Overview

 

The International Jodo Federation’s 10th Trienniel Gasshuku took place in the balmy climes and against the beautiful backdrop of Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the first week of August 2006.

 

Unfortunately, participant numbers were hampered by the bankruptcy of Varig Airlines as well as distance, but all told over 60 jodoka descended on Belo Horizonte. The stick-wielding contingent that did turnout was more than enthusiastic enough to make up for missing members. With fine weather, training, food and camaraderie a good time—in line with the gasshuku’s goals of strengthening friendships globally, raising jodo skill levels and having fun—and good memories were ostensibly made by all.

 

The gathering was overseen by Tsuneo Nishioka Sensei, Shintomusoryu Jodo menkyo-kaiden cum technical advisor to the IJF, and graciously hosted by Brazil-based Ichitami Shikanai Sensei and his very generous students. Menkyo-kaiden Pascal Krieger Sensei, representing the European/African Region) and Phil Relnick Sensei, Quintin Chamers Sensei and Nobuko Relnick Sensei, all also menkyo-kaiden and representing the Pan-American Region, presided over training. Also attending from Japan were aikido instructors Haruyoshi Horikoshi Sensei and Hideaki Suezawa Sensei.

 

Summary of proceedings

 

The gasshuku kicked off on August 1 with a greeting and announcement or rundown of how the first component of the gasshuku was to proceed by Phil Sensei and Pascal Sensei. After breakfast Phil Sensei presented menkyo to Quintin Sensei and Nobuko Sensei and shomokuryoku to Ichitami Shikanai. This first morning set the tone with a healthy balance of humor and focus that was to remain through the rest of the week. The first and last three days were full training days with August 4 being set aside for an excursion into the colonial town of Ouro Preto in the rugged hills of the State of Minas Gerais.

 

Practice the first day was undertaken with all participants training together on a soccer/football pitch (where with our wooden weapons and donning dogi and hats or bandanas we were a source of curiosity for many of the locals) and receiving instruction in the basics from Nishioka Sensei. This included teaching of some of the finer points of and emphasis on the importance of sotai dosa as well as honte and gyakute.

 

Group practice sessions were held once in the morning and once in the afternoon with special optional classes at for those willing and able to drag themselves to the tennis court where they were held at 6 a.m. Apart from the daytime jodo curriculum, in the evenings, special lectures were held, including one on shodo, or Japanese calligraphy, by Pascal Sensei, ikebana by Nobuko Sensei as well as a collaborative discussion in which each of the teachers discussed their introduction to SMR. As they spoke and fielded questions, both Pascal Sensei’s gentle but powerful shodo as well as Nobuko Sensei’s masterful manipulation of the local fauna left lecture attendees amazed. In the group discussion, Nishioka Sensei discussed the current state of affairs of SMR, while Phil Sensei and Pascal Sensei recounted their acquaintance of Nishioka Sensei. As an added and humorous treat, Nobuko Sensei recounted how Phil Sensei had distracted her from her studies and drawn her to the world of budo, however, that is a story for another time.

 

The morning classes started on day two. Classes during the week included two scheduled tanjo classes by Quintin Sensei and one impromptu session of instruction. Here from innocuous-looking stances, Quintin Sensei demonstrated techniques that were executed with painful results on a few eager volunteers and repeated by them amongst themselves with mixed levels of success.
 
Likewise, Pascal Sensei taught two morning classes, delighting sleepy-eyed jodoka with two lessons about and sharing his insights in sword, one focusing on kirikaeshi and another on kiriage.

 

From day two, participants split into groups with beginners in one group and those that had more experience in kata, or forms, working separately. Phil Sensei and Pascal Sensei took turns with each group. Nishioka Sensei watched and pointed out mistakes or refinements that needed to be made to members of both groups as he felt necessary. When instruction in the kata group reached a level beyond that of a student, he or she would move to the other group or break off with someone of a similar level to practice what they did know. Each practice left practitioners with more knowledge than the last and just enough energy and time to replenish themselves with a meal and a rest or bout of discussion in the cafeteria or a chalet.

 

We were blessed with sun and Phil Sensei duly noted on the first day that Shikanai Sensei was solely responsible for the weather. And he did a fantastic job apart from one day in mid-morning practice where a rain poured down flooding the soccer/football pitch, almost as if to make up for the other six days of warm, clear skies. Only for one practice were we chased inside for the afternoon, finishing our training in an indoor gymnasium.

 

By the morning of the last training day, the advanced group was led by Pascal Sensei and had reached samidare and was largely composed of Europeans (and two Americans). As a result, we regrouped and spent time reviewing the basics as one group in the morning. On the final morning, the menkyo kaiden disappeared with Nishioka Sensei for most of the session, leaving the rest of us to review what we had learned and practice kata. In the afternoon training was punctuated with an enbu, or demonstration, in which students and teachers, including Nishioka Sensei, performed a variety of kata, from omote to kusarigama.

 

Apart from the exhausting, but exhilarating menu of training we took one day for a field trip to the picturesque town of Ouro Preto. The excursion to Ouro Preto involved a long bus ride giving us a view of the Brazilian countryside. Once in the this tourist-draw and former mining boom town which to this day boasts spectacular colonial scenery, we slogged up its cobblestone roads, visited museums and tourists before filling our bellies with a spectacular lunch and imbibed in an array of spectacular wines. Then it was back to training.

On the final night, a memorable dinner and copious amounts of delicious food and alcohol prepared us for a capoeira demonstration, including some impressive impromptu participation from Shikanai Sensei, and some fine live Brazilian music and dancing and conversation into the night.

 

In Conclusion

The accommodations and support of those in Brazil must be commended, as well as the masterful interpretation.

Obligado to all and until the next time we can train together, be well.

--Mick Corliss