WINTER 2000

This news letter was first published in the winter of 2000. The contents was written by the students and therefore, the views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Kushido organization unless specifically stated.

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DEFENCE PROMOTION SWISS GASHUKU POWER IT2 TEACHING FEARS DOJO MIND NEW

SELF DEFENCE IN THE MODERN WORLD

Ask modern karate-ka about their experiences of self defence, and you're likely to be disappointed - that is, if you're expecting tales of combat, assault and criminal intent. The truth is, for most of us who train, the world we live in is relatively safe, and shielded, from this type of attack. What then, are we training so hard to protect ourselves against? Self defence is about far more than reading situations to prevent physical attack, or actually protecting oneself from bodily harm. When looking at this in training, we usually consider the psychological form of defence as the other side of the coin, but again, there's more. To think purely in terms of oneself and an attacker is very limiting - this outlook assumes that the "agent" to be defended against is consciously intent on, or disposed to, harming.

Life's not always like that. What about crossing a road, or walking through country fields? Automatically, we take care, looking both ways, without even thinking about it - and that's the difference. Why should a car for example, out of control, inspire a different type of fear to someone actually out of harms us? So our approach to self defence could be limited by our tendency to put identity onto the aggressor. What about broadening this, so that we live strategically to protect ourselves from damaging influences that have no consciously negative intent?

The possibilities are endless! If, as martial artist, we're trying to be more in charge of our lives, our bodies, and our minds, then we need to consider the broader environment we're living in as well - looking out for those things that are "passively" predisposed to lowering our quality of life, or even our emotional and spiritual well-being. This can be very individual, starting with chemical pollution, noise, poor ergonomics at work, and poor quality food. Moving on, the quality of what we put into ore heads has a profound influence on health too. Everyone knows work stress and kill (but it's a slow death that we don't always notice.) More subtle is the effect of media pollution - where we don't discriminate between positive versus negative entertainment and information. What about the dangers associated with those areas we consider really safe? - risk of infection by very hardy, drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals? This if finally being taken seriously (although too slowly) in many quarters, and is no joke. The rate of patients contracting illnesses unrelated to those for which they went into care is now rising very fast, but the problem hasn't yet been dealt with. So far, this has been a danger of "conventional wisdom", and the assumption that what has worked so far for many people will still work for everyone - what naivety!

There's a strong resistance to the introduction of the MMR vaccine at the moment, with thousands of parents refusing to have their babies immunized, and the national vaccination rate percentage falling from the upper nineties to the low eighties. What this shows is that more people are becoming aware that conventional wisdom isn't the safe net they thought - there's uncertainty growing as to whether we can simply carry on applying what used to be considered safe and effective, without reviewing the changes that have occurred. Consider the increasing number of vaccines "recommended" as essential to our health, for example - and the growing, unquantified assault on our immune systems.

With wider news coverage available, we're becoming more aware of the failures of larger organizations to safeguard our environments and lifestyles. some examples:
1: Books published in the early nineteen-eighties pointed out the madness of feeding normally herbivorous livestock as if they were carnivores (slating it on the basis of little more than common sense) - a practice now acknowledged as a major factor in the rise of CJD.
2: The worlds stockpile of non-GM soya reportedly became corrupted with genetically-modified material as a result of an organizational error.
3: Despite government and industrial assurances to the contrary, a very clear mechanism exists whereby GM and non-GM crops grown near one another can be contaminated (it's called Mother Nature!)
4: The power line controversy - scientists have looked at the effect on health of magnetic fields, and all but ignored the electric fields that are also generated by all high-voltage distribution - and the number of housing estates overhung with national grid lines seems to be increasing. What's the answer?

There's no need to be frozen in the glare - small changes in lifestyle, more informed choices, and defining a personal strategy in life can go most of the way to avoiding many difficulties that are arising, and act on those things that haven't yet been proven in ways that have a low risk for you (don't starve yourself just because you think the entire food chain is corrupted!) Examples (apart from the ones EVERYBODY knows - reduce junk food, stop smoking etc.):
- replace some red meats with healthy substitutes
- maintain a healthy, robust immune system (and don't rely on tricking your body into thinking you've had a disease that you haven't!)
- while the jury's still out, avoid GM food where you can
- replace dairy products with calcium-rich vegetables
- next time you get a filling, ask for non-amalgam
- lower the risks associated with your mobile phone by talking less
- put a water filter on your kitchen tap, and...
Don't make a big issue of it! The key here is discrimination in its most positive sense, and essential part of our art - through learning about ourselves, getting to know what works for us in life and what doesn't, what supports us in ore individual life "quests", and what holds us back from achieving what we really need to be doing.

