Founded in 1988 by Bert Heeren, Renshinjuku kendo dojo (錬心塾剣道) has grown to be one of the Netherlands’ most popular dojo for ... “the way of the sword”. While training in Japan, Bert Heeren was asked by Furuya-sensei (古谷先生) to start a dojo in the Netherlands. Having been gifted the dojo’s name (which means “Training improves spirit and body”), training soon began in Amstelveen. Now, after more than twenty years, Renshinjuku has grown to include two dojo and around a hundred members. We have an eclectic mix of students, ranging from recreationally oriented members through to competition level kendoka. Our membership is well balanced: ages range from 7 through 60+, women account for 30% of our membership and we have many nationalities on board (including plenty of native Japanese). The Renshinjuku dojo is well known for its good quality kendo and our kendoka are often placed in tournament finals. We pride ourselves on the fact that ALL members are growing through kendo. read more