Reflections on Eiga and Morioka Seminar
Last month, team Yōshinkan took a trip up to Hamilton to attend the NZ Winter Kendo Seminar hosted by Waikato Kendo Club. It was an excellent opportunity to catch up with old friends from across New Zealand and Australia, to strengthen our bonds as a team, and to learn from the special guests at the event - Eiga Hideyuki Sensei, Kyoshi 8 Dan and Morioka Hiromitsu Sensei, Kyoshi 7 Dan.
An opportunity to train with such impressive Sensei from Japan does not come often, and so Yōshinkan offered a scholarship to attendees who demonstrated an eagerness to learn and a commitment to preparing for the seminar. Although three scholarships were initially offered, I’m delighted to say four were eventually awarded in recognition of the work put in by our team members.
In this blog posts, our four scholarship winners share their unique reflections on the seminar and what they learned. Before handing over to them, I’d like to express our sincere thanks to Waikato Kendo Club for organising and hosting an excellent event, and to Eiga Sensei and Morioka Sensei for making the long journey to share their deep experience and knowledge with us. Finally, I’d like to congratulate the members of our team who succeeded in Grading examinations during the event - Robert Rowland - Shodan, Nicole Creegan and Mike Meijlink - Nidan, and Dao Tran - Yondan.
From Three Goals, a New Perspective - Harald Lin
The Eiga and Morioka seminar was an experience like no other. It represented a rare opportunity to be directly taught by two outstanding and respected senseis. From the amount of kendo techniques taught to the intense but relaxed kata displayed by both senseis, we were treated to a staggering amount of technical waza, practical kendo hacks, and motivating demonstrations that highlighted the beauty of kendo
Entering this seminar, I had set myself three goals.
Meet new people
Get advice from different senseis, and to fight different senseis that I wouldn't normally fight
Bring the wisdom taught back to our dojo
All three goals were accomplished, some even going above what I had set my boundaries to.
The seminar brought together friends from Australia and all around New Zealand, creating a warm and united atmosphere. Needless to say, this allowed me to meet so many new people, including having some inspiring jigeiko with different kenshi. Training alongside so many people, whom I can now say are friends, allowed us to exchange many thoughts, feedback, and experiences, which created a strong sense of community.
Godo Geiko on Friday made me realise how intense and incredible the senseis are. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to fight Eiga or Morioka sensei due to the incredibly long lines; however, I had the opportunity to fight Tamura sensei from Australia. His kindness, combined with his ki, was something truly inspiring and has set a standard for what kind of sensei I want to be when I'm older. Despite Tamura sensei not being able to speak fluent English, his actions made me realise what I need to do to improve my kendo, which, coming from personal experience, is incredibly difficult to do.
Having the opportunity to watch kata from Eiga and Morioka sensei in person set a benchmark for what kata should look like. The spirit, pressure, detail, and realism made it stand out from the kata I've done and seen in the past. Morioka sensei explained afterwards how he felt so much pressure from us watching, and how Eiga sensei lifted him up. This reminded me of one of my reasons to start kendo - to learn respect and to develop my character.
Returning to the dojo after the seminar, I had collected many notes to share with everyone else. From the kata taught, lessons on ki and spirit, the importance of kiai, and basic drills to improve, it feels that the amount of wisdom I can bring back is endless. For my learning, I realised the importance of absorbing information openly, why challenging yourself is one of the most important things in kendo, and the joy of learning alongside so many kenshi and experienced senseis.
Looking back, it’s hard to describe how much of an impact this seminar will have on my kendo, from the top-level waza to the other kenshi who shared a common interest. Those three goals I had set myself at the start of the seminar had been completed, with more to spare! I left with insights, friendships, and the next steps in my kendo journey. Returning to training, I’m excited to apply the wisdom I've gained from Eiga and Morioka sensei, and to share it with others through a fresh teaching style.
Becoming the Observer - Nicole Creegan
Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the Eiga and Morioka Sensei Seminar hosted by Waikato Kendo Club. It was an incredible weekend where we caught up with old friends, did jigeiko with unfamiliar faces and learned a great deal from Eiga Sensei and Morioka Sensei.
I was reminded over the weekend how important it is to never forget the basics of Kendo, to ensure I keep practicing this every time I come to keiko, from correct posture to ensuring I am always wearing my gear correctly. One thing that stuck with me from the seminar was the importance of good breathing technique which ties into understanding our opponents’ movements. It is something that I have had on my mind lately, as many of my senpai have noted that my movements are easy to read.
Having good breathing technique has many benefits to kendo. It helps with staying relaxed, which is an important part of Kendo. Maintaining a relaxed grip enables you to execute a good cut, with good tenouchi. If you are tense your cuts will be heavy handed, lacking that distinct pop. If you are not relaxed, your attacks begin to look desperate and poorly thought out, making it so that you are easily observed by your opponent.
When you are relaxed, you can calmly observe your opponent and understand their movements. This was a key point of Morioka Sensei’s lecture; to calm your breathing and your mind to help you read your opponent’s breathing and to understand the timing of their attacks. When you are calm you are able to see subtle changes in your opponent’s behaviour and posture, allowing you to see or create openings for yourself.
What I learned at the seminar was incredibly valuable to me, it has given me something to consider and focus on during keiko. Though becoming the observer instead of the observed is easier said than done, the things I have learned in Waikato will give me something to build on in my regular training. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to attend and I look forward to more opportunities to train and learn with everyone.
