Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland together with Rob Renner, Duncan Stewart and Steve Olsen from Japan was invited to teach at this Swedish Tai Kai organized by Mats Hjelm and Svenska Bujinkanförbundet. There was two DVD's and two download videos released from this seminar. This Video is one part of this set.

At the Taikai all instructors had three classes each, one class with the whole big group, one class with all Shidoshi (5'th dan and above), and one class with Mudansha & Yudansha (beginners up to fifth dan).

The instructions is all in ENGLISH. The DVD is Region Free and NTSC (US/Japan format, works on modern DVD players)

Mats Hjelm posted an entry over at taikai.se in Swedish which I thought would be beneficial for non-Swedish speakers to also read (or rather “absorb”). So, I translated it, trying to keep as much of the meanings behind what was stated as possible. The below is this translation.

I would like to note as well that during the weekend, these words proved its worth to me. I went to a seminar teaching Brazilian Ju Jutsu. As someone from a different discipline, it was quite interesting to see that not just those from other arts were doing their best to absorb everything shown, but also those already training in BJJ were absorbing as much as they could. Again, what each one of us brought home with us will be different, we all learned new things. No matter our grade, nor what art we normally train in, we all found new things.

The seminar Mats mentions at the end of his post is the Bujinkan Taikai taking place in Stockholm next weekend. More about that on http://taikai.se

//anders

Sometimes I am asked by beginners wondering if it is worth it going to a seminar, if they will be able to keep up? Will they understand anything? I can understand that it may seem a little frightening or daunting to go to a seminar for the first time when there are so many high ranking buyu there, also training.

But I have to point out that even those that are higher ranking are “beginners” when you go to a seminar! There are perhaps those that take on a “helping instructor” role, warranted or not. But most goes to a seminar to develop, train, have fun and find inspiration.

What you can absorb is of course different depending on earlier experiences. If you have trained for a shorter period you will carry home a lot that can give you many years inspiration for your own training.

I know that there are instructors that rarely or almost never attend seminars, for which there may exist several reasons (I do not wish to judge them). If instructors do not encourage their students to go to a seminar, that may also have its reasons. Maybe they don’t know about the seminar, maybe can’t attend themselves and are worrying about the balance in the dojo will be disrupted if the students learn something new.

What I want to say is that it is you, the beginner, that is the future! It is you that has to look towards your own good. Do not worry about non-training friends wanting to get you out partying this one weekend. If you have good friends they will understand that you will be training this particular weekend. You have to decide on your own over what is important. Neither your controlling instructor or nagging friends can stop you from training if that is what you really want to do.

The instructors you look up to have gotten to their level and proficiency by themselves deciding that their own training comes before controlling instructors, girl friends, boy friends and friends. They too once were beginners and learned to set priorities. Ask them and I can almost promise you that they still see themselves as curious beginners. Which is why they are good practitioners and nothing else.

I remember a discussion about ten years ago with Soke in the Honbu Dojo. Soke was talking about different levels, dimensions etc. in Mikkyo. Someone asked what the highest level was and I remember Soke’s reaction.

He said that he didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that there is always a higher level (than where one is) and that this is why we must keep practising.

It is this which makes me think that the Bujinkan is so wonderful compared to other arts of Budo. Just diving head first into the training, trying to have as much fun as possible, without caring if it is hard or simple.

I hope this has encouraged some beginners to take the step and participate at this fantastic seminar next weekend.

Ganbatte kudasai!

/Mats (translated by Anders Holm)

Kaigozan Dojo’s årliga julläger, som vanligt Fredag och Lördag.

- Fredag kl 18:00 – 21:00
- Lördag kl 11:00 – 17:00 (30 min lunch paus!)

Om det finns intresse så kan vi käka hämtmat i dojon efter träningen, eller gå ut på restaurang.

Kostnad 100 kr för Kaigozan medlemmar och 200 kr för övriga,
Gratis för de som varit i Japan och tränat i år!

