Anybody coming to Detroit?

[Charlie]

Miyazaki bros. seminar, testing and tournament. Who's gonna be there? I will!

[heri0n]

bunch of people from ontario are going

[Migoto]

Where are the details? Dates? Place? Fee? ect.

[Karaken]

Where are the details? Dates? Place? Fee? ect.

Contact Yukio Watanabe ( yuki_nabe@kdd.net ) That's underscore between yuki and nabe..

Center

[moocow65]

Miyazaki bros. seminar, testing and tournament. Who's gonna be there? I will!
What!!!!?? The Miyazaki bros.!?!?!? I missed them last year cause of the terrorist threat and stuff. Well, at least I'll be going to Steveston. Hey, kick their butts for me yeah?

[Migoto]

Contact Yukio Watanabe ( yuki_nabe@kdd.net ) That's underscore between yuki and nabe..

Center
Thank you, I will.

[heri0n]

yeah.. apprently they couldn't come, because of all the 9/11 stuff?? geez.. they're in japan.. but thankfully tagawa sensei kept his promise and got his vouchers that were good for a year for the miyazaki bros :p

[amatsuda]

What!!!!?? The Miyazaki bros.!?!?!? I missed them last year cause of the terrorist threat and stuff. Well, at least I'll be going to Steveston. Hey, kick their butts for me yeah?

We got jipped last year....they were supposed to come out to one of our U.S. Team training camps and give us a seminar...but had to pull out because of the terrorist threat level in Japan....

[Charlie]

Yes, indeed. Damn terrorists!

More info also at

www.midwestkendo.com

[Koori]

I'll be at the seminar, "native Michigander", but I won't be competing in the tournament.
I am suppose to be one of the time keepers for a court. But that just means that my husband gets to chase our dojo members around from court to court and take pictures.

Ha ha

-Koori

[Charlie]

Yes, see you there. BTW, if you are keeping time at a court in which I am playing, gimme a few extra seconds if I'm down a point, please?

:smoker:

[Koori]

Charlie, you know better. I don't think so. Just hope that Tagawa-sensei does not come accross that! Not honorable conduct. :(
But cute of you to ask. A smile and good kiai does not get far with me. :wink:

-Koori

[Ryukyu]

Does anyone know exactly what the seminar will consist of?
What types of things will we be doing? Is it just a big all day keiko?
Sorry for my ignorance, but I've never been to one of these.

[Charlie]

They're usually on different topics if past ones are any indication. They could be on any topic the leaders see fit and probably will involve a big group warm-up and a lot of basics and then breaking down into smaller groups by rank to work on things specific to those ranks. One year it was on kata with Nishiyama-sensei from Tokyo police, it was sweet. Other times it's been on suburi or other things. So who knows! I'm hoping they title this year's seminar: "How You Too Can Win Kendo Championships Multiple Times With Distinction and Flair."

:)

[roc_kendo]

Miyazaki bros. seminar, testing and tournament. Who's gonna be there? I will!

Rochester(NY) guys will be there!!
Hope see you guys in the seminar and welcome party.... :)

[heri0n]

are some people being randomly picked to play miyazaki bros?

[Charlie]

Seminar/Tournament Update:

Well, it was great. I took extensive notes afterwards of the Miyazaki Bros. seminar, and I cannot duplicate them all here. Allow me to say that the brothers were inspiring and share only a couple things.

We were divided into groups, mudansha to shodan with Fumihiro and 2-dan and up with Masahiro. I was in the 2-dan and up. Mostly we worked on basics, and sensei went over countering and harai techniques. He was awesome to watch, I was especially envious of his fumikomi, which sounded like a clicking noise or like two hands clapping - POM! Wow. Anywho, one interesting thing sensei said that I will share with you is the method he advised for doing kiri-kaeshi.

He said you should strive to someday be able to do it all in one breath. But until then you should take a breath after the first and second men, before continuing into the 9 strokes afterwards. Follow me? So: Breath/kiai - men - breath - 9 men, men - breath - 9 men, men - breath. Maybe you already do it this way. This is how I'm going to do it from now on.

What else? For me, personally, after the seminar I tested for san-dan and passed. The next day, at tournament, I won one and lost to the guy who swept the whole ni-dan division, Inoue from Chicago (cheers, Inoue! By the way, Inoue also passed his san-dan, we did jigeiko together) Chicago also kicked ass in teams. I tied in teams but my team lost so I was benched most of the day. Haw haw! The results of the seminar with pics and stuff will probably be posted soon at www.midwestkendo.org, I'm sure.

[Neil Gendzwill]

He said you should strive to someday be able to do it all in one breath. But until then you should take a breath after the first and second men, before continuing into the 9 strokes afterwards. Follow me? So: Breath/kiai - men - breath - 9 men, men - breath - 9 men, men - breath. Maybe you already do it this way. This is how I'm going to do it from now on.

