There has been a Kendo dojo in Edinburgh since 1988, but it has taken a few different forms. In the beginning the dojo was a member of Taiseidokai dojo, and was run by Romilly Squire. The head sensei of the Taiseidokai dojo group was (and still is) John Hepburn, now Rokudan Renshi.
In around 1998 Steve Bishop and Nairn Burns, both senior members of Taiseidokai Edinburgh, established a new dojo, called SEISHINKAN. For a time there were two dojo in Edinburgh but, after a while, Taiseidokai Edinburgh closed its doors, leaving Seishinkan to look after the Edinburgh Kendo populace.
In November 2000 George McCall (who started Kendo at Taiseidokai Edinburgh) came back from Japan (via Ken-Zen dojo NYC, and Hizen dojo London) and took over instruction of Seishinkan (Steve was studying in England, and Nairn retired).
At the beginning of 2002 it was decided – after long deliberation – to change the name of the dojo to EDINBURGH KENDO CLUB. Although it the change took place in 2002, it had been decided before then. The name change combined with the setting up of a new website in 2000 combined to give the the dojo a fresh start, and serve as the beginning of a new phase of kendo development in Edinburgh and Scotland.
For an article on the history of kendo in Scotland, 1970s-2003, please click here.
