Random Thoughts: Dojo Energy

In our travels, we've had the opportunity and privilege to train in a variety of dojos with practitioners of all ages and backgrounds. Each bring with them experiences, beliefs, and personalities that fill the training space with a distinct energy. Tapping into it has been a challenging yet rewarding experience; giving a sense of connection with the people, the building, and its history.

From hidden treasures like the Shinfukan Dojo in Marseille, France and modern luxuries like the Shinjuku Cosmic Centre in Tokyo, to the lineage significant floors of the Musashi Dojo in Ohara, and our current hombu at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Center in Toronto; the art may be the same, but the environment each have their own uniqueness.

An Iaido friend once told me to let my emotions flow into my training.

When you feel happy, do happy Iai. When you feel upset, do angry Iai. Let your Chi/Ki carry these feelings into your movements until you are in balance. This will bring life into your Iai.

When entering an unfamiliar dojo, there is a lot you can learn from basic sensory input (sights, sounds, smells), but don't forget the feelings to come about subconsciously. Let yourself forget about technical differences and styles, and experience the training with an open mind and heart.  There's no telling how much your performance can change.

Asia Trip 2012: Kyudo in Chiba - Kanto 5 Dan Shinsa

Prologue

It's been over 2 months since we left Japan. Since then we've successfully graded for Kyudo 2 Dan, had an incredibly fun trip in San Francisco, and hosted the largest Iaido tournament in Canadian history. So why has it taken so long to finish up the last entry of our "Asia Trip 2012"?

Perhaps I didn't want the feeling to end. Just like our month long experience, the closing of this blog series meant a return to the realities of doing Budo outside Japan. While inferior in many ways, we must to strive to improve a little each day to reach the level attained by these martial arts' country of origin. Like the training itself, we continue to grow; and with such an amazing group of people in both our Iaido and Kyudo clubs, the experience will definitely be rewarding.

And so, without further ado, our last Budo day in Japan.

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SUN 29-JUL

Kohama Sensei once again came to pick us up at 8:30am in front of the hotel and we drove 30 minutes to the Chiba Prefecture Kyudojo in Tendai. The Kanto regional Kyudo 5 Dan shinsa was scheduled from 9am to approx. 3pm; and with almost 150 challengers, it was going to be a long day.

As with most city run spaces, the building and surrounding area was not just in good working condition, but also exceptionally maintained. The grass and hedges were trimmed neatly, and the floors looked clean enough to eat off of. No doubt recently waxed, it was going to be a tough time for the participants to hold their dozukuri. =P


We arrived just in time to watch the Yawatashi performed by Ishii Sensei, Hanshi 8 Dan and President of the Chiba Kyudo Association. The participants all lined up in seiza and watched. Their quiet, focused attention and respect was palpable, and added to the awe we felt watching his demonstration. As a leader of the Chiba kokutai team when Mie-Sensei was a member, we hoped to have the chance to meet him in person.


Testing started immediately after with friends and family providing support. Kohama Sensei recognized a lot of the spectators and introduced us to each of them. These middle aged women, in casual summer clothing, were all cheerful and friendly; and with an air of humbleness that belied their 5 Dan+ rank.

At break time, we went to browse the items displayed by the few vendors on-site. A couple of the judges took turns coming out to the yard for a cigarette break. During one of these intermissions, we noticed a rather familiar face. It was Kubota Sensei (Hanshi 8 Dan) of Ibaraki Prefecture! One of the three Sensei to attend the 2011 American Kyudo Renmei Seminar in Northfield, Minnesota, was also on the judging panel at our very first Kyudo grading. When we learned that he would be attending the 2012 AKR seminar in Davis, California as well, we were already very pleased, but it was definitely a huge surprise to see him in Japan.


Although he didn't recall the three of us specifically, he did have positive memories of Canada's performance in last year's seminar. By his side, Ishii Sensei was much more familiar with Kohama Sensei and asked how Mie Sensei was. Their time together on the Chiba team was apparently a fond experience for Ishii Sensei, and this gave us a certain intimacy while in his presence.

