Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 22:30:44 -0500
From: Peter Boylan
Subject: The Budo Bum's Seminar Review
All right, I'll take a crack at a seminar review. Before I start
though, I'm going to have to apologize. There was so much wonderful
stuff, and some many exquisitely painful people that there is no way I
could remember everything, so if I don't mention something, it's
entirely unintentional.
The seminar really started Friday night. Unfortunately, life intervened
and I couldn't make it to the VKS for the Friday night classes. I
caught up with about 40 people in a small Chinese restaurant near the
hotel. I recognized a few people from pictures and Wood and Steel, but
I had great fun being introduced to old friends I had never met before.
One of the biggest surprises was how small Bartman was in real life.
He's not nearly as big as his posts. I have to say that joining the
group at the restaurant was just like coming home, only better, since
there were no egos to be massaged and no ancient history to be avoided.
After dinner, a group including Philip Akin and Scott Crawford ended up
in Chuck Gordon's room. While we were using Scott to play with a
variety of throws, he developed the incredible ability to take a fall
while holding a drink, and not spill it, a skill much envied by all.
And I must say that the single malt that Susie and Sean and Philip
brought was exquisite.
The next morning after not nearly enough sleep, everyone headed over to
the gym. Even with all the wrestling mats and some tumbling mats,
things were still a bit crowded. But it was lots of fun playing with ki
tests. I've been using a simple version of the unbendable arm to try
and teach stiff judoka to relax for years (if you think you're stiff,
you should meet some teenage competitive judoka. Ugh!). Naturally I
kept rocking back on my heals and feeling foolish :-)
Shihonage was interesting, but not too far off from what I'd done in the
past. I used to train at a Seidokan dojo, so the Ki Society version was
pretty close to what I was used to. Not to imply that I could do it,
just that I was screwing up in a familiar manner.
Jun's ukemi class was interesting and frightening. It was a lot like
being a beginner again, since even after watching him I had now idea
what I was trying to do.
Wendy's lecture just made me jealous of the guys who were used as demo
ukes (I think uke (receiver) is perfectly appropriate for the exquisite
experiences they received).
After a lunch that started with Wendy passing around vitamin I for
everyone who needed it, it was on to Philip Akin's class. WOW! Scott,
I'm impressed. I have no idea how you managed those contortions and
still stayed standing, but if you every make it to Detroit, I'll buy you
a beer to say thank you for doing them for us. Philip must really love
you, cause he just couldn't stop grinning while he was throwing you. Of
course, I don't think Philip stopped smiling the entire weekend, but the
one he had for you was something special, like out of my worst
nightmares ;-) And the techniques were fun too, though again, I'm kind
of used to it since I'm working out in a Yoshokai dojo these days. And
tonight I'm going to spring that tenchinage practice one some
unsuspecting judo students. HEHEHEHE!
I found Alan Drysdale's class most fascinating, not least because I had
never done any Aikido Randori, and I finally got to. I'm sorry about
that choke Margo. It started out as irimi nage, but the choke is still
so much more natural for me that I applied it well before I knew I was
doing it, and yes, I do wrassle with my girls in the living room :-)
Dinner was wonderful, and the award ceremony was great fun (Chuck G,
I'll be preparing my personal thanks to you for some time to come).
Saturday night we managed to convince the hotel staff that it was in
their best interest to provide us with a place to have a party. They
found us a wonderful meeting place called the James Suite. Philip Akin
supplied single malt, Dr. Wendy supplied cheesecake, Kjartan had brought
some wonderful Norwegian beer (but he forgot the whale sashimi, darn
him). Chuck and Philip also provided endless wonderful stories. It
was easily the best party I've been to in years.
Sunday morning was a bit difficult after the beer and single malt, but
we made it. Unfortunately, so did 3 Jim Bakers. An all-star panel of
Wendy, Philip, Chuck G. and someone whose name escapes me, determined
that Jim Baker is a short, round, red haired and red bearded fellow who
makes unintelligeble noises. A different Jim Baker taught the class,
but he was short, bearded, and sounded a lot like Donald Duck, so it was
tough to tell the difference. Anita and I had fun trying to do his
kokyu dosa, and then he came over to show us how it's done. It was
still a mystery.
Chuck Gordon's class was really, really, soft. Besides the nikyo from
hell the Alexei and I abused each other with, I also had the wonderful
opportunity to atemi Chuck's arm with my nose in Irimi Nage. The bokken
set was interesting. The techniques were simple and clear, and covered
a lot of the basics of swordsmanship.
After that, we all rolled up mats and cleaned up. Then Carol and Emily
pulled out some bamboo and a a tameshigiri dai that Carol had made.
Then we proceeded to make a real mess with bits of bamboo. Emily has a
really pretty sharp pointy thing to play with. Lots of fun. Oh, and
Chuck G, I'd be wary of letting Leanne handle sharp pointy things. The
look on her face when she asked if she could cut was frightening.
That night Carol Shifflet taught a class in hakama making in Tam
Naugster's room. I'd love to tell you all about it but I was there in
body alone. I was so tired I kept falling asleep in the chair.
However, after Carol finished up, Tam woke me up with a wonderful pecan
pie she'd baked for me and brought to the seminar, as well as a magic
elixir she calls Mage's Fire. Woke me right up.
I was planning on asking Chuck to meet us for breakfast the next morning
and then heading for bed. Instead I ended up watching koryu videos with
Chuck, Wendy, Mr. Dr. Wendy, Tim, Leanne, and several others I was too
tired to remember. Lots of fun, and ok, so maybe I am just a little
obsessed. It's fun.
So, when are we having another?
Peter "the Budo Bum" Boylan
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