On a warm weekend in June, the annual Kensei Iaido Taikai 2025 took place in Prague, featuring both a high-level seminar and a competition. The event was led by three distinguished instructors, all 7th dan holders, representing Greece, Switzerland, and Austria. Our dojo participated with a strong group of seven members, our largest delegation to date at this event.
The seminar began on Friday evening with an open two-hour keiko. Although attendance was modest, this turned out to be a great advantage, as participants enjoyed plenty of personal attention from the senior instructors. There was no shortage of nanadans willing to stop by, offer insights, and help refine techniques.
Saturday was dedicated entirely to the competition. The tournament opened with the rokudan category, where our sensei Marián delivered a confident performance and secured first place, setting the tone for what turned out to be a highly successful day for our dojo.
For two of our beginners, Marek and Vincent, this was their first experience in a taikai setting. Both performed excellently, Marek earned a bronze medal and Vincent was awarded a fighting spirit prize for his determination and spirit on the shiaijo..
In the shodan category, the final was an all-dojo match between Maroš and Matúš, with Maroš once again claiming the gold, repeating his success from the previous year. In the nidan category, Kristína and Matej faced each other in a strong match, and Kristína emerged victorious.
After the individual matches, the team competition followed. As in previous years, we entered two teams under their now-traditional names Čučoriedky and Žubrienky. This time Žubrienkyadvanced to the final and took home a beautiful second-place finish, while Čučoriedky secured bronze.
Sunday morning resumed with the seminar portion, where participants were divided into three groups according to their level. In the afternoon, Marek and Vincent successfully passed their 1st kyu examinations, rounding off the weekend on a high note.
The entire event was, as always, very well organized. The atmosphere throughout the weekend was welcoming and full of positive energy. The instructors brought great insight and technical depth, and both the competition and grading sessions ran smoothly. One area for reflection, however, is the relatively low number of local Czech participants. With more than half of the attendees coming from abroad, it’s clear that the event enjoys international recognition, but such a high-quality seminar and taikai deserves greater support from the domestic iaido community as well.
As a dojo, we’re proud of our members’ performances and achievements. We look forward to taking part in more events like this in the future, continuing to grow and learn together as a team.
