Russell Ichimura
Kendo, Renshi 6th Dan
Iaido, Renshi 6th Dan
Head Instructor Emeritus
Ichimura Sensei began training in kendo at the age of 9. He has over 50 years experience in both kendo and iaido. He has been training at DFWKIK for over 40 years, and became head instructor in the 1990’s. His philosophy is to always be patient in your training, and always strive to improve over time.
Yong Cho
Kendo, Renshi 6th Dan
Iaido, 1st Dan
Head Instructor
Cho Sensei became head instructor of DFWKIK in 2025. With over 20 years of dedicated kendo training, his teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that proper rei, beautiful kamae, and strong kihon form the true essence of practice. By cultivating these fundamentals, practitioners not only refine their technique but, more importantly, develop spirit and discipline.
David Cooper
Kendo, Renshi 6th Dan
Iaido, 5th Dan
Jodo, 1 Kyu
Cooper Sensei has over 30 years of training between kendo, iaido, and jodo. He studied under Nabeshima Sensei and Minato Sensei of DFWKIK. He attended the Foreign Leaders Kendo Summer Camp in Kitamoto, Japan. His philosophy is the study of the 3 budo have helped him to grow as a person over the decades, understanding the importance of discipline, hard work, and courtesy. He believes it is his obligation to pass these lessons on to others, and is happy to say he has grown his “kendo family” over that time.
Masayuki Mizuuchi
Kendo, Renshi 6th Dan
Mizuuchi Sensei started practicing kendo in 1989, starting his journey with Chicago Kendo Dojo under Matsumoto Sensei, Izui Sensei, and Kadoi Sensei. Discipline, respect, and etiquette were ingrained in his training. He competed in 7 AUSKF national tournaments between 1999 through 2017, representing MWKF, PNKF and SWKIF, placing 3rd with the Men's Team in 2017.
Kentaro Ninomiya
Kendo, Renshi 6th Dan
Ninomiya Sensei has 30 years (20 years in Japan + 10 years in the US) of dedicated kendo training. His teaching philosophy is rooted in what he learned from his experiences in Japan, which is to respect others, be strict in a proper way, have fun, and make friends for life through kendo.
Kazuki Yamamoto
Kendo, 5th Dan
Yamamoto Sensei has over 30 years of dedicated kendo training. His philosophy is to create opportunities for more people to experience kendo as well as pursuing better character development together through the practice of kendo.
Noemí Arnal
Kendo, 5th Dan
Arnal Sensei has been practicing kendo for over 15 years. She strives to share not only technique and discipline, but also the importance of finding joy in every step of training, so that kendo becomes a source of growth and fulfillment both inside and outside the dojo. As a member of the Spanish National Team, she represented Spain in two World Kendo Championships, experiences that deepened her appreciation for both the spirit and the community of kendo.
Adrià Navarro
Kendo, 5th Dan
Navarro Sensei began practicing kendo at the age of 16 in Barcelona under the instruction of Ryo Hiruma Sensei. Over the past 20 years, he has trained in dojos across several countries, including Spain, the UK, Japan, and the US. Throughout his journey, he has pursued competition not only as a way to test his skills, but also as a path to improve himself as a kenshi and as a person.
Mike Yu
Kendo, 5th Dan
Yu Sensei has been practicing kendo for over 15 years. He feels he has had the privilege to learn from many great sensei and kenshi. His goal is to improve both mental and physical discipline through training as well as learning from everyone around him. He strives to share with those who can benefit from his experiences.
Masashi Maeda
Kendo, 5th Dan
Maeda Sensei has been practicing kendo for over 20 years. He began his kendo training in Japan, and recently has come to the US. He believes that his experience in the US is helping him to widen his world and encourages him to learn more about the importance of fundamentals.
Rob Tranchin
Kendo, 4th Dan
Iaido, 4th Dan
Jodo, 3rd Dan
Tranchin Sensei has practiced kendo and iaido for 25 years and jodo for nearly 10. He believes that these disciplines constitute a path towards developing character as we live our lives outside the dojo. Courage, humility, and respect are just some of the benefits that come with practice, along with an appreciation for community. He believes we need others to help us improve, and has been fortunate to have had some wonderful teachers.