UMKC Club History 1989 - 2009

1989

President: Sofie Macak

Secretary: David Hook

Treasurer: David Aldridge

• Apr 14: Booking for Gym at the Frank Tait Building, approved
• Apr 17: First Training
• May 22: 1st Beginners Course, training now Mondays and Thursdays
• May 23: Opened club bank account
• July 1: Registered as VKR Club, 4 members
• Oct 26: Special General Meeting, 7 members present, adoption of Draft Constitution, election of Office bearers

1990

President: Sofie Macak

Secretary: David Hook

Treasurer: David Aldridge

• Mar 22: 1st Annual General Meeting
• July 15: Kenshikan Dojo opens

1991

President: Scott Dewar

Secretary: David Hook

Treasurer: Monica Murdoch

• Apr 27/28: Weekend Training Camp Gisborne High School
• Apr 29: 2nd AGM - 11 members present, 2 apologies
• July: Eight members registered

1992

President: Scott Dewar

Secretary:

Treasurer:

• April: Weekend Training Camp Gisborne High School
• 3rd AGM

1993

President: Scott Dewar

Secretary: Graeme Currie

Treasurer: Chris Panagopoulos

• Now training in West Stadium
• Apr 28: 4th AGM, 13 members, 2 apologies
• May 29/30: Weekend Training Camp Queenscliff High School.  Monash University Kendo Club members also attend
• July 10/11: University Kendo Championships held at Melbourne University 25 Competitors

1994

President: Nick Hannigan

Secretary: Graeme Currie

Treasurer: Chris Panagopoulos

• Apr 25: 5th AGM, 7 members, 3 apologies
  Name change to University of Melbourne Kendo CLub
• May 29: Sofie Macak, a foundation member and first Club President, passes away after short illness.
• July 9: University Kendo Championship Adelaide, “probationary official University Championships” 27 competitors, 6 Universities represented.Nick Hannigan UMKC selected in a nominal Australian Universities Team

1995

President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

• 6th AGM

1996

President: Chris Panagopoulos

Secretary: Caleb Paul

Treasurer: Graeme Currie

• May 1: 7th AGM
• 28 - 29 Sept Australian Kendo University Championships held at ANU. UMKC represented by Chris Panagopoulos, Caleb Paul, Junko Ito, Katherine Lucy, Kang Yang Lim, Kenji Sugimoto and Norito Komatsu.

1997

President: Chris Panagopoulos

Secretary: Caleb Paul

Treasurer: David Bell

• 8th AGM
• 7 - 8 June Australian Kendo Championships held at University High School Melbourne. Victorian Kyu Team wins gold medal with UMKC members Graeme Currie, Chris Panagopoulos and Caleb Paul.
• Sept: AUG in Melbourne, host Latrobe University, UMKC Kyu Team 2nd place.
• Mumeishi 3's: UMKC 1st place- Kang Yang Lim, Kenji Sugimoto, Daisuke Morohashi.
• Club kyu grade championship winner - Junko Ito.

1998

President: Chris Panagopoulos

Secretary: Graeme Currie

Treasurer: Kenji Sugimoto

• April 29th - 9th AGM, 19 present, three apologies.
• AUG held in Melbourne
• Club kyu grade championship winner - Josh Orth

1999

President: Chris Panagopoulos

Secretary: Kenji Sugimoto

Treasurer: Isaac Kong

• 22nd May - UMKC's 10th anniversary - celebration to commemorate this event including dinner at Nagasaki Japanese Restaurant in Carlton.
• April 28th - 10th AGM, 21 present, one apology
• Club kyu grade championship winner – Kenji Sugimoto
• Victorian Kendo Championships: Kenji Sugimoto 2nd Kyu Individuals, UMKC 2nd Kyu Teams (Chiaki Kobayashi, Isaac Kong, Kang Yang Lim, Kevin Rees, Kenji Sugimoto).
• AUG – Perth 26th Sept – 1st Oct. Kyu individual – 1st Kenji Sugimoto, Open team – 3rd place Kenji Sugimoto, Chris Panagopoulos and Kevin Rees, Green and Gold Selection: Kenji Sugimoto, and Chris Panagopoulos.
• Mumeishi 3's: UMKC 3rd place – Graeme Currie, Chris Panagopoulos, Kenji Sugimoto.

2000

President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

• 26th April 11th AGM
• Victorian Kendo Championships: Kenji 2nd place, Daisuke 3rd place Kyu Individuals.

2001

President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

• 12th AGM
• Club kyu grade championship winner - Kang Yang Lim
• UMKC win the Mumeishi 3's Tournament

2002

President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

• 13th AGM
• VKC: Kang Yang Lim - 2nd place in the Kyu Individuals
• AKC: Kang Yang Lim - 2nd place in the Kyu Individuals

2003

President:

Secretary: Andrew Lam

Treasurer:

• 14th AGM
• AUG Newcastle
• Ben Sheppard opens Nanseikan Youth Kendo Dojo
• Chiaki Kobayashi wins Kyu Individual at the VKC, Kang Yang Lim receives Fighting Spirit award.

