Kirkland Kendo Club

Julie Chen Sensei (Kendo 5th Dan) leads Kirkland Kendo Club, founded in 2021. Noelle Grimes Sensei (Kendo 6th Dan) also teaches and has over 20 years of kendo experience. The club teaches traditional kendo and follows the guidelines of the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF) and the International Kendo Federation (FIK). It's affiliated with the PNKF and the AUSKF.

Classes run in quarters through Kirkland Parks and Community Services, and they're open from age 8. The beginner class follows a roughly 10-week curriculum, with a new unit each week. Beginners need no equipment for the first class, only loose clothing for exercise, such as sweats; at that class, they buy a wooden practice sword (bokken) and a bamboo practice sword (shinai) from the club, and sword bags are optional. Intermediate and advanced students train in their own class.

Outside the summer quarters, practice is on Wednesday evenings in the gym at Finn Hill Middle School: beginners at 6:00 pm, the intermediate and advanced class at 6:30 pm. Summer quarters meet on a different day and at a different venue. The club doesn't list class fees or a trial, so it makes sense to check both with the club before the first class.