The Iaido Newsletter
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The Iaido Newsletter | |
| A publication of shared distribution dedicated to the Japanese sword arts, Iaido, Kendo and the Koryu A Sei Do Kai Publication (Incorporating the OKF News) | Vol 10/7-8 #93 July/Aug 1998
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AUSTRALIA David Kolb, 30 Neville St. Kangaroo Point, Qld. 4169 Australia.
BALTICS Tonis Kunnus, Kalatsova kula, Meremae EE2751, Voru maakond, Estonia.
BELGIUM: Erik Pooters Wittestraat 9 Kiel, Antwerpen 2020 Belgie.
CANADA CENTRAL Sandra Jorgenson, 77 Harbour Sq. #3310 Toronto Ont. M5J 2S2.
CANADA EAST Robert Miller, 45 Cedar Cr. Beaconsfield, Quebec H9W 4S9.
CANADA WEST Barry Wiseman, 11038 Greenwood Dr. Mission B.C. V4S 1A9.
CENTRAL EUROPE Zsolt Balassy, H-1046 Budapest, Toth A. u. 19. Hungary.
DENMARK Bjarne Blichfeldt Katholm 210 3670 Vekso Denmark.
ENGLAND Douglas Evans 10 Daglish Close, New Romney, Kent TN28 8XF.
FINLAND Pasi Hellsten, Luuvaniementie 4 D 126, SF-00350 Helsinki, Finland.
GERMANY Klaus Wissmath, Rathenaustrasse 9A, D-91052 Erlangen.
HOLLAND Johan Smits, Dunant Straat 866 Zoetermeer Netherlands 2713 XJ.
JAPAN Colin Hyakutake, Matsubara 4 Chome 6-19, Saga City, Saga Ken, Japan 840.
NEW ZEALAND Hamish Robison 15 Logan Tce. Parnell, Auckland.
SWEDEN Arne Oster, Akerogatan 2, S-417 28 Goteborg.
SWITZERLAND Nicolae G. Bialokur, 18 ch. Champ-Soleil, 1012 Lausanne, Suisse.
USA EAST J.S.S. PO Box 1116 Rockefeller Stn. New York, NY USA 10185.
USA HAWAII Hunter Armstrong, 315 Foothills Dr., Sedona, AZ 86336.
USA S-CENTRAL John Ray, 1909 Archer Trail, Denton TX, 76201.
USA WEST COAST Bill Howell, 2525 NE 23rd St. Portland Oregon, 97212.
SEMINAR/EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jodo Gashuku with Kaminoda Sensei
Some folks just can't get to Kashima or Katori for a Jodo
training camp (gashuku)! So you're invited to our third
annual gashuku with the Nihon Jodokai under the auspices
of Mr. Kaminoda, Tsunemori, Menkyo Kaiden, Hanshi,
Hachidan - Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo sponsored by the
Beikoku Rembukan. The dates are:
Saturday, October 24th through Monday, October 26,
1998.
This year, this three day event will be nestled in the
Catoctin Mountains of Western Maryland near the
presidential retreat of Camp David about 14 miles away
from the Gettysburg battlefield. We will be touring the
famous Pennsylvania battlefield on Tuesday for those who
wish to join us.
At training camps in Japan, the evening discussions are
often as informative as the training time on the mat, so we
have chosen a location where we can all train, eat, socialize, and sleep at one location. Besides
the obvious savings in expense to the participants, it affords more time to enjoy the relationships
made over the years as well as make new friends.
As in past years, space will be very limited in order to maintain the high teacher-student ratio for
quality and individualized attention. Please register early. This year's facility offers a great
unvarnished wood floor, some very scenic hiking trails, and a nice dining room.
As in past years, we will again break into groups by skill level, and beginners are strongly
encouraged to come and experience jodo. Beginners will work on kihon and seiteigata and
skilled practitioners will work on koryu and may get the opportunity to practice some Kenjutsu,
Hojojutsu, Tanjojutsu or Juttejutsu as well.
Costs for the 3 day event including meals from Saturday lunch through Monday Dinner will be
$240. As the training site is approximately 1 and a half hours from Baltimore we ask that
participants coordinate their travel arrangements to arrive at BWI on Friday so that we can
collect everyone for the bus to the mountains. We will also arrange return transportation on
Monday for those unable to stay for the battlefield tour.
If you have your own transportation and will be driving to the site, we will be happy to give you
directions. If you arrive on Friday evening, there will be no additional costs for the extra night's
residence. We look forward to seeing you in the mountains.
Mr. Kaminoda is also a Hanshi Hachidan in Muso Shinden Ryu Iai. Iaido training will be
offered in Annapolis on Wednesday the 28th and/or Thursday the 29th. Details of this training
will be announced shortly and this will be treated as a separate event.
If you are interested in participating, please respond with your name, experience (if any) in
Shindo Muso Ryu jodo, phone number, address and e-mail address to one of the following:
Richard Strausbaugh, tambojin@erols.com
Tom Calabrese, rembutom@erols.com
Dan Pearson, pearsondan@aol.com
Ide, Haruna & Oshita
in Guelph for the 8th Annual Spring Iaido Seminar. by Raymond Sosnowski, NH
Introduction. On May 16th through the 18th, Seidokai at the University of Guelph, Ontario,
held its eighth annual Spring Iaido seminar. This was followed by a day of Jodo, or half a day
of Jodo and half a day of Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu, according to the preferences of the
practitioners. Of course, there was the (in)famous dinner and auction on the evening of the
first day, Saturday, May 16th, and Iaido promotion exams for Mudansha grades on the morning
of the second day, Sunday, May 17th.
Instructors. Returning to Guelph were Mr. Matsuo Haruna (Iaido Hachidan, Kyoshi) from
Ohara, the home town of Miyamoto Musashi, in Okayama-ken, Mr. Masakazu Oshita (Iaido
Nanadan, Kyoshi) from Kobe as well as our own Mr. Goyo Ohmi (Iaido Rokudan, Renshi) from
Toronto. In addition, we had a special guest, Mr. Katsuhiko Ide (Iaido & Jodo, Hachidan,
Hanshi) from Osaka whose Koryu is Muso Shinden Ryu or MSR. Ide-s. taught Jodo during the
last two hours of each day of the regular seminar as well as on the day after the seminar,
Tuesday, May 19th; he also taught Seitei Iai Gata on the first day of the seminar, and MSR Iaido
on the last two days of the seminar.
