The Drying Pole

GOJO NO TOKU - Five Virtues of the Ideal Person

2009-02-02T14:57:00.006-05:00

Statue of Confucius on Chongming Island in Shanghai (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism)

These five Confucian virtues are repeated at the end of every Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu class (Sunday @ 10:30 AM) at Seibukan Canada. I've posted these up here for students, so if you choose to, you'll have an easier time following along with the rest of us. I've also provided some rough translations (I'll be updating those a bit later . . .)

仁慈しみ、優しい心をもつこと。
Jin, itsukushimi yasashii kokoro o motsukoto.

(To be gentle and compassionate.)

義正しい心をもつこと。
Gi, tadashii kokoro o motsukoto.
(To possess the proper spirit.)

礼感謝の心をもつこと。
Rei, kansha no kokoro o motsukoto.
(To know gratitude.)

智悟り、弁えの心をもつこと。
Chi, satori wakimae no kokoro o motsukoto.
(To be humble and wise.)

信誠の心をもつこと。
Shin, makoto no kokoro o motsukoto.

(To be loyal.)

Budo Reading: "Uchidachi & Shidachi"

2009-01-05T16:09:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to an article on Koryu.com, titled "Uchidachi & Shidachi" by Nishioka Tsuneo Sensei, a direct student of Shimizu Takaji (with an intro by Diane Skoss). It's an interesting read on the relationship between Uchidachi and Shidachi, as well as their importance to Jodo and Budo.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The roles of uchidachi as senior and shidachi as junior are preserved regardless of the actual respective experience levels of the pair. Kata must be practiced so that trainees learn both to give and to receive. This is what makes technical improvement and spiritual development possible. Unfortunately, in jo practice, people sometimes think that they practice both roles merely to memorize the sequential movements of the two different weapons, tachi and jo. There are even some instructors who teach that the aim of Shinto Muso-ryu jojutsu is to learn how to defeat a sword with a stick. This is an error. If it continues, kata bujutsu may die out, because both the technique and the spirit of uchidachi will not improve."

For the full article, please follow this link: "Uchidachi & Shidachi" by Nishioka Tsuneo Sensei

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

Wishing everyone at Seibukan a Happy New Year! Classes have started again, as of yesterday (Sunday January 4th). Good to see everyone training hard . . . and I'm looking forward to going over a more comprehensive curriculum with everyone. Be patient, and practice your kihon (basics) whenever you can. Strong basics create a strong foundation, so train hard everyone!

We're Back!

2008-12-24T14:46:00.001-05:00

As of January 2009, The Drying Pole is back! We'll start posting new
and relevant information for students, as well as interesting articles
for students to discuss. So keep this page bookmarked, and we'll see
you next year . . .

Yagyu Hyogonosuke

2006-09-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

A little while ago, I posted up some information on the "Drying Pole" about the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu started by Yagyu Sekishusai. Information on certain members of the Yagyu family is often more readily available, such as Yagyu Munenori (Son of Yagyu Sekishusai, started the Edo line of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu). Unfortunately, it's harder (at least for me) to find material in English about others, such as Yagyu Hyogonosuke (grandson of Yagyu Sekishusai, carried on the Owari line of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu). I'm very interested in learning more about Yagyu Hyogonosuke. If anyone has come across any information about him (books, web pages, video, etc.) in any language, please post it here. I would greatly appreciate it.

Classes Resume as of September 14th

2006-09-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm back from my trip to Japan. I had a great time, and learned a number of different arts, which I will begin to share with everyone (all right, well not everyone). Classes will be resuming as of this Thursday (Semptember 14th).

At the same time there has been a change in the schedule, as follows:

Monday

Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu (9:00 PM - 10:00 PM) -- For All Levels

Thursday

Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu (9:00 PM - 10:00 PM) -- For All Levels

Friday

Mugai Ryu Iaiheido (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM) -- For All Levels

Saturday

Mugai Ryu Iaiheido (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM) -- For All Levels

Sunday

Oshima Ryu Sojutsu (8:00 AM - 9:00 AM) -- Private Class
Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM) -- Shoden +
Uchida Ryu Tanjojutsu (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM) -- Shoden +
Ryugo Ryu Jojutsu (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM) -- For All Levels

** Any class listed as "Shoden +", requires one to be a Shoden in either Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu, Mugai Ryu Iaiheido or Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo.

