The Culmination of 3 Cultures
Growing up in Toronto, a city renowned for its diversity, has been a blessing. The convergence of cultures and ideas has enabled opportunities and experiences that have shaped a prosperous life.
Every day, I drop my daughter off at Ikebata Nursery School and see parents of different races and backgrounds; all hoping that their kids can own a little piece of their Japanese heritage. Everyone is treated equally, without discrimination or prejudice.
It wasn't always that way.
Growing up as a minority in the suburbs of Toronto in the 80s, my brother and I faced the occasional bullying and minor taunting for being Asian; for speaking Cantonese. While we were mocked for being of a different race, I didn't feel resentment towards my heritage. Instead, I embraced it even more.
My brother and I were fortunate that our mom had the will and the means to take us back to Hong Kong on a regular basis -- the first time when we were less than 2 months old. Our regular visits reinforced that I was part of a much bigger culture. A proud culture. One that can survive over 12,000 km away from its core.
Gaining Hong Kong citizenship nearly 20 years ago was a momentous occasion in my life, and one that means even more to me now that I have a daughter of my own. I hope she learns that being Canadian means embracing both the culture of her birth place, and that of her family’s ancestry.
On March 28-29, 2019, I participated in the inaugural Hong Kong Asian Oceanic Iaido Invitational Championships. It was an experience I had been hoping for for over a decade. A chance to participate and represent the place my parents and grandparents called home. Little has made me feel as proud as I did when pinning the Hong Kong zekken (nametag) onto my gi (practice uniform). Funny how a little piece of cloth can mean so much.
This tournament was an opportunity for Iaido practitioners and organizers in East Asia to show their abilities to themselves and to three senior Japanese Sensei from Tokyo: Ms. Atsumi Hatakenaka (Kyoshi 8-Dan), Mr. Itoh Shigeo (Kyoshi 8-Dan), and Ms Kyoko Endo (Kyoshi 7-Dan).
By all accounts it was a great success, with local Iaido leaders demonstrating their dedication and commitment to learning and growth for themselves and their community.
Day 1 began with Dan/Kyu examinations up to 2-Dan with candidates coming from across China, Macau, and Hong Kong. The panel was chaired by Mr. Roberto Kishikawa (Iaido 5-Dan, Kendo 8-Dan), and I was proud to contribute as co-secretary. All candidates were successful, and the panel received some valuable tips from Hatakenaka Sensei.
Day 2 was the tournament, where the majority of judges and competitors, participating in Iaido taikai for the first time, performed admirably. I was again glad to help out wherever I could with volunteer training, competitor orientation, and judging the individual and team matches.
So many individuals donated their time and effort to making this event a success, but I would like to especially recognize two that went above and beyond.
Immense respect goes to Ms Lydia Chan for translating and coordinating participants and volunteers in four different languages! I’ve witnessed for years the toll such a job takes, watching my wife. Switching languages takes much cognitive effort. Dealing with the eyes and ears of participants, and their high expectations for clear and immediate translation is more stressful. But the hardest part that nobody sees is the feedback From the Japanese Sensei to the organizers. The Sensei expect perfection, and when they don’t see it, they let make their displeasure known. The translator can often feel like they’re the brunt of the criticism. It’s not easy. Ms Chan did an amazing job of staying poised and focused for each and every participant, and for that she deserves so much praise.
Finally, I’d like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Ms Agnes Lee, for her vision and leadership in making this event possible. She demonstrated exceptional organizational skills the days and weeks leading up to the event, amazing flexibility and adaptiveness during the event, and a humble and eager-to-learn attitude when receiving feedback from the Japanese Sensei. This was an exceedingly ambitious undertaking. I had organized 4-5 local tournaments before attempting a national one, and 2-3 more before doing an international event. The Japanese Sensei have exceptionally high expectations, and as far as I could see, they were most pleased with the result. Congratulations, Agnes!
The world wide Iaido community is small. The ease of global travel is making it smaller, and opportunities for us to support each other as participants and volunteers have never been so plentiful. I’m optimistic for the future of Iaido in Hong Kong, and look forward to supporting this community more and more in the years to come.