Date reminder for the remainder of this year

This past week we have managed to lock in a number of dates to put into your your calendars to fill out the rest of this year, starting with this weekend. Please make note of:

Saturday 23 October: QKA Kyudo beginners day, hosted by the Kohokai at Pine Mountain Hall. There will be Iaido before Kyudo from 8:00–9:30am, then the rest of the day doing through the fundamentals. There will not be any Kendo or Iaido in Toowoomba as a result.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12. 13, 14 November: Kendo intensive, National Fitness Hall, Gin Gin. Aim will be to head up Friday to train all day Saturday and morning of Sunday. Jujutsu and iaido/jodo TBC, but will most likely be Friday evening. BBRD are being supported by the BKC to help our sister Club in preparation for the QKR’s December seminar and grading. Kendo and Iaido will again be cancelled at the CBRC for this weekend.

Saturday 4 December: BBRD Jujutsu grading, so-honbu dojo, CBRC.

Saturday and Sunday 11-12 December: QKR Summer Seminar and Grading, CBRC. Opportunities for training and grading across Kendo, Iaido and Jodo. The event is open to all currently financial QKR members.

Thursday 23 December: Keiko yame — Last regular evening of training for the year.

Tuesday 4 January: Kagami biraki— keiko hajime, CBRC formal start to the training year with a vignette seminar provided by the Club’s disciplines.

We will certainly be providing more details as each of the dates draws closer. We will most likely be subject to ongoing COVID-related considerations, and there may have to be alterations to this schedule at short notice.

So certainly a busy time for the next few months!

Reminder: Classes this week

As most of you are aware, I am heading up to Bundaberg to complete the last formal assessment of my Physiotherapy degree. I’ll be heading up Wednesday late morning so that I can get into Gin Gin for around 4 pm with a plan to do Kendo from 4:30–6:00pm, then Jujutsu from 6:00–7:30pm, and then Tam and I squeezing in some iaido and jodo training before I have to be in Bundy for my final presentation prep.

I was really pleased to see as many folk as there were participating in Jujutsu over camera on Saturday, and am very much looking forward to seeing everyone and spending time sharpening up those skills.

The intention is to do a similar training session on the way back to Toowoomba on Saturday morning, with a start time pencilled in for 9.30 am. I want to take every opportunity I can to support everyone who has been putting in the hard yards and continuing to train remotely, especially with grading opportunities presenting themselves in December.

Classes in Toowoomba will go ahead as per usual, albeit without me there on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. Train hard everyone, good luck for those with outstanding pieces of assessment/exams to complete, and I’ll look forward to seeing you in the dojo soon!

All the best for final assignment and exams!

This week marks the start of the final run down for Semester/Term 2 at both USQ and CQU, and I wanted to wish everyone facing their final assessments and exams all the best.

Remember that there is a limit to how much time you can focus on one thing before it starts to have a negative impact, especially if you forget your regular physical activity and routines. While some things will be inevitably altered due to time constraints, its important to get up from the desk, take a mental as well as physical break, and ensure you maintain sustaining social connections that are not an extension of the screen time you are spending in study revision.

We will always understand if you can’t make it into the dojo to train, or very much limit how many sessions you can attend over the next few weeks. Just remember that the Club is there to support you through this time, and we are always collectively better off with your presence than in your absence!

Gambareba dekiru to omoimasu!

Kyudo beginners day, Saturday 23 October

I am very happy to announce that Kohokai, Pine Mountains dojo will be hosting a Kyudo beginners day on Saturday 23 October. It is expected to run for most of the day, with some regular Iaido training on immediately beforehand from 8:00–9:30am, then Kyudo for the rest of the day.

The cost for the day is $10, which includes the provision of a light lunch.

We will be focussing on the fundamentals: etiquette, posture, shooting shape, release, and focus. Weather permitting we will also do some outdoor shooting, so we ask that you bring with you appropriate sun protection.

We have people from as far afield as Harvey Bay and the Sunshine Coast express interest in coming down for the day, so it ought be a great gathering to (re)engage yourself with Japanese archery.