Thursday Sept 7 Class cancelled

2006-09-04T23:47:00.000-04:00

The Drying Pole
Hello,

This class will be cancelled this week.

New Seibukan.ca

2006-08-30T09:32:00.000-04:00

Please visit www.seibukan.ca and sign up at the forum

Kenjutsu Classes from August 31 to September 7

2006-08-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

While the dojo is closed the Thursday Kenjutsu class will start at 8:15 and end at 9:15. If you plan on attending the class please try to e-mail smic4@hotmail.com before thursday night. I will leave at 8:25 if no one shows up. Also if anyone wishes to train anytime on Sunday please e-mail me and I'll let you know if and when I'm going to be there.

Thanks!
Irwin

Class Cancellation: July 28 - 30

2006-07-28T09:11:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that classes instructed by me will be cancelled from July 28th - 30th. That includes classes and 'free training sessions'. The only class that I will be attending this weekend is Iaido, on Saturday morning at 9 AM. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll see you next week.

Summer Dinner Party

2006-07-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

A quick reminder to everyone that the Summer Dinner Party will be held on Friday August 4th, 2006 at "Canyon Creek Chophouse", located near the Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre. I have made the reservations for 7 PM, so try and be prompt. If you need a ride to the dinner, please let either Senpai Irwin or myself know, and we can work something out.

All the information about the establishment is provided in the link below. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks.

http://www.canyoncreekchophouse.com/locations_vaughan.html

Keep Updating Please

2006-07-06T06:11:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! This is Nancy. I'm in Hong Kong right now. It's sad to be away from the dojo for such a long time. Please keep updating and fill me in on the latest events in the dojo! Keep in touch and good luck with your training! I miss you all! Ganbattekudasai!

Black Belt Class: Saturday June 24th

2006-06-23T10:48:00.000-04:00

A Kenkyukai (black belt class) has been organized at the last minute, on Saturday June 24th at 3 PM. Unfortunately, this means that the Saturday Free Training Session from 2 PM - 5:30 PM on June 24th will be changed to 1 PM - 3 PM. For those who wish to train, I will be in the Dojo practicing from 1 PM - 3 PM; while not the full 3 hours, it still gives us a good 2 hours for training.

Class Cancellation: June 17th & 18th

2006-06-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

Just a quick notice for students, that there will be some class cancellations this coming weekend (17th and 18th of June). My apologies for the short notice, but classes will continue at the regularly scheduled time next week. The class schedule for this weekend is listed below (only classes marked "CANCELLED" are affected, all others are running at their regularly scheduled time):

Friday June 16, 2006

Free Training Session ~ 4 PM - 8 PM

Saturday June 17, 2006

Iaido Class ~ 9 AM - 10 AM

Free Training Session ~ 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM CANCELLED

Sunday June 18, 2006

Kenjutsu Class ~ 2:30 PM - 5 PM CANCELLED
Iaido Class ~ 5 PM - 6 PM CANCELLED

BBQ Season Begins!

2006-05-26T22:45:00.000-04:00

Summer is upon us, and that means that it is time for me to BBQ my friends! Er... I mean BBQ FOR my friends. I'm hosting a BBQ this Saturday, May 27th, and I hope that you can all make it out.
I apologize for the late notice, but I'm afraid that work has kept me from coming to the dojo as frequently as I would like. For those who can't make it, I will try to host more parties like this one in the future, hopefully with more notice next time.
Anyone who is interested in coming can drop me a line at cjtyoung@hotmail.com and I will provide directions. Please forgive my reluctance to post my address and phone number on a public forum. :)
Hope to see you all there! -Colin

In case you miss a class...

2006-05-18T09:20:00.000-04:00

...You can workout at home: Readers tired of the same old workout moves can grab a sword (a broomstick and some imagination will do!) and slice, chop, and thrust their way into great shape. In Forza The Samurai Sword Workout, top New York trainer Ilaria Montagnani transforms ancient Japanese sword fighting techniques from kendo and aikijujitsu into a supercharged fitness program.

In her defense, she does start with grip, stances and footwork (as is evident in the cover photo) before advancing to topics like "Reversed Horizontal Cuts" and the ever-dreaded "Twirl with Half Cut". After endless minutes of practice, the secret techniques will be revealed and you will learn to master the kata of "Blue Snow", "Still Water" and the devastating "No Fear" among others.

