How many martial arts / martial arts organizations can proudly say they have 50 years of history in Denmark? There is only one organization that can and that is Shindenkan. And then on top of that with a unique Koryu martial art system that has 1000 years of history with it. In other words, it also means that it is the real martial arts and martial arts that are trained here. Perhaps this is actually also why Shindenkan has existed for 51 years – because it is the real thing with Kimu Sensei as a true martial art grandmaster to guide us all in the right direction.
In Shindenkan's 51-year history, the whole world has changed. It has opened up in several places and contact with the outside world has become significantly easier, e.g. via the Internet and the amount of TV channels that everyone says they don't watch, but know anyway. This also means that we as people gain broader knowledge of what is happening beyond our own borders. We have every opportunity not to become citizens of a village community with the associated narrow view of life, but instead to be citizens with a much broader and more tolerant view of what is out on the other side. On the other side of the globe lies Japan and I have always seen the country as being exciting. Yes, always is probably enough to say, because I also have to admit that from the time I started my training, it took quite a few years before I really found the dojo that was supposed to change my view of the world around me from a village view to the broad, more tolerant and thus also greater interest in Japan and the culture here. Of course, it wasn't from day one and some truths had to be recognized before things got going. This is what happens when you are controlled by your ego and are not just yourself for better or for worse.
Now I was sitting here on the plane on my way to Japan and read 11 hours about the culture and the country. I was grateful and honored that SOPORG and Kimu Sensei wanted me on this RRCamp to Japan to back-trace the 50 years of Shindenkan history so that we could tell it to others with credibility and respect, and in preparation for the 2023 Shindenkan Japan trip . It would also be the start of the new Shindenkan. The new Shindenkan will be an organization where the history would be of an authenticity that very few have envied and where multi-trackness will really be noticeable both internally and externally. It doesn't necessarily have to be about becoming huge, but instead about being strong, on what separates us from others – namely multi-track martial arts and martial arts, as well as a historical authenticity that you don't find anywhere else.
Historical authenticity may sound a little strange, but we all know that many distort history and tell anything to create focus and more students. One of the things that I have always seen as a strength of Shindenkan is the authenticity that has always been in the history and the learning from this that is used for the present and preparation for the future. At the 2018 spring meeting, Kimu Sensei said that SST is retiring as of March 31, 2018. He does so as the organizational head of Bujutsu Kodosokukai, but definitely not as the 34th Soké of Yashin Mon Yakami Taijutsu. This means that SST has chosen the original three students, each of whom can now drive on in their own Sodenke line. One of the 3 original students is Kimu Sensei. And many will perhaps ask themselves what will happen next when the connection to SST changes.
The fact is that the connection to SST has always gone through Kimu Sensei as he is the direct student and now with a World Wide license to be self-driving and independent. Shindenkan has been in Europe since 2007, but now it is unlimited. In other words, this means that all the members of the Shindenkan will still have the connection to Japan through Kimu Sensei. You can then say that the history probably goes a little deeper as Kimu Sensei's family in Japan is of a Daimyo family and has a historical background that has been of great importance to Japan. It is also a family that over time has been what you could call a sponsor for many martial arts systems here, including Yashin Mon Yakami Taijutsu, which is SST's family system. We all know Kimu Sensei as a fantastic grandmaster and over the years we at SOPORG have also asked and received answers, what position he has in the family and what it means in Japanese culture and history. It is always difficult to see how it all fits together when you are here in Denmark and perhaps also when you know Kimu Sensei as the person he is. But at this RRCamp we saw several examples of what Kimu Sensei has in terms of position and the impact of this. The aristocracy was abolished in 1947 by the United States and the Allies, but respect for the original Japanese aristocracy, which has its origins in the Japanese imperial family, is still very high. It was a great honor to see but best of all was the way it was done. It was respectful and effective in a very decent way that doesn't create much focus. Those who know the message know the message and act accordingly. Something that a lot of people could learn a lot from, incl. myself.
At the same time as I was honored to be allowed to participate in this RRCamp, I was also terrified of being "BURT" because I was on my way to a country where showing respect and humility for others is a large part of the culture and my typical reaction is to shut off the emotions and just hit the dead man button. Would I, despite jet lag and perhaps lack of sleep, be able to look beyond my own self-pity and be myself or would I do as I usually do, shut off the emotions and look deep into "BURT". Kimu Sensei gave me the answer after approx. 7 hours in Tokyo.
When I first entered a dojo as a young teenager, it was with great awe in mind. It was a regular karate dojo with a focus on competition and there were a lot of rituals that had to be observed both before during and after training. We were constantly told that this was also how it was to train in Japan. The time was in the early 80s and access to the rest of the world at that time was not through 200 pcs. TV channels or the Internet. It happened through books and stories from people who had been out to see the world. The video machine had also come out and the amount of films was of course enormous - especially martial arts films from China were large, which also meant that it was the Chinese martial arts that many people were interested in. Chinese food and culture were widespread in Denmark, and thus one would also think that Chinese martial arts were widespread - it just wasn't, because it was a bit of a secret, and if you found a Chinese martial arts school that was typically located in a backyard, it was at least as exciting as what you saw in the movies. The problem was that it was rarely the real thing. China was a very closed country and not much came out of there, which also meant that what did come was very noisy and it did not give a correct impression of an ancient culture.