If you are interested in participating, and haven’t said so yet, please let me know ASAP. The plan is to car pool to head down, so I want to ensure we have that organised as efficiently as possible. We have some loan uniforms and equipment for the day, but it is a case of first in, best dressed (literally) for clothing. For those that already have a keikogi and hakama, that would be the most suitable to wear for the session. We would also ask that you bring water, a cup, plate and appropriate utensils.

While Queensland has been particularly fortunate with our COVID situation over the past few weeks, we are of course subject to changes in those circumstances, and will be following public health ordinance as required.

Kyudo has been one of those disciplines that has unfortunately suffered a little in the clamour of competing time to squeeze in sufficient regular training amongst the many disciplines that we support. However, we are hoping that by sparking interest, we will be able to get regular training sessions established both in Toowoomba and Pine Mountain.

Equipment orders

As we are fast approaching the end of year’s grading opportunities, it is probably a good idea to take stock and see if you would like to purchase any budo equipment.

While uniforms are relatively quick to arrive, we have found that over the past 18 months, bogu and weapons including shinai, bokken, jo, and iaito have been taking a very long while to be sent. Where items are not in stock, or where customisation are requested, workshops in Japan have been slow due to the retirement of a number of senior crafters, and COVID-related bottlenecks.

I would ask that you have a serious think about anything you might want, and let either Sean or I know by mid-next week. This will hopefully give the remainder of October and November for items to arrive.

For those new, or relatively new to the Club, make sure that you ask your discipline coordinator or instructor for advice about what you need to get at a minimum and what things are most suitable for you to purchase/use.

Calendar dates for the next few weeks

It is shaping up to be a very busy couple of months for the Club and its members. First, as part of my trip up to Bundaberg next week, I will be stopping past Gin Gin and getting some sessions in with our sister dojo. Then, we are looking to have beginner’s Kyudo day down at the Tom Johnson sensei’s Pine Mountain dojo on either Saturday 23 or 30 October, Another trip to Gin Gin along with Takashi Itakura sensei is pencilled in for the 13th of November, and finally landing in December with QKR summer seminar and a Jujutsu grading opportunity before the year’s end. Oh and Greg Nicholas sensei may be joining Thursday night Kendo sessions through November pending some work that he will be doing up in the Toowoomba district. Additionally, John Isaacs sensei from Brisbane Kenshinkai is attempting to get some monthly inter-Club shiai practice up and running as well.

I think that’s it (for now). There may be more to add…

There is still a little uncertainty regarding the timing and location of the QKR seminar, which we will hope to confirm within the week. And we will also lock in firm dates for the other events that the Club will be supporting. And all of this will be subject to the whims of the COVID situation in Queensland. However, I’d strongly encourage everyone to take the various opportunities that we have over the next couple of months, and as always, I’ll look forward to seeing you in the dojo!

Maintaining your equipment (part 1)

Having woken to suddenly more wintery weather this morning, I was thinking about some of the things that everyone can reasonably do in preparation for the end of the academic term and the change of seasons.

While most of us are pretty good at keeping on top of the basics like cleaning and maintaining our training uniforms, looking after some of our other gear can seem like a daunting task, not knowing where to start and what precisely to look for/do. Prompted by the very generous donation of practice naginata from Perth’s Raymon Lawrence sensei (via Tom Johnson sensei) I thought that I might dedicate this post to some of the things you can easily do this week.

Wooden training equipment
Most of the Club’s disciplines will have you use wooden, bamboo or cane equipment in the ordinary course of training. These need to be looked after with regular maintenance, especially in Toowoomba’s relatively dry environment. If you keep your equipment in a hot place (like the back of your car) this will accelerate the rate of potential deterioration and hence make them unsuitable/dangerous to use over time. Some of my hot tips include:

• It’s a great idea to have a maintenance kit put together ready for use and available if you need to make running repairs as required. This will most likely include a sharp craft or specialist knife, wood-safe oil, sand paper, wax block, and replacement fittings as required for the items you are servicing (like spare tsubadome, tsuru, and leather parts).

