Vercorin 2005
From 24 to 30 July 2005, practionners of the European Jodo Federation (FEJ) met in Vercorin, in the County of Valais, Switzerland. In this wonderful area, more than 100 Jôdôka breathed the good air of Switzerland, especially after the steep hill to the football field that has become our Dôjô for the week.
Tsuneo Nishioka Sensei was heading the Gasshuku. As usual, the vitality and the generosity of this uncommon man has been greatly appreciated by all the trainees.
Nishioka Sensei was helped by the Gasshuku Director Pascal Krieger who was starting for the third time after his latest surgical operation. In front of the Shômen of the dining room, he tempts to demonstrate Ran-ai with Cindy van Acker to prove (himself) he is still in the game (to reach the final Satori , of course).
The first day, the teaching staff visited the beautiful Dôjô of Saillon to undergo special training. Here they are, just before going to the nearby hot water public bath, from left to right: Michel Colliard, Sylvain Creuzet, Jean-Claude Hamel, Kees Bruggink (with his wife Wil), Vincent Zanhd, Gilles Tache, Alain Robert, Yves Gallet, Michel Ducret, Pascal Krieger, Nishioka Sensei, Michael Söderkvist, Fred Quant and Sergio Dieci. Laurent Subilia, who received his Gomokuroku during this Gasshuku, is behind the camera.
Technically speaking, the week went perfectly well, with all series of Shintô Musô Ryû reviewed, some of them in details.
As for parallel weapons, here Kusarigamajutsu, Nishioka Sensei gave some pertinent remarks to make us all doubt again, very obvious in the photo below.
Evenings were quite busy as well. Beside the film presented by Dejan Savic, "Two or three things I know about Budô" a portrait of Pascal Krieger's Budô experience, warmly applauded, Pascal presented a detailed description of Shintô Musô Ryû in which he revealed some interesting details about Matthias Wenderoth who is trying to disculp himself (below).
Thursday, our weekly holiday, had to be spent for a visit to the Matterhorn, the legendary Swiss mountain nearby (an indispensable visit to any Japanese tourist) especially when I knew that this visit was one of the secret wish of Sensei.
On Friday, exams were, as usual, tense and serious. They were of course long like a breadless day, cut in the middle by a small storm sending the examinators drink a hot chocolate to warm up for the rest of the ordeal.
Succeeded in obtaining their 1st Dan:
- Bock Kerstin
- Elandaloussi Claude
- Schwerzel Jeffrey
- Van Acker Cindy
- Montanari Gabriel
- Dorléans Edmée
Succeeded in obtaining their 2nd Dan:
- Trainelli Lorenzo
- Stemmerik Rob
- Casarini Giulio
Succeeded in obtaining their 3rd Dan:
- Wurth helga
- Pahud Jean-Pierre
Succeeded in obtaining his 4th Dan:
- Corpataux Séverin
Several new countries participated this year: Ukraine with Vadim (from left), Russia with Andrei, Hungary with Jozséf (already with us in 2004), and Greece with Chris (not here).
I have to thank a lot of people for making this Gasshuku a success, among them Serge (above centre) who managed to present an Origami to each one of us, Yves Gallet, Giulio Casarini, Jean-Jérôme Pillet, Jean-Pierre Pahud and Sylvain Creuzet, among many others, for the organization, as well as all the teachers who made an excellent job.
And, to make it short, we didn't have the big brown bear described in recent newspaper articles with us, but, better, a very charming lioness called Mathilda.
Pascal Krieger
Fédération Européenne de Jodo / European Jodo Federation