You can also do it in two breaths, skipping that one after the first men. But it's most important to do each of the saiumen-shomen series in one breath, so if you can't do that then take a breath after the first men.

Congratulations on passing your exam!

[Charlie]

Thanks, Neil!

So, breath, shomen-saiumen, shomen THEN breath, finish it?

Miyazaki also said that when you take that last backwards saiumen, you should only go so far back as to get into distance for the next shomen. He said it was a way to practice the principle of: even when you are moving backwards, always be prepared to launch forward. I have often done this as a big hiki-men instead.

Fumihiro said something I wrote down in my notebook. He said after some remarks (via translator): "If you continue to do kendo, you will see me again. If you do, please say hello."

I didn't go to the after-banquet because I had to get home, but they probably interviewed the senseis and will post it up on the afore-mentioned web sites. There's some other great interviews there, too, with past visitors like Eiga-sensei.

[hwarangdo]

i had the grandest opportunity of watching the seminar and the tourney. my school's not recognized but had i participated/competed i would not have met the miyazakis as i did on saturday. the younger i saw outside sharing a smoke with someone from detroit, and the older gave me a 30 sec lesson near the far doors, away from the general population, which i am still processing.

the miyazakis were awesome. my head hurt just watching them receive kirakeishi from the seminar attendees. when they sparred each other, well, let just say there was an abundance of skill.

but i was more impressed with the competitors. i saw so much good kendo (and bad, in the way etiquette) from all sorts of people, it'll take me a while before i can fully grasp what i saw, what i was privy to. but truly i was lucky.

i've been practicing for 20 months now. i've visited other schools, asked for instruction (beatings to the head), made friends but this event for now stands as the high point of my training. i have to say, 30 secs with m. miyazaki, one on one (outside the gym while everyone was putting on men) did more for my kendo then my previous 80-100 sparring sessions. and it had nothing to do with my swing. i learned that good kendoists make themselves accessible, even to a newbie in street clothes like me. thank goodness i brought my shinai!

i also saw him blast a 12 yr old girl with a ferocious men. in that display, i saw the meaning of good instruction.

what a great weekend. i hope to one day visit all the schools that participated. to say hello, to say congrats, but to ultimately honor by sparring anyone who would have me.

congrats to all the attendees.

[Charlie]

"my school's not recognized"

Really? Why not? BTW, wish I could've said hi to you, if I'da known who you were. But thanks for adding these comments.

[Neil Gendzwill]

So, breath, shomen-saiumen, shomen THEN breath, finish it?
Yep. Lots of kiai, too.


Miyazaki also said that when you take that last backwards saiumen, you should only go so far back as to get into distance for the next shomen.
Yes. Also, after the shomen, make sure you seperate to the correct distance. Many people start saiumen from too close after shomen.

[Charlie]

Also, after the shomen, make sure you seperate to the correct distance.

Motodachi should be helping you out here, neh, by backing up sufficiently? I have been told that the ability to receive kiri-kaeshi is as much a part of the drill as the ability to give it.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Really depends on which sensei you're talking to. Some say motodachi backs up, some say the attacker backs up, some say both. Our sensei says the motodachi sets himself to receive the taiatari and tries not to move - the idea is to allow a really solid taiatari. If both sides do it correctly, they should both seperate, with motodachi going a little further as the attacker has the advantage of momentum. OTOH I've visited clubs where they've been a little surprised at the strength of the taiatari, as they only give a token shove or something.

Having said all that, if motodachi is dealing with a beginner then yeah, back up and make sure he has the correct distance. For more advanced people, I think it's your responsibility to get the distance right. In our club, if you didn't hit the motodachi hard enough to move him back, you have to back up yourself a little bit to get the distance.

[Kirin]

Motodachi should be helping you out here, neh, by backing up sufficiently? I have been told that the ability to receive kiri-kaeshi is as much a part of the drill as the ability to give it.

Motodachi leads ..... so uchidachi follows motodachi's move
many cases in Japan, motodachi(sensei) step back more than 4 during sayuu-men. So not necessary 9 men strikes. (same with going forward)
I remember doing almost oikomi-kirikaeshi.

But for beginners (3 dan below), men - taiatari - sayuu men 9 times - men - taiatari - sayuumen 9 times - men is the basic kirikaeshi

for mudansha (1 kyu or below) instead of taiatari, motodachi adjusting distance would be ideal kirikaeshi....

[hwarangdo]

"my school's not recognized"

Really? Why not? BTW, wish I could've said hi to you, if I'da known who you were. But thanks for adding these comments.

i saw you (i recall your name), but not how you faired.

great time, eh?

my kumdo school is not part of the AUSKF.

but i will be, soon.

thanks

[Charlie]

Ahhh! Then we will see you again, yes?