What do we have to do in order to surpass ourselves in Shindenkan, our rallies are both large and successful and there is a really good atmosphere. So in the dark of December, when we are approaching the shortest day of the year and the sweet Christmas time is at the door and the annual X-mas convention has to be even better, we have to look at the entertainment industry and what is a hit now and then - Gangnam style. Why and how this bland music and weird dance has become so modern is a mystery, but not something to think too long about, as it is actually quite entertaining :-).
In the preparation for this year's X-mas convention, two of the instructors - Martin Renshi and Søren Renshi had been given the task of making the warm-up and cool-down entertaining and fun. At each convention, they try to live up to this through a theme, where Kimu Sensei this year thought it might be fun and timely to try a little Gangnam Elf style 🙂 As I said, it was done and after Kimu Sensei in usual Elf style had offered them over 220 participants on the floor plus as many audience members welcome to the xmas convention 2012, there was otherwise a warm-up and dancing Shindenkan Gangnam style woop woop…..
The entire setup behind every event is, as with all other Honbu activities, designed by Kimu Sensei, which is why there is room for so many students and there is still room for more. It is well organized and everything is prepared down to the smallest detail, even the pixie hats :-), which you as a participant and audience can't always see, but that's also because it just runs like a herring in oil :-). It is of course also about leadership training, which is why the appointed honbu assistant instructors are given the task of filling out the framework, which typically happens at their own camp (Read articles about SBTLUS variety), which must then be carried out for UG with cross and snake during the xmas convention for all . In addition to this, elected officials and volunteers (usually brown and black belts) also have the task of ensuring that all the practical frameworks work. For a meeting of that size to work, it also requires maximum utilization of resources, which is also planned together with the rest of the preparations several days before the meeting, so that the largest TG groups are also allocated the most instructor resources.
After the warm-up, the students were divided into groups according to experience, i.e. TG groups and sent out to each of their instructor teams, where the first lesson of the day dealt with Senkai in the form of shiho endings. Not only that, as Kimu Sensei has naturally planned the whole thing according to a common thread, and therefore there is also a theme for the training. This year's theme, which had also been consistent in SBTLUS, was "Why not be good to yourself - and learn the right thing from the beginning?" – and continue this – all the time?” or in other words "It is better to look for the best teacher for 10 years than to train under a bad teacher for 10 years". There are many Shihos in the Yakami-shinsei ryu curriculum, and it is also one of the fundamental tools in the complete toolbox. In fact, Yakami Shinsei-ryu is one of the only systems that trains shiho at all. Therefore, it is also nice to find out exactly what this tool is used for and why it has an end. Since there are many shihos, there are also many endings and it can be a task in itself to remember which ending and exactly where to hit that goes with the shiho. This was then practiced for almost 50 minutes, where after a very short break, it was driven directly into lesson 2.
Lesson 2 was reserved for kata, and the higher the TG group, the more katas, and the more busy the groups were to train kata according to the same theme as in senkai, and have the katas fresh in their memory for the afternoon's graduation and kata separation race. There was a lot of focus all around and time passed quickly, and it always feels like that when you're having fun and there's a lot to achieve. For each TG group, in addition to a theme, there was also a focus area, e.g. should the highest graders make it through all the kata to the next grade plus a little extra, where the katas had to be trained in 3 different tempi, which aims to practice details according to the theme and then show your best at the maximum tempo where it is still correctly executed. It was with sweat on his forehead and a look of contemplation that Kimu Sensei finished lesson 2.
After the kata lesson, Søren Renshi was responsible for an entertaining warm-up including Shindenkan Gangnam style and the "human New Year's rocket imitation", it must not go quietly when we end the year in Shindenkan with thunder and POMW 🙂 Before the traditional joint picture which this time was even bigger due to the large audience, Kimu Sensei wished everyone good luck with the graduation.
Finally, a big thank you to all Shindenkaners, supporters, friends, families and sponsors for a wonderful Shindenkan year, where another new school Jokokan Furesø opened its doors with an experienced and grey-haired 🙂 instructor couple welcome to - so now there is only one left, too here from wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
