European Gasshuku Day 4

I can't believe that tomorrow is our final day! This week has been so fantastic; it's just flown by. I'm finally adjusting to the heat during training and it's refreshing to still have a little pep by the end.

We started off our Shodan training with Nakamura Sensei. This hour was devoted to partner drills on locks, breaks, and chokes. It was great practice on some techniques I don't use nearly enough!

Our next hour was with Sensei Larsen. We focused on Seiyunchin and really broke it down. Sensei Larsen made a big point about how we need to avoid looking forward to our next test or kata so much that we forget to look inward at our previous learning. This has been a major part of my training towards Nidan. I'm realizing that Shodan is like being able to paint with broad strokes of primary colors; the point comes across but it lacks detail and beauty. The dan ranks are all about adding details and exploring the less obvious techniques and applications. There are kata I thought I knew well that I'm now realizing I only knew superficially!

He emphasized this by telling us that, with everyone removing their belts & not sharing their ranks, it should be clear from our techniques who was Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, etc. If it's not clear then you aren't training hard enough. Truly something to strive for.

Finally we worked with Kokubo Sensei & Yamashiro Sensei. Kokubo Sensei asked us what we wanted to work on & it was tied between Sanseru and Shisochin. We split with Yamashiro Sensei teaching Sanseru & Kokubo Sensei Shisochin. I chose Sanseru and we focused on maintaining our center of gravity for balance and power as well as fluidity in our movements with tanden. Then we moved onto Sepai and worked the same ideas. It was great to work on these black belt kata. I still have a lot to perfect with them so working under such a talented instructor was very beneficial! Yamashiro Sensei noted that some people were acting like Japanese Daruma dolls which have large, rounded bottoms and wobble. Watching him perform these kata while keeping perfect alignment was truly amazing!

Not only has the training been extremely beneficial, but the friendships made at these events are truly what makes the Gasshuku. I've trained with people from many different countries, met up with old international friends, and tonight a huge group went out for food and dancing. Sitting at a table with at least ten different languages being spoken and yet we're all sharing laughs and stories and bruises. Tomorrow is the last day training and I'm already looking forward to the Okinawa Budosai in 2016!

Photo taken during a break. These breaks are when we socialize, hydrate, and practice what we've learned.