Questions about Team Australia at the WKC [Archive]

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Aoi

3rd August 2003, 11:09 AM

I wasnt sure where to put this, so I thought I'd keep it in the general section, as I am not familiar to many of the people here.

I'll start off by saying, Shiai results don't tell anything to someone who wasn't there (like myself). No matter how well you fight, it never shows up in the statistics. But, from mouth to mouth, I hear odd stories, and I am very curious about this team from the south.

The mens individual heats:
56: JPN6 - K. Ando HUN4 - S. Dubi AUS1 - B. Smith

Kaigo Ando, I guess I do not need to give much about him. Champion at the 50th All Japan Championship defeating Hidenori Iwasa. At this WKC, he was in the top 8, and also chosen for fighting spirits in the individuals. Generally, he has strong seme with very refined men cuts

Anyway, no doubt that everybody thought he'll make through the heats pretty easily just looking at the draws... However, what I heard was the opposite. A score was taken from Ando, and due to a draw, he had to enter an Encho with this B. Smith... just in the Yosen (heats/pools) this is happening to him??

IF the above is true... Who is this B. Smith? What level is he? What did he score off Ando? ANYONE, DETAILS OF THIS MATCH PLEASE!
though draws cannot be helped, if this B.Smith did not end up in the same group as Ando, I wonder where he could have ended in the competition??

Information please! And thanks in advance.
Aoi

aru-ma

3rd August 2003, 01:05 PM

B.Smith is a 5th dan, one of the well known sensei in the state of Victoria and probably in Australia, he's nice guy too. From what i heard he took Ando's kote in that match. as for his position if he wasnt in he same pool as Ando, I'm not sure, cant remember where he finished in Santa Clara 4 years ago, but I'm guessing pretty high up (best 8?). qpuppy, you got the details?

qpuppy

3rd August 2003, 02:03 PM

heya Aruma... yeah.. that is what I have heard from a friend from a different state... which his sensei told him (his sensei was also in the Australian team)..... as for Santa Clara 3 years ago... B.Smith Sensei was able to get out of his poll, but was unable to continue to pass the next... Australia was in the top 8 in both the Women's and Men's team. I know B.Sensei received the fighting spirit award for the team event and also was the same year where he received his 5th dan

Ares2907

3rd August 2003, 06:11 PM

It didn't quite get to encho, but Brett took ippon with a kote. Ando scored a men about a minute later, then one more about ten seconds before it would have gone to encho.
Anyways, Brett is arguably Australia's best shiai player. He's won the australian champs something like five times and has participated in the last five world champs. Staunch kendo.

KATSUJIN

3rd August 2003, 06:48 PM

ahh yes....B Smith....I had a keiko with him once before the WKC....the Singapore team and Australia team had a short cross-keiko training just before the WKC. His kendo is very proper.....very nice...and very sharp....

Aoi

3rd August 2003, 06:50 PM

Thanks for the quick reply(s).
I can see B Smith's very respected... Probably a "Miyazaki of Australia" I suppose? At least it sounds like it from the "5 times Australian Champion" ....and participated 5 times World Champs...??? Must be pretty old then?

Anyway, thanks for the info, and if there's any sites showing the match, please send me a note!
Be looking forward to Team Australia at the next World Champs.

magnuspreeston

5th August 2003, 08:47 PM

I saw B. Smith fight against Ando. It was inspiring. I thought the referees were favoring the Japanese player a bit, and he was lucky to get the two points back... Just my impressions.

By the way, speaking of Downunder teams, who was the Taisho for the New Zealand team? NZ01 I think. He was kicking butt against players almost twice his size. He looked very polished.

I didn't know that kendo was so good down that side of the earth.

Magnus Preeston

KhawMengLee

5th August 2003, 10:21 PM

Alex Bennet. One of the founders of kendo world and this forum.

moocow65

6th August 2003, 11:14 AM

yeah man, i was watching that match with ando and smith. i was kinda scouting ando for tenken because i figured that tenken would meet him later on in the tournament. that was a NICE kote that smith got on ando. i was hoping smith would win. that would have been great. yeah, dubi and smith both gave ando a hard time. i was really impressed. my main man alex was awesome too.

Kendoka

6th August 2003, 12:15 PM