Burien resident Jeff Marsten is a man on a mission. He’s setting out to continue a tradition that’s been around for centuries and to cultivate a love of kendo in Seattle.

Marsten founded the Highline Kendo Kai club in 1976 – offering instruction in the ancient Japanese form of swordsmanship – and has been leading the group ever since.

On Monday evenings students of all ages gather in the White Center Community Center, 1321 SW 102 St., for lessons in this form of martial arts, which uses bamboo swords and protective armor.

Marsten also holds regular courses just north of Ballard at Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave N, and in Bellevue at the Highland Community Center,14224 Bel-Red Rd.

For Marsten, discovering kendo was akin to stumbling into a soul mate.

“Since I was a little kid, I wanted to learn swordsmanship,” he said. “I didn’t care what kind.

”While he was in college, he studied Japanese history, enjoyed samurai movies and eventually saw an ad in a magazine for kendo.

Marsten decided to check out the Seattle kendo club – and watched their practices for a number of weeks before he began to train.

“No one really wanted to teach there,” he said. “They wanted you to know how to do it already.”He wasn’t discouraged.

“I’m the kind of person who only gets more determined in that type of situation,” he said. “I was just obsessed with getting better. I wanted to make it to the U.S. team.

”Marsten eventually realized his goals. He was one of the five founding members of the Kendo Club at University of Washington in 1972 – and continued training after college.

“I kept working at it, and finally, I won the title of U.S. Senior Champion in 1993,” he said.

Now, his resume includes a number of awards and honors. He has more than 45 years of experience and has served as president of the All United States Kendo Federation for six years, as well as vice-president of the organization for another three years.

Marsten’s career took a turn in the 1990s. “Because I have two daughters, I got really interested in the girls’ and women’s teams,” he said. “So I started coaching.”

He has since coached boys and men’s teams – all while managing a career in engineering which included a 20-year stint at Boeing.His day job only added to his practice as a coach. Lessons from management courses at the corporation were transferred to training sessions. “Every time I took a course, I wondered how I could apply this to my classes,” he said. “So my approach is a little different than a lot of other teachers.”

Marsten said the key to being a successful coach is understanding the individual needs of his students. For example, his objective for younger students is to make the sport as much fun as possible. “Kendo is kind of like hockey, but it’s very mental,” he said. “I have some very bright kids – and kids are like sponges.

They come here and they want to be with their friends and have fun.”For older students, Marsten wants kendo to be a rewarding practice. “Adults are very busy,” he said. “If they’re going to give you their time, they expect something back.”

One of his students, Jennifer Dejong practices with her whole family and sees the benefits for all ages.

“It’s good for a variety of people,” she said. “It’s good for ages 10 to 85. For an older audience, it’s a good way to stay active and mentally sharp. It’s the kind of thing you can do at any age.”The 18-year old student at Skyline High School has already taken home some top prizes in national championships for her skills. She enjoys the exercise. “The drills are physically draining, but it doesn’t feel like working out,” she said. “You don’t realize how much exercise you’re getting, because you’re focused on other things.

And I enjoy getting stronger.”Dejong said that kendo is fun – but still demanding. “Don’t do it if you’re scared of getting sweaty,” she said. “Because that will definitely happen.”

Lesley McQuarrie brought her 10-year old son Mateo to his first lesson on Monday, Dec. 5. “He requested it,” she said. “And I like it because it makes him focus. I definitely want him to continue this. It confirms that he is capable of doing something he wants to do.”Marsten said kendo teaches children a lot.

“They’re learning discipline,” he said. “They’re learning to have guts and grit.”Still, he said many students do not stick around for long, once they realize how challenging the sport is. Others remained – and have studied with Marsten for decades.Like Marsten, they fall in love with kendo, with pushing themselves to conquer a challenge and to be the best they can at the sport.“My goal was to learn swordsmanship,”

Marsten said. “But when do you really know it? I just keep learning new stuff every year, even today. I learn something new all the time.

”For more information about Highline Kendo, visit www.highlinekendo.org.