legitimate Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu schools

I wonder if William Adams also got a Paul Chen £600 suit of armour?

 

Well this is what i've read:
"The association "L’enfance de l’Art" is pleased to announce an exceptional opportunity to study the art of the Japanese sword and double sword from one of the world’s leading experts IWAMI Toshio, headmaster of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu. After the success of last year’s workshop, and experiencing the quality of more than 70 martial arts practitioners from 8 countries in Europe, he agreed to hold the annual European workshop in France once again.

This 2nd Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu European Workshop will be conducted by IWAMI Toshio, 11th successor of MIYAMOTO Musashi, and his master assistants. Descendants of the Samurai widely recognized in Japan today, they represent a tradition which has been honoured and practiced for over 300 years. The masters desire to share their long-kept secrets with those who attend this workshop on the art and techniques of the Japanese sword.

Maximum attendance for the workshop will be 100. We expect participants to have either a black belt level or 5 years experience. If you don’t meet these requirements and wish to join, please contact me directly. No enrolment will be accepted on the workshop days, please enrol before."

 

Where in the UK can I find one

 

Yes, and the Guelph seidokai have also held seminars & workshops with Iwami soke too. I think I know what you mean; Touching base with the soke to get the feeling of the ryuha is a very good way to learn.

Conversely, without the seminars, you've got to train with the study groups. They are the bedrock outside of Japan.

 

That's why i train alone for now.

 

Why because you can't train with the headmaster? If the study groups are sanctioned by the headmaster, then they are good to train at. You also get to make friends by training together. Jita Kyoei - Mutual benefit. You train with them and they will show your deficiencies.

 

How to say don't know, but i just don't belive teaching Japanesse arts outside Japan. There is pure teaching of pure art (didn't i say this?) in Japan and only in Japan. Outside, there is only globalized, mixed version of art. I don't say it's bad, but i think, that is not right. Even if Dojo is runned by skilled Japanesse masters, they're...different. They think different and how can be philosophy taught right, if anybody's feelings aren't same. I just don't know. I can train with them in fight but that's all. I don't think they can teach me more, all they can do is change me in something like them. You've been train in Japan too, what's your opinion?

 

Well a few of the members of these study groups have spent time in Japan, training in the arts we have discussed and they are pretty competent in what they have been trained in. And since the headmaster of the school has given them permission to open these study groups, that's a very good sign. It means that he trusts them.

 

I would have to disagree with you. It is not beyond the capabilities of a non-Japanese to reach a reasonable level if anything far higher that your average Japanese given the time and effort.

Admittedly we still see a double standard in many arts. I would cite Kendo as an example. Kids start at the Dojo mid elementary and go on to high school doing 3 to 4 hours a day in practice. For a foreigner one has a lot of catching up to do. But the the thing is the majority of the Budo population in Japan are "kids". They can practice all day but wont get any maturity out of it. In Japan splits budo into certain aims one tries for according to certain age brackets. Someone of say 20-30 will not have the same aim as 50-60. So bearing this in mind and providing you can crack that barrier of doing good fundamantals through initially a lot of hard work. That high school kid will seem like a mosquito buzzing around you that will get swatted at the right time. For the foreigner doing a few hours a week he will never get near that.

Some years ago I would have agreed with you. I cam to japan thinking Damn I am never going to crack this cookie. But after 25 years its all worked out fine. Me and steve doing embu at Nippon Budokan is because we can do it regardless of nationality.

Do you really assume that every Japanese you ever see doing and coming abroad to teach budo are good? That's like a Japanese seeing a Russian and assuming his English must be perfect. Most do this stuff because they like it not because they are good and for many adults its just like doing little league baseball with the kids.

To add a bit The most common remark I come across from Japanese teachers visiting abroad is that they are amazed at foreigners ability to memorize things and put them to use. I have seen Westerners on courses progress more in one week than some Japanese do in a year.

 

I agree, even my real point in fog remains. I started with Kendo when i was about a 6 years old. Trained i was in properly dojo. But i realized, that there is something missing, that kendo isn't so "wide", like i was thinking. So i was doing a secondary training (well, it was more philosophy training then anything else) in iaido dojo. But after seven years, i've left Kendo and joined Iaido Dojo for a full training. For eight years i was trained, then i needed left Japan and head for England about 3-4 months ago. So i've no master for only this few months. When i'll get back to Japan i'll continue in my training, but now what's better? I want to try find myself by myself. I know, that masters outside Japan are skilled, propably more than me, but like i said, they are different. And i would propably need to accept that differences to understand to their teaching.
But i must say, that like a forigner, i try to maintain training at least 4 hours a day, not including meditations, because i better do them outside (well i better do outside whole my training, but...just...law). And here in England, in my area, is pretty hard to find good and peacefull place for good meditation.
And again I am not Japanesse. I've ment, that people trained by headmasters inside japan understand to philosophy differently, that people trained outside.