Anmäl er gärna på Facebook (frivilligt!), men betala kontant på plats.
Annars är det ingen föranmälan!

Övernattning i dojon är okej för deltagare.

Välkomna!

Lucas hoppar högt och dubbelsparkar i brösthöjd, i tekniken Koki

Vi hade tur med vädret, vi tränade utomhus i skuggan under den stora björken. Det blåste lagom mycket och svalkade oss.

Det kom deltagare från Riga, Eskilstuna, Norrköping, Skövde, Västerås, Stockholm och Lucas från Kaigozan Dojo.

Speciellt tack till Daniel från Norrköping som ställde upp som uke.

Lägret filmades och kommer upp på BUDOSHOP.SE om någon vecka eller så.

Vi ses på nästa läger!?

/Mats

The second annual Sakura No Kaze (“cherry-blossom wind”) seminar was held in Surrey, BC, just outside Vancouver, on May 14/15. Bill Brown and I team-taught for the two days, alternating back and forth, sharing lessons that we’ve learned from our time in Japan training under Hatsumi Sensei. This included both unarmed taijutsu techniques as well as variations with the sword and the 6-foot bo staff. We also taught techniques from both the perspective of a defender using the technique against an aggressor, and also from the perspective of having the technique applied to you by someone else, turning the technique back upon them (this is known as kaeshi-waza, 返し技).

The turn-out was very good despite the threat of rain, and although it did rain at times over the two days, there were hot, sunny breaks as well – a nice smattering of variable Vancouver weather. As many Vancouver-area Bujinkan groups do, we were training outside. At times, training jackets came off because it was getting hot, and at other times those training jackets were dripping with mud. The Vancouver groups are used to training outdoors in all sorts of weather. I had the same experience in my 5 years of training in Vancouver before moving to Japan – sun, rain, snow, mud, concrete, gravel, ice – we trained on and in it all.

It was so encouraging to see many old friends and new ones as well, the new generation who have come up the ranks in the 19 years since I began my training in the area. At the time I think there were only 2 or 3 Bujinkan black belts in BC. The Bujinkan community was very isolated from Japan. Few made the trip to Japan for training, and there were swindlers around who would take advantage of people’s ignorance, keeping them in the dark and taking their membership and grading fees and issuing their own certificates and membership cards instead of the official ones that are supposed to come from the Bujinkan office in Japan. Over time, people began to see other instructors and make their own trips to Japan, aided by the spread of information via the Internet since the mid-90′s. Now there are many instructors who have taken groups of students to Japan to train with Sensei, and the exposure of more instructors to the training in Japan has, over time, resulted in a much greater skill level than existed in the province when I first started out. It’s good to see – relationships between local training groups have developed and people are cooperating on hosting and organizing events and showing up to support each others’ seminars. Such inter-group cooperation was rare back in the ’90s. I felt a great sense of happiness when I thought of this as I looked around at the faces of the participants as the seminar came to a close. The Bujinkan in Western Canada has come such a long way, due to people’s efforts and sacrifice, and is developing it’s own history, one that I’m proud to be a small part of.

It was great to have the honour to be invited to teach here again.

Namaste, Arigatou, Keep Going!

Shawn

Förra helgen arrangerade Kaigozan Dojo ett läger med Holger Kunzmann från Reutlingen i Tyskland. Temat för lägret var Gyokko-ryu grunder och de 12 teknikerna från Jo-ryaku no maki.

På lördag gick Holger igenom grunder så som till exempel korrekt positionering, blockeringar, slag och sparkar. Han visade riktigt bra träningsdrillar som jag definitivt kommer att ta till mig och fortsätta köra i vår dojo. Grunder är oerhört viktiga, behärskar man inte grunderna ordentligt blir det inte så mycket av kata-teknikerna heller. Varje katateknik består av ett flertal kombinationer av grundtekniker, kan man dessa bra så är det bara att lägga ihop varje delmoment tills man har själva katatekniken.

Efter en halv dag med grundträning började han undervisa teknikerna ur Jo-ryaku no maki som är den första nivån i skolan Gyokko-ryu.

