Kenjutsu in Kumamoto

[roryh]

Hi All,
I'm a new user and I'm just looking for some help. Next week I'm moving to Kumamoto, Japan on exchange and I am looking for somewhere to train.

I have heard that there is a school of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu somewhere in Kyushu, maybe in Kumamoto itself.

I have been training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for the last two years and so I have some training in Kenjutsu.

If anyone could point me in the right direction of this dojo or of anything that I can train in for the year that would benefit my Budo training, I would be grateful.

[ZealUK]

If you are only coming for a year, don't expect to learn anything special while you train here.

Where in Kumamoto will you be based?

The schools that spring to mind in Kumamoto are

Taisha Ryu
Sekiguchi Ryu Iai
Noda-ha Niten Ichi Ryu
Higo Shinkage Ryu
Unko Ryu
Higo Koryu Naginata
Shiten Ryu Hoshino Ha Jujutsu
Takeda Ryu Yabusame
Jigen Ryu (no relation to 示現流 in Kagoshima)
Negishi Ryu Shurikenjutsu

Then there's a couple of branches of Heki Ryu Kyujutsu, Hontai Yoshin Ryu and the usual MJER and MSR.

If you read Japanese check this site out...

http://www.tamakina.ne.jp/kobudou/

Just in case you couldn't find it, this is the last Kumamoto Kobudo Enbu Taikai...

http://www.tamakina.ne.jp/kobudou/19taikai.htm

[roryh]

hi,
Thanks for the help.

I wasn't planning on learning anything special, I just didn't want to not train for the whole year i'm in Kumamoto.

I'm not exactly sure where i'm based having never been to Kumamoto before but I can tell you i'll be living in the international dorms of Kumamoto Gakuen Daigaku which I don't think is too far out of town.

I had a look at that site but I found it hard going to wade through all the unfamiliar Kanji since i've only done two years of Japanese study.

I have no idea which of those schools i'd like to train in, or even how to approach that training, but at least I have a start.

Thanks for your help, i'm going to look into a few of those schools.

[ZealUK]

Kumamoto Gakuen Daigaku.

Well that's right next to Suizenji, which is where the Kumamoto Budokan is located. Don't know about the dorms.

Suizenji koen is a lovely Japanese garden btw.

There's also a nice sword shop near there called Auntei.

http://www.auntei.biz/

Looks like you have plenty of opportunities to train, so make the most of it.

You should find out the rest by yourself. It's more fun that way!

Let me know how you get on!

[roryh]

Hi again,

I did know that KGU is next to Suizenji, but having never been to Kumamoto I had no points of reference.

I'll definitely be training in something when i'm there. Thanks for the help, i'll post some more stuff next few weeks when I see how everything goes on arrival.

Thanks again Alex.

[Josh Reyer]

Rory,

One thing about studying a koryu kenjutsu tradition while you're here is that you'll basically spend the whole year just getting your body adjusted to the ryu's paradigm of movement, and just when you get that down, you'll be leaving, probably with no way to continue that training in Australia.

I think if you're looking for some good, old-fashioned training while in Japan, check out the budo clubs Kumamoto Gakuen Daigaku has. Looking at their website, I see they have karate, aikido, kendo, judo, and kyudo. If it's a good club, joining the judo club for a year will probably give you some great all-around body skills you can apply to any other martial art, and get you in good shape.

[ZealUK]

I agree with what Josh is saying. While there is a wealth of koryu martial ats in Kumamoto, the best bet for a short stay might be to look for some gendai budo which you could potentially continue when you get back home.

Of course have a look around and I'm sure you will find something you like.

[Roberts-Thomson]

Rory,

If you look here (http://www.geocities.com/koryu-bujutsu/dojoguide.html) you can see a list of koryu in Victoria. As you can see, there is MJER, MSR and Hontai Yoshin ryu, all of which have branches in Kumamoto. Training in one of these would make it possible to continue your training when you return.

[roryh]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the help. I'm still not sure what i'll be training in, but it'll definitely be something.

Also, I did know the KGU's clubs had Aikido, Karate, Judo, etc but I was just asking here to get some more options. I was told about them by the university itself and we are heavily encouraged to join some of their clubs.

I'll have a look at that list from Victoria and see what my options are from there.

Rory

[DDATFUS]

I just thought I'd throw in my .02 on something that a couple of the others have said. I've had less than two years of koryu training at this point, and that is nowhere near enough to learn a school, or to learn enough of a school to be practical, or anything like that. However, I'm going to have to respectfully dissent from a couple of the more experienced budoka who have posted here. Knowing what I know, if I were in a situation where I could choose to train in a koryu for one year and then never train in it again, I would train. The koryu experience has been a fascinating one for me, and even if I were unable to ever train in koryu again, the taste that I have had is still enough that I would always approach martial arts with a somewhat different perspective.