The next break was lunch time and with a variety of  restaurants nearby, Kohama Sensei let us make the selection. We naturally chose Kaiten Sushi! Just thinking about it now, even with a full stomach, my mouth is watering. Now I feel sad, for it would be another year before we'd get to taste this quality again...


mmm....Sushi.......er, where was I? Oh yeah, Kyudo!

We arrived back at the dojo and took a look around inside before heading out to the stands. A few participants were already preparing for their turn. On the way out, we noticed a rather familiar posting on the wall. It was the Budo Charter!


The tests rolled on, and continued to be an interesting affair. There are many grading opportunities in Kyudo in Japan, making it common for those who recently passed 4 Dan to immediately try for 5 Dan. The experience level from beginning to end was a huge contrast, but the overall accuracy today was just as surprising. Kohama Sensei's looked disappointed at the poor shooting. With over a hundred challengers, less than five were able to hit both arrows, and only about 15-20 even hit once.We could see a lot of nerves in the way the Tasukigake and Hadanugi were being performed, along with many unexpected releases. Kohama Sensei expected less than 10 out of the 150, would receive their 5 Dan. The final number was: 3

Despite the overall poor quality of shooting today, those few who stood out were excellent examples to follow. They showed composure of spirit and movement from beginning to end. Their presence was calm and confident, and their shooting top notch. Definitely lots to copy and learn from.

Instead of waiting another hour for the judges to make their decisions, Kohama Sensei drove us back to Narita and dropped us off at the Naritasan Temple for some late afternoon site-seeing. We thanked her for all her help in scheduling, introducing, and guiding us around the dojo in Chiba; and for being a wonderful host for our last few days in Japan. We couldn't have thought of a better way to end this trip.

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Afterword

And so ends my recap of our summer journey through Asia. I hope the readers enjoyed this series. I've summarized the links to these posts here: http://sueniaidokyudo.blogspot.ca/p/asia-trip-2012.html

It was truly an experience we would not soon forget, and are especially grateful for all the people that made this possible. I'd like to specifically thank the following individuals who hosted, organized, and generally made our stay in Hong Kong and Japan a blast! (listed in chronological order):

• Aunt Samantha and Cousin Harvey for letting us stay at their place and taking us around Hong Kong
• Ms. Agnes Lee for organizing our Iaido training in Hong Kong
• Sugimura Shojiro-san for organizing our Kyudo training in Okayama
• Trevor Jones-sensei for hosting us in Ohara
• Hatakenaka Atsumi-sensei and Tsubaki Fumio-sensei for organizing and instructing us in Iaido in Tokyo
• Peter Schramek-sensei for being such a flexible companion during our stay in Tokyo
• Mie-sensei for coordinating our contact with Sugimura-san and Kohama Sumiko-sensei for our Kyudo training in Japan
• Kohama-sensei for organizing our training and observations in Chiba

Final thanks to all the readers who have personally expressed their appreciation of this blog. It really helps motivate me to continue. ^_^ 

Until next time......*insert witty sign-off here*

Asia Trip 2012: Kyudo in Chiba - Day 3

SAT 28-JUL

Kohama Sensei picked us up at the hotel at 11:30am to take us to her Sensei's Kyudojo. Watanabe Harumi Sensei is Kyoshi 7 Dan and a former All Japan Women's Champion. Kohama Sensei passed around a Kyudo magazine from 1999, listing out the contestants and showing pictures of all the finalists. There was Watanabe Sensei in full draw, completely focused, spirit eminating through the page into our eyes. She looked to be in her early thirties and was actually quite pretty =)

It was an hour drive to Aoba-ku and another scorcher of a day. Even with the air conditiong at full blast, the heat from the sun beating through the windows could not be contained. As the motion sickness started to creep in and Hanna chatting with our host, I drifted off to sleep with anticipation of the day's training. Members from Kohama Sensei's dojo had warned us about her being strict, and we were soon to find out how much.