2004

President: Lin Wei Chen/Michael Dunn

Secretary: Andrew Lam

Treasurer:

• 15th AGM
• Ben Sheppard attains godan (5th dan), becomes sensei
• 44 people attend the training camp in Ballarat

2005

President: Michael Dunn

Secretary: Jimmy Leong

Treasurer: Kevin Chin

• 16th AGM
• AUG Brisbane: UMKC Kyu Team 1st, UMKC Open Team 2nd, Avi Ganesan 3rd Kyu Individuals, Green and Gold Team selection - Kevin Chin.
• UMKC Team B win Mumeishi 3's tournament, Team A 2nd.
• Russell Tran and Tom Mendelovits, along with Gary Oliver from Ballarat win the Otsuka Memorial Taikai.
• VKC: UMKC Kyu Team 1st, Kyu Individuals Avi Ganesan 2nd, Jon Teo 3rd.
• Club Championship Results: Senior Kyu - Taiki Matsueda 1st, Avi Ganesan 2nd, Begginers - Viet Hoang 1st, Berkay Ozcelic 2nd.

2006

President: Thomas Mendelovits

Secretary: Viet Hoang

Treasurer: Pei Chin Yau

• Nittaidai University held a training session at UMKC in February.
• Over 100 people attend the Beginner's Course.
• 17th AGM
• Over sixty people attend the Ballarat Training Camp.
• AUG Adelaide: UMKC Kyu Team - 1st Place, UMKC Open Team - 2nd Place, Kyu Individuals - Tom Mendelovits 1st, Ivan Chen 2nd, UMKC win five of the top eight placings.
• Victorian Kendo Championships results: UMKC Kyu Team - 1st, UMKC Dan Grade Team - 2nd, Kevin Wu - 2nd Place Kyu Individuals, Andrew Lam and Chris Panagopoulos - 1st Place Kata Pairs, Janice Tong and Andrew Lam - Fighting Spirit Awards.
• Yakov Macak Sensei receives the title of Renshi at the AKC.
• Chiaki Kobatashi competes at the World Kendo Championships in Glasgow Scotland.

2007

President: Viet Hoang

Secretary: Pei Chin Yau

Treasurer: Natalie Chiang

• Nittaidai University Kendo Club visit for training and seminars.
• 18th AGM
• Kenji Sugimoto attains yondan (4th dan).
• Andrew Lam and Chris Panagopoulos win the VKC Kata Pairs.
• AUG (Gold Coast): UMKC Kyu Team - 1st Place, UMKC Open Team - 2nd Place, Christina Jong - Quarter Finalist in Kyu Individuals.
• Mumeishi 3's Tournament won by UMKC B Team.
• 30 Uni students from the Kanto Gakuren (Kanto Area Students
  Kendo Renmei) visited for training.
• For the first time UMKC has enough dan grade members to hold a dan grade event at our Club Championships.
• Club Championships Results: Dan Grade - 1st Kenji Sugimoto, 2nd Kevin Chin. Senior Kyu Grade - 1st Alex Lee, 2nd Son Nguyen. Beginner Kyu Grade - 1st David Tay, 2nd Zia Atmaja.
• Yakov Sensei received a special certificate of commendation at the the Australian Kendo Championships for his years of service at national level as a President, as Chairman of the Kendo Board and as a competitor and Shinpan.

2008

President: Viet Hoang

Secretary: Peter Huynh

Treasurer: Kin-On Tham

• 19th AGM
• AUG Melbourne (Victoria University), UMKC win both Kyu Teams and Dan Grade Teams events
• Kyu team win VKC
• Club Championships: Dan Grade - 1st Josh Orth, 2nd Kenji Sugimoto. Senior Kyu Grade - 1st Kevin Huong, 2nd Tony Shearer. Beginner Kyu Grade - 1st Alvin Ng, 2nd Richard Loi.
• Kevin Chin receives Full Blue award.
• UMKC receives MUSA Best Club award.

2009

President: Kin-On Tham

Secretary: Richard Zhou

Treasurer: Viet Hoang

• April 3rd - MUSA Presentation dinner at the Bayview Eden hotel for Kevin Chin's Full Blue award and UMKC Best Club award for 2008.
• March 29th 1st Kyu - 3rd Dan grading: David and Masa - 1Kyu, Tony, Andy, Kevin H, Viet - Shodan, Kevin C. - Sandan. UMKC's largest representation at a dan grading.
• AKC: UMKC members Kenji Sugimoto, Andrew Lam and Kevin Chin selected for Victorian Open team, Russell Tran in Kyu Grade Team. Open team places 2nd.
• April 22nd - 20th AGM
• Club Championships, held on Nov 31st and Dec 2nd: Junior Kyu Division - 1st Richard T'en, 2nd Takeshi Hartono. Senior Kyu Division - 1st Kin-On Tham, 2nd Alvin Ng. Women's Division - 1st Thuy Vi Dinh, 2nd Nur Farhana. Dan Grade Division - 1st Kenji Sugimoto, 2nd Andrew Lam. Fighting Spirit - Nor Farhana Fauzy, Vi Dinh, Jeffrey Khor.