65th All Japan Kendo Championship

Hidehisa Nishimura of Kumamoto claimed first place at the 65th All Japan Kendo Championship on November 3rd at the Tokyo Bodukan.  This video features the final match between Nishimura and Ryoichi Uchimura of Tokyo.  This is Nishimura's second time winning the championship at only 28 years old—you can see why in the first video below!

For years, Nishimura has idolized Uchimura and has worked hard to develop his own version of Uchimura’s style of kote attack.  Nishimura used that very attack to win the match with his long-time hero, Nishimura.

Uchimura observed kendo etiquette, and showed little or no emotion, during what must have been a pinnacle moment in his young life.  Similarly, Nishimura showed grace and dignity after the match, as the two  calmly removed and bound up their gear. 

At the time the match originally aired, observant viewers, fluent in Japanese heard the announcer describe Nishimura and Uchimura's acknowledgement of one another after immediately after the match: “[t]hey looked for each other and Uchimura looked like he gave Nishimura some sign.  It appears that at that Uchimura says to Nishimura, “well done”  (よくやった。).  

​This is a good example of the rich subtleties of the Būdō, that are largely hiding in plain sight.”

For more info, check out the All Japan Kendo Federation website.