We arrived at a large park blanketed with various sporting facilities and outdoor courts. The walk from the car lot to the Aoba dojo couldn't have been more than 100 meters, but on a hot day like that, it felt like miles. Kohama Sensei seemed rather content under her parasol, lightly waving her folding fan. Too bad I'm too manly for those.... =P


We were greeted by several members who were already deep into practice including Tanaka Masakazu Sensei, who will be representing Chiba Prefecture in the next National tournament. He spoke pretty good English and was extremely friendly. Apparently, he will be visiting Canada (West coast) in August with his wife who, like him, is a Special Education Teacher. We hit it off right away, and he was eager to hear about Kyudo's growth in Canada as well as how Mie Sensei has been.

At 44 years old, he has been doing Kyudo for over 28 years, and his technique and presence was astounding!! We must have seen him shoot at least 10 arrows over the course of the day and he never missed. As he will be participating in the Enteki tournament as well, and perhaps to give us space to practice in the regular dojo, Tanaka Sensei moved outside to do some 60m shooting. Again, he doesn't miss!!! Such solid and smooth technique. Such a beautiful hanare.


But enough gushing. Our own practice started in earnest after Watanabe Sensei arrived at 1pm on the dot. Her voice was like a tiny bell, some would consider cute, if her words weren't spoken with such authority. Sensei's appearance hadn't changed much from the photo taken over 20 years ago. Perhaps a few extra grey hairs and laugh lines, but still in tip-top shape. From their casual conversations, it looked like Kohama Sensei and Watanabe Sensei have a very close relationship.

We started with Makiwara practice while they warmed up and Kohama Sensei got some instruction for herself. Tanaka Sensei came over a couple of time to chat and commented on our strong Hanare. When Kohama Sensei was ready, we began with a demonstration of Taihai. As with the other locations on this trip, we didn't get much corrections besides to ensure we're lined up to the target, honza, and shai. Doing it wrong meant going all the way back and trying again. Just like our pop quizzes back in Toronto. =P

Watanabe Sensei had a very hands-on teaching style. Tugging at my hair here, pulling and pushing my shoulders there, and generally rearranging my back and arms to the correct positions. Her words were very deep and informative, and will take a long time just for us to understand, let alone, master in practice. Basics, Posture, Stance, and Strength were all essential. She taught us an old exercise use to strengthen our core and stance. It was very tiring and intense.



I mentioned earlier that Kohama Sensei and Watanabe Sensei seem to have a close relationship. Here's an example:

It was during practice. I was in dozukuri with both Sensei looking on and Michael and Hanna gathered around watching. We were all listening to Watanabe Sensei explain something when all of a sudden she stopped mid-sentence and went "oh" while staring directly at Kohama. Without notice **WHACK!** Open palm slap right to her cheek! We didn't know what had just happened. Did she say something wrong? Were we in trouble? Kohama Sensei's shock gave away to amusement when she grab her face and pulled away a flattened mosquito. Almost immediately and with a victorious smile, Watanabe Sensei turns back to us and continues to teach while Kohama Sensei rubs her face with sheepish grin.  Every few minutes we would hear from her direction "itai…itai…."

Following a class with Watanabe Sensei, itai indeed. =)

Taikai Completed!

The last couple of weeks was pretty stressful, but everything worked out as well as can be expected. Where the previous largest turnout for an Iaido tournament in Canada had been 35 (only 25 in 2011), we had an astounding 57 registrations including 11 from the United States.

Results and other details have now been posted: http://mmkiaidotaikai.blogspot.ca/

Soon I'll have time to get back into publishing the remaining days of our Japan and California trips.

Stay tuned! ^_^

Asia Trip 2012: Kyudo in Chiba - Day 2

FRI 27-JUL

Our second day in Chiba was a special setup by Kohama Sensei. Inviting several of the retired members of the dojo, we met for lunch at a restaurant not too far from our hotel to celebrate Doyo Ushinohi.  This "Eel Day" occurs every year in the middle of the summer, typically the hottest day of the year. The nutritional value of eel is believed to help one through the long hot days. The other side of the story involves a superstition where eating food that begins with "u", like umeboshi, udon, or unagi, will make you healthy on this ushi-no-hi, Day of the Ox. Considering what we've gone through so far, we could've used this much earlier =P


The meal was delicious! Sweet, succulent meat, barbequed to smoky, crispy perfection. The seasoning was flavourful without the heaviness and overly sweetness we get at typical sushi restaurants. We leisurely chowed down on a couple of boxes of unagi-don before heading to the sports centre for afternoon practice.

