By Martin E. Hansen, Member until 2018
Spring meeting in Shindenkan is always a life-affirming experience with lots of good mood, good training and spring on the way. As usual, Shindenkan's events are well attended and this time was no exception with just over 200 participants and almost the same number of spectators to watch the many performers. This time there were also over 150 for graduation and of them 7 blue/brown belt graduates who had previously participated in the coveted BBLUS (Brunbæte Leader Development Seminar), which as a new initiative and pilot project by Kimu Sensei, had opened from 5 .kyu, with great success and almost a full house with all green, blue and brown belts from across the organization.
On a slightly gray and dreary spring day, it's nice that a Shindenkan heart always shines with light and warmth, which can enliven even the dullest day. Kimu Sensei welcomed this year's spring meeting on Saturday 21 March 2015 at 1.30 p.m., where over 200 participants were ready to show that it is not just flowers and trees that are full of energy and ready to burst forth. The day before, a large group of Shindenkaners with Jens Hanshi-dai got off to a flying start at the year's only BBLUS, where brown and blue belts had the chance to immerse themselves in their own curriculum mentally and physically, which was also this time open for 5th kyu - green belt. The meeting day itself was also the culmination for 7 of the participants, as they were set for a new degree, and thus the final stop test. So while preparations were being made for the meet, the graduates went through the curriculum test, the ryugi test and one for the stamina test, Anette, who also set a new Shinden Record for the stamina pot test with 13:46 min! A record that will stand for a long time 🙂
True to tradition, Kimu Sensei opened with a welcome speech and relevant information from Honbu and the association. The annual federation status "State of the Nation" is available here on the website, which Kimu Sensei touched on, mostly for the growth that Shindenkan has experienced despite local challenges in connection with the new school reform and thus the access to municipal premises. The new POMW ( www.pomw.dk ) website has been launched, which has generated very good criticism nationally as well as internationally and a little resistance - now mostly from Jantelov supporters. But in any case, it was created as a conclusion and essence of the entire POMW project – roughly 80 articles from all TG layers throughout the project from start to finish. The Honbu-dojo development and competence center's newest addition to the tribe, SHIELDKISS, was of course also mentioned, as it seriously advances what has been traditionally and non-traditionally practiced within general training, injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, yes, all imaginable physical training combined with a holistic whole-body mindset, where east meets west. The first step on the exciting path has already been introduced by Kimu Sensei – KataFitWWW, which is already rumored to the world for its physical as well as mental properties. Already this year, a website for ShieldKiss as well as Shindenkan's main page will be launched, reaped from experience from the launch and development of the POMW website, so that it becomes modern and meets today's demands for dynamism in an Ipad age, without compromising with content and essence.
The practical content of the training meeting itself could now be started, after dividing all the participants into TG groups, where it was. First on the program was Ukemi, which stretched over half an hour, where the participants got a repetition of Shindenkan's Jujutsu 1 course, which trains Shindenkaners in the old samurai methodology around fall technique. After fall technique, the groups continued with the same instructors, who went again throughout the day, to kihon. During the kihon lesson, familiar curriculum was trained, but with new angles on familiar material, which made it fun in a new way to train kihon and subsequently senkai. At 15.00 it was time for a new tradition at Shindenkan's convention, cake and coffee break, where volunteers offer home-baked cake and freshly brewed coffee and juice - all profits go back to the volunteer work and development in Shindenkan, where there is a great need more funds. At the same time, it is a good opportunity to establish some social ties across the Shindenkan schools, which provides fertile ground for closer friendship and relationships even after training between the schools.
After the break, the work continued with senkai in the form of Sonoba and shiho before it all culminated with kumite, where what was learned had to be tested in battle, which lasted over 35 minutes. until 16.35. Here, a new tradition awaited in Shindenkan, which will be a regular feature in the future, just as it is in the local schools. Kimu Sensei had allied himself with the youngest and most beautiful (some would say 🙂 ) instructors in the form of Elisabet, Karsten and Mathis, who had dressed in tight-fitting catafit clothes, after which it got on all the keys from the podium, where Elisabet as lead, with Karsten and Mathis as wing men, ran a KataFit 5S. It was very well received and with high energy, while the other instructors went among all the participants and corrected the small details in the performance.
The actual training part of the spring meeting was now over and Kimu Sensei could wish good luck to the graduates, as well as to the large team, from the recently held Ken-jutsu 1 course, which was due for competency graduation. But before the graduation, the traditional group photo was taken, where there are eventually so many participants and audience on the subject that even an increasing number of pixels on the camera cannot quite keep up 🙂
The graduation was held in the traditional way divided into TG groups and degrees, where the participants were on the floor to show both the known syllabus, but also techniques they had only been introduced to on this day. They managed it really well, and there was great praise for both their focus and willingness to show what they had learned. For the 7 participants at BBLUS, the final event was also their last and decisive stop test, where it was decided whether their efforts had borne fruit. Fortunately, they all passed, which also applied to others who were set for graduation. At the end of the graduation, Kimu Sensei was able to present the great results from the podium to loud applause and appreciative pledges. Two jokokidz who had made an extraordinary effort were also highlighted, which was rewarded with an extra line. From the podium, the Honbu competence and development center could also receive a contribution from Shindenkan's Friends of DKK 16,500, which a unanimous board had chosen should go to the project Shieldkiss continued development, which contributes to the entire Shindenkan, the practitioners, their families and friends through, among other things . Catafit.
Shindenkan hereby wishes all the graduates congratulations on their new degrees, but also a wish to everyone for a good and budding spring both in the mind and all Shindenkan schools. And then we can look forward to a summer where we all get to look really lovely on the beach, which we can thank KataFit for 🙂
