2nd Edinburgh International Kendo Enbu Taikai
Edinburgh, July 1st-2nd 2005
Once again Edinburgh Kendo Club (EKC) played host to the Second International Kendo Enbu Taikai that has left, as last year, a great impression on those who took part in this superb weekend event. This year’s event featured as part of the EU-Japan Person to Person Exchange 2005 and received promotional support from the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh as well as the Embassy website in London. Our thanks go to them.
The idea of holding a Kyoto style Enbu event was proposed more than two years ago. Since that initial idea, this event has evolved into a Kendo seminar weekend and Festival of Japanese martial ands cultural arts. Both Geoff Salmon (Rokudan Renshi) Chairman of the BKA and Budden sensei have developed kendo relationships and friendships with high-level Japanese sensei over many years, which has allowed this event to feature such a high level of kendo teaching and support.
What follows is a broad description of some of the serious and social events that took place but it is mainly in the words of those who took part.
The sensei who travelled from Japan this year were Sumi Masatake (8th Dan Hanshi), Chiba Masashi (8th Dan Hanshi), Ueigaki Isao (8th Dan Kyoshi), Tashiro Junichi (8th Dan Kyoshi) and Hayashi Kozo (7th Dan Kyoshi). Arriving late Tuesday evening on 28th of June, for most of them it was a return to Edinburgh but for Hayashi sensei it was his first visit to the UK and of course to Scotland, but all were enthusiastic to travel into the city and sample Scotland’s famous hospitality and ‘Heavy’ brown beer.
There is never much time at events for the sensei to relax but EKC had arranged sightseeing to the Scottish Highlands the following day. The trip was routed along Loch Lomond (40km in length) and up into the mountains on the West coast. There the sensei saw some of the stunning scenery that Scotland has to offer-not unlike the highlands of Japan.
For lunch the sensei travelled on to Loch Fyne, another enormous sea loch that had for many years sustained a huge herring fishing industry, with at one time over 600 boats on its waters. Now it features a wonderful seafood restaurant with produce that is fished daily from the waters of the Loch. Here the sensei ate fresh oysters and other local produce with a glass of chilled French white wine.
At the end of this particularly long day, the sensei still gave all their energy to a one-hour kendo session held that evening. Edinburgh Kendo Club has a reasonably large membership for a UK Kendo club of around 50, but as it was a ji-geiko session there was still only a queue of 3 or 4 kendoka for the Hachidan sensei, which meant that it was possible train with all of them in a single session!
On Thursday the sensei visited Edinburgh Castle and witnessed the ceremony of the ‘One o’clock Gun’. This dates back to a time when the local sea captains were required to set their watches accurately for navigation purposes. The tradition continues today with the firing of a large piece of field artillery. It caught some of our guests by surprise how very loud the gun is, but the port of Leith that the signal was designed for is some 7km away.
That evening many of our participants began to arrive from all over the UK and Europe, notably two groups-one from Ireland and one from Norway. In fact the furthest anyone had travelled to the event was from Beijing. Muir Dickie, a founder member of EKC organised a family trip home to coincide with IKET. Also EKC was very happy and proud to welcome back Tanaka Satoru who had returned to Japan last year. However, since his personal contribution to IKET 2004 was so great, EKC felt it was appropriate to invite him back.
A general practice was held with around 50 participants and, as usual it was a real eye-opener for many of those who have never faced Kendo sensei of such high quality before. The sensei were all very generous teaching us through cutting and later with their advice.
The social side of this event is as important as the kendo and the sensei were very happy to talk with everyone as we met later for a social drink.
The scene was set and the seminar began on Friday with Zen Nippon Bokuto Kihon Waza for beginners and kyusha. Devised by the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei, this features use of the bokuto to learn basic shinai kendo techniques. It really helps when one of the persons responsible for creating this practice is present to teach you. Also dan and senior dan groups practiced Kendo no Kata.
After a break the finer points of teaching and performing kakari-geiko were demonstrated by Ueigaki sensei and Honda sensei (GB national Coach).
Hanshi can mean, ‘Perfect picture’ and that’s what both Sumi sensei and Chiba sensei were all day.
The day was by no means exhausting in any physical sense but was intended to leave participants with a lot to consider; and as always Sumi sensei emphasised the simplicity of practice to get the basics right.
The whole event commenced with the leader from each participating group marching in behind the pipes and drums of the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band and welcoming speeches from John Howell and Jim Aitken on behalf of Edinburgh University.
‘On Friday I really enjoy kata practice with Uegaki sensei while Honda sensei gave really good explanations; sensei’s perfect demonstrations showed clearly how important posture and body movement are in kendo-no-kata.’
‘During keiko Tashiro sensei was just so immovable!’
‘I simply loved it. Fighting in front of an audience and sensei galvanizes your efforts. There were no nerves at all, just pure enjoyment of kendo. My partner and I knew each other well enough to be sure that it would be about good kendo, not about winning and – therefore – we accepted good cuts and acknowledged ippon. This was a little like a grading but without any of the pressure.’
