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The The photo above shows men
demonstrating Kendo Tacoma,
Beginning Washington, during the mid-
A Kendo Dojo, or “the place for studying the 1930s.
way” was established in Honolulu in the late
1890s. Other early Kendo clubs in include Fall
ones in San Francisco (1907), Seattle (1909),
Denver (1912), and Los Angeles (1914). In World War II was the darkest hour
speci. c, the earliest one in Canada was in for Kendo in North America.
British Columbia (1913). After that, Kendo Before World War II, Kubota
Dojo began to ourish on a small scale in Yutaka Sensei tried to explain the
North America. purpose of Kendo to the
Southern California Federal
After decades of development, the number Bureau of Investigation Branch
of practitioners reached its peak in the pre- Of ce. He also invited Special
World War II period around 1941. In addition Agent Grand (FBI) to the Kendo
to the two big Kendo clubs in downtown Tournament, hoping that these
Seattle, there were six smaller clubs in the connections with the authorities
Puget Sound region, three in Portland would put Kendo in a more
Metro, and scattered enthusiasts. Between favourable perspective given the
them, the two downtown clubs reported tense political situation at the
several hundred students. Numbers in time. Despite his effort, North
British Columbia are unknown, but there American Kendo clubs closed after
were six clubs, with the largest being in the Japanese attack on Pearl
Stevenson and Vancouver. To top it off, a Harbor, as many club leaders were
total of 150-200 Kendo practitioners were in arrested as potential dangerous
Canada and another 300-400 were in enemy aliens.
Washington and Oregon.