Kawashima Sensei

[Rob Gassin]

As thing have been a bit quiet on this forum lately, I thought it may be an opportune time to discuss some of the living masters of our art. Let us share what we know of their background, what we have learnt from them, what they have brought to the art, what we consider their strength to be, any interesting anecdotes etc. This thread will be about Kawashima Sensei.

[Tripitaka of AA]

He recently stepped down as the chief Instructor of Hombu Doin... or something. What was that role again?

Where did he first start his training? How did he come to be at Hombu?

[luar]

He was recently one of the hosts at the Toronto Seminar

[Rob Gassin]

First saw him on 'The Way Of The Warrior' series. Trained under him at Hombu doin once in December 1985. He was one of the 2 best stylists I saw during my trip to Japan in 1985 (The other was one of Matsuda sensei's senior students at Yamanote Doin can't recall his name). I especially admire his goho.

[Tripitaka of AA]

That would make it the seminar held after the International Taikai? I was there too :)... there the similarity ends. You are still active and no doubt going from strength to strength, while I stagnate and note each passing year with nothing but the ever-increasing waistline and disappearing hair. Nice to think that there are quite a few members of E-Budo that can claim to be there for that seminar (and only one is a pathetic wannabee,me, obviously, the rest are all seriously good and still going strong).

I think Gary Dolce and Anders are two others who were there...

Back to Kawashima Sensei, I recall my instructor Jee Sensei pointing him out and suggesting I "look and learn". His own favourite had been Arai Sensei, but he saw Kawashima as the way of the future.

[Rob Gassin]

No David, I was not at the Taikai. I just spent a week at Hombu, the week before Xmas and took the opportunity to train at Hombu Doin one evening. A very worthwhile experience.

Chreers,

[Tripitaka of AA]

How weird, we were there for the last few days of November/beginning of December... :)

[Richard Codling]

Myself and my training partner went to the last Spring training camp in 2005 and went to the hombu doin one evening. We were invited back to meet 'Mr. Kawashima' as he was not there (maybe they felt that it would be rude to come all this way and not get to meet him in his own back yard).

Anyway, we swiftly rearranged our plans and came back on the Monday. Sure enough, Kawashima sensei was there and gave us a goho lesson. Wow. And ow. everything was so precise. I was enthralled to say the least, and I'd really really like to be taught by him again.

He seemed to like the Glasgow University goody bag that we gave him too. The minature of whisky seemed to be especially well received...

[Indar]

he's a demon drinker...............and a sweet guy

[luar]

How old is he and is he built like a tank or do I need to adjust my widescreen TV?

[Richard Codling]

How old is he and is he built like a tank or do I need to adjust my widescreen TV?

A guess would be mid to late forties (he said in his interview on the WSKO site that he came to Hombu just before Kaiso died) but I'm rubbish at guessing peoples ages.

He's not as tank like as some of the other Hombu staff (Fuji sensei for example...). More of an armoured car perhaps :D

[Robert Liljeblad]

Gassho,

I know that he is doin-cho for Hombu doin!
For how long time has he had this responsibility?
Was not Arai-Sensei his predecessor as doin-cho for Hombu doin?

Anyone that knows who’s his embu partner is?
What is he’s responsibility within hombu?

Kesshu,

Robert

[hwijaya]

Gassho,

Originally Posted by luar
How old is he and is he built like a tank or do I need to adjust my widescreen TV?

He is one of the Senseis who shows the San kyu to Ikkyu techniques in DVD, and according to my sensei, he is already above 50.

Kesshu,
Herdi Wijaya
South Bay & Caltech Shorinji Kempo

[Rob Gassin]

I was 24yo when I visited hombu in 1985, he was a few years my senior. I believe he is about or just over 50yo.

BTW, the was doin-cho for Hombu doin when I was there in 1985. His predecessor is probable beyond living memory :) .

[John McCulloch]

Gassho,

Kawashima-sensei is 52 years old.

[Anders Pettersson]

Gassho.

If I am not mistaken Arai-sensei was doin-cho of hombu doin before Kawashima-sensei.
Today (this years April) Kosaka-sensei (also seen in the kamoku DVDs) have taken over as doin-cho of hombu doin after Kawashima-sensei.

Something to tell about Kawashima-sensei.
He was the examiner for my nidan test at hombu in 1989, he used myself and my partner (Åke Olsson) to show all the hokei from the chushutsu kamoku (random techniques), he thought that all needed some details on each technique.
He threw me several times with soto maki tembin in a way that I will never forget. :)

I had the chance a few years ago to spend more or less a whole day at Hombu alone with him teaching me shakujo. :)

There is a lot of other thing to tell, but I don't have the time right now to put it in writing.

/Anders

[colin linz]

How old is he and is he built like a tank or do I need to adjust my widescreen TV?
I seem to remember him as fairly solid. I had the chance to talk to him a bit when he took me to hospital during the 1989 Taikai. I remember him telling me he liked Rugby. He was very friendly and made sure I was looked after.