In light of the new changes to COVID-19 guidelines by the government, the Board is pleased to announce the following effective Tuesday 05 April 2022. No vaccine mandate for members – unvaccinated individuals can train No contact tracing or signing in (unless required by the venue) Unrestricted kendo training including kiai However, from a general hygiene standpoint the Board still requires: Hand hygiene Face shields or mask as a normal part of bogu training with kiai If unwell, do not come to training If individual clubs wish to maintain a higher level of protection for their members then it is their prerogative to do so.

Dear club managers, We are putting together an NZKF calendar for 2022. So, we are asking all club managers of our affiliated clubs to inform us about your club’s plans regarding hosting and organizing budo-related events. Make sure that you send us the following information: 1) hosting club’s name 2) name of the event 3) date of the event (in case of the multiple days, make sure that you write all the days) 4) short description (one short sentence is fine) Please note that the deadline for event list submission is: April 10, 2022 (Sunday) 

Dear NZKF membersAs a Federation, we have tried to be as responsible and responsive as possible withgovernment recommendations regarding COVID-19 and how we practice Kendo in NZ.With the current situation of increasing numbers of cases with COVID and widespreadcommunity transmission, the Board have reviewed the current NZKF recommendations on training andhave put forward a new proposal for kendo training. The current mandatory requirements (as per the NZ government) that DO NOT change are: • Members and visitors are vaccinated• Contact tracing• Hand hygiene• Masks (non-cloth) to be worn at all times by everyone inside the dojo• One-meter social distancing• If unwell, stay away and seek medical advice The new NZKF proposal for kendo bogu training is as follows: • Unrestricted jigeiko and shiai but face shields only to be worn with no kiai• No tsubazeriai – get used to this as this will become the new normal• One-meter distancing• Limit of 20 minutes or best of individual physical ability Non-bogu training is permitted but masks are strongly encouraged and no kiai The Board wishes to move forward with this proposal commencing Monday 07 March 2022. As always, anybody with symptoms must not train and the emphasis is on keeping each Read More …

The federation is transitioning to an online database (Hello Club) to manage our membership data and information. Until the new system is put in place, the next few months may be somewhat disjointed. Keeping a detailed and accurate record of gradings during this time is of particular importance. If your club is planning on holding a Kyu/Dan examination, we ask that the following protocols be followed. The NZKF stresses that all clubs comply with the following steps as non-compliance may result in grading results being nullified. A detailed description of the procedure can be found in the document below, as well as the examination form template.

The meeting for the Board of Directors Update, Draft Strategic Plan and Zoom Meeting previously scheduled for the 6th March 2021 will now be taking placeon the 27th March 2021 at 1pm.

Dear Kendo Leaders, I hope this email finds you all well in the New Year.  COVID-19 made 2020 an unusual and challenging year for people all around the world, impacting on family, education, work and health.  For these reasons, quite understandably, many of our members, kendo during this time may not have been the highest priority in their lives.  I hope you have successfully navigated whatever challenges this time has presented you with. While there was some disruption to kendo, we all have been able to return to training according to the guidelines issued by the NZKF.  Kenshi in many other countries are less fortunate.  To that extent I would encourage you and your members to take advantage of the situation that New Zealand enjoys and continue with your training and kendo journey during this time. As you know, last year there was a substantial change in the governance and management structure of the NZKF.  A Governance Board was established to focus on the strategic direction, leaving the Management Board to focus on the running of the Federation.  This change was even more significant with the previous Management Team stepping down – many having served NZ Kendo in those positions for many years. With Board members based Read More …

Dear NZKF members As NZ approaches a step down to Alert Level 3 on Monday 27 April, what does this mean for keiko and kendo gatherings? In a nutshell: NO DIFFERENT FROM ALERT LEVEL 4 In the government guidelines below, gatherings are still prohibited, movement is still restricted to essential movement only and if people can stay home then they should. Low risk local recreation does not mean opening the dojo for practice as usual. Alert Level 3 Stay home other than for essential personal movement Physical distancing of two metres outside home (including on public transport), or one metre in controlled environments like schools and workplaces. Immediate household bubble can expand to reconnect with close whānau, bring in caregivers or support isolated people. Schools (years 1 to 10) and early childhood education centres can safely open, but will have limited capacity. Children should learn at home if possible. People must work from home unless that is not possible. Businesses can open premises, but cannot physically interact with customers. Low risk local recreation activities are allowed. Public venues are closed (e.g. libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds, markets). Gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed but only for wedding services, funerals Read More …

(The following statement was issued by the All Japan Kendo Federation. Please ensure your kendo practice is in line with the New Zealand government guidelines and Covid-19 alert level https://covid19.govt.nz) The number of COVID-19 infections is increasing rapidly worldwide, and Japan is no exception. There could be an explosive increase in the number of cases and even the collapse of the medical care system. The disease has been shown to spread rapidly by forming clusters around the infected person. Therefore, it is important for kendo practitioners to prevent the occurrence of such infection clusters as well as to prevent infection of themselves. The following is a request from the All Japan Kendo Federation to prevent the spread of an outbreak of COVID-19 infections. Especially in the prefectures where there are more than 10 people infected at the moment, please be sure to follow the instructions below. Please keep in mind, however, that circumstances are extremely fluid, and hence, these instructions are subject to change, depending on the circumstances. 1. Please stop the interpersonal practice (taijin-teki-keiko) for the time being. The Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have already indicated that the Read More …

Waikato Kendo Club is proud to announce the Ishida Kenichi Sensi seminar and the Waikato Club 20th Anniversary. 19th-21st April 2019, Hamilton For any questions or assistance, please contact Marleen Charng on marleen.charng@gmail.com.