Jodo in Sydney

[Newbie]

Heya,

I might be in Sdyney over the last weekend in September. When/where/is there any seitei jodo training I can possibly join in on?

[Aden]

Hi Newbie

The short answer is nowhere in Sydney that specialises in seitei and has current AKR seitei involvement, you have to travel an hour or so south to Wollongong Uni on Sunday afternoon.....

The long answer, there is koryu SMR jo in Sydney from the Australian Jodo Kai (I try to get up there and train with them monthly in SMR), with training in various places on the north shore see the training page on http://www.jojutsu.com/ for times on Saturday and Sunday mornings (the Sunday morning one at Naraweena is hard to get to without a car, the Saturday morning one you can get a train to Chatswood and a 2km taxi trip to Willoughby).

All of the Jodo Kai seniors can teach the seitei curriculum - they were teaching me tandoku, soutai and seitei kata for @4 years on my visits until I made the jump to koryu training. It is just their seitei is seitei with koryu posture, targeting, cutting arcs and timing - but they certainly have a lot more experience in jodo than almost anyone else in Australia (their head started with Shimazu in Tokyo 40 years ago) and it is the only place I can get to where I can see the higher kata sets and auxilliary weapons being practiced. The Saturday morning class in Willoughby from 8am to 10am is on before the Sydney Kendo Club training in the same hall from 10am to noon.

Aden

[Newbie]

Sunday arvo I can do but need to be back in Sydney by six. Heh, I can give Caitlyn her very, very late birthday present! No offense to anyone cos it's purely a personal thing (I know myself too well) but don't wanna touch koryu yet. I mean, been doing jodo for only a year, haven't even reached my shodan yet. If I start doing koryu now I'll just confuse myself. Not planning on it till I need it. That way I know I'm well and truly ready.

So, how does someone who doesn't drive get from Sydney to Wollongong? And does anyone know of any gradings in Melbourne in September? I may or may not be allowed to go for my nikkyu before Nationals and Melbourne's the cheapest capital city for me to get to, 'specially with this Sydney trip (unless by pure fluke chance you happen to be holding a grading that weekend in Wollongong ;) )

[Fred27]

I mean, been doing jodo for only a year, haven't even reached my shodan yet. If I start doing koryu now I'll just confuse myself. Not planning on it till I need it. That way I know I'm well and truly ready.

Sounds like a good choice, though if yer sensei one day say you are ready then go for it! :)
I have the same concerns myself, though over Seitei iai and my transition into Muso Shinden-ryu..I've finished the 12 Seitei kata but I want more time getting them into my system.