Season#1 (2023-2024) of the Capital Region Kendo League. RESULTS

As most of you are already aware, HY Kendo, in 2023, in collaboration with Ki-ken-tai-icchi Helsinki Kendo Club and Lebudo Espoo Kendo Club, built a regional league to compete together and get more experience in shiai and shinpaning. This was a first in Finland, simultaneously our friends in Seinäjöki built their league too for similar purposes.

The Saturday 2nd of March 2024 was the last competitive event of this first season. It was hosted by us, in Porthania in the heart of Helsinki, and it went smoothly.

In very short:

The league consists of a series of tournaments hosted by different clubs of the leagu, but open to all. Each event proposes a series of matches (shiai) organised as a swiss tournament and according to the European Kendo Federation (EKF) rules with some small adaptations. The competitors accumulate some points around the year and the final standing is announced after the last event of the year. The league, the point system and ranking system is explain more extensively in this post (coming soon).

Yesterday was the last event of the first season (2023-2024) and here are the results:

Thanks again to all the competitors and volunteers for making this possible!

Result of the League’s First season (events #1 #2 #3 cumulated)

* This league is friendly cooperation, the competitors are allowed to use a nickname or warrior name instead of their usual name.

** We allowed ourselves to distribute medals and awards to the people present at the last event despite the official final ranking, however, we display here the full ranking.

Kyu category

GOLD Topi N. (Lebudo)
SILVER Rilinn (KKTI)
BRONZE **Niilo E. (LEbudo) > Aapo K. (Lebudo-KKTI)

Female category

GOLD Sofia A. – Giraffe (HY Kendo)
SILVER Merci C. – Feisty midget (HY Kendo)
BRONZE Sara R. – Rebel (Kotka)

1-3 dan Category

GOLD Aapo R. (KKTI)
SILVER Sofia A. – Giraffe (HY Kendo)
BRONZE Lennu (Lebudo)

Open category

GOLD Alex V. – Esa (KKTI)
SILVER Taro M. (KKTI)
BRONZE Aapo R. (KKTI)

Special prizes:

• Palokärki (woodpecker) award for the most tsuki points: Merci C. – Feisty midget (HY Kendo) shares the title with Joel S. – CanYouFeelYourHeartBurning?CanYouFeelTheStruggleWithinTheFearWithinMeIsBeyondAnythingYourSoulCanMake.YouCantKillMeInAWayThatMatters. (KKTI)** with each a single tsuki during the tournament
• Longest winning streak awards: Taro M. (KKTI) with 5 consecutive wins

• Bravest kendoka (the lowest win ratio with the most played games): Solja V. – Feretto (KKTI)

• Jusge’s choice (for showing great performances) Topi N. (Lebudo)

• Outstanding performance (for competing and organizing) Felix.B (HY Kendo) for getting in the shiai-jo while having the head in the organization

• Fighting spirit: Anastasiia. G (KKTI)

• Special Thanks to Markus Frey sensei for his commitment to shinpan in every event and Stuart McQuade for timekeeping and scorekeeping in each event.
• Thanks to Mikko Salonen for helping and supporting the league. Thanks to Ebogu Finland for the partnership.

full results here:

Shiai event #1:

Shiai event #2

Shiai event #3