July 23, 1963:

The Chicago Kendo Club is established.

May 2, 1964:

The Chicago Kendo Club is renamed “The Chicago Kendo Dojo” (“CKD”), with Yoshimitsu Nakamura as its head instructor.

1966:

Kotaro Oshima, kendo kyoshi 7-dan, of Waseda University in Japan visits CKD.

1972:

Frank Matsumoto is named head instructor of CKD after Yoshimitsu Nakamura returns to Japan.

1973:

BTC Junior Kendo Dojo is formed by Reverend Yukei Ashikaga, Naoji Yui, Stanley Kadoi and George Izui.

1974:

The Midwest Kendo Federation is organized. A kendo team from Waseda University in Japan visits CKD, led by Toshio Watanabe, kendo hanshi 8-dan, and Kozo Ando, kendo kyoshi 7-dan. Dr. Gordon Warner, kendo kyoshi 7-dan, visits CKD.

1975:

CKD joins the All United States Kendo Federation (f/k/a the Kendo Federation of the United States of America) in July 1975, upon the invitation of Torataro Nakabara, hanshi 8-dan, and Gene T. Eto, kyoshi 6-dan.

1976:

Masami Tanaya, kendo hanshi 8-dan, Sadakiyo Matsumoto, kendo hanshi 8-dan, Kuniyoshi Okuzono, kendo kyoshi 7-dan (later kendo hanshi 8-dan), and Shinjiro Mineshige, kendo renshi 6-dan, all from Japan, visit CKD.

1978:

Frank Matsumoto, Robert Thompson, Allan Matsumoto, and Ed Kaihatsu, all members of CKD, participate in the United States National Kendo Championships held in Los Angeles, California.

1986:

Takeshi Nakamura, kendo kyoshi 7-dan (later kendo hanshi 8-dan), of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy in Japan, visits CKD.

1987:

Tohru Iwahori, kendo kyoshi 7-dan, of the Osaka Prefecture Police and winner of the 1986 All Japan Kendo Championship, visits CKD.

1996:

CKD takes first place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.

1998:

CKD takes second place in the team competition at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes second place in the women’s division at the same Detroit tournament, and at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament. 

1999:

Sung Hwan Kim  takes second place and Jee Hwan Kim and Yoshi Kurokawa each take third place in the shodan/2-dan division at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.

2000:

Shiho Miyamoto takes second place in the women’s division at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament. 

2001:

CKD “A” takes second place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Yoshiyuki Kurokawa and Kenichi Ishihara each take third place in the 3-dan and up division, Shiho Miyamoto takes third place in the women’s division, and Valera Vulfson and Kevin Park take first and third place, respectively, in the mudansha division, at the same Midwest tournament. 

2002:

CKD “A” team takes second place in the team competition at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament. Kenichi Ishihara takes second place in the 4-dan and up division, and Valera Vulfson takes first place in the mudansha division, all at the same Detroit Tournament.  CKD takes first place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes third place in the women’s division at the same Midwest tournament.

2004:

CKD “A” takes second place in the team competition at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament. Osamu Wada takes third place in the 4-dan and up division, Noriyuki Mizuuchi takes third place in the 3-dan division, and Young Nam takes second place in the shodan division, all at the same Detroit tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes third place in the women’s division at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.

2005:

Yusuke Inoue and Masamichi Sakamoto take first and second place, respectively, in the 3-dan division at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.  CKD “A” and “B” take first and second place, respectively, at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes first place in the women’s division, Yusuke Inoue and Jee Hwan Kim take second and third place, respectively, in the 3-dan and up division, Sang Jin Lee takes first place in the mudansha division, and Noriyuki Mizuuchi and Ronan Remandaban take second and third place, respectively, in the shodan 2-dan division at the same Midwest tournament.

2006:

Yoshiyuki Kurokawa takes third place in the 4-dan and up division at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.  CKD takes third place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes first place in the women’s division at the same Midwest tournament.

2007:

CKD takes third place in the team competition at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.  Yusuke Inoue takes third place in the 3-dan division at the same Detroit tournament.  CKD takes third place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes third place in the women’s division at the same Midwest tournament

2008:

CKD takes second place in the team competition at the annual Detroit Open Kendo Tournament.

2009:

CKD “A” takes third place in the team competition at the annual Midwest Kendo Federation Tournament.  Shiho Miyamoto takes third place in the women’s division at the same Midwest tournament.