Location. Over 80 some odd practitioners, a record number, came together in the large "field
house" in the University of Guelph's athletic complex, the Mitchell Athletics Centre for the
three days of the Iaido Seminar. The promotion exams on Sunday, May 17th, were held in the
adjoining squash courts. Jodo on Tuesday, May 19th, took place in the large anteroom outside
of the Dance Studio (DS210) whereas the Niten Ichi Ryu took place in DS210. Participants who
stayed on campus were housed in the East Residence, a highrise of suites, which are just a
five-minute walk from the Athletics Centre.
Practioners. The number of participants this year, over 80, exceeded that of last year -- that's a
lot of metal in the air. I saw a number of familiar faces. From Canada, there were groups from
Guelph, Montreal, Toronto and Thunder Bay; from the US, New York State was well
represented with groups from Latham (near Albany), New York City, and Rochester. I met a
gentleman there from Chicago and there were two from Maryland; of course, I came from New
Hampshire, and I am sure that there are a few locations that I missed [Sumimasen].
The Seminar. The seminar began on the morning of Saturday, May 16th, with Mr. Kim Taylor
(Godan, Iaido), our host, leading warmups and an initial round of Seitei (aka Zen Ken Ren) Iai
Gata. When the visiting Sensei arrived, they were introduced by Ohmi-s. The first day was
devoted to Seitei Iai Gata for everyone. The group of Mudansha from beginners through Ikkyu
were taught by Haruna-s. along with Ohmi-s.; the "junior" Yudansha, Shodan and Nidan, by
Oshita-s.; and the "senior" Yudansha, Sandan through Rokudan(!), by Ide-s.
I participated in the group of "junior" Yudansha. Oshita-s. began with Reiho (etiquette) for
Seitei Iai Gata, followed by a detailed explanation of the footwork of Ipponme Mae, where the
take-home message is "move the legs and feet in order to maintain center/balance." We went
through all ten of Seitei iai Gata, concentrating on the aspects of Metsuke (gaze), Seme
(forward projection of spirit), timing, and the [physical] "check points" within each Kata. We
received individual corrections while participating in "mock" Embu (demonstrations).
Oshita-s. said that the "level" of a practitioner can be ascertained by the Seme of the individual:
none in beginners, some in intermediates and full in advanced practitioners; he convincingly
demonstrated each level of practice. He also left us with two important points: maintaining
balance by turning the torso (eyes lead the head, and the head leads the torso), and using Koshi
(normally translated as hips) or [whole] "body" movement. [These concepts are explicitly
articulated in the T'ai Chi Classics, an anthology of writings by various T'ai Chi Ch'uan
masters.]
On the second and third days of the seminar, the Mudansha continued with the Seitei Iai Gata,
whereas the Yudansha practiced Koryu. Also, the Shinsa (promotion exams) for Mudansha
were held on the morning of the second day, Sunday, May 17th. There were seven challengers
for Ikkyu, and all were successful. I heard from one of them that Mr. Bill ("the hard bastard")
Mears (Yondan, Iaido) gave the testees a very, very thorough post-mortem [read: "dressing
down"] after the Shinsa [IMHO, he's tough because he cares, and I like that a lot].
Ohmi-s. and Mears-s. worked with the beginners, while Haruna-s. continued to work with the
Ikkyu students. For the Koryu, Oshita-s. worked with the Yudansha of the Muso Jikiden Eishin
Ryu (MJER), and Ide-s. with those of the Muso Shinden Ryu (MSR). The latter Koryu group
was about a dozen students while the former was four times larger and ranged from Shodan
through Rokudan. [The former group of Yudansha could have easily been divided in two, but
unfortunately there were not enough Sensei to accomplish this.]
Oshita-s. began with the Reiho for the Koryu, MJER, including the differences in Seiza,
Tachi-rei (standing bow), and the initial and final Zarei (kneeling bows) compared to the Reiho
of Seitei Iai Gata. On this second day, we went through all eleven Kata of the Omori Ryu (aka
Seiza no Bu and Shoden Waza); all but one Kata begin in Seiza -- the exception, Jupponme
Oi-kaze, is a Tachi Waza (standing technique). We specifically practiced Oi-kaze in order to
work on Nukitsuke (single-hand draw and cut) at the end of a simulated run, having given chase
to an opponent [yet more to practice].
Oshita-s. made an interesting point with respect to Ipponme Mae and related Kata of the Omori
Ryu. He said that the foot stomp during Nukitsuke should be accompanied by a tightening of
the Hara (belly) for energy projection in the cut; later (around the level of Godan), the foot
stomp is optional and could be eliminated, but the tensing of the Hara remains [very
interesting].
On the third day, Mr. Tom Hooper (Rokudan, Iaido) and Oshita-s. led warmups before the
groups reformed. Ohmi-s. again worked with the beginners, and Haruna-s. with the Ikkyu
students. Likewise, for the Koryu, Oshita-s. worked with the Yudansha of the MJER, and Ide-s.
with those of the Muso Shinden Ryu (MSR). Last year, the Sensei switched groups on a daily
basis at least, but not this year [see my article, "Haruna-sensei in Guelph for the 7th Annual
Seidokai Summer Seminar & Shinsa," published in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #82,
Volume 9, Numbers 6/7 (double issue), pp. 19 - 22, June/July, 1997].
Oshita-s. began by reviewing the Kata of Omori Ryu. As a group, we divided in half, picked
partners, and practiced the Kata facing each other -- we used each other as the attacker to be
defended against, good practice for both Metsuke and Zanshin. He followed up by going
through all the Kata of the Eishin Ryu (aka Tate-hiza no Bu and Chuden Waza). All but the last
of the ten Kata begin in Tate-hiza (a half-kneeling position originally used outdoors,
particularly when dressed in battlefield armor); the last Kata, Jupponme Makkoh, begins in
Seiza. [Many Kata of the Eishin Ryu have corresponding analogues in the Omori Ryu.]
Oshita-s. concentrated on three Kata that are the most complex in the Eishin Ryu, Yohonme
Uki-gumi, Ropponme Iwa-nami, and Kyuhomne Taki-otoshi. We practiced in pairs, one at a
time, so that one person could observe and critique the other person doing the Kata. He also
noted that the left foot steps back to assume Tate-hiza in Koryu, unlike Seitei Iai Gata in which
the right foot steps forward. [Ide-s. covered the analogous material for MSR on the second and
third days.]
I noticed this year a much greater reliance on verbal explanation by the visiting Sensei;
unfortunately, these explanations along with the accompanying translations seemed to take up a
significant portion of the training time. In our group, there seemed to be an over-emphasis on
"important points." The down-side is that after hearing about a dozen or more important points,
it is impossible to concentrate on them all at once; I, for one, had no sense of priority. This
made for uneven practice time- wise -- too much cooling down and stiffening up during the long
explanations.
