Thank you Kenshinkai!

I just want to express thanks again to John Isaacs sensei and the regular members of Kenshinkai, Brisbane, for the warm welcome and training opportunity this weekend. It was an excellent opportunity for Sian, Sean and Holly to get quality input before their shinsa challenge at the end of the month, and for Minty, Kateena and I to get some high-level input into our own technique, as well as the opportunity to train with a broader community.

It was also great to catch up with some of the Brisbane based kendoka, including Okamoto sensei, Dave F. and Anna, who we have missed the last few times we have come down, and it was also lovely to see Robert Kimber, who came down to watch (and I think has started to get that “itch” to come back to training). All we need to do now is encourage Maaike to pick up the shinai, and we will be one step closer to getting the Uni Games “band” back together!

I will look forward to seeing everyone again on the 24th for the Toowoomba “Give it a go” Day, and our continued training through the year.  

Some changes coming up

As some of you know, I have some significant changes on my horizon over the next few years. I have formally accepted an offer to study Physiotherapy at the Bundaberg campus of CQ University, and will be commencing the degree starting the week of March 5. 

What this will mean for me is that I will have to travel to Bundaberg to meet the face-to-face requirements for the degree. I will be doing so weekly while term is on and most likely be there for three days per week for at least this year and next before being able to finish the remainder of the degree “remotely” while having a practicum placement (with the plan to do that here in Toowoomba). 

The most immediate effect for the Club will be that I will have to hand over some of the regular teaching responsibilities to Brady in Jujutsu, Minty in Kendo and for Tracy and Sian to hold the fort for Iaido.

At this stage, it looks like I will be in Toowoomba Saturday through Tuesday, though depending on what time classes start on Wednesday morning, I may have to leave Tuesday afternoon. We will be shifting FlexiFit to a Monday evening from 5 March, and I may offer an chuden/joden intensive session for Jujutsu for an hour before Kendo on the weekend. However, I will not have certainty around this for at least another week, so do stay tuned!

On the up side, there are some opportunities already emerging for the BBRD ethos to spread its wings and involve new folk in Bundaberg and the surrounding district in what we do. I have already been planning with Tamara and Ivan from Gin Gin to begin a kendo class on a Wednesday night, and will see what interest I might be able to generate for teaching Kendo and Jujutsu in Bundaberg on a Thursday night. In addition, we might start to trial the “Virtual Dojo” idea for iaido and set up a videoconference style session to link the BBRD diaspora in at least one or two sessions a month on a Thursday night.  

I am confident that this will be a great opportunity to both grow BBRD as an organisation. I’m looking forward to the new challenges, and to seeing how everyone continues to progress throughout the year ahead. 

Thanks to the Queensland Go Society

I would like to express on behalf of the Club our gratitude to the Queensland Go Society for generously donating new boards and stones to play with. They will certainly increase the enjoyment of playing a game after some time setting game up games on the grid sheets, and we hope to feature them at upcoming Club promotional activities. 

Many thanks to Horatio Davis and Alan Hunt for organising this for us, and making the trip up to Toowoomba to deliver the equipment and play a few games!  

Kendo at Kenshinkai this Saturday

Just a quick reminder that we are heading to Brisbane as a Club this Saturday (3 February) to train at the Kenshinkai. The plan is to head down in two cars, and go to Yum Cha afterward. We shall confirm details at training on Tuesday night. 

As a consequence, we will not be training Kendo on Sunday morning.

Arnis training focus over the next few weeks

Over the next few weeks we will start to look systematically at grading requirements for advancement in both Arnis Escrima and Arnis de Mano so that we can identify the areas to focus on over the coming months leading to the scheduled grading in November. We will also set up a subsidiary Facebook group so that we can provide some more easily findable resources for the Club’s Arnisedores. 

I will also be working to see when might be a good opportunity to head to Brisbane and get some training and instruction from Don Sensei and/or Jason Sensei to help up with that preparation. Stay tuned! 

Tozando order to be put in this week.

I am intending to put in an order with Tozando this week so that we can get some new shinai for the upcoming “Give it a Go” Kendo day that we will be running on Saturday 24 February.   

If anyone wants to add to that order (shinai, uniforms or other equipment), please let me know no later that Thursday evening so that it can be added to the list! 

School’s back this week ...

It always feels like an official end to holidays when primary and secondary schools go back for the new year. I wanted to take this opportunity to send best wishes to everyone who is undertaking new beginnings and new jobs as of today (particularly Brady and Matt G), to those like Tracy and Kristin who are back to the regular schedule of VET study,  those like Travis whose children are back at school,  to those like Sara who are back to work after a well earned and well utilised break, and of course to those who have already been back to the regular grind of work for some time now. 

With Holy Name Catholic Primary School back today, we are likewise back to setting up and packing away the training surface each night, and not being able to enter the MEAC until after the last child attending the Extend After School program has left. However, could I ask that you still try to get to the dojo before 6 pm so that we can start classes promptly at 6.15 pm.  

We will also need to revisit the roster for regular cleaning of the MEAC toilets, and maintenance of our portion of the storage area. I will be making a post next week regarding that once we have a little more clarity about its scheduling. 

So have a productive and engaging week ahead, and as always, I’ll look forward to seeing you at training! 

Reminder: Get Going this Tuesday

Go officially kicks off for the year tomorrow lunchtime at the USQ Toowoomba Refectory (R-block) at 12.30pm. 

Look for the Club’s Go banner, bring (or purchase) some lunch and come and place some stones! We are expecting Horatio Davis, President of the Queensland Go Society, to be in attendence to deliver some generously donated equipment and give us some tips on play. 

Now is a great time to slake your curiosity if you have never played, or to improve your skills. I am wanting to encourage Club members to be a little more active in Go events here in Southeast Queensland this year, and to all work together to improve our understanding of the intricacies of play. Hope to see you there!

Kicking off the Go year in the right kind of way

Just wanted to let everyone know that as we return to the regular school year next week, I will also start to set up the Go boards every Tuesday in the refectory, starting from from Tuesday 23 January.  

This Tuesday coming we shall be kicking things off well, as we shall be receiving a visit from Queensland Go Society President, Horatio Davis. Horatio will be delivering a number of boards and sets of stones to the Club kindly donated by QGA, of which BBRD is a Chapter Club. 

The session will run from 12.30 till 2 pm, and include some tutorials on game play provided by Horatio.  

It would be great to see some of the old players come along for the session, and if you ever thought of placing some stones, it would be a great opportunity to start!

“Give it a go” for Kendo, Saturday 24 February

I’m excited to announce that the Club will be progressing with plans to tie in a community muster and regional kyu grade for Kendo to be held on Saturday 24 February.  

The event is designed to give the University and broader Toowoomba community a better idea of what good kendo looks like, and provide and opportunity for adults and kids to try it out. This is in conjunction with the QKR’s desire to see more children participate in kendo, including the Queensland Governement’s Get Started Voucher system, which the Club will be registering for. 

We have received enthusiastic support from senior kendo practitioners who will be making their way up the Hill to provide a demonstration of kendo and sit on the grading panel. We will be locking in arrangements this week to secure a venue for the event so that we can start to advertise it more widely. 

Keep an eye out on the Club Facebook page, and the website for more information this week, and I will provide an update in next week’s bulletin!