History of Hizen Dojo

by Jeff Humm July 2003

Over the past few months I have been asked about the name and origin of the club. I have heard rumours about connections with other Dojos and teachers so I think I should set the record straight.

Jeff @ 3yrs old.

The club began with my brother, before I started Kendo. We saw a Kendo demo at a summer fair, my brother and I were both impressed by what we saw. Peter went off and found a Dojo to practice at; I was still at school and unable time to start at that time. Peter studied under Mr. Lean Bean at Hagakure Dojo. He became Mr Bean's first Shodan this was around 1972. At this time it was common practise for a Shodan to go off and start a Club, being a member of Hagakure Peter had read the book of the same name and in this he found an old map. The place name of where the book was written was Hizen prefecture, so he thought that this would be a good name. Thus the Dojo got its name and the club started around 1973 in South East London. I joined the dojo in 1974 and spent the next few years under my brothers wing.

Summer matsuri - Jeff (@ 15yrs) holding newspaper 1976

During this time Peter was given a sword by a father of one of my fathers judo students after giving a demo of Kendo. Peter did not know at this time how the sword would link the story of my visit to Japan and the beginnings of the clubs history. A few years passed and I was now visiting dojos to better my level of practise. I was asked at this time if I would like to go to Japan and be the first of a number of British Kendoka to go, as I was at a lose end I said that I would l like to go. Over the next few months the plans for the trip where drawn up and I found out that I was going to Saga prefecture, later in conversation I was told that this is the new name for the Hizen area.

I phoned my brother, but before I could tell him my news, he had started his, which was that he had had someone read the name on the sword that he was given some years ago and it was made by a sword smith call Hirosada and forged in Hizen prefecture! What fate he said, the club's name being the same as our Dojo. I replied "I can beat that, I`m going to spend the next year there", total quiet at both ends of the phone.

1979 Jeff with Blue Do - well it was the 70's.

For some time Peter had been saying that he wanted the sword to be returned to Japan (it was very special sword and I don't think this is the right place to tell the whole story so you will need to get me drunk first and it needs to be late at night for full effect) so this was a good chance for it to return home.

THE sword

The earlier part of the following year I was off to Japan, where I spent the next 14 months practising Kendo three times a day, six days a week. The sword was given to the local museum and it turned out to be priceless. The act of returning such a precious sword to Japan opened many doors for me while I was there and gave me some contacts which still remain very strong.

Jeff (@ 20yrs) with sword after it had been cleaned

Just before coming back to London Peter said that he would open up a new dojo so I had a place to practise when I returned. He found a church hall in Greenwich, south London and started to teach Kendo again, after having stopped for some time.

Peter and Jeff Humm, Greenwich 1984.

I returned in the spring of 1982 full of ideas and bursting with Kendo. The next year we spent teaching together, then peter stopped and went in search of something else. I carried on in Greenwich for another six years during this time Alex Burch and Martyn Lawrence started.

1986/7 spot Martyn Lawrence and Alex Burch.

Towards the end of 1989 one of my students who was a lecturer at UCL said that he could get us the use of one of the halls.

I saw this as a great chance to move into the centre of London. We spent the next ten years at UCL where the club grew and become stronger.

Where's Scotty? Anthony Scott starts kendo.

In the Autumn of 1999 we found ourselves in a position with the UCL student union which meant we could no longer practice there. So at this point I closed the class and moved to the present venue at Euston.

So this is the basic history of how the club started, there are many more details; but its very easy for events to be turned into fables so some things are best left unsaid.

As you all know our future goals, I can say that these may happen sooner than I had hoped for and then another page or our history can be written.