On the positive side, we learned quite a bit about the Bunkai (applications) of the various Kata.
One explanation that caught everyone by surprise is the Bunkai for Nihonme Tora no Issoku.
The initial parry seems to be the same as the parry in the second part of Gohonme Yae-gake in
the Omori Ryu. Everyone assumes that former Bunkai is the same as the latter, that is,
intercepting a low Sune Uchi (cut to the shin).
Oshita-s. said that the Bunkai for Tora no Issoku is to parry an attack like the first two-handed
cut in Yae-gake -- Teki's (virtual Uchitachi's) distance is too long for a Shomen or Kata Uchi
(head or shoulder cut), even with the step in, so the strike pragmatically becomes a Sune Uchi
from overhead. [In hindsight, especially given that Atarashii Naginata, which I practice, uses
the Sune or shin as its most common target, it makes sense to me now; in Yae-gake the low
Sune Uchi is obvious, since it is the last-chance gasp of a felled Samurai, but in Tora no Issoku
it is not obvious because none of the Kata in the Omori Ryu and Eishin Ryu as well as in the
Okuden Suwari Waza begins with a low cut of any kind.]
At the end of the first day, Ide-s. began a series of Jodo sessions. In the the first session, he
introduced the four Kamae (Tsune no Kamae, Honte no Kamae, Gyakute no Kamae and
Hikiotoshi no Kamae), the first three of twelve Kihon or basics (Honte Uchi, Gyakute Uchi, and
Hikiotoshi Uchi), and the first two of the twelve Seitei Jo Gata (Ipponme Tsukizue and
Nihonme Tsuigetsu). There were approximately an equal number of beginners and "ringers;"
Mr. Rick Polland from Maryland, who attended for the first two days, has taught Shindo Muso
Jodo beginning with Seitei Jo Gata to a number of us for the past few years [I have submitted
articles such as "The Second Annual Shindo Muso Ryu Gasshuku in MD" and "Shindo Muso
Ryu Jodo Workshop in Guelph, Winter 1998" to be published in the Journal of Japanese Sword
Arts, and have mentioned the training in "Initial Impressions of Atarashii Naginata" in the
Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #82, Volume 9, Number 6/7, pp. 30 - 35, June/July, 1997, and
in "Sword Festival Weekend in Guelph" in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #84, Volume 9,
Number 9, pp. 13 - 14, September, 1997, along with a write up by Mr. Jeff H. Broderick on p.
12]. At the end of the second day, Ide-s. reviewed the previous Kihon and Kata, and then
proceeded to teach the fourth Kihon, Kaeshizuki, and the fourth Kata, Yohonme Shamen,
having skipped the third Kata, Sambonme Hissage. At the end of the third day in an abbreviated
session, Ide-s. reviewed the Kihon and Kata of the previous two days.
At the very end of the last day, Monday, May 18th (Victoria Day, a national holiday in Canada),
after the shortened Jodo practice, an Embu was held. There were six groups of students who
demonstrated what they had learned during the seminar, including Jodo. And for the finale, the
visiting Sensei demonstrated their levels of practice [much, much more practice for me].
During the breaks, the seminar sometimes took on the air of an "arms bazaar." Mr. Rick
Polland, president of Cutting Edge Technologies (Severna Park, MD), and general manager of
international sales for Nosyuiaido (Seki City, Japan), came with a large number of fine Iaito
[FYI, I have used one for over a year now -- highly recommended; see my article "Reflections
on Purchasing an Iaito and Bokuto" in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #90, Volume 10,
Number 3, pp. 9 - 11, March 1998], as well as Sageo, Uwagi, Hakama, and Iaito/Shinken
maintenance kits. Mr. Kim Taylor of Taylor-Made Wooden Weapons had a large assortment of
Bokuto/Bokken, Jo, Tanjo, and Rokushaku-Bo as well as walking canes on display for purchase;
the Bokuto came in a large variety of different woods including several in two different woods
laminated together. The quality is good and the prices are always a bargain. Also, Seidokai
produced a very fine t-shirt this year for the seminar [I returned with three].
Lunches were brought in again this year; it alleviates a large mass of people moving in and out
of the practice area. We had pizza for lunch on the first day, Chinese take-out on the second
day, and submarine sandwiches on the third day. The Chinese take-out proved to be a bit too
heavy a meal for many participants, including yours truly (I don't know about other people, but
I got that MSG-induced thirst during the afternoon; many of us decided to skip the evening
meal, the Chinese buffet at Sun-Sun Restaurant in downtown Guelph, in favor of other faire,
and I, for one, usually enjoy the buffet at Sun-Sun); perhaps the powers-that-be would consider
rethinking this luncheon choice for next year, especially on the day with the dinner at Sun-Sun.
Post-Seminar Practice. As mentioned in the Introduction, Ide-s. taught Jodo during the
post-seminar practice on Tuesday, May 19th. In the morning, after reviewing the previously
learned Kihon and Kata, Ide-s. introduced Sambonme Hissage from the Seitei Jo Gata. [The
curriculum as taught by Ide-s. follows that of the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei for Jodo.] During
the afternoon, Haruna-s., also chief instructor at the Musashi Dojo in Ohara, Okayama-ken,
lead a session in Hyo-Ho Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu (Musashi's Daisho or two "sword" school);
this year, Haruna-s. concentrated on the five Nito Kamae [see "Niten Ichi Ryu: The Sword of
Miyamoto Musashi" by Mr. Kimberley A. C. Taylor in FURYU #3, Volume 1, Number 3, pp.
27 - 33, Winter 1994/5], and the associated five Nito Kata. Over thirty students attended this
post-seminar practice; they roughly split in the afternoon with about half continuing with Jodo
while the other half switched to Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu.
Apres-practice Dinners. A "pot-luck" dinner on the first evening is held, followed by the
auction. This year the dinner was held at a local home in Guelph. The food was great including
a bouillabaisse with a lot of mussels [seconds for me]. The auction had to be held indoors
[mosquitoes outside; hot inside]. There were many fine items donated this year, including a
Bujin sword bag, a bonsai tree, a bog oak (5000 year old oak retrieved from a peat bog) Bokuto,
a framed limited-edition print of Oe Masamichi (1852- 1927, the 17th headmaster of the
Tanimura-ha Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu) [which I got; my next step is to build a Dojo around it ;)
], a seminar t-shirt autographed by all the Sensei, a set of Iaido sketches by Mr. Stephen Cruise
(Iaido Godan) who was unable to attend this year since he was out of the country, and various
Tenogui [I got the one from Ide-s.'s elevation to Hanshi]. It was another record auction, raising
just over C$2k.
