Keep your comments polite, on topic and succinct. Play nice and everyone benefits!.
Just to confirm that we will not be holding kendo keiko this afternoon due to the unavailability of the CBRC. I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend, and the last day of school holiday/mid semester break.
If there is some interest, we might have a kendo kata session later this week. Otherwise, I'll look forward to seeing folk on Sunday morning at the MEAC!
On Saturday the first of October BBRD Jodo practitioners participated in a cross-training session with Glen Henry Sensei and his students from Chushinkan Dojo of Brisbane. We trained at Queens Park in Ipswich. There were four members from BBRD and five members from Chushinkan Dojo working on their techniques in jo kihon and Omote kata after a warm up with the bokken.
I hope I speak for everyone in that we pushed our skills to the limit, and gained valuable insights and experience with our techniques. Overall an enjoyable and educational time was had by all.
This is planned to be a regular event with the next one tentatively scheduled in six weeks time (12 November).
Jodo training continues as scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:00 pm (19:00 hrs) at the MEAC. See everyone there.
Eric
We will be starting to record and compile footage this week for a number of Club video projects that we have discussed over recent months, taking advantage of the school holidays and the fact that we have access to the MEAC through the day.
I will talk with folk at training today and tomorrow, but we are intending to have some time Wednesday at the MEAC to record the fundamentals of etiquette and other training basics, as well as start our new series of discipline-based intro videos.
Hope to see you there this week!
Hello All,
Further information for the practitioners attending the combined Jodo training down in Ipswich on the 1st of October...you will need to bring: a jo (obviously), a long [tachi] bokken and a short [kodachi] bokken as well as appropriate wear (either gi, or uwagi and hakama.
Training will concentrate on kihon and Seitei Kata up to Tachi Otoshi.
See all attending member there.
Eric
Hello All,
On the first of October (Saturday, 10 am) Jodo will be having a training session with Glen Henry Sensei and his students. This is the start of many shared training opportunities with the group from Chushinkan Dojo. This training is also in preparation for the International Jodo Federation Gasshuku in 2018 down in Brisbane.
Please contact me (0410 475 447 or e-mail: tazman1492@yahoo.com) for further information.
Eric
I would like to let everyone know that we are going to have to re-evaluate the range of fee structures that we charge for training and membership of the Club.
Holy Name Primary School has been exceptionally generous over the years, and has charged a minimal rate for us to use their facility. Due to significant increases in their operational costs (especially electricity) they have asked us to increase the amount we are paying from an effective $10 per hour for evening classes to $15. This is still a very generous rate compared with similar facilities. However, it still poses a 50 per cent increase in our rental costs.
Although the Club has been in a sound financial position to this point, we need to ensure that we have ongoing viability, particularly going into the summer where we have a natural ebb in students due to them taking time away from Toowoomba. As a result, the Executive will be discussing a range of options as to how we can best manage this.
The first, and most likely is that we will have to increase the amount we charge for training contributions, both monthly and per session. We are still very competitive with other similar Clubs in the district, but are mindful that we will continue to be one that supports full-time students that often have minimal capacity to make direct financial contributions.
Second, we will also be looking to ensure that folk make their contributions in a timely manner, whether that is financial or in-kind work that attracts "Dojo Dollars".
The third option is to look carefully at how we are currently providing our spread of classes, and we may have to rationalise by reducing the number of sessions that we offer through the week. This is personally my least preferred option as we had set up the timetable with an eye to maximising member's opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities.
From October, we will be using Martialytics to keep track of all member contributions to the Dojo, so please bear with us as we bet this system down over the next fortnight. We also intend to have an Executive meeting early next week to decide on the best way forward for the Club so that it can continue to provide the excellent level of service to members.
Given that we have access to the MEAC this fortnight due to school holidays, my intention is to give things a thorough spring clean. This includes dusting down the fans before we need to use them, and giving the floor a very good scrub with the aim of trying to lift some of the ground in dirt. If anyone has access to a high pressure water cleaner, we might also give the concrete on the MEAC patio a scrub down as well, as it will reduce the amount of dirt tracked onto the floor.
We will have our first session on Wednesday afternoon before FlexiFit class. Any and all who are available to assist will be most welcome, as I suspect that this will be a very big job if only left to the "usual suspects", who generously provide their time week after week in order to create as welcoming a space as possible.
Just a quick request for those of you who might have Club equipment to stop past the dojo this week and drop it off. In particular we seem to have a number of the judo jackets out (plenty of pants in the tub), and it means that there are not sufficient to loan out at times.
One of the housekeeping tasks I will be undertaking over the September school holidays is some much needed maintenance work on our equipment and uniforms, so that we will be good to go for the remainder of the year.
We are going to be a bit more insistent of folk contributing hire fees for equipment use. At the moment maintenance, cleaning and replacement are falling behind, and I want to ensure that we have a sustainable plan to ensure that we have things available for folk as needed.
Hello Everyone,
This week (11-17 Sept.) there will be no Jodo training. Training will recommence next week during the usual times (Mon. & Wed. at 7 pm). See everyone then.
Eric
September is always a welcome turning point in the Toowoomba weather, and I am looking forward to the upcoming month of training. It is lighter on with regards to external commitments, but that certainly provides more opportunity to focus on training.
Just to let everyone know that we are back to regular programming for this week across all disciplines. Hope to see folk at Kendo tomorrow afternoon and good numbers for our evening classes at the MEAC. We are continuing with a focus on shime wasa in Jujutsu and I'm looking forward to the increased light and warmth available for practising Arnis on a Thursday!
Can I also ask that you consider helping out with the Saturday dojo clean. We will probably have to give the place a goo scrub down after the Art show, and do the same with our mats.
An remember that monthly dues ought be put into Club bank account or provided directly to Michael this week!
Keep your comments polite, on topic and succinct. Play nice and everyone benefits!.