Review Kobudo Seminar 2009 Rheinfelden

Am 01. und 02.Mai 2009 fand in Rheinfelden ein Kobudo Seminar mit Sensei Yukio Kuniyoshi (Shihan 7. Dan) statt.
Kuniyoshi Sensei hat mehrfach die Ryukyu Kobudo Tournament Championships gewonnen. Er verbreitet sein Kobudo-Wissen durch Seminare weltweit. In Rheinfelden wurde Sensei Kuniyoshi von Sensei Dell Hamby (Shidoin 4. Dan) assistiert.

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A great Kobudo Seminar with Sensei Yukio Kuniyoshi (Shihan 7. Dan), held in Rheinfelden on the Swiss Shibu took place May 1st - 2nd, 2009. Kuniyoshi Sensei was assisted by Sensei Dell Hamby (Shidoin 4. Dan).
(25 Participants from Spain, Swiss, Germany, Belgium)

Pictures

Review by David Fisher

Back to Basics

I believe the two days of instruction by Shihan Kuniyoshi and Sensei Hamby will mark a turning point in my Kobudo training. I do not mean this in the sense that I made any dramatic improvements in my technique over the course of the two days of training; in fact, it became painfully clear just how little I actually know. The turning point was the increase in my understanding of what Ryukyu Kobudo looks like when executed correctly. Shihan Kuniyoshi’s technique is so crisp and exact that by watching him I have begun to understand, though certainly not replicate, the connection between stance, arm position and weapons technique. Kuniyoshi’s instruction showed that I have been overly focused on the movement of the weapon and ignoring the positioning of my stance and arms. This is probably a common beginner mistake – rather than ensuring that my stance and body positioning are solid, I have been putting all of my attention on the weapon.

Kuniyoshi’s repeatedly reminded students that good Kobudo technique starts with a correct stance, then the proper placement of hips, shoulders, and arms and finally culminates in the correct positioning of the weapon. He further emphasized that the legs and hips are the key to generating speed and power. In particular, during our Bo training, Kuniyoshi stressed that regular practice of Bo Kihon is necessary in order to increase proficiency. I admit that like many new Kobudo students, I have been too eager to learn new katas rather than diligently practicing the basics. Kuniyoshi and Hamby gently reminded us that there is little sense in rushing ahead to learn Shodan and Nidan-level katas when we have not yet obtained a firm grasp of the fundamentals. Kuniyoshi was effective in delivering his message that there is no short-cut to mastering the Bo – only through countless repetition of Bo Kihon basics can progress be made. I am now resolved to
put a renewed emphasis on my Kihon training and taken Kuniyoshi’s message to heart: “katas will improve only as Kihon improves.” This same advice applies to the other weapons (Tekko, Nunchaku, Sai) as well.

This was the fourth Kobudo training camp I have participated in over the past year-and-a-half and it is always a pleasure to come together with training partners and friends from Berlin, Erlangen, Dusseldorf, Basel, Switzerland and Leuven, Belgium. I also enjoyed meeting a three-man group from Spain for the first time. Over this year and a half period, the improvement in the skills of all of us at the white belt level is perceptible. We are clearly all making steady progress and the training sessions are having the effect of motivating us to work even harder so that we can demonstrate improvement at the next joint training opportunity. Yet, once again, the “secret” to gaining proficiency is to return to the fundamentals and put in the long hours needed to make the stances and transitions second nature.