Blog continues below, but first a gallery of highlights from Godo geiko during the weekend
Advanced Aspects: Anticipation and Execution - Mike Meijlink
Introduction
My name is Mike and I joined Yoshinkan five and a half years ago. Prior to the seminar, I was a shodan and part of my goals for the seminar was to undertake grading for my nidan. I’m excited to share my learnings with you.
Kihon – Eiga-sensei
Shikake waza
One session was dedicated to kihon with the first focus being correct form whilst executing shikake waza. Eiga-sensei made it clear that for shikake waza to be successful, you must claim the centre and hold it from start to finish. The key is to use the shinogi of the blade, which is the thicker part of the shinai close to the tsuba, as it serves to naturally push the opponent’s shinai away from the centre as you advance. This teaching made shikake waza much more clear to me than previously and has already started to positively influence my kendo.
Oji waza
Next, Eiga-sensei reviewed oji waza, paying special attention to kaeshi and suriage. Both waza are executed by:
Blocking the opponent’s shinai using your monouchi
Moving in and striking any of their open points – Men, Kote, Do.
These two facets of oji waza are not individual steps, they are carried out in one swift motion. The big game changer for my understanding was his describing (and demonstrating) that they are both carried out whilst keeping the left hand in the centre. If you do not do this, you slow your waza down and you leave unnecessary openings for your opponent to abuse. Until now, I have carried out both waza using fairly extreme movements for part 1, meaning part 2 was always too slow and the waza has typically been a bit clunky for me. Eiga-sensei’s teachings are already fundamentally changing how I execute oji waza.
Assessing the opponent – Morioka-sensei
The last section of this post is dedicated to Morioka-sensei’s teaching around assessing the opponent. Morioka-sensei opened this topic by reviewing ‘invalid’ reasons to strike:
Wanting to strike before the opponent strikes
Fear
Wanting to get an ippon sooner
Feeling good or ready
Wanting to win/not wanting to lose
The opponent looks weak
It’s about time to attack
Because the opponent hasn’t attacked
All of these reasons were attributed to impatience and a lack of wisdom arising from immaturity, inexperience, or a lack of skill. Instead, Morioka-sensei urges us to lure the opponent by applying good seme.
Morioka-sensei also provided a list of common signs that an opponent is about to strike:
Their eyes watch the intended area to cut (for instance, looking at the kote)
Posture change: leaning to the right for kote, extending slightly upwards for men
Their eyes widen
Their nose moves
Wrinkles form between eyebrows
They furrow their brows
Shifting or repositioning of feet
They inhale and hold their breath
Their lips tense up
The right arm tenses
Their kamae lowers or their shoulders raise
3-5 seconds have passed since their kiai
Using these signs, we can anticipate an opponent’s move which can give us the edge in any form of keiko.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading my writing. There is much more that can be shared but unfortunately I cannot convey all of my learnings within one short blog post. A special acknowledgement and thank you is extended to the Yoshinkan Kendo Club for awarding me a scholarship for this seminar journey which has helped make my attendance possible.
Aiki: The Harmony of Two - Yufeng Mao
When we looked into each other’s eyes, what exactly were we thinking at that moment? The instant when our minds and spirits synced, when harmony emerges through a lasting and unhurried gaze.
Zarei. Source: https://melbournebudokai.com.au/mbk-kendo-handbook/
Saturday’s Kata session led by Morioka sensei began with a kneeling bow (Zarei/座礼), a formal bow performed in a sitting position rather than standing, before we practiced the Kata with a partner. It was then that Morioka sensei introduced the concept of “Aiki” (合気), which can be understood as joining (Ai/合) the energy (Ki/気). The energy, the body movements and the intentions of each other merged. With Aiki, two players become whole. It was the first time I heard about this concept in Kendo, and the first time I performed the Kata from Zarei.
It was a state where me and my Kata partner became one. We sat upright, facing and staring at each other, breathing in the same rhythm, reading each other’s mind, and then we rose and stepped back together. There was a moment I felt as though I were practicing Kata with myself, seeing my own face in a mirror. He became me, and perhaps I became him.
It felt so intimate, almost sacred.
The reason I first chose Kendo was precisely because of the distance. A distance just right - not close enough to tangle bodies or tear at each other’s clothes on the floor. Kendo seems less violent, more restrained and more distance which I liked. But why, then, did I suddenly feel such intimacy in Kendo?
In Kendo, we are told to sense a competitor’s intention - the timing of their strike and the target they are aiming for. I realized Aiki is the key to feel this intention. I once thought Kendo was a way to keep others at a distance. Yet in that distance, I found the most intimacy, where our spirits intertwined through the touch of our shinai tips and the silent gaze that met behind the mengane.
Kata feels different to me now. The line between the motodachi and shidachi has begun to blur. We both lead, and we both follow. At times our movements fused into one, yet at other times they diverged - like a double helix winding upward. How splendid.
The two-day seminar left me with so many thoughts. Aiki and intimacy I felt in Kendo were only a small part of it. I deeply enjoyed having jikeijo with different sensei from around the country. I cannot forget their eyes when I crossed shinai with them, so inviolable and so calm, like mist over a fjord and when I tried to pierce through that mist, there was nothing behind it, only emptiness. That emptiness makes me scared. I wish I could have eyes like theirs.
I no longer ask myself what they are thinking when our eyes meet. Because I know, our spirits meet - in the silent stare, in the distance, and in Kendo.
Until next time friends, Arigato gozaimashita!
Photography credit - Darius Elphick
Group Photography credit - Waikato Kendo Club