Gasshuku

[Halcyon]

Even with the crazy heat? I only showed up to watch a student and was not having much fun.

Fortunately, we were in a difference space this year with A/C -- the hall that was used for the sayonara banquet for the AUSKF iaido nationals. (Kinda looks like the gothic hall from the Harry Potter movies.) Actually, it wasn't that bad last year without A/C. I mean, it was hot, but definitely not as bad as during that heat wave during the iaido camp.

[pgsmith]

Does anyone run summer/winter training camps for swordsmanship? You know, up before dawn, running in the woods/on the beach, press ups in streams/kicking against the waves in the sea, cutting practice as the sun comes up, meditation, breakfast, regular training etc for five days or something. I used to attend this type of thing in Karate years ago (not quite as severe) and a Dan grade in my old Kendo club used to hold days sessions in Lyme Park, Cheshire and they were great fun, built up excellent comradery and spirit and where surprisingly de-stressing. I'd love to do this again but with a swordsmanship emphasis.

We do a yearly gasshuku in California for Mugai ryu, but there's no running or calisthenics involved other than daily training and evening drinking. I can exercise on my own time, don't want to waste training time doing it!

[Kokoro777]

I think the Japanese term gasshuku is slightly different to just intense training. There is a degree of hardship involved in it and putting yourself through challenges in order to strengthen spirit and this is done in a group context as it enthuses and forges group identity and support. So exerciseing in the beauty of nature, practising misogi etc is integral to th experience. I think the term came from Buddhist monk's training where tasks such as cleaning, sweeping and preparing meals are just as important as sitting meditation-perhaps more so.

[ZealUK]

Not sure I agree with you there. Gasshuku is essentially a number of people living together for a certain period of time in order to achieve a similar goal. I wouldn't think there is any nuance of hardship, at least in the modern usage of the word. It is used frequently to talk about research camps and the like, not just sports and martial arts. The word may stem from a Buddhist term, no idea about that. Kind of like commune, kibbutz, seminar I guess.

Shugyo does entail hardship, but it also entails an individual practice in my eyes. This always gets translated ascetic practice or austere training or something

[Halcyon]

I believe gasshuku is short for gasshuku kunren (合宿訓練), which just means training together while sleeping over somewhere -- in other words, training camp.

[pgsmith]

I think the Japanese term gasshuku is slightly different to just intense training.

Thanks for the tip. When I see Niina gosoke at our gasshuku next week, I'll have the translator tell him he's improperly using the Japanese language.

[Aden]

Even in the same organisation the intensity of training at annual gasshuku goes up and down - the last 3 gasshuku I have travelled to have ranged from up at sunrise for kihon before breakfast and 8 - 10 hours of actual training a day to a leisurely breakfast and 6 hours a day of training. The only real constants being the onsen and beer at the end of the day.....