Welcome to Fudokan
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Fudokan provides expert instruction in the Japanese martial arts of kendo and iaido for adults and youth in the Washington DC metro area. Our members form a diverse and welcoming community that supports participation in martial arts training. These mind-body disciplines enables people to build confidence, deepen self-awareness, increase determination and improve strength, fitness and coordination.
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Founded in 2015 by Rod Faghani Sensei (kendo 6th dan Renshi and iaido 4th dan), Fudokan welcomes youth and adults from beginner through advanced levels.
We invite anyone interested in the traditional values of swordsmanship to come train with us. |
Schedule & Locations
KENDO
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KENDO Monday & Thursday
KENDO Saturday
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IAIDO
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Sidwell Friends Lower School
5100 Edgemoor Ln, Bethesda, MD 20814
🚙 Our dojo has private parking
5100 Edgemoor Ln, Bethesda, MD 20814
🚙 Our dojo has private parking
Join Fudokan
We welcome members who want to learn kendo and iaido throughout the year. No prior experience is required. For kendo, students must be at least 7 years old and for iaido, 13. Equipment may be borrowed for the first few classes.
Please contact us for permission and visiting instructions.
Fudokan is a member of AUSKF, GNEUSKF and affiliated with Shidogakuin.
Please contact us for permission and visiting instructions.
Fudokan is a member of AUSKF, GNEUSKF and affiliated with Shidogakuin.
DISCOUNTS
Iaido |
Free iaido classes available for all kendo students age 13 and up |
Friends & Family |
Bring your friends or family members and you will all save 20% when paying together |
🇺🇸 Armed Forces 🇺🇸 |
20% individual discount, 40% family discount for active duty & veterans |
Pay Annually |
Annual membership discount of 10% payable by check only |
PAYMENTMembership fees may be paid online or by check, monthly or annually. Please contact us for details.
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FEDERATIONSAUSKF and GNEUSKF membership dues are required, enabling us access to seminars, tournaments, and certified rank promotion.
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VISITORSAll visitors are welcome.
Please contact us for permission and visiting instructions. |
Follow Fudokan on Instagram
Calligraphy by Shozo Kato Sensei
About Fudokan
Fudokan has a very deep meaning, based on Fudoshin — immovable mind. Fudokan represents “The house of immovable minds.” An immovable mind is one of the most important lessons of any martial art, and in fact, of life. Our immovable minds are not distracted by the acts of others that prevent us from concentrating on our goals.
Fudokan is built on the commitment of integrity, quality and community. We encourage people of all ages to participate in a healthy activity with centuries of proven results, and become active members of a welcoming community.
Fudokan is affiliated with Shidogakuin, and our head instructor is Rod Faghani, kendo 6th Dan Renshi and iaido 4th Dan. Shidogakuin's head instructor, Shozo Kato Sensei, kendo 8th Dan Kyoshi and iaido 7th Dan Kyoshi, provides periodic training seminars to our members, and our members visit affiliate dojos when possible.
Fudokan is built on the commitment of integrity, quality and community. We encourage people of all ages to participate in a healthy activity with centuries of proven results, and become active members of a welcoming community.
Fudokan is affiliated with Shidogakuin, and our head instructor is Rod Faghani, kendo 6th Dan Renshi and iaido 4th Dan. Shidogakuin's head instructor, Shozo Kato Sensei, kendo 8th Dan Kyoshi and iaido 7th Dan Kyoshi, provides periodic training seminars to our members, and our members visit affiliate dojos when possible.
Fudokan Instructors
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Rod Faghani Sensei
Fudokan Founder and Head Instructor Kendo 6 Dan Renshi, Iaido 4 Dan Faghani Sensei's martial arts journey began with Karate in his youth in Tehran, Iran. This journey led him to study Shotokan karate in Japan and to become a member of the Iranian National Karate Team, from 1972–1977. After moving to the U.S. in 1979, Faghani Sensei continued karate until January 1997 when, in his 40s, he started kendo and iaido. He achieved the rank of kendo 6th Dan in April of 2015. As the founder of Fudokan, his mission is to continue training and to enable people of all ages to learn about the way of the sword and its many mind-body benefits. |
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Andre Chen Sensei
Kendo 5 Dan, Iaido 5 Dan Andre started kendo in 1999 and achieved the rank of kendo 5th Dan in 2017, followed by the rank of iaido 5th Dan in 2024. A seasoned kendo and iaido practitioner, some of Andre's competition successes include:
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Brian Wright Sensei
Iaido 5 Dan, Kendo 3 Dan Brian received his formative martial arts training in taekwondo under Dr. Ken Min at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was also first exposed to iaido. After moving to Washington DC in 1991, he sought out iaido training —and began kendo a few years later— while remaining active in university-based martial arts at the George Washington University. During his 23-year tenure there, he designed and taught several martial arts courses including: Taekwondo; Japanese Swordsmanship; Asian Martial Arts: Origins & Development; Kendo; and, Iaido. He also coordinated instruction for the taekwondo and kendo clubs. Since the summer of 2015, Brian has focused his efforts on creating new martial arts training opportunities for the greater Washington DC community.
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Summerlin Walker Sensei
Kendo 5 Dan Summerlin started kendo as a freshman at George Washington University in Washington, DC and officially joined Shidogakuin after graduation in 2004. Kendo has allowed him to make friends with people from a wide range of backgrounds and social groups whom he might not have encountered under other circumstances. He appreciates kendo as a “way of life” and encourages others to try it.
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Brian Beckford Sensei
Iaido 6 Dan, Kendo 5 Dan Brian grew up and began practice of kendo and iaido in Miami, FL in 2001. He spent the first 5 years focused exclusively in practicing the basics without any tournament or shinsa involvement. He is a physicist in his professional life having earned a doctoral degree at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. During that time (~5 years), Brian trained extensively in Kendo and Iaido and was fortunate to learn from some highly skilled and experienced instructors. He has been remarkably fortunate to train, compete, and successfully advance in ranks in both Japan and the USA.
Brian strongly believes our continued practice in these martial ways is a path to preserving a significant cultural jewel, to developing ourselves, and to learning compassion and humility such that we can serve as a source of inspiration and a model, guiding others along the way. |
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Alistair Faghani Sensei
Kendo 5 Dan Following in his father’s footsteps, Alistair started kendo at age five and has been practicing for almost 20 years. At the last U.S. Championships, Alistair placed 5th in individuals and 2nd in teams. In 2019, Alistair was selected as a member of the U.S. National Kendo Team and is currently training for the next World Kendo Championships. His ultimate goal is to bring up the next generation of Team USA, and introduce as many kids as possible to the martial art that shaped his life.
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Takayuki Shirai Sensei
Fudokan representative in Tokyo, Japan Kendo 5 Dan, Iaido 2 Dan Takayuki practiced kendo for more than 20 years in Japan. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He joined Fudokan in 2016 and achieved the rank of kendo 5th Dan in 2017. He always tries to acquire various ways of scoring points through trial and error. His favorite Japanese proverb is “Mei-mei no kokorozashi” -- this means “Do not stop hard efforts, even if nobody is looking at you.” |
The Way of the SwordKato Sensei discusses how timeless notions of stillness and motion come together through the lens of the modern Japanese martial arts of kendo and iaido
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