Bellevue Kendo Club

Jeff Marsten founded Bellevue Kendo Club in 1989, and its classes are offered through the City of Bellevue Parks and Recreation Department on a quarterly basis. That gives newcomers a fixed way in. The beginner class follows a set 10-week curriculum, with a new unit each week, and the club says that for anyone new to kendo, “it is best to start at the beginning of a quarter.” Juniors from age 10 train in the same classes as adults.

Nothing needs to be brought to the first class beyond loose clothing for exercise, such as sweats; at that class, beginners buy a wooden practice sword (bokken) and a bamboo practice sword (shinai), and a shinai bag is optional. The club keeps a stock of bokken, shinai, uniforms and rental armor, sold at a discount from retail, and students who move on to armor can rent used armor through the class.

Training happens on one evening a week, Friday. The beginner and intermediate classes start at 6:30 pm, and the advanced class runs 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Jeff Marsten is the club's founding sensei (Kendo Kyoshi 7th Dan). The dojo is led by David Yotsuuye Sensei (Kendo Renshi 6th Dan) and Harry Samkange Sensei, who teaches the advanced class. Bumsoo Lee and Leonid Tsybert teach the intermediate class, and three more assistant instructors hold 4th Dan. The club is a member of the Pacific Northwest Kendo Federation, and tournaments are part of its activities.