‘Before the Sunday session, I was unable to gauge whether beginners without bogu should attend. Anyhow, came along and was pleased I did. Tashiro sensei’s teaching was quite different from other teaching styles I have experienced. No shinai were involved in this lesson as we were just concentrating on footwork, and each point was repeated again and again with just a slight change or progression added. I’m not sure what the others thought, but I found this really useful, and I learned a lot.’
‘During the Friday session we slowly went through all the first seven kata, but certain important points were practiced repeatedly in isolation. For example in gohonme, suriage was just repeated fifty times, with little emphasis footwork until the sensei were satisfied we had understood the main points they were trying to make. I am not sure what others thought, some may have found this approach unexciting, but I found it really useful and appreciated the personal attention I received from the sensei.’
‘After twice receiving tai-atari from a broadly grinning Uegaki sensei – once ending up into the wall – I now understand the importance of not going backwards!’
‘On Sunday Tashiro Sensei instructed the kyu grades. The first session covered the essentials of kendo footwork. Tashiro Sensei stressed using the left leg like a spring to power the body forward immediately bringing the left foot up behind the right. He also warned against using too wide a stance. This was practised using empty hands, and proved to be extremely useful.’
‘In the second session we performed kiri-kaeshi, trying to put into practice the footwork learned in the first session. Tashiro Sensei showed us how to block properly with the shinai held vertically and moved from left hip to right hip. He emphasised when making the forward and backward men strikes, the shinai should be turned at a 45-degree angle and should hit just above the men himo. I really enjoyed being instructed by Tashiro Sensei. Salmon Sensei interpreted sensei’s instructions but many of the demonstrations were so clear, none was necessary. It was really inspiring to be working with such excellent sensei, and I felt it really helped my kendo.’
‘In the Enbu on the Saturday morning, I was initially pretty nervous, but once in the shiai-jo this disappeared. I was trying to show ni-dan waza using harai, maki-otoshi and uchi-otoshi to take the centre prior to making a strike. In addition I tried to use kote-men strikes and feigned kote strikes to open men. I was able to strike at kote either taking the shinai over or under my opponent’s shinai. I felt we both showed some of our best kendo. I would have liked someone else’s opinion of how it looked, and especially anything that didn’t look good.’
‘At the Cultural events, I watched the Tea Ceremony. This is very complex requiring great concentration, and was quite meditative. I’m not sure how you remember all the actions; it makes learning the kendo kata look quite simple! After watching the ceremony, the sensei made extra green tea for interested people, and it was delicious.’
Steve Bishop
Public Relations Officer (Kendo) British Kendo Association
Dojo Leader Edinburgh Kendo Club
Programme
12.00: Opening ceremony with the City of Edinburgh Pipes and Drums Sword Dance: Kerry Pretsell, Edinburgh Taiko-Therapy Drummers: Jake Perry and Beeslack Community High School, Penicuik
12.15: Kendo no Kata Sumi Masatake (8th Dan Hanshi) and Chiba Masashi (8th Dan Hanshi)
12.45: Aikido: The Way of Harmony William Coyle, Sensei Makotokai Aikido Association, Glasgow
13.15: Kendo: The Way of the Sword University of Edinburgh Kendo Club and Edinburgh Kendo Kids’ Club
13:45: Judo: The Gentle Way David Hammond, 2nd Dan and Kata partner Stuart Gordon, 2nd Dan. British Judo Council
14:15: Karate: Empty Hand Gordon Mathie (5th Dan) and members of Takushoku Karate Club (Dunfermline)
15.00: Yoshie Asano-Campbell Japanese Folk Songs and Dance
BREAK
15.30: Jodo-The Way of the Stick Keith Rose (5th Dan) and Steve Boyes, Doshinkenyukai, William Smart 4th Dan and Hugh Darby, Shonenjiku Iaido Club, Glasgow
15.45: Iaido-The Way of Sword Drawing Fay Goodman (7th Dan Renshi), Masamune Dojo, Birmingham
16.15: Hachidan (8th Dan) Demonstration Matches: Sumi Masatake 8th Dan Hanshi and Chiba Masashi 8th Dan Hanshi; Ueigaki Isao 8th Dan Kyoshi and Tashiro Junichi 8th Dan Kyoshi
16.30: Kyudo-The Way of the Bow Liam O’Brien: 7th Dan Kyoshi, Ritsuko Uechi 4th Dan. UK Kyudo Association
16.50: Closing Ceremony
Cultural Workshop Programme
15.00-16.00: Tea Ceremony with Yamazaki Kazuo
15.30-16.15: Japanese Folk Dance with Asano-Campbell Yoshie
Japanese Cuisine: Bonsai www.bonsaibarbistro.co.uk
Japanese Shop: EMAI SHOP: www.emaishop.com
Weapons Display courtesy of Raymond Flockhart
Ikebana: with Ruth Davies
Bonsai Exhibition: Scottish Bonsai Association (Penicuik)
Photography and Artwork by Phill Thornton and Dennis Rewt
The 2nd IKET was listed as an official 2005 EU-Japan Year of People to People Exchanges.