The drop-in fee was only 200 yen for four hours. A convenience we made full use of over the course of the afternoon, as we took turns shooting, resting, shooting some more, receiving instruction, and doing lots of yatori. ;)  The climate inside the dojo was downright muggy. With an internal dial reaching 35.9 degrees Celcius, sweat was beading from all over, including on my forearms. Never experienced that before. On the bright side, the heat and humidity allowed our bodies to move with strength and flexibility that is uncommon in an air conditioned room.

Perhaps it was due to our inexperience with kinteki practice, as Kohama Sensei (as were the Okayama Sensei) focused on improving our shaho/shagi, while not mentioning anything about taihai. Unlike the Mitsui and Tamano Sensei, who gave us pointers on Yunde, Kohama Sensei noticed more errors with our Mete and put her attention there.  A few pointers later, and we were getting much more consistent and relaxed draws and releases.

A little more than half way through the session, a table was brought out with drinks and refreshments including some egg rolls we brought from Hong Kong. Over the snacks, we got to know a few of the members including Matsumoto-san, an old highschool classmate of Reiko Blackwell-san (5 Dan) of the American Kyudo Renmei. Reiko-san recently visited Toronto with her husband, Aaron Blackwell Sensei (Kyoshi 6 Dan) for the 3rd Seikyu Kai - Toronto Kyudo Seminar. Her and Matsumoto-san had lost touch until a few years ago. Reiko told Matsumoto about how Kyudo has become such a big part of her life and recommended to find a dojo. What a coincidence that it would here!


The cold tea and sweet mochi and cookies really hit the spot, and it wasn't long before our attention was back on the training. A couple of questions lead Kohama Sensei to bring out her notebook to review some finer points of Walking, Kihontai, and Recovery from Shitsu. She demonstrated a few things then we went back for a few last shots.

The class was called to an end by the PA system and we helped close up the dojo before saying our goodbyes. It was another fun experience training with friendly members who are passionate about the art. We expect tomorrow to be a much stricter environment in Amano City with Kohama Sensei' teacher; winner of the 1999 All Japan Women's Division National Tournament, Watanabe Harumi, Kyoshi 7 Dan.

What A Summer!

And we're back!

After 4 weeks in Japan, then another week in California, our summer of Iaido and Kyudo has finally come to an end.

Last week, we spent time in Davis, California, at the 17th American Kyudo Seminar. Our KAC president, Motomasa Mori, has a writeup on the KAC website: http://www.kyudo.ca/2012/08/post-seminar-thoughts/. My post will be coming after I've completed write-ups of our last couple days in Japan.

The training has been absolutely amazing these past two months. We practiced with, and received instruction from, so many high-level, Japan-trained, Sensei, and it has opened our eyes to immeasurable possibilities. The experience will not soon be forgotten.

Instructors list:
Satoh Tadashi - Kyudo Kyoshi 6 Dan - Tamano, Okayama
Tanaka Chotaro - Kyudo Kyoshi 6 Dan - Tamano, Okayama
Satoh Kaoru - Kyudo Hanshi 8 Dan - Tamano, Okayama
Hatakenaka Atsumi - Iaido Kyoshi 8 Dan - Tokyo
Tsubaki Fumio - Iaido Kyoshi 7 dan - Tokyo
Kohama Sumiko - Kyudo Kyoshi 6 Dan - Narita, Chiba
Watanabe Harumi - Kyudo Kyoshi 7 Dan - Chiba
Akiyama Terumi - Kyudo Hanshi 8 Dan - American Kyudo Seminar
Kubota Kiyoshi - Kyudo Hanshi 8 Dan - American Kyudo Seminar
Sakuma Tsuyoshi - Kyudo Hanshi 8 Dan - American Kyudo Seminar

Only two major events remain for this year:

1) The 1st Mu Mon Kai Iaido Championships: We are already looking at a record number of attendees. For the first time (that I'm aware of) we will have participants from south of the border, including Tom Hooper-Sensei (Renshi 6 Dan) and Pam Parker-Sensei (Renshi 6 Dan) as guest judges. If you are in the area on the weekend of September 15, please drop by to visit. Or better yet, participate! ^_^ It's open to all members of the International Kendo Federation. Details and registration can be found here: http://mmkiaidotaikai.blogspot.ca/

2) The Eastern Canada Iaido Shinsa: Occurring on the first weekend of December, Michael and I should be challenging for 4 Dan. It's been three years since our last grading so we're looking forward to the experience once again.

