Welcome back to all those who attended Kendo’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations!

Here are the individual pictures, as taken in Kendo’s Sanctuary.

If you click on a picture, a larger version will open in a new page, which you can save – Right-Click on it, and choose “Save Image As…”

Alternatively, if you would like the original full-size picture to be emailed to you, just drop us a line at admin@kendonagasaki.org

Enjoy!

Here are some pictures of the gifts Kendo received during his 50th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday 13th November – his deep gratitude goes out to those who were so generous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the movie that all wrestling fans have been waiting for – Kendo Nagasaki has just released his astonishing new film, “The English Samurai”.

Mystery and Mayhem – this is Kendo Nagasaki as described by New Generation Wrestling promotions, and they could not have been more accurate!

In an age where everything is explained, rationalised, and de-bunked, the mysteries behind the legendary masked marauder still endure, and they can be seen to go only deeper and ever deeper.

This movie features never-before-seen footage of a whole day surrounding Kendo preparing for a wrestling match, his limo-journey, his encounters with the media, the match itself, and a TV journalist getting more than he bargained for!

The match in question was Kendo’s last ever contest, a highly controversial and brutal clash which, in keeping with Nagasaki’s ruthless history, could only have one outcome – as long as he wasn’t disqualified for his outrageous tactics… Ouch!

And the mysteries? A hint of these have often been seen in the wrestling ring – Kendo clasping his hands to his ears and looking into another time and place, then returning to the fray with increased ferocity. It was said that he was communicating with his samurai ancestors, and finally, this film sheds light on such mysteries, and they go deeper than you could ever imagine…

Truly action-packed, fascinating, and deeply thought-provoking, this film reveals so much about Kendo Nagasaki that his fans have always wanted to know, and more… There’s even an opportunity to see the peace at the heart of the warrior, as he plays singing bowls as a meditation.

There’s never been a film like this – it spans centuries and relates to both the brutally real and the spiritually profound – qualities which Kendo Nagasaki effortlessly encompasses and expresses. For fans of The English Samurai’s unique brand of Mystery and Mayhem, this movie is a must-see!

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray at The Nagasaki Web Store, Region-Free on both formats.

 

 

Alternatively, see the trailer for the movie HERE

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Kendo Masks Back In Stock!

Within days of taking delivery of 13 new ‘A-Grade’ Kendo Nagasaki Wrestling Masks and putting them in the Nagasaki Web Store online shop – they’ve sold out!!

We’re arranging for another batch to be made, so please keep checking back, and we’ll let you know as soon as they’re here…

With 2014 being Kendo’s 50th Anniversary year, there is another 50th Anniversary being celebrated – that of the last Olympic Games in Tokyo. As Japan looks forward to hosting the 2020 Olympics, the anniversary of their last Olympics has brought the event to the foreground of awareness, and their significance to Kendo has also been eloquently re-visited in a new article in the Japanese media.

Our good friend in Tokyo, Chris Gould, has written an excellent article about how Yogensha was originally destined for the Tokyo Olympics to represent Great Britain in judo, but, of course, destiny intervened, preventing that, but bringing us the great Kendo Nagasaki instead through the immensely-skilled Yogensha. Chris’s article in the Japan Today online English newspaper re-visits both Kendo’s career in general, and specifically his relationship with Japan.

We were very pleased that Chris was able to come to Kendo’s July Event at The Retreat and soak up some of the Nagasaki atmosphere first-hand, and his experience is clearly reflected in his well-informed and insightful article. Head over to Japan Today to see what’s being said about Kendo in Japan during this important multi-anniversary year.

Today, everyone who has sent in their “First Experience of Kendo” tributes, as well as everyone who has applied for a guest place at the 50th Anniversary Event in November, will all be emailed to let them know Kendo’s decision on their application!

As mentioned previously, the 13 “First Experience” tributes which Kendo feels best reflect the spirit appropriate to his anniversary will be chosen to be read out by their authors at the Event, and all the other applicants who wrote in will receive priority consideration for the remaining places at the Event.

So – watch your inboxes! It’s likely to be this evening when all the emails will start arriving, so enjoy your day of anticipation!

We’re looking forward very much to seeing you all at the Event, best wishes until then – Atlantis.

It’s time for an update on Kendo’s 50th Anniversary Celebration due to take place at The Retreat on 13th November 2014.

Firstly, many thanks to all who have submitted their “First Encounter with Kendo Nagasaki” writings – there’s some great stuff there! Now for some organisational details…

As we mentioned previously, on 13th of this month, Kendo will announce which 13 entries have been selected as those he feels are most appropriate to the Anniversary Event in November (these will be the entries which will be read out by their authors on the night), and everyone who has applied – either with a “First Encounter” tribute or just to attend the event – will be emailed. Even if your entry is not chosen to be read out, all those who have submitted an entry will be first in the selection process to attend the event.