SENSEI JOHN GOLBY

To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in and hour

William Blake

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DEFENCE PROMOTION SWISS GASHUKU POWER IT2 TEACHING FEARS DOJO MIND NEW

PROMOTION COURSE NOV 2000

Thursday 2nd November 2000, Heathrow, Terminal 2 and still raining. But who cares, because in a few hours we'll be in Switzerland, en route to Oberrichenbach and what for me will by my 2nd promotion course. On arrival at Stansstad a brief walk away is the quiet calm of the home dojo of the Shihans Paul and Juanita. After a very successful, yet somewhat late lunch (with beer of course!), back to the dojo to meet up with the Shihans.

Thursday evening in Stansstad is a mainly green and white belt affair, but after the invitation to join in had been extended we duly did, then down to a local hostelry with Shihan Paul. After the long day travelling it was a relief to get to sleep on the dojo floor (sleep being a broad description?) We were woken at 5:30 as the Shihans entered to prepare for the "Friday special", it would have been rude not to attend, so we did... After breakfast it was off to the tranquil alpine hamlet of Oberrichenbach. Greeting friends old and new and 12:00 arrives, and the first training of the course.

It's hard to describe the following four days because the information comes so fat and in such volume that is is sometimes hard to digest. This is noting like Gashuku, except for the fact that it pushes your commitment to the full. You are tired, very tired and yet you feel inspired by the truly stunning scenery during the morning walk and the collective enthusiasm of the students in the dojo to strive for that little bit more. The strange thing about promotion is that despite all the togetherness, it is also a very personal experience. It's always a pleasure to train with the Shihan' and to see them doing what thy do so well. Circle dancing always gives everybody a chance to relax mid-course and this one was no different, except for the truly stunning demonstration of how it should be done by Shihan Juanita and Sensei Ueli.

All too soon it's Monday afternoon and the climax to another memorable course after a fitting last session. Farewells said and a quick dash to Stansstad station and on to Zurich where we had a final meal (and beer!) before returning home. To my travelling companions, fellow students and friends, I wish to extend my thanks for your support and for the memories that will stay with me for a very, very long time.

SENSEI DUNCAN
For UK group photo of the promotion course click here.

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DEFENCE PROMOTION SWISS GASHUKU POWER IT2 TEACHING FEARS DOJO MIND NEW

SWISS PROMOTION

contrasts and paradoxes... Those who study the martial arts must become familiar with these. It seemed fitting then that having all packed hats & coats for our trip to the high mountains of Switzerland in November, had to wear them here in England and then peeled them off as we were greeted by clear blue skies and sunshine in Zurich!

Having been welcomed by Shihan Juanita we relaxed for the afternoon and got stuck into the evening class at Stansstad dojo which blew out the cobwebs nicely! Similarly contrasting then was the warmth of the welcome we all received from the Shihans and the intensity of the early morning 'special' on the Friday before Promotion started... 'Special' being a good description! At 6.00am we started with just over 300 mae-geri and, ho yes, change, and then 300 with the other leg!! Then some indescribable nunchaku techniques that still have my brain buzzing 2 months later! (It may be worth pointing out that this class in Stansstad is voluntary!!!) So having go up at 5.00am on the Thursday to travel, evening class followed by beers with Shihan Paul, 'sleep' on the dojo floor, up at 5.30am for the 6 o'clock class with the Shihans and few select Swiss students, by the time we started the promotion course at about 11.00am I felt I had already been training for three days!

As is often the case, however, the warmth of the Swiss dojo community, the keen-ness and commitment to train, picks you up amd moves you to give your utmost regardless of the tiredness. Promotion Course is instantly like a gashuku and at the same time nothing like it!? Many many repetitions, sweaty gi's, aching limbs, tests of the will and body, but the encouragement is much more subtle... less of pushing yourself because some 'ard b*****d at the front tells you to, but more letting go of yourself because you know you always can give more, because in the letting go there's another place or level to work from. My personal 'unfavourite', 100's of yoko-geri from shiko-dachi, up and down the room, again and again and again... hot feet, burning thighs, sweat running into the eyes etc, but for once the kicks kept coming...? even though I wanted to just fall over! As an extra incentive there was Louis... it may have been a bit of my ego, but I think it was more just a reality check, but if he can do it with a couple of lbs of steel in each leg then I can bloody do it without!!!