Asia Trip 2012: Kyudo in Chiba - Day 1

THU 26-JUL: The two hour ride from Shinjuku to Narita finally gave us some time to reflect on an incredibly successful trip, our very own "shugyo", with only a one more leg to go.

The day began like every other. The clouds and forecasted thundershowers burned away early by an untiring sun. The 30+C/65+% humidity, a staple of this trip, gave us more satisfaction as we persevered through the worst the season had to offer.

Heat, Training, and Food. Characterizations of our stay in Tokyo. While the training has come to an end, our flexible train schedule allowed us to pay one last visit to Numazukou for some Kaiten Sushi followed by dessert.


To recap so far, that's 2 days of Kyudo, 8 days of Iaido, 4 days with Kaiten Sushi, 4 days with Ramen, 30+ desserts, and now we're off to a city known for its Unagi.

By the end of the two local train segments to Narita, most of it standing with our luggage, we were pretty exhausted. An easy check-in to our hotel gave us a chance to rest and find some food before our 6:30pm appointment with Kohama Sumiko Sensei, Kyoshi 6 Dan, a friend and former prefectural team-mate of our Kyudo Sensei.  Thankfully, it was not a busy time of year, and due to her close relationship with Takahashi Sensei, was gracious enough to organize our training in Chiba.

We were invited to join her regular evening class at the Nakadai Sports Complex, a three-story building complete with gym courts and martial arts dojos (Wood, Tatami, and Kyudojo). The surrounding park also included a large athletics track and even a Sumo dojo. Kohama Sensei greeted us warmly in the lobby, recognizing us immediately, and seemed to know quite a lot about us and our experiences so far. As with every new Sensei we've met, she still wanted to confirm who understood Japanese (only Hanna), and how to tell Michael and I apart (Michael wears glasses). She made small talk with Hanna as we made our way up one level followed by a long, narrow staircase to the third floor Kyudojo. As we stepped into the practice area, the fatigue of the last week was quickly forgotten, and our excitement to get back into the Kyudo practice gave us strength and motivation to perform.


We quietly made our way to the back of the room, doing our best not to interrupt the beginner class currently in session. Six young students of varying levels were learning the basics of Taihai and Shaho-Shagi. We were directed to change and be ready to join them for a couple of Taihai rounds while Kohama Sensei assumed control of the class. At 7:30, the beginners took their leave and the rest of us got ready for free shooting. Following Takahashi Sensei's direction, we waited a couple of rounds for the 3 and 4 Dans to practice, taking care to note their timing before joining in. After observing their use of Taikai timing, we quickly settled into the rotation, loosing at least 10 arrows and seamlessly (I hope) joining with the seniors. Breaks and Yatori were taken at varying intervals, and we resolved to perform the latter much more often than the former.

As the night progressed, we received several corrections, many different from those received in Okayama. Kohama Sensei has a quite hands-on approach to instruction, similar to Satoh Kaoru Sensei from the Tamano-shi Kyudojo, while contrary to that of Satoh Tadashi Sensei and Tanaka Chotaro Sensei from the Mitsui Kyudojo. Each location has also focused on very different parts of our technique, and we couldn't be more happy. Large variances in instruction, while frustrating and confusing in the short term, is perfect for this type of trip. Regular training in foreign countries are based on these bursts of senior instruction, and we made sure to record and bring these back to Canada for further study.

At ~9pm, the PA system announced the close of all evening sessions. We did our best to help cleanup while not getting in the way of others, then Kohama Sensei gave us a ride back to the hotel and confirmed our meet up for the next day. Unagi lunch followed by an afternoon of Kyudo!