Ballarat Kendo Iaido Jodo Club

Tony Pickering began Kendo in 1988 with the Ballarat Kendo Club and has remained a loyal member ever since. He has achieved many milestones as a member of the Ballarat Club and as a representative of the Victorian Kendo Renmei both Nationally and Internationally.

The first Ballarat member to win a State Kyu Individual Championship.

A member of the first Ballarat Team to win the State Open Team Competition.

A regular member of the Victorian Kendo, Iaido and Jodo teams to National tournaments.

Tony attended the Summer School for Foreign Kendo Leaders in two consecutive years as a 2nd Dan.

The first Ballarat Club member to train at the Kyumeikan Dojo in Tokyo under Kubo Sensei.

A past Secretary of the VKR Executive.

A member of the Australian Team that placed in the final eight at the Hong Kong (Regional) Invitational Kendo Tournament in 2003.

Tony currently holds the rank of 5th Dan in Iaido, 4th Dan in Jodo and 2nd Dan in Kendo, his Jodo rank making him the highest ranked Jodo Ka in Victoria. He resides in Melbourne and has his own Iaido Dojo in that city, Tojinkai Jodo & Iaido Club.