Keep your comments polite, on topic and succinct. Play nice and everyone benefits!.
Just a quick word to thank all of the visiting SMR Jodo Sensei for a marvellous week of training at the BBRD. It is a rare opportunity to have as many certified instructors of a koryu art available and willing to provide instruction in a regional centre such as Toowoomba.
Many thanks to Adrian Knight Sensei for organising this event and congratulations to all BBRD members who took the opportunity to train through the week.
With the new Semester rapidly approaching, we are looking to set up our training schedule for the second half of the year.
Michael is intending to run a Saturday morning jujutsu class from 10.30am–12.00pm if there is sufficient interest. Please contact him at michael.baczynski@bbrd.org.au to let him know if you are wanting to attend.
Contribution will be an additional $10 for the session as we will have to negotiate additional hall hire from the School.
This Saturday's session will start at 10am in order to do a pre-Semester tidy up of the dojo and storage area. Hope to see you there!
In the afterglow of a successful QKR seminar, Tom Johnson, yondan Iaido and Jodo, has kindly offered to help mentor those wishing to practice Seitei Iaido in Toowoomba. He has offered to try and make as many of the first Sunday of the month iaido session in Toowoomba. We are likely to also have the presence of some of Johnson Sensei's students, who will no doubt add to the overall rate of improvement to Toowoomba iaidoka.
We are all looking forward to Sunday 3 August for the next Iai session!
The QKR annual winter seminar and grading was held in crisp conditions this weekend. Sub-zero mornings saw four BBRD members trek down the hill to participate in the seitei iaido and kendo training opportunities at Collingwood Park.
As always there was valuable input from all the Sensei in attendance. Many thanks to Isaacs Sensei, Hiroko Tsukadaira Sensei, Nicholas Sensei, Tamura Sensei, Kagami Sensei, Humphries Sensei and Johnson Sensei for their advice and direction over the weekend.
There are a couple of important announcements arising from the weekend. First, congratulations to Robert Kimber and Maaike Stehouwer, both of whom double graded to ikkyu and sankyu respectively. Robert now has the 12 month build up to an attempt at shodan, which means he gets at least one more opportunity to play in the kyu grades at this year's Australian University Games. Both Robert and Maaike received many compliments from people over the weekend for the elegance and robustness of their kendo.
Also announced at the seminar was Toshi Tsukadaira Sensei's successful attempt at his 7th Dan iaido grading. It is a wonderful personal achievement and excellent news for iaido practitioners in Queensland.
Finally, there has been a renewal of the QKR executive as a result of a number of the long-standing members stepping down from their positions. In particular we would like to thank Dr Kevin Humphries for his 15 years of active service to the kendo, iaido and jodo communities of Queensland, and his tireless efforts in organising seminars, visits and other special training sessions over that time.
The new executive represents a spread of Clubs and interests within the Renmei and consists of:
President: Tom Johnson (Iaido and Jodo, Kohokai, Ipswich)
Vice President: Paul Willis (Kendo, Nippon Seibukan, Townsville)
Secretary: Dave Fitzgibbon (Kendo, Ken Shin Kai, Brisbane)
Treasurer: Michael Baczynski (Kendo and Iaido, Bun Bu Ryo Do, Toowoomba)
Here is wishing the incoming executive all success in the coming year — Ganbatte!
Representatives from Kurume Kendo Renmei will be visiting Brisbane. There will be a number of scheduled activities and training opportunities while they are here from Thursday the 21st to Monday the 25th of August.
There will be 12 people in total including:
7 dan Matsuzaki Sensei & 7 dan Noguchi Sensei
6 dan : 3 members including Otomo Sensei
4 dan : 1 uni student & Masashi-san
3 dan : 2 uni students
2 dan : 2 uni students
The full schedule is not finalised as yet although the Ken Shin Kai Hall at Mt Gravatt has been booked for the two full days of training on 23rd and 24th.
As they are arriving early on Thursday morning, it is likely that the day will be spent on the Gold Coast. The plan for Friday is also not set, but most likely to include activities in and around Brisbane. Isaacs Sensei, from the Ken Shin Kai, has provided an invitation to all Toowoomba-based kendoka to participate in the activities planned with the visitors from Kurume, including the Friday activities and the training opportunity on the weekend.
Last visit provided an excellent opportunity for kendoka of all experience to learn from the visitors, and I am personally looking forward to participating and "unpacking" what we are exposed to this time.
Please consider freeing up your schedules for that weekend and let me know ASAP if you could use a ride down as we will ensure that if there are 6 or more we book the PCYC bus.
The Aiki Kai Australia annual winter school in Sydney is being held this week coming.
I'd like to wish safe travel for all Aikido practitioners travelling from around Australia to attend the event, and wish for success for all of those who are attempting gradings.
Given the upcoming QKR seminar and the fact that next week is still school holidays, I'd like to offer the opportunity to get some extra Kendo practice in before the Jodo sessions. I'm proposing that we start at the MEAC at 4.50pm and go through till Jodo starts at 6.30pm Monday through Thursday. This will mean that the usual CBRC session will be relocated tot he MEAC.
Please let me know ASAP if you would like to train so we can lock in the sessions.
It is certainly going to be a busy week coming, with Aiki Kai Winter School, Jodo Week at the MEAC and the QKR seminar and grading on the weekend.
As per usual, the seminar will be over both Saturday and Sunday with a 9 am sharp start at the Collingwood Park Recreation Centre. There will be an election for new office bearers of the QKR.
Please let Michael Baczynski know ASAP if you are intending to head down for one or both days so that we can organise sufficient transport for everyone.
'Tis the first Sunday of the month as we will be practising seitei iaido after kendo training at the PCYC. If people could be ready for a 10.30 am start (sharp) we can do a little more practice before the QKR Seminar next weekend!
Adrian Knight will be hosting a week long introduction of Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo at the MEAC beginning Monday 7 July. Assisting will be Humberto Heyden, a SMR Jodo practitioner from Chile. Humberto is a practitioner of Shotokai Karate, and started SMR Jodo with Nishioka Sensei in 2006, making regular training trips to Japan.
Over 4 nights we will cover the basic handing and use of the sword and the jo (128cm staff). Adrian and Humberto will also demonstrate kata, the main tool of transmitting the technical and psychological aspects of a one on one duel with weapons. In this week the students will be encouraged to have a go and learn as much as they can absorb!
This will be followed by a weekend seminar, which will feature senior practitioners such as Glen Henry Sensei, and menkyo kaiden holder Katsuhiko Arai Sensei.
There will be no jujutsu or iaijutsu classes next week and all of those students are strongly encouraged to participate next week. Please let us know by Friday if you are going to participate so that we can source sufficient jo and bokken.
Jodo Introduction
6:30-8:30pm, Monday to Thursday, July 7-10
Jodo Weekend seminar
Saturday 12 10am to 5pm
Sunday 13 9am to 2pm
Price
$30 for four nights Jodo Intro
$30 for weekend seminar
$45 combined price
Keep your comments polite, on topic and succinct. Play nice and everyone benefits!.