But as often happens, the reality is different and as you grow up, you also learn more and more about other cultures. Japan and Japanese culture were still not something that had much focus. Perhaps it is because I, as a person, had the impression that it was a closed country with a heavy hierarchy and very specific ways of behaving that EVERYONE simply complied with. After all, I had also seen Shogun on TV and could see how the story had played into the countryside and it hadn't changed since then - I imagined myself. But again, it was fiction and reality is typically different when you experience it yourself. Now I have been there and can see that Japanese people do not need to focus on themselves, in the way that e.g. Chinese and we Danes have.
The Japanese martial arts such as karate, judo etc. have always been much more widespread and systematized than the Chinese in Denmark. I remember an episode that got me on the trail of Japanese martial arts. It was at the beginning of 1980 and I was inside Østerbro station to watch indoor football. At some point I have to pee and I move out to find a toilet. At one point I managed to find the toilet and on the way back to my place the door suddenly opens to a room and from this there is now a giant standing in front of me in an outfit that I had never seen before. Even the face was covered by a mask very strange to me. The giant was wearing a dress, large gloves and a long staff in one hand. I was dying of fright and stood completely still. The giant closed the door again and from inside the room I could now hear screams and cheers as well as a lot of knocking on something that sounded violent. If I hadn't just been to the toilet, it would have happened right there - this was my first meeting with a Kendo practitioner in full uniform. It was scary but also a little exciting because it dawned on me that Japanese martial arts contained more than just karate.
But still, many years passed before I started to go that way. After a few years of unsuccessful training in some very unstructured martial arts systems, I was introduced through a friend to a martial arts school that was really different from what I had experienced before. It was a completely different world to enter because I was greeted by kindness and acceptance from the vast majority of people I met in that karate school. It was also here that I got my first impression of what Japanese martial arts also contains. The karate system they trained was called Gensei-Ryu and was something I had never heard of before. They also had a grandmaster in Japan who came to Denmark every two years to train and teach. It was SST. The training at the club was just right for me and my interest in Japanese culture and Japanese martial arts grew bigger and bigger. The interest in visiting and training in Japan also grew and I felt that I had found my way.
In 1988 I meet Kimu Sensei and Jens Hanshi-dai for the first time and in the year 2000 I switch over to my first real Shindenkan dojo where I was greeted by the same joy and warmth that I had felt before. Since then, the insight into what real martial art is has changed for the better, and has made me curious about more knowledge about Japan and the whole culture and history. It is of course also Kimu Sensei's background, his present "comradeship" and availability, which means that you now see the reality of Japanese warrior culture and what goes with it, for which I am very grateful. This means that the real Søren is grateful and not when I am "BURT" Søren, because he doesn't know what that is. When someone like me wants to be a real person and be loved for it, I get genuinely sad and embarrassed when "BURT" is allowed to take a place in me. Now I was invited to this history-making RRCamp and knew very well that it was a boyhood dream come true, but that it was also a lesson in what respect and humility are and how it becomes real if it comes from the heart.
When Kimu Sensei presented SOPORG in November 2017 that the RRcamp in May 2018 will be about backtracing the last 50 years of Shindenkan History in Denmark, I am thinking about how it is actually solved. And when he then says that, based on this, the RR camp has to be an official trip that goes to Tokyo, I dropped my jaw. One thing is that the dream should come true, another is that this was about helping to describe Shindenkan's 50-year history with credibility and this can only be done if you have seen and felt the historical places yourself. Of course, this sets off a lot of thoughts. Would it be as I had heard about in the 80s or would it be as Kimu Sensei had told about over the past 18 years. I had no doubt at all which would be right and I was very much looking forward to being allowed to see where it all started and thus being able to describe the last 50 years of history with credibility and a starting point for the future Shindenkan.
Up to all RRCamps there is preparation. There is a basic level called being in balance and with the correct setting. Although this was an official trip with a sponsorship of NOK 40,000 and with our own payment, preparations still need to be made as it is an RRCamp. Kimu Sensei had made sure that we as SOPORG were equipped with reading material that would enable us to gain an insight into the history of Japan, Tokyo, etc. The trip would be no. 89 to Japan for Kimu Sensei, no. 6 for Jens Hanshi-dai and no. 4 for Kjeld Renshi – for me they would be no. 1 and thus a trip with a massive impression level – so I had to be careful not to be overloaded As I am a SOPORG member and it is my first time in Japan, had Kimu Sensei given me one task; I had to have an intensive "crash course" in Japan and how Japan works.
The biggest task and honor was to be a guide for a trip to Kamakura as a historically important and very beautiful city. It is an hour's drive from Tokyo on the bullet train and the trip was supposed to be a crash test for me so that I could also be dressed to handle tasks in Japan when the Shindenkan trip in 2023 was to be held - this is the trip for TG3+ students in Shindenkan who want to . But I wonder if there are many who have it.
