
For this reason, there was no iaido competition at this event.Īfter Uchida Sensei’s term in office as Vice-President of Education was over, the reins of the iaido committee were passed to Yamaguchi Takeshi, a post he held until his passing in October 2012.

It was later decided that the camp should be open to all AUSKF members and focus on basic instruction and skill refinement. Since the original intent of the summer camps was to be a train-the-trainers camp where iaido and kendo practitioners holding upper dan ranks could come to develop their technical skills and receive instruction on teaching methods and philosophies. The iaido portion of the camp saw 127 participants. The summer camp drew participants form across the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and even South Africa. The iaido camp was held the 12th-15th and was followed by the kendo camp on July 17-20.

The selected host for the first AUSKF Iaido Summer Camp failed to forward efforts sufficiently to hold the camp in 1996 therefore, alternate plans were implemented and in July 1997, the AUSKF held its first summer camp in Colorado Springs. The first chairman of the committee was Mark Uchida, who was also the first AUSKF Vice-President of Education, and who had organized the first iaido seminar in 1994. Later this same year, the KFUSA evolved into the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF), thus the KFUSA-lead iaido efforts were passed to the newly formed AUSKF and its Iaido Committee. The perpetual trophy from this event, the Nakanishi Cup, donated by Nakanishi Yasushi Sensei, was carried forward as the top perpetual trophy until 2013 when it was retired in lieu of the elevation of the Yamaguchi Cup in memory of the late Yamaguchi Takeshi Sensei, the principal proponent of iaido in America. Although this event took place under the banner of the KFUSA it is recognized as the first national iaido championship. This seminar included a competition with three divisions: 3 dan and up, 1 and 2 dan, 1st kyu and below. The following year, 1995, the KFUSA helped sponsor a second seminar in New York City, which drew 40-plus participants. There was no iaido competition at this event. The first KFUSA iaido promotional examinations were held at the end with 11 iaido practitioners challenging for ranks from 3 kyu to 4 dan. The iaido seminar saw 21 participants, and focused on basic instruction. The event took place in May in conjunction with a kendo competition and workshop. It was under the Kendo Federation of the United States of America (KFUSA) that the first iaido seminar was organized and took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Iaido training at the national level had not been organized and sponsored by a national governing body until 1994.

History of the AUSKF Iaido Summer Camp and the United States Iaido Championship