 

In world occupied by blinds are one eyed lords and two eyed kings.
It's like a finding a girlfriend. You can like the most beautiful girls from posters, but then you'll suddenly pick up a good one, not the best one. Why?
Those masters honorable are, indeed, but they can fully understand?

 

Hunh what?!?!

The one eyed lord and two eyed kings thing is rubbish. Sorry... but it's complete rubbish. :bang:

You sound like your operating from what is essentially a racist standpoint. It doesn't matter if you are not caucasian or whatever... the heart of what you seem to be pointing out is that - only Japanese can truly understand sword arts like Iado or Kendo.

Obviously that is myth and one predicated on 'orientalist' nonsense.

I am guessing that English is not your first language so I'll be interested to see if I have misunderstood your post.

Please tell me that's not what you're trying to foist on us.

 

Mate, some of them (i.e. Hyaku and others who have spent DECADES learning koryu over there) are actually more competant than the Japanese and actually make the tradition live. Maybe it is a sad state of affairs, but it is true.

 

I understand where you are coming from if you have done training in Japan and want to get back to it.

But as I said not all Japanese are not that competant and few are philosophicaly motivated. There are a lot of "Do Iai to keep fit" people out there even in Japan. You could really pick up a few things in other countries. That Westerner might have got the hang of something you missed in your training in Japan.

Your Japanese masters will tell you that Budo is getting together with each other and learning regardless of race and I would have thought they would have told you that and not have to hear it from a foreigner. A lot of them will tell you that with the decreasing interest in Budo in Japan perhaps the very future of it actually lies elswhere.

Last year there was a person that was helping with a speech to give to a senate we had been invited too. They said, "You 'should' learn Japanese culture!". Sometimes bit more subtlety is required even from Japanese.

 

Well, all i wanted to said is, that Japanese art can be fully understand by living and studying in Japan, where culture surrounding you, breathing with you and have roots everywhere.
I didn't want to say, that Japanese culture, art or whatever can be understand only by Japanese people.
I accept with you Hyaku that dojos needs to share experiences, new knowledge, but is this really what is going on? I mean, that outside Japan are real sword fights very rare, so how they can teach you a death art, without knowing death (and most of sword fights end with one).
I've friendly (well, at least i hope it looked like) challenged Gunyo Kogusoku and i've ended like a bad guy with problem, even it's common thing in Japan.
World outside Japan is knowing Sword Art like an entertainment, fitness, cool thing...but is this really what is going on? Lot of people join Sword Art without thinkig to use it in real life and lot of outside masters even haven't been in a real fight yet (and i wonder how someone like this can become master). I know it's a very good thing, that they haven't been in such a situation and i am really glad for it, but can they fully understand?

 

Is there any one around now who experienced real life and death situations with a sword in Japan? I know of and have had a few WW2 veterans relate to me their experience. But in these cases the element of surprise was essential as the other guy usually had a gun. That is unless you want to include tying people hands behind their backs on cutting their heads off.

Its the latter image that Japan really wants to move on from. So since the war, in actual fact since the Meiji era the sword has been taught for its educational value. Its katsujin ken we try for, not satsujin ken.

Philosophicaly and to quote Musashi's teachings as this was the original point of the thread. "Learn the heart. If you cant learn the heart don't pick up a sword". He also said seeing the advent of the gun in his era,"Learn the weapons of your day. Then put them away, get married, increase the population, look after family and those around you. If you your family or country is attacked. get out those weapons and..... kill the aggressor.

Seems to me this is a good guide that a lot more countries could go by to enhance the worlds peace.

(My apologies to those who must be fed uo of seeing me write that)

 

Yup that is a very true statement; I know that many Aikidoists out side of Japan (western exponents) take their study waaay more seriously than many Japanese themselves.

I'm not saying our Japanese brethren treat budo haplessly, I would suggest however that given we (westerners) often want to embrace, not just the art but aspects of Japanese society which aren’t readily available (Like culture) their study of a system is actually, in many cases much wider than would be other wise seen in the average student.

Indeed I hold the opinion that the future of BUDO doesn't actually lie within the boundaries of Japan herself. Within the world now, we have some of the most experienced and *legitimately* qualified Budoka who are themselves doing far more to further the development and promogulation of the arts than can be seen in Japan even to this day. That isn't sad, that's a wonderful thing provided tradition and authenticity is held in high regard.

I would say to anyone who, in today's modern world of travel and communication, holds the opinion that we must study within Japan and with a Japanese Sensei to understand our chosen Budo, is misguided, and needs to spend more time training. Although I truly revere my time with Japanese instructors, each time I do so I'm reminded just how 'on par' we are with their standards. This is a by-product of many things but importantly it illustrates that we 'non-Japanese' can grasp the core aspects of our chosen budo.

Regards

 

I can see your point. McDonalds are good even oustide America, sure, but they're not so easily accepted.