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The Sydney Kendo Club is the oldest Kendo dojo in Australia and the biggest Kendo dojo in the State of New South Wales. The Club is a non-profit organisation affiliated with the International Kendo Federation via its association with the Australian Kendo Renmei. It was formally established in 1974 at the Willoughby Park Centre, but its history predates as far back as the start of Kendo in Australia. Kendo has been actively practised in Sydney since the early 1960s. Messrs. Rex Lawley and Ron Bennett, along with Okura-san , Yoshida-san , Shoji-san, Jun Takeuchi and John Anderson, were instrumental in developing Kendo in this country in the 1960s and early 1970s. This period was characterised not only by early Kendo developments, but also by a string of events which lead the group to move from one location to another. By the early 1970s, two groups of Kendo practitioners existed in Sydney. Yoshida-san (and later Takeuchi-san) led the main group which Rex and other senior members trained with. The other group was led by John Anderson, whom Daniel Strenger trained under. At one stage, trainings were held at multiple locations, including North Rocks, Epping, Glebe and Muirfield. With the support from Yoshida-san, the Australian Kendo Renmei was formally instituted in 1969. In 1970, Australia was one of the original eight countries to participate in the first World Kendo Championship held in Japan. In 1974, Doug Milton started a dojo at the Willoughby Park Centre (then known as the Willoughby Youth Centre) where both Kendo groups started training together. Trainings were held under the auspices of the Willoughby Park Centre Judo Club, which provided some Kendo equipment, though Kendo trainings were separate from Judo. Given the popularity of the location, Willoughby Park Centre (Albert Chowne Memorial Hall more specifically) became the only Kendo dojo as the Kendo groups were effectively amalgamated under one roof. With increasing number of members, the Willoughby Youth Centre Kendo Club (now known as the Sydney Kendo Club) became formally constituted. The Club has grown from strength to strength ever since. The dojo had been graced by many Senseis and countless Kendokas both from Australia and overseas. There are currently over sixty registered club members training at Willoughby and the satellite dojos in Hornsby. The dojo is currently led by Michael Payne (6th dan Renshi) and Takashi Itakura (5th dan). Our honorary Sensei is Yoichi Yano (6th dan) who had previously spent at least 20 years at the dojo before moving to Melbourne. Yuji Sano (6th dan) is the sensei at UNSW Kendo Club and our guest teacher on Saturdays. As can be seen, the Kendo spirit of the Club is very strong indeed. In 2004, the Sydney Kendo Club celebrates the 30th anniversary of its establishment at the Willoughby Park Centre. The Club is a cornerstone of Australian Kendo and we are proud to commemorate its rich history. We are committed to fostering and promoting its spirit and tradition as we boldly strive forward to a promising future. Researched and prepared by Andrew Tan on behalf of the 2004 SKC Executive Committee. Source: Acknowledgement:
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