Tokyo is an expensive city and the period we were going to be in is one of the most expensive, so even if sponsorship of NOK 40.00 had been received to write the story, we also had to think about where we were going to live etc. Kimu Sensei had found a hostel 45 minutes drive from the "epi center" in Tokyo so that we could experience life outside the city, and at the same time also keep the costs down. This was perfectly fine for all of SOPORG, because it was about experiencing the real Japan and describing the history. On the plane, the history of Japan and Tokyo was read for the big gold medal because Kimu Sensei had said that this was an RRCamp and we would be heard in it – it was not a beach holiday. After a 4 hour flight we meet at the back of the plane for a cup of coffee and the first questions came. Hmm, maybe we should do some more reading before arriving at Narita airport in Tokyo. It was about respect for what was planned, so we just had to get together and sharpen ourselves on the content. The 20 hours of reading and 11 hours on the plane were not enough. However, it also turned into a bit of sleep before we arrived and when we got off the plane, we were greeted by a smiling Kimu Sensei who said welcome to Japan. Now we were here and now I had to feel with my own eyes and in my own heart what I had dreamed of for many years. The time from the plane to the transport went easily and efficiently – this is Japan, after all, and LEAN was not invented for nothing. We jumped on board the bus and didn't care where it was going. Kimu Sensei was there, so he was probably going to get us out and we do what we often do, just follow along like sheep.
Now we were in the homeland of martial arts and martial arts, and it was going to be exciting to see how it connected with what we had read. Approx. 10 km. outside the airport Kimu Sensei says: "look to both right and left where you can see 2 temples - one on each side. This is related to Kashima and Katori which are two of the very old Koryu martial arts schools in Japan”. Wow, now it was on its way, we hadn't driven very far and now the martial art was already starting. It became more and more authentic and real. It is the old Koryu martial arts schools that are also part of Shindenkan's history, both the current and the new.
On the way to Tokyo, we passed many well-known places, e.g. the emperor's palace and some of the parks where Kimu Sensei and SST have trained over time, but also places where culture has a different effect. One of the things I noticed was that even though some places were built close together, there were also rice fields in the area so that rice could be harvested, which is the foundation of Japanese cooking - i.e. there was efficiency when the land was cultivated where it was possible and where there was space. None of us were at all surprised by all the places Kimu Sensei mentioned along the way as being the places where he had trained with SST over the past 30 years. It's probably because we were all busy with ourselves and didn't even notice where we were going - we didn't see the whole, we only looked at the surroundings.
We approached the center and along the way the airport bus had dropped off some passengers at hotels and stations. By now there weren't that many people left on the bus and when the bus stopped at the next hotel, we wondered if we were the last ones to get off. But our jaws dropped to our chests when Kimu Sensei stood up and said: Let's get off the bus now. What was this? We had to get off the bus and into the hotel. Not to mention one of Tokyo's largest and best-known 5-star hotels! The jaw dropped completely to the stomach when Kimu Sensei was naturally received by the deputy director of the hotel and was led straight to the counter to be checked in. This despite the fact that there were many more in line. What just happened here and why? We stood like little boys and watched how Kimu Sensei was serviced and feted like another "royal". This was something we had heard about before but now we saw it with our own eyes and now it was real.
After unpacking, we met for a cup of coffee - in the Executive lounge! on the 37th floor with a fantastic view of Tokyo, where Kimu Sensei could explain that his cousin thought we should live well in Tokyo and he had therefore arranged this fantastic hotel with upgrade upon upgrade – to suites! There was actually so much up-grade that we could see Mount Fuji from the window where we drank coffee. None of us had imagined this could happen and it was very surprising to all of us. When we cautiously asked, Kimu Sensei smiled and said that this treatment was not unusual and was more the rule than the exception. We said "well you were received by the hotel's deputy director and directed directly to check-in without all the queues!". Yes, Kimu Sensei simply said. It happened in a very calm and balanced way and showed how to accept power and status in Japan. Not loud shouting, but humble and respectful. At the same time, the rest of us stood looking like little schoolboys with open mouths and polyps. I don't think any of us could express in words how grateful we were that Kimu Sensei's and his family had taken good care of us all in a setting that was completely 5+ star unique.
After the coffee it was time for some fresh air and Kimu Sensei guided us into the city so we could get some impressions. The hotel was located in the Shinjuku area, which also contains a very large station with both regional trains, local trains and metro trains. On the way there, Kimu Sensei showed us the local supermarket so that we could see how it is set up in Japan. It is very similar to a Danish one, but of course with Japanese goods, which are then available in many versions. A little further down the road was also the first meal of the day in Japan. It was a small restaurant where they prepared curry dishes in many versions. It tasted fantastic and it was fantastic to see how everything is weighed so that all the guests get exactly the same amount of food for their money. Japanese curry is not something I had heard of before, other than through Kimu Sensei, but it turned out to be a highly used spice in Japan which is the basis of some extremely delicious and healthy dishes. The food laid a good foundation and Kimu Sensei could now show us more of the area.
In Japan, driving is on the left, which also applies on the pavement. That is that you move forward so that there is room for everyone, including the bicycle racks – I just had to get used to that. Perhaps most of all because at that time I had let "BURT" settle in without noticing it. As we approach the station, the images of various illuminated advertisements begin to appear. It was exactly like what you see on TV. Large candlelight advertisements everywhere and in many different colours.
Colors are something that has always been used in Japan and it is also very significant when you read about Japanese history. Kimu Sensei guided us around the area and told us about the differences between Danish and Japanese culture. When we were well into the area, he told me that now it was my job to find my way back. Ok, I thought, that was about it. But three out of three times when Kimu Sensei asked me which way we should go - I chose wrongly. I thought I had it under control, but I absolutely did not. And instead of being grateful for the learning, I could feel who was pushing - BURT! This was going in the wrong direction and all my intentions of trying to be myself were going down the drain. It's actually also logical enough because the more I try, the more it works. I just have to be me through thick and thin and with everything that goes with it and not think that my true self is perfect and always does the right thing. But the most important thing in being myself is feeling my own feelings and acting on them, and that requires honesty. And to be honest, my training as a 2023 SDK guide didn't start quite optimally :-).