A dinner on the second night had the Sensei attending the Chinese buffet at Sun-Sun restaurant.
Since lunch had been Chinese take-out, a number of people, including myself, decided to go to
the Shakespeare Arms instead (the Portly Penguin was closed apparently for some renovation
work), located across from the Southwest corner of the campus -- good food, great beer and
excellent company IMHO. Dinner on the third night had the Sensei going to Red Lobster;
however, my personal "tradition" is to go to Gryph's, the sports bar in the hockey complex
across from the Athletics Centre, on my last evening in Guelph.
Congratulations. We were overjoyed to learn just days before the seminar that Haruna-s. had
been promoted to Hachidan (Iaido), and that Ide-s. had received the title of Hanshi.
Congratulations to both of these fine gentlemen -- their years of devotion are quite obvious in
their Kata and their teaching.
Special Thanks. As I have said before, and it bears repeating, these things just don't happen;
they are the result of a lot of effort by many people. First, thanks to Haruna-s. and Oshita-s. for
again coming to North America to teach us. Thanks to the other instructors for their efforts in
both teaching, judging, and translating. A special thanks to Ide-s. for taking time from his busy
schedule to come here to be with us. Local Seidokai members, under the expert leadership of
Mr. Kim Taylor, again did a great job of handling the logistics of putting on this seminar
(having lunch brought in is very good idea and well done -- thank you again, Ms. Carole
Galligan). Thank you to Mr. Dave Green for handling the money for the seminar, sale items
and auction, and to Mr. Jeff Broderick who did chauffeur duty for the Sensei. Thanks to the
University for providing the space and the residence, and to Pat Senson, whose house we had
the pot-luck dinner and auction at. Thank you to Doug Blue, the auctioneer from Rochester,
donors to the auction, and to the winning bidders; our monetary efforts help to keep these
seminars happening.
I finally met Mr. Tom Hooper (Iaido Rokudan) and Ms. Pam Parker (Iaido Yondan) from the Ken Zen Institute in New York City. For the past two and a half years our paths, which should have crossed, just haven't; I find it quite fitting that we finally ended up meeting in Guelph. I also met Mr. Stan Kiyonaga (Kendo Godan, Iaido Nidan) again as well as several other members of Meitokukan of Latham (Albany), New York, which is a branch of the Ken Zen Institute [we shared the same suite in East Residence during this seminar]. I had the pleasure of staying with Kiyonaga-s. last year (27 June 1997) and leading a workshop in Atarashii Naginata in his back yard the following day; the workshop was attended by about a dozen people -- the majority being Kendo-ka. He inquired about a repeat workshop this year during the summer; I'm sure I can fit it into my schedule.
I'll certainly plan on doing this seminar again next year (and hopefully bring a few fellow
Iaido-ka with me from Doshikai in Acton, MA; there were no takers this year unfortunately); if
the trend of increasing numbers of attendees continues, then Seidokai may be in the very
enviable position of finding additional practice space. I'll be back in July for the Third Annual
Guelph School of Japanese Swordsmanship.
The GSJSArts: Take 3
by Raymond Sosnowski, NH
Introduction. It seems as though three was the magic number for the Guelph School of Japanese
Sword Arts (GSJSA). GSJSA-I in July 1996 had an ambitious curriculum, but only a Shiatsu
and three Koryu classes ran [for highlights of GSJSA-I, see my article "Initial Impressions of
Atarashii Naginata" in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #82, 9(6/7), 30--35, June/July 1997].
An abbreviated schedule and curriculum was advertized for GSJSA-II in July 1997, but it fell
through due to a lack of registration. Officially, GSJSA-II was cancelled, and it was replaced by
the Sword Festival Weekend [Mr. Jeff Broderick's post to Iaido-L Digest appeared on 22 July
1997, and my follow-on appeared on 25 July; each was published separately in the Journal of
Japanese Sword Arts #84, 9(9), September 1997 on p. 12 and pp. 13-14, respectively; it makes
more sense to read my 25 July post which has my text interspersed with Jeff's text]. This year,
Mr. Kim Taylor and Seidokai ran GSJSA-III rather than the School of Open Learning who ran
the previous two -- the result of local "management" and the efforts of interested individuals
resulted in a successful endeavor that has received many kudos from many of the participating
instructors and students. In addition to participating in GSJSA-III (as well as I and II), it was
my privilege to help in the organization and instruction.
Instructors. We had eight instructors on hand to teach three workshop sections: Koryu (classical
styles), Iai (sword drawing), and Shiai (competition) arts. Koryu instructors included Mr. Rick
Polland (Oku-iri) of Severna Park (near Annapolis), Maryland, for Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo, Ms.
Miyako Tanaka of El Cerrito (near Berkley), California, for Tendo Ryu Naginata-jutsu, and Mr.
Kim Taylor of Guelph, Ontario, for Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu. Iai instructors included
Mr. Michael Alexanian (Yondan) of East Lansing, Michigan, for Tamiya Ryu Iaijutsu, Messers.
Goyo Ohmi (Rokudan) of Toronto, and Bill Mears (Yondan) of Ridgeway, Ontario, for ZNKR
(All Japan Kendo Federation) Iaido, and Mr. John Ray (Rokudan) of Denton, Texas, for ZNIR
(All Japan Iaido Federation) Iaido. For the Shiai Arts, the instructors were Messers. Goyo Ohmi
(Rokudan) and Matthew Raymond (Yondan) [the current Ontario and Canadian Kendo
Champion who specializes in Nito Kendo; in fact, it's Gyaku Nito, that is, the "O-shinai" (Daito)
in the left hand and the "Ko-shinai" (Shoto) in the right hand] of Toronto for Kendo, and Ms.
Miyako Tanaka (Kyoshi, the second of three instructor's "ranks" after Godan) for Atarashii
Naginata [she is the highest ranked practitioner outside of Japan].
Location. The workshops were held in the University of Guelph's athletic complex, the Mitchell
Athletics Centre. Workshops on the weekdays were confined to (Dance Studio) 210 and its
anteroom, the East Balcony; during the weekend, additional workshops took place in the West
Gymnasium, and (Aerobics Studio) 302. Instructors and participants who stayed on campus
were housed in the East Residence, a highrise of suites, which are just a five-minute walk from
the Athletics Centre. Guelph (94,000 pop. according to the sign on Route 401) is located west
of Toronto, less than one hour by car from the Toronto Airport, and two hours by car from
Buffalo, New York.
