16th national Jodo seminar in the Czech Republic
21st - 22nd April 2012
The 16th seminar of Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo in the Czech Republic took place during the weekend of 21st - 22nd April 2012 and was led by Fred Quant (Menkyo Kaiden, Netherlands). The seminar was organized in a site quite different from the usual places where we meet - in the highest peaks of our country - the Giant Mountains (the Krkonoše Mountains) - only a few tens of metres from the boundary with Poland. We wanted to make the seminar more interesting and to organize a real gasshuku with shared practice and living, the way it should be.
We met on Friday before the beginning of the seminar and checked in the apartments of the Ski Areal in Horní Malá Úpa. More than 30 participants enrolled, in the end there were “just” 28 of us which is not bad but next time can be even better.
After breakfast on Saturday morning Fred welcomed us at the seminar and reminded us that it has been the tenth year that he started to work with us regularly. In October 2002 he came for the first time. At that time he had worked with us on basic techniques and the first kata of Jodo. Now, ten years later, he remembered shortly the modest group of “non-jodokas” he had met at that time and compared that to the present situation. In the recent years there are about thirty jodokas from the Czech Republic, Hungary and occasionally also from Slovakia who take part in his Czech seminars. The change has been both in the number of trainees and in their technical level and studied matter.
After that, as an organizer of the whole event, I welcomed Fred and other participants and thanked them for their willingness to travel so far. I wished everyone to enjoy the seminar and the nature. Before the seminar I had asked Pascal Krieger to choose a motto for our seminar and for kamiza. I did not specify the topic at all and left it all to his choice and feeling. Pascal sensei prepared a calligraphy that exactly grasped our relationship to Fred who has been teaching and leading us for such a long time.
The calligraphy and the motto of this year’s seminar were: To ki kei (to) nasu. It is a part of a saying about peach trees which do not announce that their fruit is ripe, but still there is a path leading under them. Similarly Fred who is with us does not announce how good his fruit is, the way he practices and how much he knows. In spite of this we follow him and we try to practise like him and to be like him. Although Fred has been coming to us regularly and for a long time, his visit is not obvious. His help is very important for us and we deeply appreciate it.
In the cold dojo (1, 050 m above the sea level) we started to move quickly while practising tandoku dosa. After this Fred reminded us that our practise of kihon tandoku shouldn’t be hasty and careless. We shouldn’t think of it as a necessary evil that we have to go through. On the contrary, we should watch carefully every technique and check the way we perform it. We hardly ever correct the technique in the kata because we are concentrated on other things. While we practise kihon we don’t have to think about anything else than the kihon. It is enough to see Fred’s practice and his technique and we realize immediately that he is right. He shows precise kihon techniques in perfectly performed kata.
The practice of uchikomi geiko followed. Not just the four basic techniques but also the following ones that appear in omote waza. Fred (as in Almere last year) practised a combination of kuri tsuke on both sides with the strike to solar plexus at the end. Also the practice of tsuki hazushi uchi (from the left side for sakan) connected with the entering from the right side (ukan) followed. We need both of these movements in different stages in kata but we usually practise only one side. Nevertheless the other one cannot be left behind.
After that we started to practise kata - first we started with omote waza (especially tsuba wari). In the afternoon we continued with the first series of kata and later added chudan, ran-ai and finally also kage for the more advanced ones.
During both days Fred showed us all the series of kata first with Josi Katona from Hungary (sotai and omote) and then with me (chudan, ran-ai and kage). After every training block he let the beginners and the more advanced people show their progress to the others who could see that they are the only ones who have problems with this or that kata. Fred also motivated us to ask questions and again and again he answered any question referring to basic techniques and kata.
On Saturday he explained us his view of progress in the curriculum in connection with the progress in technical grades. As we achieve grades our knowledge should correspond to the requirements for these grades. It is not only a question of presenting four or five kata at the examination. It is necessary to know the corresponding waza and to have a good practice of them.
During the training on Saturday afternoon it was already warmer in the dojo. Some of us were even hot when, after the end of Saturday’s training, they were left in the middle of the dojo to take exams without much previous preparation.
Some were successful, others not. After the examination each candidate heard what were their good points, what to work on for the future, or why it is necessary to repeat the exams later. General reasons for failing the exams were hesitation, indecisiveness, uncertainty and of course mistakes that followed. I think that the reason of this uncertainty is - apart from being nervous - lack of regular practise and maybe willingness to repeat learned movements, techniques, and kata. It is necessary to practise more, to attend seminars, and in this way to become more certain. Next time you will surely pass without problems.
Fred promised to go back to the mistakes and to explain the way the individual techniques should look like. But it was necessary to close the Saturday’s part of our practice. Although we should have finished at about 6 o’clock in the evening we left dojo an hour and half later. Even after the examination Fred dedicated a few minutes to personal advice to the more advanced of us.
After good dinner, short celebration, good sleep and great breakfast we met in the dojo again. We all practised ken kihon and kihon sotai both sides and we received a few comments on individual techniques. Still it was necessary to correct the steps of uchidachi in hiki otoshi, maki otoshi and other techniques. Again it was necessary to revise the way to lead the cutting edge (hasuji) of the sword and the way to stop a technique (kime). And again there was a possibility to ask questions and to get a clarification in case of doubts. We saw what sotai dosa should exactly look like and for the last time Fred, Josi, and me also showed tandoku dosa.
We continued in the practice of kata divided into three groups (omote, chudan/ran-ai and kage) almost to the end of the seminar. Fred was available all the time, he was walking around and correcting our techniques and to those who were ready he added a new kata to learn. At the end yudansha were traditionally available to the others for the final practice of kata. At least a few minutes.
This time the seminar passed very quickly. I think we will remember it at least until next one comes. With Fred or other teachers, in our country or somewhere abroad. There are enough opportunities, it is enough to have motivation and to do one’s best. To sacrifice something and then just enjoy the good fruit. When we said good bye, everybody made their way home. Fred in direction to Prague, we in the opposite one. As far as I know, everyone arrived safe and sound home from the Czech mountains which is also good. I’m looking forward to seeing you next time.
I would like to thank everyone for participation and for help with the organization of the seminar.
Patrik Orth (english translation: Katka Rozsypalova)
Fédération Européenne de Jodo / European Jodo Federation