• Make sure that you check your equipment for signs of wear either at the end of each session or very soon afterwards. This will save time during practice rather than having to deal with it in class. I set my gear in a way that makes it obvious whether I’ve checked it or not (usually there way I have tied the bag that I keep the piece of equipment in).

• Keeping the fittings in good order is critical to usability and safety. For shinai correct tension of the tsuru (string) and wear of the fittings like The sakigawa (tip covering), nakayui (bracing tie) are essential. Make sure these are checked before each class, as they can alter/deteriorate even when not used.

• Bamboo and cane needs to be regularly checked for any splinters or cracks. These can be dangerous if not seen to. For fine splinters, a light sand with 800 grit paper and the application of some candle or bee’s wax can keep things going. For larger splinters, you may need to cut them with a very sharp craft knife against the direction of the splinter before sanding and waxing. Any horizontal cracks are usually an indication that there may be a safety issue and that you will need to replace rather than repair. If in doubt, check with one of your more experienced sempai …

• Avoid heavy sanding or carving of wood and bamboo. It can affect the structural integrity and weight balance of the item, and lead to further problems down the track. The adage should always be “safe rather than sorry”.

• Wood and bamboo ought be oil treated at least every 6 months (better every 2-3 months) to increase an item’s longevity. “Hard wax”, tung oil, and linseed/turpentine mixes are all very good at preserving the wood, as is more expensive options like camellia oil or walnut oil. Just make sure that you give sufficient time for the oil to penetrate the wood and wipe off any excess before coming into training. Avoid peanut oil, as some people may have allergies that are triggered by even casual contact with it.

I hope that these tips are useful. If there is sufficient interest, I might even commit these to a YouTube video so that you have a ready reference of “how to”.

Will look forward to seeing you at training this week!

Store room tidy and inventory check

We will be conducting a full tidy and inventory check this Thursday of the Club’s equipment.

Could I please ask that if you have any uniforms or other equipment that you please let me know what you have before Thursday so that it can be properly accounted for.

If you have gear that you have not been using, could you please make sure that you return it to the Club store ASAP and preferably before Thursday.

SEQ Regional grading and seminar: It’s a wrap …

What an amazing day! I am very please to report that I am still on a happy buzz from this weekend, probably partly due to slowly catching up on rest after a breakneck week of getting the majority of my Physiotherapy honours project in (on time). But the largest part of my continued glow is the satisfaction that the first SEQ regional grading and seminar to involve all three QKR arts was by all measures a wonderful success.

Everything appeared to line up for us this weekend. Perfect training temperature, no additional impact from COVID, enthusiastic participation from everyone, and bucket loads of good will and can-do attitude to spare.

First, I would like to thank Brooke Martin, the CBRC’s Centre Manager for her support of the event. It was very satisfying to be able to showcase the quality of the facility here in Toowoomba, and to be able to feel at home in our own dojo with the easy access to all of our gear. Brooke’s enthusiastic support of the Club has been much appreciated, and invaluable to our sense of being “home” and being able to build on our capacity to provide service to the community.

Second, a very big thanks to all the visiting senior sensei. We literally could not have staged the event without you. To list in order of distance travelled, K. Kuromochi sensei came all the way from Cairns, Dave Kolb sensei, from Bayside Budokan, John Issacs, Greg Nicholas, and N. Tamura sensei from Kenshinkai Brisbane, Tom Johnson sensei from Kohokai Matsuyama (Pine Mountain) dojo. I would like to provide special mention to T. Itakura sensei of Brisbane Kendo Club whose active encouragement and enthusiastic support prompted BBRD to host the event in the first place. And I would also like to thank Rob Doncaster for stepping in to guide the Iaido folk in the morning and help them to put that final polish on before their shinsa.

