[Kvkcgktl]

Alexpollijr-san,

Interesting. One has to agree on the fact that a country's standing at world championship is related to its popularity. Like basketball in America. Also something about support from local authorities. Gymnastics in eastern Europe & China; Marathon in Africa.

But note who's fighting for Brazil in WKC?-
O. Kumura, E. Onaka, J. Toida, J. Sato, F. Hayashi.....

Not only in Brazil (sorry that you've pointed it out), but obviously in America, Canada etc. Very few home-breed (btw, I mean in their "blood", excluding the 2nd generation...) kendoka made their way into the national squad.

Why??
I would be deeping impress if every country has homebreds representatives. Afterall, it's about promoting Kendo in countries other than Japan, not Japanese fighting for other countries... It shouldn't be like some football league employing footballers from other countries to win for them...

Sad fact, but that's the world.

[Roker]

Dear Mingshi san

I write that those 409 have paid assurance to our KA. In our country KA demands assurance for everyone who practise Kendo in our clubs. So I wonder who wants to pay for assurance if he or she don't practise. Why non-active former member wants to pay assurance, I wonder .I don't know how different are habits in Japan. I have seen about half of these 409 kendoist with shinai actively studies kendo with serious spirit in our country. To me they are active kendoist and I believe the second half, which I have not seen are the same. And once or twice a week practice is better than never. Do you practise every day in your Dojo? What kind of active kendoist is to you then?

About your questions:
1. In Finland in about 5,1 million inhabitants so our brave 409 is a small and tight group. Less than one against ten thousand.
2. About ratio of women I suppose that it is 10 - 15 %

It is possible that my poor skills of English language twist what I want to say. English is not my mothers tongue. For that I am sorry

Jklak

[Si8jy8HN]

Dear Mr. Russel

I meant so that about how many people is in your kendo federation ar association.

Gszab

[StitlyDute]

Hi Simon Chien!

I know so that in Japan there is about 1.5 million kendoka, who posses dan grade and altogetherther there is about 6 million people, who practises kendo.

Gszab

[investor]

How is such a statistic found? What does one classify as a 'kendoka'? ...One who has simply practiced in the past? (and for how long?) or one who still actively studies kendo?

(just curious)

[jokiruss]

Hi all!

I am interested in that how many people practises kendo in your country? In Hungary there are only about 400 people.

Cheers

Gszab

[Avaboormavoro]

Ohhayo~

AlexPolli San, I would have explain myself clearer if my English is a bit more organized. You see I have exclued the 2nd generation of Japanese in foreign countries. Mainly because... I don't understand how to 'catergorize' them. To my knowledge, many of the Kendo Associations around the world do not have much Japanese as committee members/officials. This is to let the locals govern/promote/whatever Kendo as they wish, which (I think) will reduce the speculation that the Japanese are promoting a national sports that onlly benefits themselves. I suppose in the UK there's a national championship... Only kendoka holding British passports can enter the shiai... For the same reason.

For some (political) reason, I don't support China in the FIFA world cup...I may actually want to bet on China to win a whole lot of money. But I do support the women's team!! (sorry, off topic)

Jklak san, how could you say members are active when they've paid to the KA? But it's difficult to define the word 'active' too. In Japan I guess you've to practice every day to become an active member... Once or twice a week? Nah~

Other Questions to keep you thinking:
1. Ratio of countries' population to no. of kendoka
2. Ratio of women kendoka (haha, far more interesting)

[pkopwqzsdcvbn]

Relax gszab in my country there are 46 kendoists!

[casinobonbone]

Dear all,

I am from Taiwan and I'm new to the forum.

I think the Kendo population at Taiwan is from 6000 to 10000.

Is it true that the Kendo population is around two million at Japan

and up to eight hundred thousand at Korea ?

Simon Chien

[snova]

Sorry Jklak, I apologize for any confusion.

May be it's just the case in the UK...... beginners also have to pay the KA... for temporary membership. I guess people are really scared if the beginners get hurt for doing things wrong. Secondly there are also people went on resting for their knees (eg. my sensei...), people went on for holiday, for work, busy doing something else, skipping for classes etc. Very rare cases I suppose. And may be once in a while. That's why I said it's difficult to define "activen-ess". Really sorry about this misunderstanding. Just blame my poor English manner. ^_^"

There's a list for Dan grades in Europe at the EKF site. Don't know when they last updated this... Very Odd... you can find people with their KA numbers, names and grades... Where's privacy? Anyway according to the list, here're the # of Dan grades for some of the european countries:

Belgium: 315
Germany: 511
Netherlands: 354
UK: 892

btw, I really want to complain that many KA sites didn't have enough information. Yeah people are paying for taking part in the Tournaments and seminars and all that, but they should have records showing up in their sites too. Like the Japanese one, they have records charts for all the national championships (the police, school kids, ladies, inter-prefecture, etc.)... You'll see who's fighting against who, name, age, dan AND # of years they've entered the competition, and most importantly, how they scored (M, K, D, T or X/hansoku) you can even trace them back in 3-5 years. Also grading records and statistics... you know, congratulating new passes...

Afterall, I think informative sites should be updated regularly. Event and results should come second, after the dojo list.

(should have started a new thread """)

[bribiaLaubysdggf]

Greetings to all

Here in Finland we have 409 active member and 13 clubs in FKA (Finland Kendo Association) in the end of year 2001. These 409 people have paid licence and assurance to FKA so I think that I can say for them that they are active kendoist.

Jklak

[SaamanthaSterlyng]

Mingshi,

It raises another interesting point. I've recently met and practiced with Ernesto Onaka. He's the son of japanese parents. However, he was born and has Brazilian citizenship.

The word 'homebreed' is extremely hard to define in this fashion. Take me, by example. I'm the son of Italian immigrants. However, since I was born here I am Brazilian, not italian. Ernesto, as well, is Brazilian , due tto he same reason. The only inhabitants of Brazil were the indians, and there are very few of them now to tell the story. The rest is made up of immigrants from other countries, like Germany, Italy, Portugal, ..

I'll take that you mean people with other origins than japanese. And yes, you're indeed quite right. I believe that it's too soon to have other people with enough skill to fight the WC, since kendo has bursted in popularity only recently. In some time, however, I believe that this is going to change since now many non-japanese-blooded individuals are taking up kendo seriously.

Anyway, they're not from other countries. They're 100% Brazilian. Plus, we're going to teach the Japanese team a lesson in this year's Soccer World Cup in return for the decades of kendo beatings. I just reminded that you are from China, arent' you?

Alex Polli

[Abofedrorobox]

Hi there

In Brazil lots of people practice it. After WWII there was a large immigration from Japan, therefore it becamse reasonably popular, as you can see by our country's standings at the WCs