Roughly since 2009 I have been collecting information about encounters between European and Asian fencers in sparring situations, which could be categorized as sport fencing encounters, fought in protecting equipment and with non-lethal swords. Several posts about the subject – Kendó (2016), Versus (2018), West vs East (2018), Castello (2020) – were written on this blog.
This year in August the Second Hungarian HEMA-symposium called Symposium Stellare was held in Budapest, where in his presentation Előd Somogyi mentioned my name and showed two photos from this blog. It was a pleasant surprise indeed!
After having reread the above-mentioned posts I decided to check the net if some new materials on the subject have been uploaded somewhere. First a rather standard Castello „Conte Coma” Google-search has been performed with no interesting outcome. Then a second one – Castello Cuba kendo – has resulted in digging out this rare photo.
I couldn't believe my luck!
A dated photo, stating the name of participants and also the exact location.
Completely amazing!!!
In the picture we can see Castello with a sabre (presumably) against Maeda in kendo equipment and with a shinai. It is worth noting the wide fencing stance of the European sabreur and his elbow protection. Based on the artifacts in the room we could say that this is a classical fencing salle. Taking into account the amount of protective equipment we can be sure that an assault could have been fought in 1911, between Castello and Maeda. Naturally the fencer should have been careful with his thrusts because the tip of his sword could easily have passed between thick wires of men (kendo helmet).
It is rather nice to have a visual confirmation of Martinez's words: „I do know that in 1911 in Havana (Cuba) Maestro Julio Martinez Castello faced kendo master named Conde Cano (Kano?), I believe. And he used his saber against master's shinai, and I believe that Castello was victorious in that encounter.” The only small correction must be made: Mitsuyo Maeda was not a kendo master, he was mainly judoka and prizefigther.
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