The Iaido Journal
Jan 2012
2011 Eastern Canada Fall Iaido
Grading
copyright © 2012 Patrick Suen, all
rights reserved
Toronto's last few
days of above seasonal temperatures ended rather abruptly on a Saturday
morning in early December. While it is difficult to prove any
correlation between a bitter, chilly day and an Iaido grading, the
historical evidence just can't be ignored.
The parking lot at
the Etobicoke Olympium was once again jam packed with family cars and
minivans, a clear indication that the annual youth swimming
competitions were in full swing. I watched enviously as the lucky few,
who were able to find space in the small, front parking lot, made their
way casually to the looming black building. The rest of us drove an
extra 200 meters towards the stadium, where the large lot was quickly
filling up.
Michael and I hastily
made our way across the field, inside, and down the stairs to meet up
with Ohmi-sensei and Hanna. Volunteers from the Etobicoke and Hayakawa
Iaido clubs were already registering participants, and were just about
to start setting up the dojo when we arrived. Grabbing some masking
tape and a few more eager helpers, we proceeded to tie up all the
divider curtains and rolled up the floor mats to a non-intruding
corner. Chairs and tables would be moved onto the floor later for
judges and spectators.
The day would start
with a seminar from 9am to noon, and was an ideal way to warm up and
forget about the crisp temperature outside. As CKF's Iaido Chief
Examiner, Ohmi-sensei proceeded to divided the participants into ranks
and assigned two instructors to those groups:
1. Mudan Group -
Carole Galligan-sensei (6 Dan), Ed Chart-sensei (5 Dan)
2. Ikkyu Group
- David Green-sensei (Renshi 6 Dan), Peter Schramek-sensei (5 Dan)
3. Shodan Group -
Eric Tribe-sensei (Renshi 6 Dan), Enore Gardonio-sensei (5 Dan)
4. Nidan Group
- Stephen Cruise-sensei (Renshi 7 Dan), Takeshi Kimeda-sensei (Renshi 6
Dan)
5. Sandan+ Group
- Kim Taylor-sensei (Renshi 7 Dan), Jim Wilson (4 Dan)
Participants worked
hard on reviewing the qualifications for the rank they would be
challenging and received excellent advice from their group's respective
instructors.
Michael and I, while
not grading this year, were asked by Ohmi-sensei to be on the floor, so
we settled in behind the Sandan+ group to take in as much as we could.
As the grading was only hours away, Taylor-sensei made sure to focus
his advice on only the key elements for each rank. He
encouraged each person to really "show the difference between Koryu and
Seitei" and "demonstrate their understanding of the timing and feeling
of each kata". Interesting points to think about for our upcoming exam
next December.
We broke for lunch at
12pm and the judges were selected
and assigned to divisions. All together, 11 Iaido sensei performed
judging duties this day:
From Mu Mon Kai,
Toronto - Ohmi-, Galligan-, Gardonio-, and Schramek-sensei
From Etobicoke
- Cruise-sensei
From Guelph -
Taylor-sensei
From Toronto -
Kimeda-sensei
From Ottawa -
Green-, and Chart-sensei
From Thunder Bay - Tribe-sensei
From Montreal
- Miller-sensei
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| Getting
Ready |
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| Supporters |
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Graders from MMK and
Affiilates performed admirably, earning a total of 25 passes out of 29,
including two 4 Dan.
Breakdown as
follows:
- AYC -1/1
successful, 1 x nidan
- Kenshokan - 12/13
successful. 3 x ikkyu, 5 x shodan, 4 x nidan.
- Mu Mon Kai
- 8/10 successful, 3 x ikkyu, 3 x shodan, 1 x nidan, 1 x yondan
- Brock -
1/1 successful, 1 x ikkyu
- Rochester - 3/4
successful. 1 x ikkyu, 1 x shodan, 1 x yondan.
It gives us immense
pride to see Kenshokan leading the way. As a long time martial arts
instructor, Wilson-sensei has been able to cultivate a strong Iaido
presence in the small city of Peterborough, Ontario. In just over two
years, the level of students have been most impressive, and we've no
doubt this trend will continue into the future.
http://www.kenshokan.zendokan.ca/KSK_Iaido_index.htm
Tribe-,
Kimeda-, Cruise-, Ohmi-,Taylor-, and Galligan-sensei