The classes for the next four days were wide and varied covering all known aspects and several new ones: posture, techniques, focus, power release, movements, timing, touch training and exercises for things like how to teach varying grades, how to teach Kata, how to disassemble a particular kata to look for more within it, video of yourself for group discussion (very enlightening!), and plenty more. My now personal favourite from the course is Shihan Paul's new Shorinjii kempo exercises, which were grrrrreat! Shown a video on Friday nigh, we then had to devise a sequence and practise it for demonstration and video on the Monday morning. The basic instructions were that we were free to do whatever we liked to demonstrate Kushido's techniques, showing whichever techniques we chose, more like continuous kumite that randoir, preferably at a 'realistic' speed, full focus touch techniques with both bouts ending with a throw (one each!) Working with someone like sensei Ueli was a fefinate advantage, and a degree of trust and co-operation evolved that the demo felt fluid and quite vigorous but without losing any control or focus.

So much more was learned that it's impossible to write about all, but just give you a taste of what awaits you on your next promotion course... it's probably worth noting that a lot of Swiss students do it just as a course with no though of promotion (but yes, it is a bit nearer for them!)

Wonderful as ever to be in the warm embrace of the Swiss dojo community; these same karate-ka who would throw you to the floor (no mats!) stamp kick your head, gouge your most intimate bits, and make you punch and kick until your extremities fell off and fall apart generally, would then help you back together with some kind words, a decent massage, or just jokes and a few beers, Can't wait for summer gashuku.... ouch again!

SENSEI LINDSAY
For UK group photo of the promotion course click here.

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DEFENCE PROMOTION SWISS GASHUKU POWER IT2 TEACHING FEARS DOJO MIND NEW

OCTOBER GAHSUKU

My first gashuku & I'm excited (!?) but with a hint of nervousness - will I be able to keep up?

It started with an extended Friday evening class - quick warm up & straight into hundreds (Yes, hundreds!) of kicks & punches (hard but bearable), then pair-off for physical exercises - sit ups, press ups etc. Many people were looking around to see if others were exhausted too. The pressure started to ease off as we went through some ippon kumite - Sensei John came around making fine adjustments to peoples' posture, pull backs, tight fists - he was very exacting.

To finish off the evening we all did kata practice - doing the ones you knew & then watching with amazement as the higher grades did their stuff - I've got some work to do to reach those standards. A nice group hug & some words of wisdom from Sensei put the icing on the cake.

Saturday morning was cold and wet (made me bounce out of bed!) - still I was keen to get stuck into whatever was thrown at me. I had my first taste of Randori in the morning, and I liked it a lot - roll-on Green belt!

I also learnt the sequences to Gekisai-dai-ichi and Gekisai-dai-ni in a matter of an afternoon. During the day I learnt a lot of handy tips on how to remember techniques from each of the black belts - a definite benefit of attending a gashuku.

Sunday morning gave us a good lesson in never taking things for granted! As the first to arrive, Alan and I found the gates 'locked' - Sensei Lindsay, arrived next and shot off to find the caretaker. More people arrived, and we sat and waited to the caretaker to finish his breakfast! After 20 minutes of waiting, Sensei John and I took another closer look at the gate, only to find it was not locked at all - Sensei John (not best pleased) said that someone would have to pay - what a good start to the day!!!

So in we went for some mind-bending techniques, kata practice and running around. Sanchin Kata was targeted this morning, as Sensei John came around to check our grounding and focus (ouch!!)

By the end of Sunday I was thirsty for more (but you have to go home to the wife sometime!), so after a quick stop at the local hostelry, for a feview of the weekend with my fellow students, it was off home to sit and digest some of what I had just learnt.

Many thanks to everyone who made the gashuku happen, and particularly so Sensei John - an excellent weekend!

ARTHUR THORN

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DEFENCE PROMOTION SWISS GASHUKU POWER IT2 TEACHING FEARS DOJO MIND NEW