On the website for the Yagyu Shingan Ryu, they have a comment that I found very insightful.

One inquirer once wrote, "If I study for 5 years, what level am I likely to achieve?". If time constraints are an issue, don't study koryu. Karate, Judo or any other modern martial art can usually offer you a black belt within a few years -- if that's what you're looking for. Questions like this are viewed as naive by Japanese koryu practitioners. The path of the Bushi is not simply about memorizing a few flashy techniques; it is a way of life. When new comers enroll with us, they are sternly told to expect a long-term apprenticeship. This statement however, should not deter sincere short-term residents from partaking in kobudo. Even if you only have the opportunity to scratch the surface, the experience will be most rewarding.

Ideally, training in a koryu is a process that lasts for the rest of your life-- I know that I could spend a lifetime studying the schools that I train in. But if you want to experience koryu, don't let distance or time stop you. Train, even if you think that you only have a year. At worst, you will get a taste of something outside of all of your old experiences, something that will forever enrich your future training, whether you go on to train in koryu or gendai, Japanese martial arts or Indonesian. At best, you will start that lifetime experience-- I've heard of more than one guy who went to Japan for a year and ended up returning for ten, or starting a study group and taking regular visits to his instructor each year. There are lots of good reasons not to study koryu, but if you are really interested, then time isn't one of them.

Again, just my .02, and only based on my experience and my personal preferences. Check my sig line for the going rate of my opinion.

[Nii]

Except doesn't that quote also suggests that you will be viewed as naive or even perhaps ignorant by doing so? I agree with David though, if you can take a good koryu, do it!

[pgsmith]

At worst, you will get a taste of something outside of all of your old experiences, something that will forever enrich your future training, whether you go on to train in koryu or gendai, Japanese martial arts or Indonesian.
I disagree. At worst, you will be wasting the instructor's valuable time. You will be taking time away from those students that are in it for the long haul. If the instructor understands from the beginning that you are only going to be there temporarily and still chooses to teach you with that knowledge, then that is their choice. However, to just ask if you can train, and then drop it when your time is up is both disrespectful and self centered in my opinion. A koryu instructor's goal is not to "give people a taste of something", it is to train students that will contribute to the future of the ryu.

Just my thoughts on it.

[DDATFUS]

If the instructor understands from the beginning that you are only going to be there temporarily and still chooses to teach you with that knowledge, then that is their choice. However, to just ask if you can train, and then drop it when your time is up is both disrespectful and self centered in my opinion.

I suppose that would be the worst-case scenario, but that sort of assumes a callous and mercenary student; I was assuming one with a sincere love of the school. To clarify my position, I would never suggest being less than honest-- I am assuming that anyone in this position would clearly explain to his potential teacher that he has only a year, or only two years, in which to train. If everyone knows that going in, then I don't see the problem. The teacher might decide that he can't waste time on a temporary student-- that's his decision. But I dont' see anything wrong with going to a teacher and saying, "I really want to train in your school. I'll only be here for a year, and I understand that a year isn't nearly long enough to even scratch the surface of this school, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

As far as selfishness goes, I've heard a few stories from my instructor and from others about visiting students in Japan, gaijin who only had a brief period of time in which they could hope to train. Some of them responded to this time limit by throwing themselves into their training as hard as they could. While their Japanese sempai knew that they had a lifetime to master the school, these men were bound and determined to squeeze everything possible out of their limited time, and their enthusiasm and dedication had a positive net effect on the dojo. I'm sure that doesn't happen every time-- perhaps it is a rare exception-- but I offer it to show that even a visiting student can offer something to the school he studies. Apparently the instructors of Yagyu Shingan Ryu Taijutsu believe that temporary students are not an inherently bad thing; I'm sure that whether or not a student can make it as a short-term student of koryu is largely based on his attitude and intent going in.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I agree completely with David. Here in Hawaii, for example, we have a lot of military who are stationed here for only 12-18 months, & Maeda-Sensei welcomes all of them who are willing to abide by his rules. I have yet to see someone who was not admitted to our dojo just because of the length of time he/she could study with us.

In fact, several of them have moved back here either via a requested PCS or retirement, just so they could continue training MJER &/or kendo under Maeda-Sensei. As iaido sempai, I think that we all benefit from such deshi!

