Kendo in Rodchester (ny) or Binghamton (ny)

[bginop]

anyone aware of dojos in that area?

[Hai_hai]

anyone aware of dojos in that area?

Although it's usually pronounced rod-ches-ter. It's spelled Rochester.

Rochester Kendo Club
1115 E. Main Street Suite22
Rochester, NY 14609
Monday & Thursday 7:00-9:00PM
Sunday 12:00-13:00PM
Contact: Jose Rivera shoshin@rochester.rr.com
(585)482-7830

[bginop]

lol you are right about that, i dont know why i spelled it like that. Heh another thing that is funny everyone in New York has road runner. By the way thanks for the times.

[MartialArtsGirl]

Hey everyone-
I know this is an old thread, but I am wondering if anyone knows of the main (only?) dojo in Rochester NY. (Shoshin kendo club). The reason I ask is that, next june, I may or may not be spending a year in rochester and I really want to keep up my Kendo if I do. However, I have contacted the place via email (at the time I was saying I just wanted to visit/practice for a month or class or whatever I said) but they said something like...they are only for beginners (I told them I was from NYC) and that I should look into a college kendo club. (or maybe I misunderstood and they meant that the dojo was not for beginners? Bu I dont think thats what they said) Then, later, I called them, thinking that I could at least visit the dojo (I was in Rochester) and I didnt mention that I had any kendo background hoping that they wouldnt remember my previous email. Just to see what response I'd get. I just wanted to get some info you know? I left a voicemail but I never got a call back.

Anyway I am super frustrated; I mean, does this dojo even exist? Does anyone know anything about it? If I stay in Rochester for a year, is this a place I could train at, so that at the least I wont forget everything? IS there a place I could train at in Rochester if I stay there for a year?

Maybe this is actually just a university club after all? The whole thing is just so confusing! I heard that the AUSKF website is not always up to date, so...
Anyway, I just want to know if it's realistic to be able to keep up my kendo practice if I stay in rochester for a year. Anyone who could help out, or knows anything about the Kendo club(s) in Rochester ny please let me know!

Thanks

[sirius1906]

AUSKF website says there's a club in University of Rochester. But the contact info is outdated. Charles Goodall is actually at Ken Zen now.

[kpmooney]

It's been a while since I lived in Upstate New York, but there were three clubs in Rochester last I knew: The Rochester Kendo Club, RIT Kendo Club and U of R Kendo club. I am not sure if they are all still active. The folks down the road in Buffalo are still very active and would probably know better than I. If you want, I could put you in touch with the Buffalo folks, or contact them myself and ask for you.

[sobasan7]

another club in rochester is the R.I.T. club, they are not registered in the AUSKF site but they used to be led by Matsushita sensei (yondan) until he graduated and now i think it is still run by Travis Ichikawa-san (nidan) and a handful of other (nidan) and (shodan) students "last time i checked."

I think Ichikawa-san is also the current head of the UR Club, but don't quote me on that one

as for the shoshin dojo in rochester they are mainly a Karate dojo however Rievera-san also has a sandan in kendo. i remeber he had a pretty eclectic kendo schedule mainly training when we called him up with a big group of people.

[Reia Ichikawa]

Travis has been a sandan for a long time. He's quite a bit better than that, but hasn't tested for over a decade. At some point, rank is not so important unless you're in Japan and want to teacher certification or compete in important tournaments. Kendo opportunities in America are limited, so some Japanese kendoka don't test for higher ranks outside of Japan. That said, we all need to devote as much personal time as we can to promoting kendo and diligently practicing everyday. In that way, the true spirit of kendo lives on regardless of our individual locations. Ganbatte kudasai!