Practioners. Over the weekend (18-19 July), GSJSA-III peaked out with 40+ participants. Attendance on Friday, 17 July, was roughly half of this peak value and on Monday, 20 July, roughly one-quarter of the peak value. Canadian participants hailed from Ontario and Quebec, whereas US participants seemed to come from the Northeast (like Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York) and North Central (like Ohio and Michigan) areas of the US. And we had a "token" Belgian representing Europe as well.
The Seminars. The seminar this year had a three section curriculum: Koryu (Niten Ichi Ryu
Kenjutsu, Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo and Tendo Ryu Naginata- jutsu), Iai Arts (Iaido To Ho [ZNIR's
set of 5 "Seitei" Gata], Tamiya Ryu Iaijutsu, Zen Ken Ren Iaido [aka Seitei Iai Gata], ZNIR
Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (MJER) Iaido, and ZNKR MJER Iaido), and Shiai Arts (Atarashii
Naginata, and Itto and Nito Kendo). This year's program marks the first time that a single
participant could not do it all! In the following observations, I can only comment on those
workshops that I participated in, the Koryu Arts, or was able to observe.
Day 1 -- Friday, 17 July. Only one workshop, which was from the Koryu section, was given on the first day: Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu, by Mr. Kim Taylor, ably assisted by Mr. Jeff Broderick, in DS210. Ten people participated including my Naginata instructor, Ms. Miyako Tanaka. We could not cover all the Kata in a one day session. [During GSJSA-I in 1996, we did cover all twenty-four of the standard Kata in two and a half days. After the Spring 1997 Iaido Seminar (see my article, "Haruna-sensei in Guelph for the 7th Annual Seidokai Summer Seminar & Shinsa," published in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #82, 9(6/7), pp. 19--22, June/July 1997), Haruna-s. literally ran through all twenty-four Kenjutsu Kata in a one-day session, but Shidachi and Uchitachi did not change roles.] Of the standard twenty-four Kenjutsu Kata, we did the first five of twelve Itto/Tachi Seiho (Shitachi armed with a Daito), the first three of seven Kodachi Seiho (Shitachi armed with a Shoto), and all five Nito Seiho (Shitachi armed with Daisho, that is, both a Daito and a Shoto); note that Uchitachi is armed with a Daito in all the Kata.
The Ryuha's Bokuto are thinner, and therefore lighter, than standard Bokuto since they are wielded one-handed. The Itto and Kodachi Kata tend to be rather simple, counter or defect-and-counter; the Nito Kata are more complex, consisting of two or three encounters until completion. At the end of this workshop, Taylor-s. said that, for those who would not continue this practice, the important lessons were contained in the Itto and Kodachi Kata, and that those (internal) aspects could be applied to one's own studies, whatever they were; the Nito Kata were just for show. The Nito Kata are complicated, and far from easy; the study of the subtlies of the associated distance and timing requires dedicated practice.
Day 1 -- Panel Discussion. Drs. Deborah Klens-Bigman and John Donohue organized the panel
presentation on Friday night; the other participants were Mr. Bill Mears, Prof. Terry Nosanchuk,
and Prof. Karl Friday (in abstentia). Abstracts of the position papers were posted on the GSJSA
web page in advance; they included "Martial Arts as Self Expressive Performance" by Dr.
Klens-Bigman, "Sword, Jewel, Mirror: Different Aspects of the Japanese Martial Arts" by Dr.
Donohue, "`From Humble Beginnings...' or Reasons for Not Studying the Martial Arts" by Mr.
Mears, and "Martial Artists and Aggression" by Prof. Nosanchuk. The discussion took place in
the Graduate Student Lounge on the fifth floor of the Student Center building. The proceedings
were videotaped, and the discussion will be rendered into a written transcript. Both the papers
and the transcript will be submitted for publication in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts [there
will be an announcement in this Journal when that material has been published].
Although panel discussions were planned for the first two GSJSA's, they did not take place,
making this the first one. The tone was academic, but the atmosphere was informal. I must
admit that it was different [read: it was not for everyone]; it is highly unusual, at least in the
West, to have an academic presentation of the Martial Arts. It is, however, an idea worth
doing. Obviously, there is just no substitute for Keiko (practice) [Prof. Nosanchuk is the only
non-practitioner on the panel]; however, the vast depths of the Martial Arts as contained in the
various Budo, Bujutsu, [Japanese] Kobudo, and Koryu as well as the authentic arts of
non-Japanese Asian cultures demand the serious respect that is the hallmark of academic study
and debate.
Day 2 -- Saturday, 18 July. The school moved into high gear at the beginning of the weekend.
A morning session of Iaido To Ho and an afternoon of Seitei Iai Gata were planned for the Iai
section. A morning session of Itto Kendo and an afternoon of Nito Kendo were planned for the
Shiai section, but the morning session was cancelled since no participants showed up. A full
day of Tendo Ryu Naginata-Jutsu (TRNJ) took place as part of the Koryu section in the West
Gymnasium.
Tanaka-s. had fourteen students, including Ohmi-s., plus Mr. Brian Moore and myself who acted as assistant instructors. I recall at the beginning of that week talking to Tanaka-s. on the telephone in order to plan on the number of Naginata to bring [I have some of hers on loan]. So I stuffed two Kata Naginata for TRNJ and six Shiai Naginata for Atarashii Naginata in an expandable PVC fishing-pole carrier [aka the "portable rocket launcher"], and she packed an assortment of ten Naginata in a ski bag; because of the large attendance at this workshop we almost used them all!
Unlike the various Ryuha of Iaido, Iaijutsu, and Kenjutsu, where studying at least one can
provide a basis for working in another, the study of Naginata puts most people back to "square
one." The Reiho (etiquette), Kamae (postures), and Kihon (basics) were all new. In addition,
practice takes place using Gorei (commands) [for those familiar with Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo,
Gorei are also used]. In total, Sensei taught four Kata, the first four of eight in the Shodan
section for Ko-naginata Omote group (which has a total of 20; there are about 160 Naginata
Kata in TRNJ). Brian and I helped Sensei with the participants on the postural and kinematics
aspects that bedeviled us as beginners. In demonstrations, we were Shi with the Naginata to
Sensei as Uchitachi (attacking sword[sperson]). Sensei also worked with the participants as
Uchitachi [because of the nature of the defense in TRNJ, Uchitachi wears Naginata-style Kote].