På Söndag efter uppvärmningen, med andningsövningar och rullningarundervisade han de återstående sju grundteknikerna. När dagen var slut svarade han på frågor som några deltagare hade.

Sättet Holger lär ut på är distinkt, effektivt och realistiskt. Man ser tydligt hur farliga teknikerna är i verkligheten (om man inte håller igen i träningen). Bitvis såg det riktigt läskigt ut och man tittade ofta på Uke om det var okej efter att ha blivit kastad ganska våldsamt. Som tur är Holger väldigt skicklig och vet exakt var gränsen går och ser till att ingen blir skadad i träningen.

Han berättade om hur Takamatsu Sensei sade att man måste kunna växla mellan en tam katt och en vildsint tiger på en bråkdels sekund när det behövs, för att sedan växla tillbaka till den gulliga katten som all vill kela med. Det är viktigt att kunna röra sig avslappnat för att vara mottaglig av signaler och känslor, samtidigt kunna växla till hårt under bara någon sekund när det behövs. Att gå omkring och spänna sig, eller ha ett “hårt sinne” är inte bra för hälsan, detta är en viktig poäng också Hatsumi Soke ofta poängterar.

Lägret filmades och kommer att komma på DVD om ett par veckor på Kaigozan Budoshop.se

Vad några deltagare tyckte…

Mycket inspirerande, det var länge sedan jag lärde mig så mycket nyttigt på ett läger! Fler skulle verkligen ha behövt vara där. Men jag antar att det var en helg som många valde att göra annat; det får man bara acceptera. Hoppas hur som helst att det kan bli fler tillfällen för honom att komma hit.
- Ola

Aj. Det gjorde ont. Men lika gla ändå är jag. Men… Aj.
- Arvid

Väldigt distinkt utförda tekniker, jag önskar att jag hade haft en sådan instruktör när jag började träna. Flow och feeling i all ära, men vad är det om det inte finns någon substans i botten? Holger är ett föredömligt exempel på en bra instruktör som tränar hårt på grunderna och inte så mycket ute i lalaland, det syns verkligen.
- Mats

The seminar was great. I had loads of fun training and meeting everyone.
- Robert

Developing the “Counter Intuition” of Kihon Happo

March 12, 13

Atlanta, Georgia – Stone Mountain Bujinkan Dojo

Contact: Randy Sessions   Rsessi307@aol.com Phone :770 630- 7450

March 19, 20

Chicago, Illinois – Bujinkan Jigokoro Dojo

Contact: Tony Brooks

March 21, 22

West palm Beach, Florida

Contact: Paul Fisher

March 26, 27

Joao Pessoa, Brazil

Contact: Simao Freitas  simaotaijutsu@hotmail.com

April 1, 2, 3

Bogota, Colombia

Contact: Andres Bernal    director@ninjacolombia.com  Phone: 3174373261

http://www.ninjacolombia.com/indes.html

April 9

Washington DC – Jujutsu Dojo of Colombia

Contact: Charles Collins  clcollins41@aol.com Phone: 443-956-0506

2010-12-04/04 - Jutaijutsu- och Svärdsläger

Träningsläger med Mats Hjelm lördagen den 4 december, start klockan 10:30 till ca 15:30, på MunktellArenan i Eskilstuna. Kostnad 150 kr per person.````Temat är Svärd och Jutaijutsu.

From http://bujinkan.me/seminars/

2010-11-20/21 - Frasse besöker Linköping

Bujinkan i Linköping bjuder in till läger Thomas Franzén.````Temat för lägret är taijutsu, men ta med de vapen du har, för de kommer växlas mellan taijutsu och vapen.````Följ länken och läs mer om lägret.

From http://bujinkan.me/seminars/

2011-04-30/01 - Kaigozan Keiko seminar

Vi arrangerar ett läger med Holger Kunzmann, en välkänd och omtyckt instruktör! Mer info kommer snart

From http://bujinkan.me/seminars/