By Jokokan Honbu

A request for a training stay of 3-4 weeks duration with daily teaching and training by Kimu Sensei, 7th dan Gokuden had to be reduced to a stay of five scheduled and fully occupied days from August 21 to August 25, as no instructors in Jokokan Denmark, a member of Jokokan Europe makes a living teaching Budo full-time.

Takeshi Nishiwake, 21 years old and 1st dan, black belt, is the son of Nishiwake Shihan-dai (Vice Chief Instructor), 5th Dan, Menkyo and nephew of Nishiwake H. Shihan (Chief Instructor), 6th Dan, Menkyo Kaiden of Jokokan The Iwaki dojo 2-3 hours by train north of Tokyo. The Nishiwake brothers have been full-time professional budo instructors for the past 30 years. It was the same dojo that eight Danish Jokokan instructors visited in 1998.

The training camp was divided into two phases; first training with brown and black belts followed by training with 8-5.kyu degrees.

A request from Takeshi Nishiwake was complied with, so Kimu Sensei taught both Iaijutsu, kenjutsu, kihon and cash kumite exercises to Takeshi and the 25 invited Danish jokokaners.

The training stay in Denmark ended at Kimu Sensei's home, where Kimu Sensei and his family had organized a festive and cozy farewell reception on the roads of the association.

There was also time for an arranged sight-seeing trip with the participation of the federal board and Shihan-kai in turn, where Copenhagen, Tivoli, Canal Run, Hamlet's castle Kronborg and the beautiful Frederiksborg castle were visited and enjoyed.

The training camp was a great success. We are very proud and happy about the recognition that the Japanese are now coming to Denmark to receive and learn from what we are good at, and forge even closer friendly ties. This bodes well for the Jokokan of the future. Several training visits have already been announced.

This article will later be followed by three evocative articles by JDK's Head of Information, Martin Hansen