When we get back to the hotel, it was reading aloud again. But just before that there was time for a cup of coffee. When we are standing by the coffee machine, Kimu Sensei asks if I am "BURT" because he thought I answered aggressively. My typical reaction is to deny it, but I also know that I won't get anywhere, so honesty is best because I can feel tiredness and jet lag. Yes, I am “BURT” there is no reason to deny it. There was also a lesson in this, namely that even if a task has to be carried out in a new country with a new culture, it is no use if I get so absorbed in new impressions that I forget the essence of the task. I have to see the whole and in the whole "BURT" comes creeping if there are no eyes on it too. And with the task I was given, it can go very wrong if "BURT" takes over because I don't stop and check myself. I may be tired, but that's no excuse for not being ready and being accountable to us as a team. And I should be glad that it is being shown to me now and not when everything has gone wrong. Even though Kimu Sensei usually saves us.
Later that evening, Kimu Sensei was supposed to have a meeting with the "Budo & Bujutsu laboratory" and in order for us to feel the culture in Japan, Jens Hanshi-dai, Kjeld Renshi and I were asked to eat at a certain restaurant that served two traditional Japanese dishes, namely Shabu - Shabu and Sukiyaki. Of course, Kimu Sensei had already selected this affordable restaurant for us :-).
Kimu Sensei had said that if you need help in Japan, it helps to play helpless. This is not quite easy when you have a big ego and certainly not when you think you can do everything yourself. Even though there was a laminated explanation of how to do it, we still managed to get our sweet waitress to show us how to do it with both dishes. A really good experience both in terms of food but especially also in terms of Japanese culture. You really have to look for that service and joy at work for a long time. I have no doubt that in Japan you can also get tired of your work, but you don't show it, and certainly not in a service profession. I wonder if we could already learn something here. How often have you become tired of your boss or your job and immediately think of changing. But how about looking at the problem and maybe see what's behind it, acknowledge it and then try to do something about it.
Again arranged by Kimu Sensei. After the meal, we had an opportunity to see how we as Danes can get help in Tokyo, so that we could find our way. Could they speak English and could we understand each other? At this point I had yet to see any martial arts stores, so I was curious as to how the number and consistency was with it. We had to buy tabies, and had been told that they are related to Kimonos and can be bought at the same place. So we went into the first department store to find tabies. I went to the first clerk and asked where they had tabies. The clerk looked at me and didn't quite understand what I meant and seemed a little nervous. He was afraid of losing face if he couldn't help me, it turned out. I also became worried about whether I could make myself understood without trying to push everything through, as I have a habit of doing if things didn't work out for me in the first go. After a little talk I mentioned the kimono and immediately he knew what he had to do. He called a colleague and was able to guide us to the right department. We found kimonos and also up to tabies. Now it was just a matter of finding the right size. This is where a huge difference comes into play between Japanese service and Danish service. In Japan, you are proud to provide good service and you get upset not being able to help a customer. In the tabi shop we were put on chairs and the different sizes of tabi were lifted from the shelves so that we could try them. Kjeld Renshi and I use the same size, which turned out to be the largest size they had. Unfortunately, they didn't have more than a couple on the shelves, so the clerk ran around the warehouse to find more. After approx. 10 minutes she came back with everything they had in that size. It was clear to see that she was upset about not being able to fulfill our wish for more pairs.
Such is the culture in Japan. They are proud of their profession and they get upset if they cannot fulfill a customer's wish – this is the difference between Japan and Denmark. I was also completely embarrassed and didn't quite know how to react. Here you are met with respect and want to give it back, but still I was unsure whether it was done correctly and clearly enough. It's just as if the Japanese accept where they are and try to do their best with what they have. It made a big impression on me because it shows the attitude and that they are fighting regardless of where they are and what they are doing. It also shows their loyalty to their workplace and that they recognize and accept their place in the hierarchy. Tabier can be bought via the internet, but now we had the opportunity to buy them and test them in authentic and real surroundings - so that's something else. We had seen that further down the street there was another department store where they sold kimonos and tabis. By this time darkness had come and the streets had begun to fill with life from both neon signs and people. Now it was about keeping the focus on where we were and how we got back. We had to work together as a team with each our work area and so that we reached the goal.
The first thing we encountered in the next department store, Takashimaya, was an information desk. Great, then we could ask for directions. Our communication with the girls at the information desk didn't go quite as we had hoped, but when Jens Hanshi-dai pulled three pairs of tabies out of the bag they smiled widely, because now they knew exactly which way we were going. We were guided up to the 4th floor and the first thing we encountered was a huge food market. Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki were still good in the stomach, so we kept our focus on the task at hand. The nice girls at the information desk had given us an overview of the floor and on it we could see that at one end there was a department for kimonos, but we didn't quite know which way to go, so the wisest thing was to ask for directions .
In the first food stall, I asked a very nice older lady if she knew which way we were going, she didn't immediately, so she asked her colleagues who all shook their heads - they didn't have their glasses on either, so I know exactly where hard it is to read a map. Well, we thought, then we have to find our own way. No, it wasn't meant to be. The nice lady brushed past us and to the guard in front of the department store. He could tell her the direction and afterwards she could pass the information on to us in Japanese and with gestures it showed the way. I was completely blown away because once again we were greeted by a service beyond all expectations and again with lots of pride and smiles in the way it was done. When you are used to being greeted by an "I don't know" or an "I don't care" attitude from home, you become a bit speechless and surprised by the service we encountered here in Tokyo. We found the tabies and could once again experience a service that was absolutely phenomenal and far from what we are used to in Denmark.
