International Budo Seminar

[iwatekenshi]

For those foreign kendoka living in Japan. Is anyone going to this and has anyone gone to previous ones?
For those who have gone how much keiko time were you able to get in and was it a good experience?

http://www.nipponbudokan.or.jp/shinkou/html_1/index5.html

[mkomoto]

This year's format will change slightly from past years in which we conducted 4 practical sessions (2 for intro, and 2 for each person's 'main" budo.) This year, there will be two 3-hour long sessions of "introduction to various budo" (in the program it is described as "experiencing budo,") and one session (1 hr.) of practial exercise which I infer to be practice of your 'main' budo. As the program director has changed this year I am not sure if they will rotate sub-groups in the long introduction portions, or not. In past years there was a great deal of flexibility and some chose to stick with their main budo, and conversely, some experimented in new budo introduction classes, but again, with a new director and format, we may be compelled to follow a more regimented program.

Combined with all the lectures and demonstrations, I think everyone can gain a great deal from the seminar. The one thing we've all agreed on 'till now: introductions and the resulting networking with other serious (and nutty) foreigners studying budo is the the single best outcome of attendance to this worthwhile event.

I'll look further into the details of this year's program and report in the coming days. I believe many of the other forums readers may also be verterans of the seminar. Please offer your comments and advice.

M Komoto
Chiba, Japan

[mkomoto]

The International Budo Culture Seminar, hosted by the Nippon Budokan, will be conducted on March 7-10, in Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture. (1.5 hrs from Tokyo Station via car or Wakashio limited express train (Keiyo Line.))

This year's "Experiencing a new budo" program will consist of two sessions. The participants can select which activity they wish to engage for each of the two days. Those two groups will receive explanations from the associated instructors, and then separate into smaller units, specific to the budo which each person has selected. Each person can select two different budo, one for each session, over the course of two days. There will be one more session, for each person's main, or specialty, budo, in which the teacher specific to that budo will participate. There will only be one session, conducted for one hour.

Other programs include:
Demonstrations of all Budo included in the program;
Lecture and demonstration, Ariki-ryu Kempo, by the 17th Headmaster;
Open Discussion re past, present, & future issues of Budo;
Lecture regarding the Science of Budo (training.);
Participant presentation of Essays: "What Budo is to Me."

In past years, following dinner, many have gone back to the doujou for free-period practice and informal exchange.

There will also be welcome and farewell parties.

I have forwarded the seminar materials to the editors of Kendo World and we should expect to seem them appear soon in "Whats New." If anyone should require them immediately, please send me an e-mail to: mkomoto@nanshuukai.com

You'll require MS Word, and Excel. If your system does not support Japanese characters, some portions will not read correctly; however, English text is included and should be sufficient for your understanding and use (as in application, etc..)

M Komoto
Chiba, Japan
mkomoto@nanshuukai.com