Expression of interest: Tozando order

Those of you who are subscribed to the Tozando news feed will know that they have changed their pricing from Yen to US Dollars. This will mean that we may not have as stable a price relationship for Tozando gear as the AUD/USD exchange rate tends to fluctuate a little more than the AUD/YEN rate. However, to smooth the transition, Tozando are offering significant discounts on a range of their goods. This, in combination with proposed changes to the charging of GST on all imported goods come July 1 (not just those over the $1000 threshold), may mean that it is a good opportunity to purchase something now rather than later.

Please let me know by week's end if you wish to participate in a Club order to reduce the cost of shipping. I note that in particular they are offering discounts on Kendo, Iaido and Aikido uniforms, so if you have been after something, now would be the time to purchase it. If you can select which items you are interested in, I can calculate a combined price (including share of shipping and any further Club discounts). 

Kendo and iaido news: Upcoming this month

Saturday saw Matt G and I head down to Brisbane to get some one-on-one time with the kodansha of the Kenshinkai, and I would like to offer thanks to John Isaacs sensei for the generous invite and the excellent input. We both have things that we shall continue to shape and polish until the next opportunity to train, though I suspect the sole of Matt's foot will probably need some attention after a delamination caused by the surface of the Mt Gravatt SHS hall. 

The end of June brings a number of things to a close. We reach the winter solstice on June 21, and the financial year ends on June 30, which coincides with the end of the Queensland Kendo Renmei membership year. Kendo and Iaido practitioners should be receiving reminders of new membership dues (and if you do not, please contact me as your details may be incorrectly registered with the QKR). Please attend to your dues ASAP as it will make life much easier for the QKR executive, and in turn for yourself as well. Remember that you must be a current financial member to be covered by insurance, and to participate in any QKR/AKR events. 

We are continuing to evaluate changes to the training times for Kendo and Iaido, with the possibility of adding a short Iaido session either just before Jujutsu or Kendo on the weekends. Itakura sensei also expressed interest in making a visit up to Toowoomba one Sunday morning to whip us into shape, and we still are working towards some of the senior sensei to come up and participate in a public "relaunch" of Kendo in Toowoomba.  

I will be heading to Canberra in just under two weeks to visit family and participate for one session of the Iaido seminar with Nagayama sensei, which I am most looking forward to. This means that Kendo training will be without me on Sunday 11 June. However, in light of the QKR winter seminar, it may be good to still have an informal keiko that day to keep the training edge sharp.

The seminar will again be hosted on the Gold Coast, which will mean that Toowoomba-based folk and friends are most welcome to join us in getting an AirBnB rental for the Friday and Saturday nights. However, if you do wish to share accomodation, please let me know no later than the end of this week so we can look for an appropriately sized venue at a reasonable price. 

If you are intending to present for grading at the seminar, you will need to have the appropriate paperwork in within the next two weeks so that I can sign off on any Kendo candidates and Tom Johnson sensei can do likewise for Iaido candidates.  

Best of luck to all who are preparing for gradings. And I'd love to see absent friends and new recruits come to train with us over the coming weeks!

Kendo and iaido news

Two bits of kendo news for the coming week. First is that we are going to start a trial from this week of doing Kendo on a Tuesday night from 7.40-9.15pm in an attempt to get some more regular practice in. This will be replacing the currently scheduled Iaido session, which has had a significant drop off in attendance over the past few months. We will be evaluating the new arrangements through June in the lead up to the QKR winter seminar series. 

Second, BBRD is scheduled to attend Ken Shin Kai training in Brisbane this Saturday morning from 8.30 am. Could those interested in coming down please confirm with Michael no later than Thursday evening. We are hoping that we can put more emphasis on growing the number of kendo practitioners over the coming months, particularly with the Australian University Games being held on the Gold Coast in September this year. 

As a result, we will not be holding Sunday kendo training this week. If you are interested in giving kendo a go, please come along and try it out. No previous experience is necessary, and we have a range of great that can be loaned before you obtain your own equipment.  

Results of the Autumn Jujutsu grading

I wanted to officially convey congratulations to all candidates who successfully rose to the challenge of their grading on Saturday, and to all of those who made the day possible by volunteering for the numerous tasks that make a day like this run smoothly.

First to the results. All candidate who presented for grading were successful. Specifically: 

• Adrian Cooper 6KYU 
• Peter Lanzafame 7KYU 
• Matthew Mcenery 7KYU 
• Cat Ardi 9KYU 

All now face the new challenges ahead of them in their budo journey: Cat, with her first grade ever in martial arts has made her first, most important steps toward success; Matthew and Peter now have to consolidate their learning and polish the finer points as they work towards 6KYU and their blue belt; and Adrian who having competently acquitted himself in the nyumon portion of the syllabus now restarts his learning journey be starting work on the chuden syllabus. 

I would like to give specific thanks to Stephen Witney sensei  and Jason Griffiths sensei for offering up their Saturday to form the grading panel. Thanks to Brady Albrand and Raymond Undery for dojo steward and uke services. To Amber Ole and Scott Currie for taking photos and video of the day. And to Tracy Campbell for organising lunch for everyone.

So now to the next opportunity to be set in November. Congratulations everyone, and remember to continue with your focus. I'll look forward to seeing you all in the dojo next week!