Everyone looked like they enjoyed themselves. A few were interested in continuing. It is a tough row to hoe; Tanaka-s. is the only person outside of Japan with official permission to teach. Unless you live in the San Francisco/Berkeley area, or live near a senior student of hers (like in Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, or Falls Church, VA, just south of Washington, DC), you have no opportunities for regular instruction. The rest of us [myself included] travel to the not-too-occasional seminar with a TRNJ workshop or a quasi-annual TRNJ seminar (for example, see my article "Shingetsukai Tendo-Ryu Naginata-jutsu Gasshuku at Asilomar" which has been submitted to the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts), and work alone or in small, isolated groups for the rest of the time. It can be done, but it does require dedication. [Before we left Guelph to return home, Sensei told us that she is considering having an annual seminar for TRNJ, just like we do for Atarashii Naginata, so that the majority of practitioners can get together once a year to train together; she is leaning towards the February/March/April time-frame so that it is not close to August time-frame for the Atarashii Naginata Seminar and Shinsa (promotion examinations).]
Day 2 -- Embu (Demonstrations). Another highlight of this year's GSJSA was the Saturday
evening Budo Embu (Demonstration), which including the above instructors, plus Drs.
Klens-Bigman and Dan Pearson, Messers. Jeff Broderick, Brian Moore, Richard Strausbaugh,
and Reg Hardman plus myself. The instructors demonstrated portions of the Arts they taught:
Polland-s. for Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo, Tanaka-s. for Tendo Ryu Naginata-jutsu, and Taylor-s.
for Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu, Alexanian-s. for Tamiya Ryu Iaijutsu, Mears-s. and Ohmi-s
for ZNKR Iaido, Ray-s. for ZNIR Iaido, and Raymond-s. for Kendo. Raymond-s. who
demonstrated both Itto and Nito Kendo was joined by Mori-s. from the University of Guelph for
Jikeiko (practice sparring). Dr. Klens-Bigman demonstrated Jigen Ryu Iaido. Messers. Jeff
Broderick and Reg Hardman demonstrated Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu in part with Taylor-s. Dr.
Pearson and Mr. Strausbaugh demonstrated Kasumi Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu, which also included
Shoto and Nito Kata, as well as assisted Polland-s. in Jodo. Mr. Moore and myself performed
the first five Shikake- Oogi, the Oyo Waza (applied techniques) of Atarashii Naginata.
For those at the demonstration, it was quite a treat -- talent in spades; for those who weren't, I
am told there was a videotape made. The highlight of the Embu had to be the sparring match in
Bogu between Tanaka-s. (Kyoshi), using the Shiai Naginata of Atarashii Naginata, and Ohmi-s.
(Rokudan), using the Shinai of Kendo. I think Dr. Pearson said it best in a personal e-mail
message to me following the GSJSA-III: "I will never forget her bout with Ohmi sensei. I had
heard of such exchanges, but never thought I would be allowed to see one. And to have two
such senior, talented people representing their arts was a true treasure." My reply was "That
match was possibly historic as was possibly most of the demo" given the talent that had come
together; such a demonstration outside of Japan by almost all non-Japanese practitioners is
unheard of.
At the pub after the demo, a well-watered Ohmi-s. kept saying that he needed to do that [have
that match]; he was at an extreme disadvantage because he had no experience with Naginata,
whereas Tanaka-s. has more than enough experience with Kendo-ka to be comfortable with that
type of Jikeiko. Indeed, Ohmi-s. is a brave man; he has my vote for the Kanto-sho ["fighting
spirit prize," which is typically associated with Sumo, Kendo and Atarashii Naginata]. Here is a
man who bravely donned Bogu and picked up his Shinai in a match against Tanaka-s. and her
Shiai Naginata -- he never saw most of the strikes, but he did feel them, especially the
Sune-uchi (shin strikes). Indeed, she used a variety of Datotsu-bui (striking points) including
one or two Tsuki [with the Naginata, either end, the Kissaki (tip of the "blade") or the Ishizuki
(the butt end of the pole), can be used to deliver a Tsuki]. In the end, it was a one-sided affair,
but everyone enjoyed it, including Ohmi-s. himself.
Day 2 -- Post-Embu Celebrations. Needless to say, after a full day of practice, a break for a
supper of soda and subs while preparing for the Embu, and then the Embu itself, all the Embu
participants were ready to relax at a local watering hole. Gryphs, the on-campus sports bar, was
quite packed, so we opted for a downtown pub, the Woolrich Arms, one of the very few places
to have Strongbow Cider on draught according to Mear-s. The conversation was good and the
beer plentiful; it was a wonderful evening. At one point, Taylor-s. matter-of-factly asked me,
"So, do you think we should do this again next year?" I just grinned and answered just as
matter-of-factly, "Of course." [Going into this year's GSJSA, my feeling was that this one was
"make or break;" if we had a reasonable showing then next year's event would be a sure thing,
but if we had a poor showing this year then the possibility of a follow-on event was not good.
To me, that simple exchange punctuated the fact that we had achieved a "make."]
Earlier in the evening, Mears-s. and I had engaged in a conversation on the naming of "swords."
Since Mears-s. and I are both tall (he several inches taller than I) and long-limbed, we both have
custom Iaito (I have previously talked about the aspect of blade size in an article "Reflections on
Purchasing an Iaito and Bokuto" published in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts #90 [10(3),
9--11, March 1998]). He mentioned that he had had none for his, but that it was not customary
for the owner to name their own sword. He was going to show it to Ray-s. when Ray-s. said,
"Let's see that `Big Dhawg' [Texan for `dog']." He went on to say that he instantly recognized
that that was the name for his sword. I, too, had a similar experience. At two Shaku, eight Sun,
four Bu, my Iaito (even longer than the "Big Dog"), was pronounced to be "The Great Drying
Pole" by Mr. Rich Crowley, my Sempai at the Doshikai Kendo & Iaido Dojo in Acton, MA
[FYI, the "The Great Drying Pole" is a reference to the Katana over three Shaku in length made
by the famous swordsmith Bizen Osamitsu for a Sasaki Kojiroh, who supposedly lost in a duel
with Miyamoto Musashi in 1612 on an island that was renamed for his sword style,
Ganryuu-jima, in which Musashi used a Bokuto carved from a broken oar].
Day 3 -- Sunday, 19 July. Considering that all the instructors had been out late the previous
evening, Day 3 got off to a slightly slower start than Day 2. A morning session of ZNIR MJER
Iaido and an afternoon of ZNKR MJER Iaido were planned for the Iai section. A full day of
Atarashii Naginata was planned for the Shiai section, and a full day of Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo
took place as part of the Koryu section; both the Naginata and Jodo workshops took place in the
West Gymnasium.