After a return to the hotel room, we were all well spent and even though we continued to read our literature about Japan and Tokyo, the experience that evening had made a big impression on me. That night I slept very restlessly as I was filled with impressions from the day and the disappointment that I had let "BURT" have space.
The next morning it was up early at 05:30 and together with Kimu Sensei, breakfast was taken in some surroundings that were a large part of Shindenkan's history - it was also breakfast and Kimu Sensei could say that he and SST always ate breakfast at the hotel and had done so since 2007. Before 2007, it was Hotel Okura, now it was Hotel Hilton Tokyo. In fact, he showed us exactly the place where he and SST had taken a picture together the last time he had been in Japan and had visited SST on his 80th birthday. We also proudly took a picture together in exactly the same place as it was extremely important for history and the future, we think :-).
The breakfast consisted of both food from the west and traditional Japanese dishes. With Kimu Sensei's help we got through both parts – not the whole menu – but the main dishes which were very healthy and good for us. It was also a special experience to try something that you had heard about in theory and read about, but now you were sitting there and tasting it live. Theory had become reality and it tasted fantastic. I understand that life expectancy among people is longer in Asia than it is in the West. One of the things I noticed several times was that the feeling of satiety was different and more natural after eating Japanese food than it is when you have eaten e.g. food from the West – even if it is healthy food.
This day had been planned by Kimu Sensei as a culture day. He himself was to meet with the Grandmaster laboratory and had planned for us to go to a city called Kamakura. Kimu Sensei had thoroughly prepared all of us with reading material and what to focus on. Kamakura is mentioned as the first capital of Japan in the history books. Or a so-called de factor capital in the Kamakura period from 1185-1333. During this period, Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed Shogun and had Kamakura as his capital. The city still contains many UNESCO world cultural treasures and contains both Buddhist and Shinto temples dating back to 1063. It was no coincidence that we went there, because the entire history of Kamakura and the subsequent time is part of the history of Kimu Sensei's family and therefore very important so that we, as SOPORG and instructors, saw and understood this with our own eyes and so that we could credibly help create the new Shindenkan.
Kimu Sensei had given us links to the most important places to visit and of course it was also based on what was the essence, so that we knew what history lay behind the various cultural treasures. Now it wasn't about a social sightseeing trip, but about teamwork and there through learning about history without losing focus and wholeness. This was also the big crash test for me where I had to lead Jens Hanshi-Dai and Kjeld Renshi to Kamakura and at the same time be a guide during the whole trip. At the same time as my task, Jens Hanshi-dai and Kjeld Renshi also had their own. We each have some working points and reactions which were now put to the test – could we solve this as a team or would we go our separate ways? Was Kimu Sensei right again in his plan? or we simple right? What do you think yourself :-).
I do as I always do in these situations, namely to concentrate and then it's just out of there - with the hope that others will follow along. The problem can be that the concentration turns into a mental pressure that is perceived as panic and when you just drive off, it is not always that you get everyone along. I didn't lose anyone on this trip, but had it been a trip for more people, and not highly disciplined martial arts masters, it might have happened.
The lesson is to take it easy, be humble about the task and see the whole so that you also see the essence of the task. Get people informed about what needs to happen, how we do it and why that decision has been made. When you do that, you also lead and are a guide that people want to follow because they are dressed and know what is going to happen. That is you get everyone involved and dress them for what needs to happen. Um, it's called modern leadership based on yourself, as Kimu Sensei subsequently summarized.
The train system in Tokyo to find out when you have looked carefully, asked for help and generally tried it a few times. In Tokyo, everything is written in Japanese and in many places also in English. As Danes, we could learn something there if we want to be a world-wide country, because in my opinion we are somewhat behind on that front. When you take it easy, you also see the right signs and thus also the right way. We got the right train on time and we arrived at Kamakura in good order.
When we arrive in Kamakura, it's as if you could actually feel the history in the air. There was a great calm and relaxation in the air as if many battles had been fought here with death as a result. The first thing we visited was the Shinto temple Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, a temple made to honor the god of war and a symbol of the city. Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū is located at the end of a very beautiful avenue and rises above the whole city. It dates from the year 1063 and was originally built elsewhere in the city and subsequently moved to its current location. The whole of Kamakura is built around the temple and is the center of all festivals in the city. Shintoism and Buddhism are a very large part of Japanese culture. There are other religions in Japan, but these two are the oldest and most widespread. The two religions have followed each other for many hundreds of years and were banned as common religions in 1868, so it is very difficult to see the difference between the two religions. Many temples are also known to have contained both Shintoism and Buddhism in even the same building. Today it is divided, but it is still difficult for me to see the difference - it requires more insight into both religions and more insight into Japanese culture and history - but there is a solution for that 🙂
Up towards the temple there is an avenue supported all the way by cherry trees. It is a fantastically beautiful sight and really gives the impression that here in the "old" days you walked up to the Shogun as if you were walking a red carpet. But despite this, it is created in a very harmonious and relaxed way without being ostentatious – very Japanese. When we get to the temple and before we go up the big stairs, we are met by some schoolgirls who ask if we take a picture, of course we want to. But when we have to take the picture, it turns out that they want it with us. This is again Japanese custom for the schoolgirls and their friends to be welcoming because that way they can practice their English. I thought that was a really good and welcoming way of doing it. We took the picture and of course included them in one of our own pictures. With a smile and with kindness you go far, really far!
Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū is extremely beautiful and has a view of the entire city. At the stairs to the temple itself are the remains of an over 1000-year-old ginko tree, which is also mentioned in several places in history as it is famous for hiding an assassin who wanted to assassinate the Shogun. Unfortunately, the tree was torn up by a storm in 2010, but leaves from the tree have started to sprout again and a new one is on the way. From Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, the trip went to Moto Hachiman, which is the original Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and which is located at the opposite end of the city, hidden a little away. Kimu Sensei had pointed out that this was the most important temple. It was going to be exciting if I could get us on the right path so that we could find it or if I would go half into stress mode if I didn't get the task done the way I wanted.
On the way down the avenue we come across a church where it says in large letters on the facade that it is a Catholic church. Interesting to see how much advertising is done within that faith compared to Shintoism and Buddhism. All the Shinto and Buddhist temples we stopped at along the way were very humble and many were located in places where you wondered if they were in the wrong place. But I think the facts are that the temples were there first and out of respect for them they are not moved, but are instead built around. It also shows the Japanese's respect for history and they show honor for their faith. I have seen in other countries how historical and cultural buildings are razed to the ground to make way for the future. Here you have respect for the past as you can learn from it - which is actually much of the same that is done in Denmark.
We got to the right area and asked a few of the local residents if they could show us the last way to Moto Hachiman. We approached and when we found ourselves in the street where it was supposed to be, we first asked a woman about the location. She couldn't immediately help us and afterwards we found a gardener who didn't quite know what we were talking about either, but while we were talking to him a local businessman came by and he could point in the direction. In the same moment the woman came back and apologized many times for not being able to find it, now she had found it and could show us the way. It made a big impression on us that she did not give up but instead turned around when she had found the temple and wanted to help guide us in the right direction. It is very rare to see this and not at all something any of us expected. The temple is historically important and a very humble Shinto temple. It was located between some houses in what in Denmark you would call a small residential area. The location was set back and between a number of trees, which created peace and harmony with the surroundings.
When you visit a temple in Japan, it is customary to wash your hands and rinse your mouth with water that typically comes from a spring. Then you go to the temple and pray for whatever is on your mind. Of course, we also did this with respect for the place and for the learning we had received from Kimu Sensei. I found it very moving to stand in another country's cultural heritage and show respect for their religion in that way. I am not the most religious person, but I have to admit that standing there in a temple that has so much history, it touches my heart and I am moved.
In Kamakura there is a Buddha figure which is about 13 meters high. It was built in 1252 and was our next destination. Of course, there is also a temple to the Buddha, which should also be visited. To get to the temple and the Buddha we had to take a local electric train. The lucky thing was that the station was right next to the station we had come from. As seen so many times in movies, the trains in Japan are very full, and perhaps especially in Tokyo. This can also be the case in reality. There is pressure and you have to stick to your place. From Hase station it is approx. A 10-minute walk to the Buddha and it almost went at a leisurely pace along with all the other people who also had to see it. The trip went through the associated small village and it gave a good insight into how a city can survive when you are so close to a very attractive attraction.
The Buddha is cast in bronze and had stood indoors from 1252 until 1498. Since then it has stood outdoors and, despite this, is still a fantastic sight and very well maintained. Now I'm a bit of a metal geek and there's nothing to be said for the fact that Japan has always been far ahead in terms of manufacturing e.g. steel. Just think how they made the world's most effective sword and with that knowledge they have continued to this day. So there is nothing to say that even a Bronze figure has been able to last for so many years, because they have really been ahead in terms of manufacturing different types of steel and how to process it.
The walk back and the whole trip back to the hotel was calm and with the arms full of cold green tea, it was just a matter of getting home, so that we could note down and schematize all our experiences.
Kimu Sensei had suggested a choice. One within budget, the other outside budget with 70 % self-payment. We chose the latter based on what Kimu Sensei told us. Dinner was therefore to be eaten at Tokyo's best-known and best Teppanyaki restaurant Seryna. So it was about meeting the time, otherwise you lose the table, and it is not easy to get a table in the high season. We arrived on time and got changed into the correct attire. What we hadn't seen was that Kimu Sensei had actually been sitting in the lobby and had seen us crawling through the hotel to get to the changing room, that was laughed at for a part of that evening.
One thing I had noticed both in Tokyo and in Kamakura is that many people wear masks in front of their mouths and noses. You might think that it is because they either do not want to infect others, but it is actually due to several things:
- The Japanese do not have the same opportunity for pay during illness.
- The work culture is different; you show up every day. An ordinary Japanese took only half of his vacation days each year out of respect for his employer.
- Japan has no smoking laws and it is therefore permitted to smoke in restaurants, for example, unless the individual restaurant forbids it – and the face mask helps to filter out the worst of the smoke.
- And so the Japanese have been hit harder by SARS, H1N1 and other epidemics than we are in Denmark, which has made them afraid of future diseases, which is understandable.
- In addition, they do not want to infect others if they have a cold or the flu. It is mutual respect, consideration and acceptance of other people.
That's why the Japanese wear small white face masks over their mouths and noses when they go out on the streets and in public places. However, they have their mask off when they work, eat out or are at home.
