Kenshi selected to the final stage were required to attend four Team USA Training Camps (gasshuku). Saturdays were devoted to 4 hours of rigorous, intensive conditioning, and Sundays consisted of shiai against each fellow Team USA prospective kenshi. The gasshuku were held March 15-16, April 5-6, May 17-18, and May 31-June 1. Final Team USA selection occured June 1, 2008; see results at bottom.

• elimination tournament
  • date: Sun, 3/2/08
  • start time: 8:30am
  • place: Silverado Park, 1545 W 31st St, Long Beach CA 90810
    The park is approximately 1.5 mi from Cabrillo High School. Unfortunately, there is no parking lot so participants, volunteers, and supporters will have to park on the street.

• see 1st tryouts for participant list and other information.

• coaching staff
  manager: Charlie Tanaka
  men's coach: Yuji Onitsuka
  women's coach: Spencer Hosokawa

• change in format for team selection (exerpt from Ariga sensei's letter):

  I would like to inform you that the format for the Final Selection Process to determine Team USA [Men's & Women's] will be changed. The coaching staff has requested a format change and the competition committee will be working in cooperation with them in selecting Team USA.

  In the Second Tryout process, up to 23 Senshu will be selected for the Men's Division and up to 14 Senshu will be selected for the Women's Division. The actual number of Senshu to be selected to move onto the next stage will be determined at the discretion of the coaching staff on the date of the second tryout.

  After completion of the second tryouts, the selected individuals in Men's and Women's Divisions will practice together in four to five separate training camps or Gasshukus over the course of several months. These training camps will focus on conditioning and shiai and will be used judge the Senshus' competitive skills as well as to evaluate the individuals who work well together to create the best synergistic team.

• for questions contact Ariga sensei

Results of 2nd elimination tournament (*=coach's pick, bold=SCKF):

• women's final stage qualifiers (full summary, pdf)
  Kikunaga Kaori (NCKF)
  Kanamori Sara (SCKF)
  Marsten Elizabeth (PNKF)
  Lee Grace (SCKF)
  Tamura Sachiko (SCKF)
  Cabral Michiye (NCKF)
  Kinjo Akane (SCKF)
  Sakae Mitsuyo (SCKF)
  Kuwabara Aya (SCKF) *
  Sano Nishiki (SCKF) *
  Domen Sumi (SCKF) *
  Lorimer Isabel (SCKO) *
  Mikuni Shannon (NCKF) *
  Tanaka Linda (NCKF) *

• men's final stage qualifiers (full summary, pdf)
  Yang Christopher (SCKF)
  Kinjo Hideto (SCKF)
  Obeidallah Ahmed (AEUSKF)
  Maruyama Sandy (SCKO)
  Yang Daniel (SCKF)
  Itokazu Fumihide (SCKF)
  Hashimoto Omito (SCKF)
  Yoo Simon (SCKF)
  Brown Jason (SCKF)
  Kawabata Marvin (GNEUSKF)
  Speagle Will (NCKF)
  Huh Kevin (SCKF)
  Hashimoto Kunito (SCKF)
  Han Sung Ho (AEUSKF)
  Kim Han Soo (SCKF)
  Imanishi Bryan (PNKF) *
  Michioka Frank (NCKF) *
  Umeda Kyle (NCKF)*
  Ikudome Kentaro (SCKF)*
  Harada Brandon (SCKF) *
  Hirahata Daigoro (GNEUSKF) *

Final Team USA selection (June 1, 2008) (bold=SCKF):

• women's team
  Mikuni Shannon (NCKF), captain
  Kikunaga Kaori (NCKF)
  Sakae Mitsuyo (SCKF)
  Tanaka Linda (NCKF)
  Tamura Sachiko (SCKF)
  Cabral Michiye (NCKF)
  Kinjo Akane (SCKF)
  Lee Grace (SCKF)
  Kuwabara Aya (SCKF)
  Sano Nishiki (SCKF)

• men's team
  Yang Christopher (SCKF), captain
  Kawabata Marvin (GNEUSKF), assistant captain
  Yang Daniel (SCKF)
  Harada Brandon (SCKF)
  Yoo Simon (SCKF)
  Brown Jason (SCKF)
  Huh Kevin (SCKF)
  Maruyama Sandy (SCKO)

• men's team alternate/youth program
  Ikudome Kentaro (SCKF)
  Kim Han Soo (SCKF)
  Hatakeyama Jarrod (NCKF)