We foresee that after 13th August, there will still be non-reading places available to attend the Event, so anyone else who wishes to attend the Event in November can still apply for a place, by emailing us on 50YearCelebration@kendonagasaki.org.

At the Event, Kendo is also planning to hold another Affirmation Stick Burning Ceremony; this is something which was very well received at July’s Event, and so, unless the weather is absolutely prohibitive, he will hold another such ceremony after the reading of the tributes in November. For those who don’t know about this ceremony, in Japan, such sticks are used to convey aspirations, hopes and wishes, such as long life and good health, or success in a new business venture, or safety on the roads, or even good luck in love! If there is any particular thing or energy that you wish to bring to yourself, writing it onto the stick and having it ceremonially burned will release it to the deities, who will then bring that energy to you.

Please watch the Kendo Blog for further updates on the November Event, and all things Kendo Nagasaki!

***Special Announcement!***

As many of you already know, this year marks the 50th Anniversary of Kendo Nagasaki’s spectacular debut upon the British Professional Wrestling scene, and consequently, he is holding a Special Celebration to mark the occasion.

There is, of course, a further 50-year anniversary celebrated this year involving Kendo, which is that of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, during which, for the first time ever, Judo was included in the games. It was under the tutelage of the great Kenshiro Abbe that the Man Behind the Mask, Yogensha, had intended to compete in that Olympics, but destiny decreed that Kendo Nagasaki would take precedence.

The Celebration Event will take place at exactly 50 years to the minute from Kendo’s first ever wrestling match – he first appeared in the ring at 9:00 pm on Friday 13th November, 1964, so the Official Celebration will be marked at this precise date and time.

The Celebration will take place at the Kendo Nagasaki Retreat in Staffordshire on the 13th November 2014, which is a Thursday. Invited guests will assemble between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm, and there will be a buffet meal before marking the occasion at 9:00 pm. Invited guests will be able to spend an entire evening with the great Kendo Nagasaki.

How do you get a place at this very Special Event? You have to do 2 things…

Firstly, you need to write about your first experience of Kendo Nagasaki. It doesn’t need to be an essay – in fact, the shorter, the better, as this relates to the second thing: at the 50th Anniversary Event, you will be required to read your tribute out to Kendo and the other attendees.

How many places are available? Well, in keeping with the theme of the Celebration, the 50 people who write the most interesting, most dynamic, and the best observed recollections of their first experience of Kendo Nagasaki will be chosen to attend. Typically of Kendo, it’s a challenge, so those of you who do best at meeting that challenge will be here on the day!

In recognition of the many levels of Kendo’s connections with Japan, a brand new Japanese Cherry Tree Orchard has been planted for the occasion containing 50 new trees, each planted to celebrate a year of Kendo’s wrestling and mystical presence. At the Celebration, the writers of the 50 best “Encounters with Kendo” will read out their tributes to Kendo at an individual tree.

So, get writing! Remember, it shouldn’t be too long – part of the challenge is to keep your story short and punchy, as there will be limited time to share them all.

You can apply by sending your story to 50YearCelebration@kendonagasaki.org. All applications must be received by midnight on Wednesday, 13th August 2014. You may also use this email address if you have any questions.

We look forward to meeting 50 of Kendo’s best and keenest fans on the occasion of his 50th Anniversary, and if you can meet his challenge, you can be there, and be a part of this historic event!

For those of you who have bought Kendo’s new Empowerment Meditation and have observed the reference to the Meditation page at kendonagasaki.org, and for those who are interested in the background to Kendo’s approach to meditation, we have now completed the updates to the Meditation page on the website. It’s deep stuff, but fascinating and helpful too – enjoy!

We now have a complete web page featuring the G-spirits article on Kendo as published in Japan last year, and it’s accompanied by Chris Gould’s excellent translation – you can find it here. Many thanks once again Chris!

If you click on the small page images in the article, it opens larger versions of the actual magazine pages, and you can also scroll through all the original pages. We’re very pleased with how it has turned out, and we hope that Kendo’s fans like it too – enjoy!

The wait is over! Kendo Nagasaki has now released his
Empowerment Meditation!

The meditation has been developed from the guided meditations as practised by Kendo Nagasaki at his Retreat, and it has his spiritual wisdom at its foundation. This is a true meditation, which gently and completely stills the conscious mind, and takes the listener on a journey to theta-state relaxation, which is the same level achieved by Buddhist monks after many years of practice.

You will hear the sounds of music, of nature, and Kendo’s specially-tuned singing bowls, as you are guided to a state of complete peace; with your consciousness completely at rest, the timeless wisdom of your intuitive self becomes available to you, and all the deeper levels of your self can come into balance. You will find the deep, centred peace at the heart of the spiritual warrior.

A 20-page booklet is included, which contains exquisite portrait photographs and explanations of the seven most symbolically-significant places in the grounds of Kendo’s Retreat. Just as when visiting The Retreat, reflecting upon these places and their meaning before meditation deepens your experience, and helps to reveal your own life’s path, and how best to live whilst travelling it.