Seryna is a top restaurant, literally, because it is located on the 52nd floor of the Sumitomo building. Teppanyaki is the form of cooking where the chef stands and prepares it right in front of the person who is going to eat it. In films, it is often seen where the chef juggles equipment and knives so that it flies around his ears. At Seryna, it took place at a very relaxed aesthetic kata pace with some world-class chefs. In front of us stands the chef who has 6-7 dan on one side and 5-6 dan on the other. When they have started with the food, it is full of people who want to eat. Out comes the head chef who is 9th Dan and takes over very relaxed cooking from the chef who was standing right in front of Kimu Sensei. The chef next door became nervous but kept his composure. The chef is very famous and performed his cooking only for Kimu Sensei, despite the restaurant being full. There was a short nod so that respect and acceptance of each other's status was accepted. Again, it was in a very respectful way and with a focus on not overdoing it, because it's not necessary in Japan. Kimu Sensei was the only one he cooked for – in a totally packed restaurant. But the rest of us also enjoyed watching a teppanyaki grandmaster perform his perfect kata.
The next morning, Kimu Sensei had arranged a table at a Japanese restaurant where he and SST had eaten and had conversations since 2007. It was a traditional Japanese breakfast called Kaiseki Bento, which Kimu Sensei had included free of charge.
The chef was a multiple Japanese champion in Japanese cuisine and honored with numerous awards. All the food comes in small wooden boxes and is served as a cohesive whole. There is everything good for body, mind and soul in that food and it tastes fantastic all the way through and is made with a precision and beauty that surpasses everything. When you sit there and see how it is prepared, you think about how many hours have gone into it. If my wife did this every day, I think she would be worshiped as a god.
This day was set aside to visit some of the places that Kimu Sensei had also visited with SST in 1989 and which was the beginning of Shindenkan in Denmark. One of those places is the Sensoji temple located in Asakusa. Asakusa is the old entertainment district and Sensoji Temple is Tokyo's most popular and best-known temple. It was originally built in the 7th century, but was bombed to pieces during World War 2, so most of the buildings were restored after 1945. Right next to the Sensoji temple there is another temple which was also very beautiful. The tower of this temple was shaped with pagodas in several layers which symbolized the 5 elements and followed by the 8 forces. The temple belonged to a Shinto order of monks and unfortunately we could not see it from the inside.
There are three gates up to the Sensoji temple itself and seen through Shindenkan eyes these gates are very interesting. In the center of each gate hangs a giant paper lamp and the bottom of this lamp is decorated with a dragon. This dragon formed the basis for SeiRyuKan which was a Gensei-Ryu karate school on Hornevej, Amager. SeiRyuKan was also the karate school where I first met Kimu Sensei and Jens Hanshi-Dai. It was also here that I heard about SST and it was here that SST and Kimu Sensei made contact in 1988. It was here that it all began and it is perhaps here that the future Shindenkan also begins.
After the last gate, there is an arrangement with incense in it. This incense is used to cleanse one's soul. Then you go further into the temple, where right in front you can put 10 Yen and say a prayer. We also did this because it is respectful and because we all had something very important to ask for. To enter the temple itself, one goes up another two steps and walks over the door step without stepping on it. The same also applies when you go out again. If you step on it, it means misfortune and you must ask for forgiveness before moving on.
I personally thought the visit to the temple was very beautiful and moving and I had to hold on to myself before we left. Here we stood and could now see with our own eyes the symbols that were the first in Shindenkan's 51-year history in Denmark. The blue dragon that I remember so clearly from my first real dojo I had just seen at the bottom of a giant rice paper lamp. Seeing and feeling the atmosphere in Sensoji temple was really a great experience and absolutely fantastic to see the symbols with your own eyes.
After the visit to the temple, we could feel the rush of history and we could also feel that hunger was pressing on. Kimu Sensei had planned some shopping and led us through the area to a well-known shopping district. We all shopped for the big gold medal and it was all something that is useful in our everyday life Japanese curry, green tea, spices and various other ingredients that said health. We also bought special Japanese plasters, which are really good for fiber bursts and other such injuries - after all, we are all over 50 and have to adapt to this 🙂 Japanese craftsmanship in the form of porcelain and a Japanese kitchen knife also went into the bag . At that time, Kimu Sensei thought that it was probably best if we went home with the purchases before more shopping was done.
It is good to be able to shop and take home something that has a great meaning for you, but it was also more important to see how it is all built up and works. There is nothing messy in the shops and there is no place where goods are not on the shelves. It's clear to feel that everything is taken seriously, but still with a smile on the face and absolutely no sour faces - it's really something we can all learn from.
When we got back to the hotel, Jens Hanshi-Dai and Kjeld Renshi were sent to the supermarket to buy Sushi and Sashimi so that we could also taste this Japanese dish before going home. There are many good restaurants with sushi in Denmark, but this purchase from a local supermarket in Tokyo surpasses anything I have tasted. The food was eaten in a hurry because we had to go out and look at gi's and training weapons, Kimu Sensei had planned.
On the trip out to Asakusa earlier in the day, I had the feeling of getting everyone informed about what was going to happen and how. Now the pressure is on and everyone thinks we have to leave and everyone is going in the same direction. But despite this, no one just stops, takes a small step back and checks if it is correct. We had laid out the plan but are still unsure of who will lead. So along the way, a challenge arises due to a lack of clarification. The good thing is that no one panics and with local help we get back on track and internally clarify who does what - it was teamwork in the good way.