[Josh Reyer]

Of course, in that respect iaido is quite different from kenjutsu (the OP's interest) in that it is by design something that can be practiced by oneself. Not only is iaido relatively more widespread (and thus relatively easy for the OP to continue after he leaves Japan), but the nature of practice lends itself to time away from one's sensei and practice partners.

If the OP were practice Taisha Ryu, though, upon returning to Australia he'd be left with only suburi and doing two-man forms one-sided, which even with diligent and conscientious practice would be very prone to bad habits. Heck, for me, the first practice after a holiday break is usually about fixing all the bad habits I picked up from a week or so of solo practice. Even my sempai, who have the movement of the ryu in their bones, find themselves rusty in two-man practice after a long break from training.

I agree with both Mr. Sims and Mr. Smith, for what it's worth. I think even one year's experience of koryu (if it's the right koryu for you) can be extremely beneficial, and if the sensei is amenable, I see nothing wrong with doing it. But, I think it would be better for Mr. Hudson, and better for the ryu he would do, if he chose something to which he could commit long-term, either by studying in Australia or returning to Japan. My recommendation of the KGU judo club was based on his original post of looking for "somewhere to train" and "anything....that would benefit my Budo training." A year of Higo Koryu, if he were able to train there, would probably not be very helpful if he returned to Australia and continued learning Bujinkan. By no means would it be without worth, but a year of hard-core University judo would from a physical, technical and spiritual/mental standpoint would probably be of qualitively more benefit to anything he wishes to train in in the future, be it Bujinkan, a koryu weapon art, or koryu jujutsu. And there's also Mr. Smith's very good point about taking time from students who are committed long-term to the ryu.

[fifthchamber]

Since there is the option, why not see what Hontai Yoshin Ryu is doing there?If the bloke in question has been training in the Bujinkan, he'd have some idea about the stuff done (Although it's going to be way off what Hatsumi does) and may be able to continue practice once he leaves..

All that said, I'd be on the side of those who think it's pushing things a bit to train for one year only here, especially if you have no way of continuing training once you leave (as in some Iai and schools that have shibu abroad)..Given the choice I'd recommend Judo honestly..A better understanding of kuzushi would always stand you in good stead when you return to the Bujinkan..

And there's also the point that several koryu groups choose to distance themselves away from those who train in the Bujinkan..So he may have to choose one or the other if he finds something he wants to do..If he does Judo that's not a problem..

Anyway..I'd say that it's not worth doing one year alone, but that if you find a teacher willing to teach you for that do it in something related to what you will continue once you leave...I'd recommend Judo.

Regards.

[Josh Reyer]

And one more thing I forgot to add, by all means Rory should take the opportunity to observe what he can and get to know teachers and styles. Even if he doesn't end up training with one for the year, it's certainly worth it to lay the groundwork for training later.

[ichibyoshi]

Hi Rory Hudson

First of all I can't believe you got to page two without anyone reminding you that ebudo forum rules require your full name on every post. Easiest way to do this is add it to your sig. No harm done, just make sure you put it in from now or the mods will ban you.

Secondly, half your luck mate! Kumamoto is a great place.

One piece of advice, and it's a difficult one to follow but it will stand you in good stead. Play down your experience in budo. Better to say:

"Sorry I don't know anything at all about budo, but I'd really love to join the judo/kendo/kyudo club and experience Japanese culture!"

than

"Well I've been practicing Bujinkan Taijutsu in Melbourne with (insert sensei's name) and he's (insert sensei's grade), and he's practiced with (insert long list of people no Japanese uni coach has ever heard of), so I know a bit about swordwork and also the basic principles behind judo too..."

The latter, whilst well-meant on your part as info they need in order to gauge your aptitude, will in actual fact come across to most Japanese as, at best, meaningless, and at worst, irrelevant boasting.

After you've been training for a few months and people come up to you and say: "You know, you've really taken to judo/kendo/kyudo. You really seem to understand Japanese culture/budo/customs in a very natural way," you can thank them politely and smile inwardly.

がんばってください！

b

[roryh]

Hey All,

I will most probably be training in Judo or something at the university. But as I said earlier I asked here just for some extra options.

I've never been to Japan before and so I had no idea how to approach training with a strange dojo/teacher. This forum was a way of gaining that insight I needed.

A few people have suggested that training for "only one year" would be wasting the time of the teacher and/or students. While I can see where they are coming from, I don't think that any student who is eager and earnest in training would be a waste of time simply because they don't live in that city/country and will be training for only one year.

Thanks to all who have replied and tried to make my life easier in doing so.

Also, i'll make sure I add my name to each post.

Rory Hudson