Kendo’s Empowerment Meditation is a cornerstone of all his Pathways to Power – it is fundamental to health and well-being, to seeking spiritual wisdom, to self-improvement, to success and achievement, and – crucially – to healing; it is only by dispelling worry and finding the voice of your intuition that you can begin to understand the basis of the challenge of a health issue, and the deep relaxation and intuitive awareness facilitated by this meditation place you in the best possible state for receiving healing energies.

For everyone in search of confidence, inspiration, wisdom, strength, healing, balance, and inner peace, this meditation is a unique, profound, and genuinely empowering experience; start using it today – it will change your life!

Appearing in the Nagasaki Web Store today is a new item of art – a poster of the fantastic painting of “Impressions of Nagasaki”, by Mike Furniss.

You might have seen the painting in videos of Kendo sat at his desk, and those who have been lucky enough to have attended The Retreat and seen his office for themselves will know just how dynamic the painting is – Kendo appreciates it so much that it’s been hung along with his cherished Dan Grade Certificate as hand-written by sensei Kenshiro Abbe.

We’ve done everything possible to do justice to this fantastic painting – it’s been digitally photographed in super-high definition and printed on high-quality glossy paper, and is reproduced life-size, the same as the original, with the colours carefully matched to the contrast and saturation of the original. Even the depth and grain of the oil paint on the canvas is faithfully reproduced.

All the foregoing faithfully reveals the true depth of the artist’s talent – Mike Furniss’s keen eye for movement and dynamism has found an ideal subject in Kendo Nagasaki, and each and every vignette is alive with Kendo’s power and dynamism.

Get yours today! In every respect, from subject to execution, this painting, these “Impressions of Nagasaki” comprise a true work of art.

Honoured Guests of the 13/11/13 “Event”: – please find yourselves and Download!

To all who attended “The Kendo Nagasaki Special Event” on 13/11/13, here are all the Official Pictures!

You are welcome to download the pictures, and you have two options – you can download the picture as it appears in the Blog, or you can download a full-size version…

If you want the picture in the size that you see it in the blog (along with the other pictures), just right-click on the picture, and choose “Save image as…”, and you will be able to save the picture to your computer.

If you’d like to have the full-size version of a picture, click on the picture, and it will open in a new window, showing a full-size version of the picture, scaled to your browser window. You can then zoom in, if you want to.

To download the full-size picture, whilst looking at it in the new, bigger window, right-click on the picture, and choose “Save image as…”, and you will be able to save the image to your computer.

…then please let’s have some feedback – we’d welcome hearing your thoughts on these pictures of the great day!

A Japanese Journalist’s Report from The Retreat!

Professional Wrestling in Japan is a big deal – Japan is described as one of the “Big Three” in the world regarding the popularity of professional wrestling, which makes it a very big business indeed. Foremost among publications covering Japanese professional wrestling is G-spirits Magazine, and the issue released on 25th September 2013 carried a major feature on Kendo Nagasaki.

We were contacted by Japanese wrestling journalist Mr. Hiroshi Arai, who wanted to write a comprehensive article on Britain’s iconic wrestling superstar, and, as he comes from the land of Kendo’s ancestors, we decided that the only possible response was to invite him to The Retreat and honour him with hospitality and an open-ness to Kendo Nagasaki which was appropriate to his interest.

Arai-san came all the way from Tokyo to spend a long day with us, and he was extremely thorough in his journalistic investigation – he must have taken a hundred photographs, and, including email follow-ups, asked several hundred questions, and the resulting article is a triumph, not only of information on Kendo Nagasaki the wrestler, but also the insights into Kendo’s links with ancient Japan which are included. Indeed, the title (in red Japanese kanji text) opens the article with this very mystery…

We will be bringing you a translation of the article in due course, but until then, here is the G-spirits article on the mysterious phenomenon which this prestigious Japanese magazine refers to as “The Legendary British Samurai, Kendo Nagasaki”.

Brand New Wearable Nagasaki Art!

An amazing new item of Kendo gear has just arrived with us – it’s a modern line-art illustration in vivid colour of Kendo in his signature pose, brandishing his samurai sword, just as he does before a wrestling match, to suitably terrify his opponent!

Called the “Indomitable Spirit” artwork, this sentiment, so typical of Kendo and his ancestors, is also present in Japanese script, as is Kendo’s classic signature.

This really is a most striking portrayal of Kendo Nagasaki, not just because of how clearly his classic stance is depicted, but also because the style of the art seems to give new insights into his power and poise… it’s as if he’s about to leap into devastatingly-skilful action!

This shirt will identify you as someone who appreciates all the skill and strength that Kendo Nagasaki represents, and as someone who has a keen eye for living modern art – get yours exclusively at the Nagasaki Web Store NOW!