This is wicked, and by wicked I mean totally sweet - D

Training Sessions on Friday May 12 and Saturday May 13, 2006 CANCELLED

2006-05-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately Brahmjot Senpai will be unable to open the free training sessions this weekend due to inconveniences in his schedule. We apologize for the short notice. Keep training hard and hope to see you on Sunday.

'Free Training Session' on Saturday May 6, 2006 TIME CHANGE

2006-05-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the short notice, but due to a Kenkyukai (black-belt class) happening at 3PM on Saturday May, 6, 2006 the free training session will be conducted only from 1PM - 3PM. This is only valid for this coming weekend; next weekend we will resume the usual training schedule on Saturday, from 2 PM - 5:30 PM. Thanks again for your cooperation. My apologies once again for the short notice, and any inconvenience this has caused. Take care and train hard!

Koryu Spotlight: Hozoin Ryu Sojutsu (宝蔵院流槍術)

2006-05-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

Hozoin Ryu gained great fame during the middle-to-late 16th century, as a school of the spear. It was particularly known for the peculiar shape of the spearhead, which had crescent-shaped hooks affixed to either side of the shaft, just below the spearhead. The unique design of the Hozoin yari (spear) is credited to the styles originator Hozoin Kakuzenbo Inei. According to legend, Master Inei was inspired when he saw the reflection of a crescent moon in a pond. Other sources claim that the design was used even before this time, by the Ainu, who would use it for trapping large animals such as bears.

The Hozoin Ryu is based on Hozoin Inei’s practice of Katori Shinto Ryu. While it was unusual for a Buddhist abbot to be so passionate about the martial arts, his hard work went to create one of the most prominent spear schools of the time. Hozoin temple, previously a place of solitude for the monks, became a hub of activity for aspiring young warriors, either for training or duels. Some of the more well-known acquaintances of Hozoin Inei were Yagyu Muneyoshi, the creator of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, as well as Ono Jiroemon Tadaaki, second Soke of the famed Itto Ryu. In numerous accounts, Miyamoto Musashi is also known to have spent time at the temple, whether for a duel or simply to learn is arguable (there are many versions of his encounters with the Hozoin Ryu).

New Mugai Ryu Class on Sunday

2006-05-05T22:14:00.000-04:00

The recent rescheduling of Kenjutsu classes and ‘free training sessions’ were done in an attempt to create a more flexible training schedule, for students with additional time for practice. In addition, a separate class for the study of Mugai Ryu Iaiheido has been established on Sunday evenings from 5PM – 6PM. This class is meant to be complementary to the Saturday morning Iaido class, and in no way should be treated as a replacement. It is our aim to provide students with additional practice time, in a class setting, with proper instruction and guidance. The class will focus primarily on Mugai Ryu etiquette, basic draws and cuts, as well as the first five kata (known as "goyo"). For those who simply wish to practice on their own, we recommend attending the ‘free training sessions’ on Friday’s and/or Saturday’s.

Mugai Ryu Iaiheido is a longstanding traditional Japanese sword art, created by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi in 1693. The art, as it is practiced today, focuses primarily on an efficient and practical method of drawing the sword, followed by any number of strategically placed cuts, in an effort to subdue one’s opponent. While the style itself was originally a combative form of Kenjutsu, it has been transformed into what we see today, primarily through the inclusion of Jikyo Ryu Iaido. Mugai Ryu, as can be seen in the creation of its name, has been heavily influenced by the study of Zen Buddhism.

Today, we have the privilege of studying a form of traditional Japanese Budo that has been in existence for over 300 years. It is certainly our hope that students here at the Canada Honbu Dojo will continue forth with this tradition, passing the style on for generations to come.

Spring Dinner Party 2006

2006-05-02T12:55:00.000-04:00

The Spring Dinner Party will take place at Boston Pizza (located in a plaza on the North-West corner of Warden and Steeles), on Sunday May 7, 2006 at 7:30 PM. I hope that everyone will be able to come out and have a good time. It will be a great way to kick off the Spring training session. Please let us know whether you will be attending by Thursday of this week, either by phone, e-mail, in person, or just leave a comment attatched to this post. Thanks again everyone!

If you have any questions about the party, please feel free to ask. Directions will be posted on the bulletin board in the Dojo. For a map showing the location of the restaurant, please click the link below:

Boston Pizza Directions

Sasaki Kojiro (佐々木小次郎)

2006-04-14T12:09:00.000-04:00

In response to some questions asked at the Dojo, about the name of this blog, I thought I'd make a post about Sasaki Kojiro, especially given today's date.

