Our Seminar with Kees Bruggink in Dresden
October 17th and 18th 2009
This time the group in Dresden could welcome people from Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Holland and Bavaria. We were missing Matthias from Heidelberg who could not come this time.
For our annual autumn Seminar Kees Bruggink prepared some thoughts and exercises about the concept of REI. One interesting point to me are the roles of Shidachi and Uchidachi. In the training situation Uchidachi should focus on how to help in the best way to let Shidachi make progress instead of fighting against him/her. Very simply speaking, to take the role of an educator, like a parent. For example, without providing a severe and target meeting cut (makoto), Shidachi is not able to feel anything to make progress. On the other hand is not only Uchidachi who is involved. Shidachi is responsible for the learning - listening, observing and executing. The goal of technical and spiritual development on our path, both inside and outside the dojo, has to overcome the but misleading picture of winning or losing. Unfortunately this misleading picture can often be observed during training sessions.
We started Saturday with exercises of Uchikomi and Kihon Sotai and took a closer look at the interaction between Uchidachi and Shidachi. In the afternoon we started to train in groups of the different Kata levels.
On Sunday we started at 8 a.m. with a Ranai session for the more advanced people in order to heat up for the following Kage session. We had groups of Omote and Chudan as well as beginners. All the 27 people created an atmosphere of severe effort in the training. The time we spent with training and afterwards with talking was passing by much too quick.
Unfortunately I am not able to come to the Kagamibiraki next year. The theatre scheduled two plays at the first weekend of January. But I hope to see you at the Summer Camp.
Greeting from the sunny city of Dresden!
Jan Rose
Fédération Européenne de Jodo / European Jodo Federation