SMR Jodo Seminar - Alexandra, Australia

May, 29th to 30th 2010

When we moved to Australia, Silke and I asked Pascal Sensei to help us getting in touch with people who could teach us here. Both Paul Maloney Sensei and Andy Poulos (who holds a Shomokuroku from Pascal Sensei) have been very kind to us, and supported our efforts to form a Jodo group in Alexandra, where we live now. As there is nobody else training Shinto Muso Ryu in the state of Victoria besides the two of us and our students, the help from these two teachers has been invaluable.

On the 29th and 30th of May, we managed to organize our first Gashuku in Alexandra. Andy came all the way from Sydney, and we had a great time together. Somehow, having this Gashuku with a student of Pascal Sensei took us closer to all of our FEJ friends, fellow students and teachers, whom we miss so much.

Below is a scanned image of the article which came out in the local newspaper (The Alexandra Standard), together with a copy of the text.


Gabriel da Fonseca


Group
Standing: Karen Carlton, Chris Dundas, Kara deLucey, Sarah Brunck
Seiza: Silke Koerner, Gabriel da Fonseca, Andrew Poulos, Matt Rondell

"First Jodo Seminar in Alexandra


During the weekend of 29/5 and 30/5 the Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo study group led by Gabriel da Fonseca in Alexandra met for a seminar with certified teacher Andrew Poulos, who came from Sydney for the event.

Jodo (which means “The Way of the Stick”) is a medieval Japanese martial art. The students learn to use the Jo (wooden stick), or any other of the assorted weapons studied in the school, to defend themselves from the attack of a partner using the Japanese sword. Training is done using wooden weapons.

The Seminar was held at the Dundas´ family property, and comprised of almost 7 hours of work on Saturday and 3 ½ hours on Sunday. The beginners received new Kihon (basic movements) as well as their first two Jo Kata (prearranged form simulating a fight). The instructors received new Jo Kata and were introduced to the Kusarigama (sickle with weighted chain).

The Alexandra Jodo study group meets in the Parish Hall at St. Johns on Thursdays from 20:30 to 22:00, after the Aikido class. Interested people should contact Gabriel da Fonseca at (04) 4809 1569."

Group



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