剣道日本２０２３年３月号の「海外実力派剣士」にご登場いただいたのは、カナダ剣道連盟の副会長を務めるアラ・マキコさんです。アラさんは世界大会では団体３位３回、個人戦ベスト８も１回記録した強豪剣士。家族で剣道を愛好している方です。英文を掲載します。
How old were you when you started kendo and why did you start?
I started kendo at the age of 12. Kendo has always been a part of my family’s life, as my father was an instructor at the Vancouver Kendo Club. I did not have much interest in kendo when I was younger, and chose to play other sports like skating, softball, and gymnastics. As I got older, I saw the value of kendo and through the encouragement of my father, started my training. I haven’t looked back since.
Is there anyone in your family who plays kendo?
My entire family does kendo! I met my husband through the Canadian National Kendo Team. My son (10 years old) and daughter (12 years old) both practice kendo. Kendo is a really big part of our lives.
How many times a week and where do you practice?
I practice at Renbu Kendo Dojo in Burnaby, British Columbia. Burnaby is in the suburbs of Vancouver. I practice twice a week. I am one of the instructors at the dojo and our students range from 7 years old to over 70 years old. We are a little kendo family.
What did you feel after participating in international championships?
I was a member of the Team Canada program for 10 years. I hold many cherished memories with my teammates from each international championship. It’s amazing how many countries are represented at the World Kendo Championships. Each time I competed, I could feel that the level of competition was rising around the world. I was competing before the era of YouTube, so we didn’t have a chance to see what kind of kendo was being practiced by our competition. Each World Championships was a blank book. We trained as hard as we could, then went to the competition without much insight into the competition. Now, I think it’s a lot different, as there are so many videos available of your competitors.
What do you find attractive about kendo?
What attracts me to kendo has changed throughout my life. When I was younger, I enjoyed the physical aspects of kendo. Today, one of the most attractive aspects of kendo is that you are forced to face your personal challenges everyday during practice. There is always something to improve and to learn. One minute you are feeling so confident, then an opponent catches you off guard and you are forced to face your shortcomings. The constant up and down is so amusing! I look forward to seeing how my relationship with kendo evolves.
What are your future goals in kendo?
In 2023, I would like to challenge for 7 Dan in Japan. It’s a big goal, but I have set some personal milestones to clear, and I am excited for this new challenge.
Through my work with the Canadian Kendo Federation, I am also focused on growing kendo in Canada. I am particularly involved in developing more opportunities for the kendo youth in Canada. A big dream is to host a World Youth Kendo Championships one day!
Makiko Araさんの記事は、２０２３年３月号に掲載しています。