Now you would think that there is an abundance of martial arts shops in Japan. There isn't, in fact we only saw three and they were in the same street, but they were also exactly the ones we were looking for. Kjeld Renshi and I were to look after Bokuto, Kotachi and Jo. Kimu Sensei had given us instructions on how to check if they were good and what to look for regarding the veins in the wood. All weapons were tested before we found what we wanted. In the meantime, Jens Hanshi-dai started testing gi's which should be quite specific. Time was short because Kimu Sensei had arranged for us to experience something he has mentioned to us for many years.
Kimu Sensei has said many times that the best Chinese food is served in Japan. He is absolutely right, as I have been to different places in China a few times. That night we didn't just eat Chinese, it was traditional authentic Chinese food as it was made before the Cultural Revolution. And what an experience. It reminded a lot of the way Japanese food is prepared and there is perhaps no reason to think that it should be any different when you think about how close the two countries are to each other. Again a place that Kimu Sensei and SST have eaten many times before in the period 2007 until now. Before 2007, some other places were used, such as restaurant Tohkalin, Hotel Okura. The food was exquisite and the service equally so. Although the English is not perfect, Japanese people try everything they can to make themselves understood so that you as a guest in the country have a good experience. It is something that is really emphasized and out of respect for this, you as a guest must give back in the form of e.g. to eat up.
Conclusion:
This RRCamp has been the journey back to the beginning of the 50 years of history around Shindenkan from when SST was in Denmark in 1967 until today when he has retired as an organization leader - not as a martial artist. His retirement has been a secret for 30 years that Kimu Sensei is well aware of, as he is one of the three who have been given permission to carry on Yakami-ryu in his own Sodenke-ha lineage. Many have probably thought about what significance it will have in the future. As Kimu Sensei says, it doesn't matter. The Japanese connection is still through Kimu Sensei as he is the one who has the license - that's how it's always been and that's how it will be in the future. The fact that Kimu Sensei opens up the background and importance of his family at the same time means that the new Shindenkan gets a broader cultural-historical insight into Japanese history and culture, which will certainly give a degree more of wholeness in the multi-track martial arts and martial arts system.
I know that the official "Viking Samurai trip" was in the capacity of a democratically elected member of SOPORG, - with 50 % self-payment, as has always been at RRCamps. But for me it has been overwhelming and I am very grateful to have been part of this RRCamp and all the learning involved. Have my expectations been met? Yes, and more, because Japan and Tokyo are not as closed as I got the feeling in the 80s. People are very welcoming and nice to help. Of course, Japan has also changed and may have seen the outside world from its own point of view, just as the outside world has seen Japan from theirs. Perhaps it is two points of view meeting in a common understanding of each other. My own assessment of it is that Japan and Tokyo have been a very exciting place to be. They are very smiling people and very proud people who come from a culture where you don't give up. It was also very clear on the office buildings on Saturday evening, where work was still being done in several places. It is the samurai culture that comes through, results must be on the table and there must be the right thing.
Technologically, Japan is many steps ahead of Denmark. Toilet seats with warm and hygienic water jets are not something you see in many other places, but they are there to make sense and not to be flashy. Everything in Japanese culture has a meaning, it is not always that we from the west can see it or understand it, but in Japan it is there.
There are many cultural treasures in Japan and one thing that has struck me about the ones we have seen is that they are very humble in their design. In the west, it can sometimes be blown up wildly with statues of those who are honored and sometimes it is in a form that is quite exaggerated. The monuments I have seen here have been simple without statues with very significant and visible ones anyway. A bit like when you show respect for power and position, it is done without asserting yourself at the expense of others openly. The same applies to the Japanese flag. Two colors that to that extent create focus, but in a subdued way. But if you read the story and understand how the colors are connected, you also find out that it might not be so subdued after all 🙂
I would also say that Tokyo is a beautiful city with a mixture of new and old united in a really good way. Between the concrete buildings there are green areas and temples which in a way bring it all together and it gives an impression of the journey Japan has taken from the old traditions to the present. One thing that surprised me, however, was that there are Olympics in Tokyo in 2 years, but it's not a big deal so far. Either they have it under control or there is so much efficiency in their way of preparing that it will probably work.
Is the culture as different from the Danish as you would think? Yes, in some areas, but with a smile and warmth of heart you can go a long way regardless of where in the world you are. At the same time, I also think that there is a lot between Japan and Denmark that is similar, but it is seen differently, since you see it from different angles. If you see the whole instead, you will probably also see the similarities and thus understand each other better. Which can probably give greater tolerance and perhaps even acceptance of each other. I know that Danish design is a great success in Japan, and I think that it is also because design is something that comes from within and is therefore also something that is part of Japanese culture.
What can I use this RRCamp for and the learning we have gained? It has shown me that if I am myself 100 % all the way to the heart then I will also be able to be the person I want to be loved as. All the reactions and feelings I have seen in Japan are something I also contain and by opening up to them, I would develop more and learn more from what is going on in the real world. Seeing so much humility, acceptance, loyalty and tolerance has shown me that life as a self-absorbed, self-centered “BURT” is not worth living and that it makes one unhappy.
Regardless, I am very grateful to have been part of this RRCamp and to be able to describe the 50 years of history and to be part of the new Shindenkan. A big thank you must go to Kimu Sensei and his family for allowing us at SOPORG to get this insight into Japanese culture in a way that not many others get the opportunity.
