Dan Harden
05-04-2003, 10:14 PM
Hey.....I thought it deserved its own spot!
Its 11:00 P.M. here and I just left these folks at their hotel.
Koryu- alive and well in Worcester
I wanted to publicly post a thank you to Meik and Diane Skoss as well as their two co-demonstrators and members of their ryu; Bob Williams ad Ken (Sorry to have forgotten your last name Ken).
For those of you who may have missed the notice Meik and Diane came to Worcester Mass. to put on a Koryu demonstration as part of the Worcester Art Museums ongoing “Samurai Arts” exhibit. The team chose to present the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Shinto ryu, and Buko Ryu to an appreciative and standing room only crowd of eager attendees at the local exhibition hall just off campus.
The demonstration was a dynamic and highly charged display of Iai, Kumi- tachi Nito ryu, Naginata, Kodachi, and a dearly loved favorite…….the stick. The crowd’s responses echoed the superb timing and display of martial ferocity that was played out before their eyes. A masterful display of authentic Koryu art presented with Diane’s unique commentary brought the crowd along a joy ride of hypnotic reverie as their response went from quiet anticipation to audible gasps at the controlled violence of engagement on stage. I think it is fair to say that the team caught those in attendance unawares as to the technical brilliance displayed.
Sword
Meik and Bobs display of Yagyu Shinkage ryu was captivating and energetic. The exchanging of blows with Fukuro Shinai resounding through the hall ended with displays of a finishing target. Again, these exchanges were accompanied by explanations of armored and unarmored targeting and served to give all present a clear and basic understanding of one of Japan's premier arts. It was a bit of a kick to see people jump at Meik’s initial Kiai! I do not want to go into too much detail, but suffice to say there were quite a few surprises in the Kata chosen for presentation.
Battojutsu
Of particular note was the unique style of Iai or battujutsu. Identical techniques were displayed standing (Meik) and then performed while seated (Bob). There were also interesting continuations of technique past the initial draw. Particular notes of interest were the styles vertical-drawing displayed.
Shinto Muso ryu
The sword against stick probably engendered the strongest response from the crowd, with Ken displaying the stick’s powerful ability against sword to a surprised crowd. I would have loved to have heard an open question and answer period after the look on some of the audience’s faces!
Stick what?
The double round of applause and the sold-out crowd was encouraging, as there are many of us hoping that this will serve as a beginning step to several area museums.
After the affair ended Meik, Diane and Bob Williams graciously offered their time to a group of local Budoka for questions and a sharing of their training experiences (regretfully Ken had to head back home). A group of us retired to a local restaurant for fun and relaxation. For those who may not know-Meik and Diane are a delight. It was a pleasure to watch the dynamic between them as they finished each other’s sentences and in general just “talked shop” into the late hours. Many were surprised at their accessibility and openness. While some of the questions were detailed and perhaps exhaustive to answer- they took pains to explain complex issues and technical points to one and all. Personally, I have been to a number of these martial art shabangs and it is always a surprise to meet gracious unassuming people on the “other side” of an expert demonstration. I will add that both were engaging and surprised all with humorous and informative tales. In fact, after years of reading Meik’s writings here and elsewhere I got a kick out of meeting him in person and getting to hear him expand on some of this admittedly dry technical material and just crack everyone up with his stories and observations.
What a great time! I thought Budo was serious..Hah!
My only regrets were not getting to see Diane perform-perhaps she just intimidates the fellas too much-I dunno, and the fact that it was over too soon.
Thank you Meik, Diane, Bob, and Ken from those of us at Shugyo Dojo and the greater Worcester area.
Job well done.
Cheers
Dan Harden
Its 11:00 P.M. here and I just left these folks at their hotel.
Koryu- alive and well in Worcester
I wanted to publicly post a thank you to Meik and Diane Skoss as well as their two co-demonstrators and members of their ryu; Bob Williams ad Ken (Sorry to have forgotten your last name Ken).
For those of you who may have missed the notice Meik and Diane came to Worcester Mass. to put on a Koryu demonstration as part of the Worcester Art Museums ongoing “Samurai Arts” exhibit. The team chose to present the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Shinto ryu, and Buko Ryu to an appreciative and standing room only crowd of eager attendees at the local exhibition hall just off campus.
The demonstration was a dynamic and highly charged display of Iai, Kumi- tachi Nito ryu, Naginata, Kodachi, and a dearly loved favorite…….the stick. The crowd’s responses echoed the superb timing and display of martial ferocity that was played out before their eyes. A masterful display of authentic Koryu art presented with Diane’s unique commentary brought the crowd along a joy ride of hypnotic reverie as their response went from quiet anticipation to audible gasps at the controlled violence of engagement on stage. I think it is fair to say that the team caught those in attendance unawares as to the technical brilliance displayed.
Sword
Meik and Bobs display of Yagyu Shinkage ryu was captivating and energetic. The exchanging of blows with Fukuro Shinai resounding through the hall ended with displays of a finishing target. Again, these exchanges were accompanied by explanations of armored and unarmored targeting and served to give all present a clear and basic understanding of one of Japan's premier arts. It was a bit of a kick to see people jump at Meik’s initial Kiai! I do not want to go into too much detail, but suffice to say there were quite a few surprises in the Kata chosen for presentation.
Battojutsu
Of particular note was the unique style of Iai or battujutsu. Identical techniques were displayed standing (Meik) and then performed while seated (Bob). There were also interesting continuations of technique past the initial draw. Particular notes of interest were the styles vertical-drawing displayed.
Shinto Muso ryu
The sword against stick probably engendered the strongest response from the crowd, with Ken displaying the stick’s powerful ability against sword to a surprised crowd. I would have loved to have heard an open question and answer period after the look on some of the audience’s faces!
Stick what?
The double round of applause and the sold-out crowd was encouraging, as there are many of us hoping that this will serve as a beginning step to several area museums.
After the affair ended Meik, Diane and Bob Williams graciously offered their time to a group of local Budoka for questions and a sharing of their training experiences (regretfully Ken had to head back home). A group of us retired to a local restaurant for fun and relaxation. For those who may not know-Meik and Diane are a delight. It was a pleasure to watch the dynamic between them as they finished each other’s sentences and in general just “talked shop” into the late hours. Many were surprised at their accessibility and openness. While some of the questions were detailed and perhaps exhaustive to answer- they took pains to explain complex issues and technical points to one and all. Personally, I have been to a number of these martial art shabangs and it is always a surprise to meet gracious unassuming people on the “other side” of an expert demonstration. I will add that both were engaging and surprised all with humorous and informative tales. In fact, after years of reading Meik’s writings here and elsewhere I got a kick out of meeting him in person and getting to hear him expand on some of this admittedly dry technical material and just crack everyone up with his stories and observations.
What a great time! I thought Budo was serious..Hah!
My only regrets were not getting to see Diane perform-perhaps she just intimidates the fellas too much-I dunno, and the fact that it was over too soon.
Thank you Meik, Diane, Bob, and Ken from those of us at Shugyo Dojo and the greater Worcester area.
Job well done.
Cheers
Dan Harden