Third, a thanks to all of the participants. Some who like sensei travelled big distances, particularly the long journeys from Cairns and Gin Gin. The day had similar number of participants to some State seminars, which is was heartening to see. In a time of COVID restrictions, committing to an event like this can be somewhat fraught. However, I think the proof of the day could be seen in the number folk for whom it was their first experience outside of their home dojo and interacting with the wider QKR community, and who left the day feeling a welcome part of that community and very happy to work towards the next opportunity to come together.

Fourth, I wanted to thank all of the Club members that worked to make the day what it was. Sean T, Kateena M, and Jono H deserve special mention for going above and beyond to help our visitors and attend to the vital administrative tasks that were needed to keep the show on the road. All of our Club members the were an embodiment of our values on Saturday— Sian C, Daen F, Lachlan M, Chris S, Ivan H, Tamara K — I would like to commend you for (again) providing evidence to the adage that we are and always will be a “friendly Club” that just gets on with what is needed, providing service not as an afterthought but as an active commitment to ensure everyone has the best opportunity to get the most out of events like this.

Club members experienced very good success in their grading. Lachlan and Ivan both double graded in Kendo to 3KYU, Chris double grading to 5KYU; Lachlan doubled up to successfully grade to 2KYU in Iaido, and Daen and I were recommended to double grade to 3KYU in Jodo.

A special mention to Ivan’s success: he has been training most of the past 18 months via video link to the Toowoomba dojo with the odd visit south. To grade well on Saturday was a spectacular achievement. With my studies almost at an end, I am hoping to get up and visit Gin Gin more often than I have managed over the past 12 months. And Itakura sensei was hinting at a combined BBRD/BKC road trip to come and provide some close support to the Ken Jin Kan.

We had not gotten to the end of the day before participants were actively expressing a wish that we do this again. My hope is that regional level KYU grades become a diarised feature of the QKR calendar, and that the next opportunity will be in March. We will look to see where that event might be hosted. However, I have a strong desire to run the event next September and make it a two day event that includes a formal opportunity for shiai and the sharpening up of shinpan skills leading up to the Uni Games. So if the stars align (and COVID permits) we might be looking at the Toowoomba Tsubaki Taikai for the Carnival of Flowers parade weekend in 2022!

I hope that everyone who participated takes back to their respective dojo the spirit of Saturday and the tips and pointers they picked up. The next scheduled event is the first weekend of December to be held at the Sleeman Centre in Brisbane. To the wider QKR community, I’ll look forward to seeing you there, and to all our Club members, as always, I will look forward to seeing you in the dojo over the coming days!

Regional grading and seminar Saturday 18 September

Our first ever three-art SEQ Regional seminar and grading opportunity is almost here. It will be a full day on Saturday, with doors opening at 9 am and training starting at 9.30 am.

We are very fortunate to be hosting many of the Queensland-based senior sensei across Kendo, Iaido and Jodo, including Katsumi Kuramochi sensei, who is coming down from Cairns along with three of his students who will be presenting for grading. We will have a very busy afternoon, with 12 people challenging for Kendo grading (5 for their very first time), 7 for Iaido grading, and 8 for Jodo grading, plus club members and sensei from across SEQ to participate in the training opportunity and encourage those making grading atempts.

Friday night we will be going out with Kuramochi sensei and the Cairns contingent, which is certainly something to look forwards to.

Club members, friends and interested visitors are very welcome to come and watch. And I will be hitting up a few of you to come and help for parts of the day. We are putting on a pizza lunch, which you can pre-order on the Club website at: online at:
http://www.bbrd.org.au/memberships-and-courses/pizza-lunch-for-seq-regional-seminar-and-grading-18-september-2021-one-portion

We will be abiding by any COVID based restrictions that are in force on the day. This will mean that if anyone has been down the range to the affected SEQ local government areas, you will need to wear a mask while inside the CBRC. For those participating in the training, grading, or goodwill keiko at the end of the day, we are asking that you also mask up regardless of whether you have been down the hill just to simplify things and provide a bit of solidarity with our visitors who are affected. And we will be following our general hygiene and COVID safe protocols in and around the training spaces as per usual.

Have a great week everyone! I’ll look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday.