Kendo

This weekend, the University of Texas Kendo Association and the Austin Kendo Doshikai hosted the 8th Longhorn Invitational Team Kendo Taikai here in Austin. Teams from around the U.S. and Mexico were represented.

I have to say, this was the coolest event I have had the chance to attend since moving to Austin, despite the crappy parking at UT ($10 event parking) and the fact that there weren’t a lot of seats for spectators. The event cost for guests was free. So you can’t beat that.

Here are some photos from the event:

If you didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s taikai, keep your calendar open for next year. Generally, the tournament occurs on the second or third week of October.

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So, you’re in Austin, and you think there’s nothing for you to do this weekend? Oh, you know I can’t just leave you in the dark. There is plenty to keep you busy. … In fact, I have a feeling I’m going to be quite exhausted by Sunday evening.

Friday, October 23rd

UT Austin Anime Club – 7:30pm – Starting 3o minutes later than normal, the UT Anime Club will be showing the following episodes:
- To Aru Majutsu no Index #9
- Toradora! #9
- Nodame Cantabile, Paris Chapter #9
- (Break: Tokkyuu Tanaka 3-go #7)
- Legend of Galactic Heroes #63
- Revolutionary Girl Utena #9
- Spice and Wolf II #8
- Zan Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei #9
- Zettai Karen Children #30
Austin Anime Meetup Group – 7pm – Austin’s coolest anime meetup group will be having a meetup downtown at one of its member’s home. Currently, the meetup is full, but there is waiting list if you want to get on it.

Saturday, October 24th

Austin Kyudo Club – I’ll bet you didn’t know there was a kyudo (traditional Japanese archery) club in Austin. Well, there is, and they’ll be meeting at the Austin Shambala Meditation Center at 9am on Saturday. If you’re interested, let me know, and I’ll give you the e-mail address of the coordinator.
Arcade UFO’s Tekken 6 and Soul Calibur 4 Video Game Tournament – 12pm - $2 to attend/$10 to compete – Ready to kick some ass? Test your might against some of Austin’s best video gamers at Austin’s only coin-operated Japanese video game arcade. Bring your own PS3 or PS4 controller or just use the machine’s built-in controls.

Sunday, October 25th

Longhorn Invitational Kendo Team Taikai – 9am to 4pm – This Sunday, the University of Texas Kendo Association and the Austin Kendo Doshikai will host kendo teams from around the U.S. and Mexico in their annual Longhorn Invitational Taikai at L. Theo Bellmont Hall (BEL). Here’s a video from one of the previous taikais:

Here’s the tournament PDF document.

Advanced Sushi Workshop – 1pm – As I mentioned before, the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin is hosting an advanced sushi workshop. $35 for JASGA members/$40 for non-members.

So, as you can see, there’s plenty to keep you busy this weekend if you’re willing to get off your couch. I should be at most of these events, so feel free to introduce yourself and get your picture taken.

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