Halifax Seminar 2024
Seminar Report
copyright © 2024 Douglas Tong, all rights reserved
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Sensei Tong’s first seminar in Halifax featuring Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was a landmark event. Over one and a half days, the seminar participants got a good look at some of the fundamental ideas and techniques of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu.
The First Day
To start off with, Tong Sensei gave a little talk about the style, tracing its history from its early years.
We examined a selection of the original katas of the style, the honden.
The seminar attendees also got the chance to try some of the fundamental techniques of the style, like gasshi-uchi and noridachi.
This group was made up primarily of Aikido students so when we looked at the evasive movements of Shinkage-ryu, they felt right at home in these kinds of scenarios.
We also discussed the important issue of distance in sword-fighting, and how it is particularly essential to be able to accurately judge distance in a variety of different situations.
Staying calm under pressure was a great lesson for these students.
We finished off the first day with a wonderful group dinner at a local bar and grill.
The Second Day
On the second day, we examined the unique scenario of fighting with the kodachi, the short sword.
This weapon presents a special problem for us. This weapon is short. The opponent’s weapon, a sword, is long. We are immediately at a disadvantage, many will think.
But what might be perceived as a weakness by many (due to its shortness), can actually be turned into a strength.
One of our katas is named “Chotan Ichimi”, which means “long and short are one”.
At close quarters, the long weapon becomes a hindrance. The long weapon becomes quite useless.
Kajitsuka Sensei called the idea of “Chotan Ichimi”, ‘the gateway to muto-dori’ (the theory of No-Sword).
And Muto/ No-Sword is the highest principle of Shinkage-ryu: how to fight with or without a sword.
And for these Aikido students, they had a lot of fun with this idea.
We finished off the remainder of the second day with a training session reviewing at the katas in Kuka-no-Tachi.
It was a good opportunity to check how their katas were and correct any mistakes.
In Conclusion
This was our first seminar in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the eastern shores of Canada. It was a great opportunity to introduce our art to the people on the East Coast.
Hopefully, they will practice and continue to build the group there. Thank you so much Getsumeikan no Michi Dojo for having me there and good luck for the future!