Sasaki Kojiro is arguably most famous for a duel which took place on ca. April 14th, 1612 against famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (creator of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, arguably one of the most famous swordsmen in Japan) along the shoreline of an island called Funajima. The duel ended with the death of Sasaki Kojiro, at the hands of a bokuto fashioned by Musashi, out of a boat oar (legend says he crafted it, on a boat, while on the way to the island where the duel was to take place).

A replica of the bokuto fashioned by Musashi, on display at the Shimada Art Museum in Kumamoto, Japan.

Kojiro was well-known for carrying a no-dachi (long sword) on his back, with a blade length of at least 3 shaku (or approximately 90 cm / 36 inch). Take into consideration that the average length of a blade we use today is approximately 27-28 inches. It is said that he was able to wield his nodachi with frightening speed, control and maneuverability. Due to it's size, the sword was named "Monohashi Zao", loosely translated as "Clothes Drying Pole" (hence the name of the blog/newsletter).

A replica of Kojiro's no-dachi, on display at the Shimada Art Museum in Kumamoto, Japan.

Kojiro studied Chujo Ryu Kenjutsu from either Toda Seigen or Kanemaki Jisai (a pupil of Toda Seigen; Kojiro's actual teacher is often debated by scholars). Later, he went on to create his own style, called Ganryu. Due to his skill with the sword, and his victory in numerous duels, he was given the position of "chief weapons master" in Hosokawa fief, North of Kyushu (wikipedia.com, 2006). He also became the Kenjutsu instructor to the lord of the province, Hosokawa Tadaoki. Not much of Kojiro's Ganryu is known today, most people say he died too young in his career (most say in his early 20's), before he had a chance to record his life and teachings on paper.

Today, there is much fiction floating around depicting the life of Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi; as such it is often difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction. For example, a current manga (Japanese comic) titled "Vagabond" by Takehiko Inoue, that tells the story of Musashi's life, depicts Kojiro as a deaf boy, who leads a hard life obsessed with swordsmanship.

If anyone has additional information, both fiction and non-fiction, about the life of Sasaki Kojiro, please go ahead and share with the rest of us, thanks.

May 7th Spring Dinner Party

2006-04-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

From the responses I've gotten thus far, I've tentatively scheduled the dinner party for May 7th. If anyone has a problem with the date, please let me know. Unfortunately, it's a numbers game, so I won't be able to accommodate everyone.

Secondly, we still have to decide on a venue . . . I've gotten a handful of suggestions, all across the board, so if you want to second any of them, or add something, please let us know. I've made three categories of what was suggested so far, they are:

Buffet style food (Mandarin, etc.)
Japanese Food
Senpai Hien's Vietnamese Restaurant (I'm going to second this one)

I'd like to have all the details ironed out by April 23rd, so please let us know what you think ASAP.

"Sunday Run" Starting on April 30th

2006-04-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that, as of and including April 30th, you should bring all equipment required for running to Sunday classes, by that I mean:

Running Shoes
Jogging/Trackpants, Shorts
T-shirt/sweat shirt

If you wish to wear a Karate gi, that's fine by me, but running shoes are a neccessity. The classes will be starting at 2:30 PM EXACTLY, make sure you come ahead of time, if you need to change and ready up. For your convenience, you may want to come to class already in gear. After the cardio and muscle training is done, there will be a short break to give students a chance to change into proper uniforms, after which we will continue with Kenjutsu class.

Koryu Spotlight: 柳生新陰流

2006-04-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

Founded: ca. 1568
Creator: Yagyu Sekishusai Muneyoshi
Current Head: Yagyu Nobuharu

One of the more distinguished schools of swordsmanship coming from Japan’s feudal era is Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Heiho, created by Yagyu Sekishusai Muneyoshi (1527 - 1606) around 1568. At a time when a practitioners worth would be determined in a duel, or on a battlefield, Yagyu Muneyoshi was known to be an accomplished swordsman in his youth. After numerous victories from his travels across Japan, he finally met his match at the hands of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (1508 – 1578), the creator of Shinkage Ryu. Shortly after his defeat, Yagyu humbly asked to be taught the Shinkage Ryu by Kamiizumi (a show of humbleness, as he could simply have walked away with bitter resentment). Through rigorous training under Kamiizumi, Yagyu Muneyoshi went on to inherit the style, appending his family name, and was thereafter known as Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. Yagyu Muneyoshi is also known for developing muto (no sword) techniques, which involve the use of bare hands against the sword. The style split into two, after his death in 1606; one line was lead by his son Munenori (Edo-ha), the other by his grandson Hyogonosuke (Owari-ha).

