong ties to Canada. Ariga Sensei is the owner and CEO of two successful ventures, e-Bogu and Beancube. This session is a follow-up to his highly popular session from last year. Learn more about Butokuden Dojo.

Dean Ara is the Head Coach of Team Canada and Head Instructor at Renbu Dojo Canada in Burnaby, BC. He is passionate about developing young players and has been involved with the Team Canada program for over a decade. Ara Sensei is a successful entrepreneur and is the Principal of Total Product Marketing. In this session, Ara Sensei will help us change the way we binge-watch kendo videos. 

Bryan Asa is the Chief Instructor of the JCCC Kendo Club in Toronto, Ontario. Asa Sensei is passionate about developing kendo in Ontario and is the President of Kendo Ontario. He is a leader in the clean energy industry and is the Director of his own consultancy, Asa Works. Asa Sensei will be presenting his personal experience of running a dojo virtually through the pandemic. 

Matthew Raymond is an Instructor at the University of Toronto Kendo Club. He has been a Team Canada coach and player and is an advocate of clean healthy living. Raymond Sensei is a Project Management Professional with experience working for IBM and CIBC. As a pioneer of Nito in Canada, this is a rare opportunity to understand the basics of the two-sword method. 

Shigemitsu Kamata is an instructor at the Etobicoke Kendo and Iaido Club in Toronto, Ontario. He operates a family business, Kamada Wood Products, in the wood industry. He is an active leader in the Ontario kendo community. Kamata Sensei enjoys time with his family and friends relaxing around the fire. Kamata Sensei encourages students of all ages to join this high-energy suburi session.

Martin Doré is an instructor at the Laval University’s Québec Kendo Kai, in Québec City. Martin is active in the Eastern Canada kendo community as a competitor, shinpan, and examiner. He is an Electrical Engineer and is currently the Vice President of the Transformers Business Unit at Hitachi Power Grids Canada. Doré Sensei invites you to join him for his short home training sessions, to stay (or get) fit for kendo.

Junko Ariyama is the Head Instructor at the Montreal Kendo Club. She started her kendo in Japan and was a member of her company team, the Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance Kendo Club. She moved to Canada in 1998 and after finishing her BA in Linguistics at Concordia University and Master’s at McGill University, she joined the Montreal Kendo Club. She currently works as a speech therapist in Montreal. Ariyama Sensei has a 500-hour Modo Yoga Teacher Training Certificate and will be using her experience in both yoga and kendo to provide a tailored experience for kendoka.