The
Iaido Journal Sept 2010
The 2010 Calgary Seminar
copyright ©
2010 Kim Taylor, all
rights reserved
Just a few quick words and some photos from the 2010 Calgary
seminar. This is one of the secrets of the circuit, in that there are
very few people in attendance, and a lot of work gets done through very
personal interaction. For several years Colin Watkin and myself have
been teaching Niten Ichiryu (Colin), Jodo, Iaido (me) and as of this
year, Kage Ryu (Colin).
How Intimate? Well here are those in attendance for one of the
classes. That's me standing on the left, Chris Gilham the host club
instructor, Alex Cook who is a Calgary local but has been attending
school and flew back from New Brunswick, and then Colin Watkin sensei
in the middle back. Also in attendance were folks from Southern BC,
Edmonton and New York State. The handsome fellow seated centre front
spent a month in the Phillipines with Watkin sensei practicing Niten
and Kage two or three times a day.
It truly is a lovely seminar with all sorts of experienced folks coming
together to swing swords. Several Japanese sword arts and the old
Western traditions are represented by this scruffy bunch.
Here is Colin with his 3.7 shaku bokuto, teaching Kage ryu. We went
through a large number of the core, basic techniques of the school. The
stuff that doesn't get demonstrated in public since the ryu policy is
to demonstrate only variations at embu. For those who think they have
trouble drawing their iaito, take a look at those saya bokuto and stop
complaining. Kage ryu is a drawing art, and we did in fact get those
monsters out of the scabbards.
Here is our horse kata, we are trying not to cut the horse's head while
drawing and cutting down someone on both sides of the horse. Then you
have to put the sword back into the scabbard. Not an easy task.
I'd like to thank Chris Gilham and his crew in Calgary for organizing
this seminar and hosting it annually, and for anyone who is interested
in the Japanese koryu, I'd recommend getting yourself to the next one.
Kim Taylor has been attending and hosting martial art seminars since 1980.