Polland-s., assisted by Dr. Pearson and Mr. Strausbaugh, had thirteen participants for Jodo, half of whom were beginners. We began the morning session with the twelve Kihon (basics), moving back and forth across the width of the Gym floor [I recall doing the Kihon across the length of the Gym floor; one can get really-tired, really-fast, trying to muscle the techniques]. To finish the morning up, we practiced a select set of Kihon in Sotai Renshu (paired practice), Shi with the Jo and Uchitachi with a Bokuto. The Kihon were (Sambonme) Hikiotoshi Uchi, which is a sword cut- down from a kind of side stance, (Ropponme) Makiotoshi, a spiraling motion of the Jo which sends the sword down and away, and (Nanahonme) Kuritsuke, which is an intercept followed by wrist lock-down against Uchitachi's lower torso. These are representative of Jo dynamics, and none of them are easy, but we worked through them with partners, occasionally changing roles.
In the afternoon, we added one more Kihon, (Hachihonme) Kurihanashi, which begins like
Kuritsuke with the intercept, but then throws the sword [with the swordsman still attached] up
and back, analogous to Makiotoshi. It's another lesson in Jo dynamics. Then we began working
on the first four of twelve Seitei Jo Gata: Tsukizue, Suigetsu, Hissage and Shamen. We
practiced in a group in two lines facing out partners; Uchitachi would shift to the right, Kotai,
until he or she had done the Kata with everyone in the other line with Jo. This was repeated for
all the Kata; and after completing four Kata, the roles reversed, and Kotai was repeated until all
four Kata had been cycled through.
For (Ropponme) Monomi, Polland-s. proposed a "contest." Two teams would have about a
half-hour to practice this Kata, and then demonstrate it with the losing team doing Kihon for the
rest of the afternoon; it ended up that Mr. Strausbaugh and I ended up with most of the
beginners, so we drilled them with the two of us as Uchitachi, since we did not have the time to
go over both roles. The other team, lead by Polland-s., had everyone doing both roles since they
were all experienced. If I were a betting man, I would not have bet on us [but the process is the
goal]. Well, the experience showed. Needless to say, the winning team, in a supreme act of
selflessness (sarcasm anyone?), volunteered to join us in the Kihon practice. To show our spirit,
in spite of being tired at the end of the day, Polland-s. exhorted us to keep our Kiai strong,
which we did, and on this note the Jodo workshop ended.
Having trained with Polland-s. at various seminars and workshops over the last two years, he
has never failed to leave us with Kuden (oral teachings). There were several in my own words
that I gleaned from this session:
"Handle the Jo as if it had an edge; that's the purpose of the brand, to indicate the `edge.'"
"Use finesse, not power, strength nor speed, until you are ready to [after years of practice]."
"Kata have an ebb and flow: there is a point when Uchitachi has the advantage, a point when Shi
has the advantage, and a point, a gray area, when neither does. Be sensitive to this."
"Explicit pauses are needed in the Kata to mark "decision points" when a new, "unknown" attack
or motion is launched; be sensitive to this."
Finally, here is an observation by Ray-s. made the previous evening to Polland-s. about realities
to be recalled in the Jodo Gata:
"When you're cut with a sword, you're cut, but when you are hit with the Jo, you can become `unhit,'"
that is to say, that any contact with the blade of the Katana will draw blood, whereas mediocre
Jo strikes will be ineffective in stopping the swordsman from launching another attack.
On the other side of West Gym, Tanaka-s. had three enthusiastic participants for Atarashii
Naginata. They spent the day going through the Reiho, Kamae and Kihon Waza (basic
techniques) with a strong emphasis on the Datotsu-bui (striking points). [I have highlighted
much of this material in my article "A Brief Introduction to Atarashii Naginata" published in
The Iaido Newsletter #77, 9(1), 4-5, January 1997.] After the Jodo class ended, Brian and I
donned our Sune-ate (shin guards) to be "live targets" for the participants doing Sune-uchi (shin
strikes). Then, after class ended, we repacked the Naginata that we had set out for the
workshop in the morning.
Day 3 -- The Last Supper. There were no large group dinners per se. On Friday evening,
Tanaka-s., Brian and I stopped at the Mall on Stone Road to find an appropriate ATM machine
(those on compus don't accept my card), so we stopped at the food court to eat, prior to
attending the Panel Discussion. Saturday evening sandwiches were brought in for the
demonstrators. This left Sunday evening to dine together. One group did head out to downtown
Guelph to the Sun Sun Resturant for Chinese buffet. The crowd from the West Gym, a party of
eight, Tanaka-s., Polland-s. and his two young daughters, Rich Strausbaugh, Brian Moore,
Helen Morrison, and myself, opted for Cagney's. And after we returned and the kids went to
sleep, we retired to the Shakespeare Arms (it was a pleasant constitutional from and to campus)
for an evening of libations and pleasant conversation. As usual, it ended all to quickly.
Day 4 -- Monday, 20 July. Most of the participants had either left by or on Monday. In the
Koryu section, Mr. Kim Taylor, again ably assisted by Mr. Jeff Broderick, taught Niten Ichi Ryu
Kenjutsu on the East Balcony to a group of three participants; they went through the Itto Seiho
in the morning and the Nito Seiho in the afternoon. Alexanian-s. lead a group of about half a
dozen in Tamiya Ryu Iaijutsu in DS210. And Brian and I got private instruction in Tendo Ryu
Naginata-jutsu from Tanaka-s.; we used the small Gym in the morning and East Balcony in the
afternoon. All of us joined together for lunch at East Balcony.
Tanaka-s. worked with me on ten Kata that I had learned or relearned at Asilomar last March
(see my article "Shingetsukai Tendo-Ryu Naginata-jutsu Gasshuku at Asilomar," submitted to
the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts). She fine-tuned a number of the aspects of the eight Kata
from Shodan Waza and the first two of seven Kata from the Chuden Waza. She demonstrated
the Kata, fixed hand and foot positions, and then acted as Uchitachi to both demonstrate the
applications of the Kata, and to direct the timing of the interchange. On the East Balcony in the
afternoon, we worked a lot with the mirrors to get a visual sense of proper body positioning.
Sensei also worked with Brian, teaching him the the rest of the Kata that he did not know in the
Shodan Waza. We had to end early in mid-afternoon so that we could get to Toronto Airport
for our respective return flights.
Special Thanks. I would just like to thank all of the instructors and the participants of this year's
Guelph School of Japanese Sword Arts for making this year's event a successful endeavor. Very
special thanks go to Mr. Kim Taylor and the Seidokai for having the tenacity to go for it one
more time. Thanks go to the "old guard" instructors, Messers. Kim Taylor and Rick Polland.
Likewise, thanks to all of our first time instructors, Ms. Miyako Tanaka, and Messers. Michael
Alexanian, Bill Mears, Goyo Ohmi, John Ray, Matthew Raymond, and all of their assistants.
Finally, thanks to Drs. Deborah Klens-Bigman and John Donohue for organizing the panel
presentation on Friday night as well as the other participants, Mr. Bill Mears, and Prof.'s Terry
Nosanchuk, and Karl Friday (in abstentia). Finally, thanks to all those who participated in the
Saturday evening Budo Embu, including the above instructors, Drs. Klens-Bigman and Dan
Pearson, Messers. Jeff Broderick, Brian Moore (my Atarashii Naginata partner), Richard
Strausbaugh, and Reg Hardman. [For those whose names I have forgotten to include, forgive
me; it's really nothing personal.]
A New Beginning. At the post-Embu celebration, Taylor-s. said that he felt that this year is the
first year that we ran the Sword School the way that he envisioned it should be run, and, as such,
he considered this to be the first one. Conceptually, it's true; however, I feel that this one has
been built on the previous two, the first on that happpened in 1996, and the second in 1997 that
almost didn't happen except for the efforts of Taylor-s. and Polland-s. The lesson learned in
1996 and 1997 went in planning for 1998, and the lessons learned this year will be applied to
next year's event. I look forward to next year's event, GSJSA-IV; I hope to see everyone there,
both veterans and new comers, and to train with those of you who share my interests. After all
is said and done, this is all about people, training hard and playing hard together.
Kim's Skool for Bad Boyz (& Gurlz)
I got back recently from the Guelph School of Sword Arts and I just wanted to say what a
wonderful time I had. If you weren't there, you missed a real treat. From the quality of teaching
to the extraordinary demonstration on Saturday night, the whole event was quite simply the most
fun I've ever had. It's hard to believe that you could get that many senior sensei and students
from so many different Ryu and systems together in one place and with no hint of ego or the
usual political BS that 'martial arts' seem to be infected with. For me it was a humbling
experience.
I would like to personally thank Kim Taylor and his crew for all their hard work and planning-
everything ran meticulously.
I would also like to thank (in no particular order) Tanaka sensei, Ray sensei, Ohmi sensei, Polland sensei, Alexanian sensei, Klens-Bigman sensei, Sosnowski sensei and everyone else who came with them, assisted them or just came to practise. Together you have made the GSJSA into an event that I hope never to miss again. As Sensei John Ray said to me you would have to go to Japan to see this calibre of demonstration normally'.
If I have forgotten anyone's name, please excuse me, but I feel like I have been hit by several Mack Trucks! I hope someone with a decent memory will do the School justice by making a full report (not the least because people should at least hear about the 'Duel of the Century' in detail).
And finally- can I come again please Kim?
Bill Mears, Fort Erie, Canada
GUELPH SCHOOL OF JAPANESE SWORD ARTS: Sword Craft Seminar
In The Beginning
It all started with some aimless web-surfing to relieve some stress during a dull and over cast day
(I'm British so that's no surprise). Good old infoseek, giving me so many sites related to swords,
where shall I start? I know, I'll have a look at this one in Canada. Wow, a sword craft seminar,
what a cool idea, I need a holiday away from everything. I think I'll mail the URL (web address)
to my mate Phil (or Boy George, as he was later to be known), and see if he wants to go.
Brilliant idea we both agree, now, when is it? Two weeks away, no problems, panic stations.!
Anyway, lots of phoning travel agents, pestering Kim by email, and off we go.
The Setting
Guelph, what a lovely name for a town. We decided that the people from Guelph must be called
Guelphlings (see film Dark Crystal), mainly because the flight over was really boring. For me it
was a shock to breathe air that didn't taste of pollution. Although the best part had to be the
scenery (female to male ratio of 7:3), and of course the lovely countryside.
The People
The instructors were helpful, knowledgeable, and willing to share their skills and knowledge.
They were all excellent, and I'm sure next years seminar will be even better. The students
consisted of a group of normal people. No, sorry, I cannot tell a lie, we were a bunch of strange
cookies. We all seemed to enjoy ourselves, and no-one tried to kill anyone else, so we couldn't
have been too bad!
The Seminar
The polishing part of the course with Doug and Chris was really informative, and even though it
will be quite a while before I have a go, it helped me understand a lot more about the Japanese
sword. The tsuka wrapping with Fred was probably the most useful part of the course for me (I'm
cutting up little bits of paper as we speak) as this is something that I know I'll have to do (that's
what I get for buying a cheap Martial Arts sword). Unfortunately there was not enough time to
go through the whole saya making process but Chris (the other one) showed us the most
important parts, with comments from Chris (the first one) and Doug. Then of course there was
the lesson on making bokuto by Kim. Due to the lack of time left, this was crammed in for
information purposes only. I did take one of Kim's lovely wooden sticks home with me, and
hope to enjoy hitting people with it.
In Summary
A good course, that could be made even better. Well worth the money, and I am going to try and come next year if possible. The only criticism I have, is that there could have been more participation for the students.
I would like to thank all the instructors for their time, and especially Kim for running us around all week.
Tony Lane, UK.
Yearly subscriptions (12 issues) to the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts are $36 cdn in Canada, $36 US in USA, and $48 overseas. Subscriptions, stories, news, views, and anything else should be sent to Kim Taylor Editor JJSA, 44 Inkerman St. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 3C5.
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VID-10. $25 __
VID-11. $25 __
VID-12. $25 __
VID-13. $25 __
VID-14. $25 __
VID-15. $25 __
VID-16. $25 __
VID-17. $25 __
Any 5 Vid tapes $100 __
VIDBBI-1. $25 __
VIDBBI-2. $25 __
VIDBBI-3. $25 __
VIDBBI-4. $25 __
VIDBBI-5. $25 __
VIDBBI-6. $25 __
6 Vidbbi tapes $150 __
TOTAL $_____
Address:
Prices include postage, Send order form to: Kim Taylor 44 Inkerman St. Guelph Ontario N1H
3C5. Payment in Canadian or US funds. Make checks or money orders payable to Kim Taylor
or to Sei Do Kai Iaido.
For price quotes on weapons contact Kim Taylor at the above address,
tel 519-836-4357, or email kataylor@uoguelph.ca