By Martin E. Hansen, Member until 2018
Spring was delayed, but the sun peeked out on Saturday 26 March, when Shindenkan Denmark's traditional and annual spring meeting was held. The setting was, as usual, the large new Måløv hall at Ballerup.
Wearing a headset, Kimu Sensei opened the meeting with a welcome and a speech that, as always, has concrete messages and is up to date.
It was very concrete that Japan has just been hit by one of the largest earthquakes in recent history, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. In the wake, a tsunami followed, which washed away many cities and caused catastrophic destruction, e.g. the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant, which is now tangential to the Chernobyl incident. From the outside it looked like the Japanese government was watching while the population was peacefully evacuated and had to fend for themselves. But as Kimu Sensei described it, there is consensus leadership in Japan, which means that the government only really gets started after approx. 4 days, but then something also happens.
In Shindenkan, we act and lead now and here and preparedness started already one hour after the earthquake had hit Japan, where Abdullah Ibrahim (Yakami Grandmaster with dojos in the USA and South Africa and world-renowned jazz musician) and Kimu Sensei initiated the network through telephone conversations, together with SST. In a flash they had formed an overview of the disaster and they involved under the Bujutsu Kodosokukai and the Jokokan umbrella. We managed to make contact with most grandmasters, masters and students in Japan, but unfortunately some have passed away and quite a few are still missing, they may be alive, we will only know when the telecommunications infrastructure is up again. SST who lives in Tokyo was fine, but his TV had fallen and broken during the earthquake. The Iwaki dojo that Shindenkan Denmark visited back in 1998, which is located in Fukushima province, had almost miraculously escaped the Tsunami, which had "only" hit it with reduced force compared to the neighboring houses. The result was that the house next to the dojo had moved almost 3 metres, while homes around it were in ruins.
The message here was that we at Shindenkan look after each other, we watch over each other and we act instead of talking about things. It was appropriate that Kimu Sensei afterwards, out of respect for those who died in the disaster, asked for 1 minute of silence.... In its own way, it was beautiful and touching that the almost 160 students stood there with folded hands and lowered heads and sent a thought to our Jokokan friends and budo roots in Japan.
After something sad it's nice to have a little joy so it was appropriate to celebrate the birthday of some of the contestants, they always think it's nice to get up on the podium and receive a little birthday song that will make any x-factor judge proud J. One in particular had to be left alone on the podium, as she could celebrate a double 20th birthday and therefore received an extra song. I wonder if she sent her husband an extra thought when he had notified the directing staff about her 40th birthday J
After this, the training part of the event could begin with a thorough warm-up before the fall exercises were tackled.
The syllabus is divided into TG groups and so is the teaching at conventions, it makes good sense and the best learning forum, as everyone is at almost the same level and the teacher can convey a message at the same level and at the same time everyone can learn better from each other.
In Shindenkan, fall exercises are taught according to the old "samurai" methods, which is the schooled approach to falling and thus taking care of oneself. But whether the old samurai were as dizzy and staggered around like drunk chickens remains to be seen, but it is possible J
After a short break, it was time for kata, where the different TG groups had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the kata they now needed to know. For TG1 there was only one kata – ten-i, so here they really went in depth and many completely new people left and knew the first kata. The higher TG groups were in a hurry because they had to go through many more kata, but it was nice to have a repetition, since later during the graduation they had to show them during the kata separation race. The third and last lesson of the day was a continuation of the kata teaching, but this time with selected bunkai (combat in kata). For many it was a new experience to find out what the various movements in kata were to be used for and suddenly it was not just "empty" movements.
The most difficult thing about kata is actually imagining this fight every time you perform it, kata must reflect the very best you can do within kumite.
Before the graduation session, which is the highlight of the day for many, a joint picture had to be taken, which is also a tradition at all Shindenkan gatherings. It is very important to us that we show the outside world and our friends in Japan the success of our community – and they love it J.
To eliminate any doubt about graduation procedures, Kimu Sensei reviewed before the graduation session the criteria for when jokokidz can receive one, two or three stripes on the belt, as well as when adults can be nominated for graduation, that it is not only the attendance in hours, but also the time in between that is important as there must be time to consolidate newly learned syllabus.
Just to raise the level of nervousness J, it was also pointed out that not everyone passes their graduation even if they are nominated, they are simply not mentioned at the subsequent ceremony to simply protect them. You get what you're good at, and that's how it's always been within a multi-track martial arts system.
The graduation session went really well and with great focus and concentration from all the participants, and for the subsequent ceremony approx. 85 % one stripe and 15 % two stripes, and new belt colors. There was also great praise for the students who had reached competency graduation in ken-jutsu package 1, where they had shown a really high and consistent level.
At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, the gross pool of possible brown and black belt students who can potentially earn a new degree at the summer convention was announced. In Shindenkan, we like to highlight the good and do everything to eliminate the jantelaw, so that's why they were all called up to the podium for public spectacle J
In connection with brown and black belt graduations, there are several stop tests, and if you fail just one of these, it means that you cannot continue the graduation process and must wait for the next opportunity. During the next months, this gross group must go through various tests and for the final test at the summer meeting, it is not certain that they will all be back.
The most well-known stop test, but also the stop test that is "simply taken for granted", as everyone is already in good shape from the Shindenkan training, and it is only required and expected that the student has the discipline, determination and willpower to physically train themselves to the required level over a 3-9 month intensive period.
But at the same time, it is probably the physical part where a little prestige has gradually entered the picture and it is not unusual for the students or the instructors to "challenge" each other in this discipline, which includes shindenkan circles (Bronze, silver, gold) running, cycling , rowing or swimming. Eg. for summer; Military bronze cycle x 3 in max 5 minutes (normal is 12 min), 3-5 min break, Cuba test run, 12 min; 3,600 m, 3-5 min break and final military bronze circle x 3 in max 12 min. (most people take it in a maximum of 8 minutes).
Many of the upcoming black belts have obviously become a bit cocky as they unhesitatingly accepted the challenge from Kimu Sensei to get to the world's elite fitness level for this physical test (fit number of around 65 – 75 for men), so we are looking forward to that to attend and participate in J
In Shindenkan we go into detail and this was emphasized when Kimu Sensei ended the entire event as announced at exactly 2 p.m.
Congratulations to the many who once again got a graduation at home and thanks to everyone for a good spring meeting, it's an equal pleasure every time. Also a special thank you to our family and friends who support as spectators. A special thank you also to those who are there every time when mats are to be collected (lent by DGI martial arts), podiums are set up, etc. Finally, a wish for a bright future despite chaos, sadness and destruction for our close Japanese budo friends , to whom we send our loving thoughts in this difficult time, we hope the best for you. Shindenkan has of course contributed a larger amount of money to support all those who have lost everything in Japan.
