2025.10 KENDOJIDAI
Composition: Teraoka Tomoyuki
Photography: Nishiguchi Kunihiko
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At the 23rd All Japan Invitational 8th Dan Kendo Championship, Iguchi, Kyoshi 8th Dan, advanced to the finals in his second appearance. In the previous tournament, he suffered a serious injury, rupturing his Achilles tendon during a match, and this event marked his long-awaited return.
“It may sound strange, but in a way, the injury turned out to be a blessing. During the year of recovery, I had the chance to deeply reflect on my own Kendo,” he says.
Having competed in numerous tournaments both in Japan and abroad, he shares his thoughts on what he is now focusing on and how he continues to face Kendo today.
Iguchi Kiyoshi, Kyoshi 8th Dan
In 2022, he retired from the police and became a faculty member at Ryutsu Keizai University, where he now serves as head coach of the university’s Kendo club. In April, he reached the finals at the 23rd All Japan Invitational 8th Dan Kendo Championship.
Turning Injury into a New Phase of Kendo
Last year, during his first appearance at the 8th Dan Championship, I ruptured my Achilles tendon. It was the first time in my Kendo life that I had suffered such a serious injury, and I must admit I was quite shaken. It also happened to be around the same time I left the Saitama Prefectural Police and began working at Ryutsu Keizai University, so I didn’t have a regular doctor to rely on and remember feeling rather lost.
Through a friend’s connection, I was introduced to a trustworthy doctor, who told me that I could choose between surgery and natural healing. I decided on surgery, as it carried a lower risk of re-rupture.
It took about three months before I could walk again without any support, and about six months before I could return to practice. Of course, I couldn’t go full speed from the beginning — I started with basic practice, simply trying to rediscover how my body moved.
After returning, my goal was to compete again in the 8th Dan Championship. Since it is an invitational tournament, participation is only possible if one is selected, but if given the chance, I wanted to show Kendo that didn’t reveal any trace of my injury. Eventually, my doctor gave me permission to compete in February of the following year, and shortly after that, I received the notice that I had been selected to participate.
During the six months of practice leading up to my return, I realized that it would be impossible to fight in the same way as before the injury. In the past, if I felt I could reach from a long distance, I would commit fully and launch myself forward. But now, honestly, that kind of movement frightened me. Because of that, after the injury, I began consciously working to close the distance more than before. In a way, this became the silver lining of the injury, as it led me to shift toward a style of Kendo that places greater emphasis on seme (offensive pressure and spirit).
In the past, I often attacked by drawing my opponent in while stepping back, but now that puts too much strain on my Achilles tendon when moving forward. At a more fundamental level, even taking a single step in to strike felt frightening at times. To reduce the strain, I began closing the distance with two smaller steps instead of one big lunge, and focused on moving forward proactively rather than waiting and drawing my opponent in. As a result, my style of offense changed significantly.
Training the Same Way Against Any Opponent
Practicing Kendo that Breaks the Opponent’s Balance
Since 2022, I have been serving as the head coach of the Kendo club at Ryutsu Keizai University, which has brought a completely different training environment from my time with the Saitama Prefectural Police.
The biggest change has been my goal. While I had also focused on guiding younger officers during my police days, at the university I have taken on the great responsibility of helping students in their formative years reach their full potential. My main role is now to nurture them, placing my own development second.
Even so, as an 8th Dan, I still have a duty to pursue self-improvement. I sometimes join the students in basic practice, and I believe that by approaching each training session with clear objectives and awareness, I can continue to develop my skills regardless of the circumstances. More than anything, after the pandemic, when my training opportunities had become limited, being in an environment where I can practice almost every day has been deeply gratifying and vital for maintaining my competitive ability.
In my current training, I make a conscious effort not to simply evade or respond to the students’ attacks, but to take the initiative myself, breaking their balance and striking decisively. I especially focus on drawing my opponent out through seme and striking the instant they move. Each student has a unique style, and some practice very unorthodox forms of Kendo, which sometimes makes them surprisingly difficult to face. Still, I try never to change my approach depending on the opponent and continue working steadily to overcome my own challenges.
“To Push Through Completely Until the End”
My Training Was Not Wrong After All
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