Jodo Taste Tester 13 May

Hello All,
This past Saturday (13 May) was the Taste Tester for Jodo. Prior to the taste tester was a seminar on the sword arts open to all practioners of the ken.
In Jodo, we not only learn how to be good with the "stick" (jo) but we also have to be compentent in the use of the sword. During the sword seminar we covered general sword kehone and we also watched videos on how the sword is used in Jodo and in a few other sword arts.
During the taste tester we concentrated on the jo kehone and worked on the first three strikes. A short demonistration of the first Setei kata was conducted with the assistance of Ray Undery (one of Jodo's longest participating students).
Thanks to those who participated, and hope to see you in the future.
Eric

Less than a week to go ...

Jujutsu shinsa is now less than a week away. I would like to commend all of the effort put in by those who are challenging a grade on Saturday morning, and thank all those of you who have been assisting them with their preparations.  

A number of the potential candidates have unfortunately been unable to commit to the date due to work and family commitments, reducing the number participating. However, I would still strongly encourage everyone who is not otherwise engaged to come and help on the day. Things that will need to be done include: 

Proper preparation of the dojo space (from 9 am)

1. Set up and clean of the mats
2. Clean the toilets and make sure the floor on the MEAC is properly swept
3. Tidy up of the usual school detritus /Extend area
4. Set up the kamiza, including sensei portraits
5. Arrange chairs for visitors to view the grading
6. Table for the grading panel with three chairs

 Assistance with the shinsa (from 10 am)

1. Make yourself available to be uke for the candidates. For your own preparation, you will be doing the jumbi undo preparatory exercises with candidates, and you will need to be wearing a clean and presentable jujutsu gi
2. Help direct any late visitors around the dojo
3. Take footage (photos and video) of the shinsa 

Bump out (from approximately 12.30 pm)

With a reduced number of candidates, we should certainly be finished slightly ahead of schedule. We will need folk to take responsibility for

1. Picking lunch up and bringing it to the dojo for a post-event celebration  
2. Returning the MEAC to its usual configuration  

Please let Michael know ASAP if you wish to take specific responsibility for one or more of these tasks.  

And finally, good luck everyone! And gambatte!

Website updates

Over the next few weeks we will be providing some more updates to the content of the BBRD website, and making more use of the functionality of things such as the calendar found there.  

Once it is up and running, you will be able to directly import the official Club calendar into your own electronic devices so you will know when critical dates, such as grading opportunities, seminars, trips for training, and membership renewals for external bodies. We are also looking to streamline the payment processes to make it easier to put money in for purchases or training dues.

As a start, have a look at the Resources page, which Eric and I have already begun populating. We will be making note of some of the books and other documents that are well worth a read to help fill in some of the fuzzy areas and gaps in your own knowledge regarding specific disciplines, and noting which ones you might be able to borrow (if you are good!). 

Jodo taste tester this Saturday (13 May)

Hello All,

This Saturday is the Jodo taste tester (13th May) at the MEAC starting at 1400 hrs (2:00 pm) and ending at 1600 hrs (4:00 pm).

I will be at the MEAC early, and I would like to invite all BBRD sword arts practitioners to come to the MEAC at around 1100 hrs (11:00 am) and join me for an informal kenjutsu session/workshop where participants in all forms of sword styles practised in the BBRD can experience the other arts' swordsmanship. This would continue until 1300 hrs (1:00 pm) where we would break for lunch (BYO) and then feel free to participate in the Jodo taste tester.

See everyone there.

Eric

Jodo Inter-dojo training 29 April

Hello All,

Jodo's BBRD and Chushinkan Dojo combined training took place down in Brisbane this time. We started at 10:30 and continued until 3:00, with a very instructive session on kenjutsu - including kehone and the first three ken kata. This was followed with paired work utilising jo strikes against the ken, and then finishing with jo kata.

The next inter-dojo training is to be in approximately six weeks...stay tuned for confirmation of the date and venue.

Eric

All quiet on the Western front... a regular week of training

After a fairly hectic few weeks of seminars, public holidays and university assignment, BBRD is back into regular programming for the next few weeks.  

On the jujutsu front, I'm hoping that we will be returning to more regular class sizes after last week's cold snap and study deadlines appeared to sap the motivation out of some of the class members. Remember that the grading opportunity is now less than three weeks away, and it would be worthwhile to take every chance you can to hone your performance. This includes the Sunday morning "open mat" sessions, where you can generate a little more refinement on kata that do not get as frequent a dusting off. 

We may be receiving a visit from Tom Johnson sensei, on Thursday evening to see how the iaidoka are progressing, and to pass on tips and trick he had gleaned from recent seminars in Perth and in Japan. I would encourage all of our regulars and not so regulars to make it along if they can. This is especially so for those intending to participate in the July seminar and grading opportunity down on the Gold Coast. 

I will also be giving some thought to getting a little more vitality in the Sunday morning kendo classes. Kenshinkai Brisbane will be having a few sessions at the Collingwood Park facility, and we will certainly try to make at least one of the Saturday sessions there. 

And the latest student iteration of the ITSK Arnis-Escrima syllabus is close to release, so we will be working through it over the next few weeks as well.  

So have an excellent week ahead everyone and I'll look forward to seeing you on the mat!