HY Kendo won the Finnish National Kendo Championship!

Helsinki University Kendo Club did it again. Club’s team 1 won the championship!

Merci also won bronze in the Dan Cup.

Club participated to this year’s Team Championship with two teams. The other one led this year by Heikka, the other one by Thomas. Team 2 fought hard in the pools and all the players got valuable shiai-experience.

Team 1 won all the games in the tournament. The final was against Ki-Ken-Tai-Icchi’s team 1, with high level kendoka, all current or former members of the national team ring. The final started with Merci wrestling a draw with an opponent twice her size. On the second round Saara fought hard, but lost by 1 point to KKTI’s other jodan-player Toni. Our club’s most advanced player, Sakari, took a 2-point victory with two men-strikes. Heikka was switched to play the fourth position, hoping to get a jodan-player to the opposite side. The switch was a success and Heikka won 2-0 with a dramatic ippon-point after the time had stopped. Tuomas fought a draw, so the win was definite.

Here is some pictures, taken by Otto (who couldn’t participate because of an illness)

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Both teams rejoicing!

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