3rd Canadian National Iaido Championships

Registration opens in February

Welcome!

The CKF is excited to welcome you to our nation’s capital for the 3rd Canadian National Iaido Championships (CNIC) taking place from July 17–19, 2026.

This year’s event will be held at Carleton University, nestled between the serene Rideau River and the historic Rideau Canal, the world’s longest outdoor skating rink.

It’s a unique setting where nature, history, and modern campus life come together — a beautiful backdrop for a national gathering of Iaido practitioners from across the country.

  • Friday, July 17 — Shinpan Seminar

    Saturday, July 18

    • Seminar

    • Opening Ceremonies

    • Preliminaries for Provincial Teams, Regional Teams, and Regional Individuals

    • Seminar

    Sunday, July 19

    • Preliminaries for Open Division

    • Finals for Open, Provincial, and Regional Teams and Individuals

    • Closing Ceremonies

    • Seminar

  • Practice

    • Friday Seminar location TBD

    • Saturday & Sunday at Carleton University Athletic Centre, Ravens Nest Gym

    Accommodations

    • Carleton University Residence available (see Info Sheet)

    • Nearby Hotels close to the Airport (YOW) or downtown Ottawa

    Dining

    • Friday lunch included with Shinpan Seminar registration

    • Saturday & Sunday lunch included with Taikai registration

    • Saturday dinner banquet offsite

    • Weekend breakfast & dinner optional purchase at University Dining hall

  • The CNIC is open to active CKF iaido practitioners with Canadian Citizenship, Permanent Residence (PR), or active Canadian PR applications

    • CNIC seminars are only available to registered judges and competitors

    • 6-Dan & 7-Dan will judge and compete in embu taikai

    • 4-Dan & 5-Dan judges and must also compete in the open, provincial, or regional division

    Shinpan Seminar (July 17) — $75

    • Open to 4-Dan and above

    • Includes lunch

    Taikai (July 18-19) — $125

    • Open to all ranks

    • Includes lunch on both days

  • Three (3) travel subsidies have been generously donated by Team Canada Iaido to out-of-province representatives consisting of the following amounts:

    1. BC — Up to $700

    2. AB, MB, or SK — Up to $600

    3. NFLD, NS, or NB — Up to $425

    West Region leaders will decide on allocation for BC and Prairies, and East Region leaders will decide on allocation for Atlantic Canada

Taikai Divisions

Provincial
Each province may send up to 2 teams

  • Team Size: 3 competitors

  • Composition:

    • Senpo — Max 1-Dan

    • Chuken — Max 3-Dan

    • Taisho — Max 5-Dan

  • Format:

    • Preliminary = Group Round-Robin

    • Semifinals & Finals = Elimination

  • Events: Team matches only

Regional
Each region may send up to 2 teams

  • Team Size: 5 competitors

  • Composition:

    • Senpo — 1-Dan

    • Jiho — 2-Dan

    • Chuken — 3-Dan

    • Fukusho — 4-Dan

    • Taisho — 5-Dan

  • Format:

    • Team — Elimination, then RR

    • Individual — Elimination

  • Events: Both Team and Individual

Open
Non-provincial or regional reps will compete in the open division

  • Groups:

    • Mudansha

    • 1-Dan

    • 2-Dan

    • 3-Dan

    • 4-Dan

    • 5-Dan

  • Format: Elimination Bracket

  • Events: Individual matches only

Placeholder

Guest Sensei

A guest instructor from the All Japan Kendo Federation has been invited to lead the seminars and chair the competition.

Sensei will be announced shortly.