Legend has it, this was a large rock that was split into two by the sword of Yagyu Muneyoshi, after an encounter with a mountain Tengu.

For additional information:

Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Heiho
http://www.interq.or.jp/sun/shibata/yagyu-official/index.html

Koryu.com
http://www.koryu.com/guide/yagyushinkage.html

Yamato Yagyu Kai
http://www.yagyu-ryu.org/

Dinner Party in May

2006-04-05T17:19:00.000-04:00

Seeing as how our last dinner at "Miyabi" went very well, we're hoping to throw another Kenjutsu dinner party sometime in May. I'll be making arrangements towards the end of April, but we're still looking for an appropriate venue, please let me know if you've got any ideas. The dinner will most probably be held on a Sunday in May, after class. Please let me know which Sunday would be best for you, and we'll try to accommodate everyone, thanks.

Uniforms and Equipment

2006-04-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

Due to time restrictions on my part, and a continuous flood of orders, I have decided to put the responsibility of ordering uniforms and equipment into the hands of the students. There are many different types of options available to students looking for a proper uniform. The different components of the uniform, and the required colour scheme have been provided below:

Iaido Gi Top (Black) - Top / Shirt

Hakama (Black) - Pants / Trousers

Juban (White) - Undershirt

Kaku Obi (Any colour) - Belt

Students are free to choose whichever grade of clothing they wish to purchase (as long as the colour scheme mentioned above is followed). I will say that training can be quite rugged, and an extremely expensive uniform may not be in your best interest. I would recommend the following, from the list of suppliers on this page:

E-bogu.com

Top Quality Iaido Gi (Black Tetron) - $50
Top Quality Black Tetron Hakama - $60
Kaku Obi for Iai (comes in Brown, Green, Navy & White) - $33.50

Nosyuiaido

Cotton Undershirt (Juban) - $38

**Prices are in US Dollars

As for bokken, which every student should have, I would recommend the following:

Bokken Shop

White Oak Bokken Deluxe (Long) - approx. $37 CDN

If there are any questions, please use the "comments" link below, and I'll get back to you ASAP. Thank you again, for all your help.

New Training Schedule Begins April 24th

2006-04-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

As of April 24th, there will be additional training sessions available to students. The new schedule will be as follows:

Thursday
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM -- Kenjutsu Class

Friday
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM -- Free Training Session (Kenjutsu or Iaido)

Saturday
2:00 PM - 5:30 PM -- Free Training Session (Kenjutsu)*

Sunday
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM -- Cardio / Training
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM -- Kenjutsu Class
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM -- Iaido Class

* Subject to availability, as Karate Blackbelt meetings are held once a month during this time. Students will be notified, in advance, as to which days are available for training.

Free Training Sessions are used for individual and group practice, either a Senpai or I will always be present during these sessions. Please feel free to drop in and leave at any time during the specified hours, as it is not a formal class. I would recommend that students use the Free Training Sessions to get together and practice paired form exercises, as well as going over material covered in class. At the very least, I'll be there to practice with anyone who's interested.

Welcome!

2006-03-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to "The Drying Pole", a small corner of the Internet committed to providing up-to-date information for Seibukan Canada Honbu students. This page is specifically geared towards those who have an interest in the Japanese sword and/or are practitioners of the sword-related arts offered at Seibukan Canada Honbu (Mugai Ryu Iaiheido and Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu).

This space will offer information on any changes in class schedules, dojo closings and holidays; as well as related general events. This site has been created to provide students with information on sword-related topics, links to helpful websites, and announcements on sword-related events; in an attempt to help cultivate general knowledge around the subject matter. In addition, students can also find links to equipment suppliers (bokken, iaito, hakama, etc.) of reputable quality.

Furthermore, it is my personal hope that a community based page will persuade students to openly discuss/disperse information about the Japanese sword; in terms of its construction, its practical use, as well as any philosophical and ethical underpinnings (in general terms, anything you can think of that’s related to the Japanese sword). On that note, I encourage all students to freely ask questions and post any related information that comes to mind.

Thank you again for your continued support, as well as your rigorous and disciplined training in the Dojo. Please check back soon for more updates!