11/05/2026
We were proud to host the MUKEN Taikai 2026 over the weekend as part of the Beyond Blue Mental Health Match, welcoming 100+ participants from 9 clubs across Victoria.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who competed, supported, and volunteered - your contributions made the day such a success. We hope you left with memorable experiences, new learnings, and meaningful connections.
Kendo teaches us discipline, resilience, and perseverance, but strength also means knowing when to rest, when to reach out, and when to accept help.
This year, we were proud to fundraise for Beyond Blue, with every dollar from registrations going towards supporting mental health and wellbeing across Australia. Together, we raised over $1,400 for this important cause. Thank you for helping us support a cause that affects so many 💙
The 2026 MUKEN Taikai results are as follows:
Junior Kyu Division (Ungraded-4 Kyu)
🥇 First Place: Tomas Pastore (RMIT)
🥈 Second Place: Leslie Son (MUKEN)
🥉 Equal Third: Baron Hsiao (Mumeishi) & Ethan Tran (Monash)
Senior Kyu Division (3-1 Kyu)
🥇 First Place: Nathan Tran (MUKEN)
🥈 Second Place: Leslie Son (MUKEN)
🥉 Equal Third: Man Ho Chen (Monash) & Tommy Dinh (MUKEN)
Junior Dan Division (1-2 Dan)
🥇 First Place: Michael Douch (VUKC)
🥈 Second Place: Thang Nguyen (MUKEN)
🥉 Equal Third: Andrew Duque (VUKC) & Sandra Chen (MUKEN)
Senior Dan Division (3-4 Dan)
🥇 First Place: Thang Nguyen (MUKEN)
🥈 Second Place: Josh Wildey (Monash)
🥉 Equal Third: James O’Neill (MUKEN) & Takuto Kabata (RMIT)
Women’s Open Division
🥇 First Place: Koume Saegusa (MUKEN)
🥈 Second Place: May Chung (MUKEN)
🥉 Equal Third: Jana Laya (Kenshikan) & Tian Zhang (MUKEN)
Fighting Spirit Awards
🏅 Campbell Waters (RMIT)
🏅 Jana Laya (Kenshikan)
🏅 May Chung (MUKEN)
🏅 Cheryl Low (MUKEN)
🏅 Johnny Nguyen (RMIT)
Best Shinpan Award
🎖️ Jeffrey Khor (MUKEN)