Osorno Branch, Chile / January 2009 - Contributor: Branch Master Fabian Mac-Namara Fuentes

Air Tickets, Passport and Dogi

Outside the Bunker Dojo

Whenever I travel abroad the first thing I check is the Shorinji Kempo listing chart, to see if the place I am going to has a Shorinji Kempo Dojo. Than my list of needs, Air Tickets, Passport and of course my Dogi.

I had the wonderful opportunity to travel this past September to Israel. For a "Police and Community" course. After I was selected as one of Chilean participants, the first thing I did was contact Ms. Hidemi Uebayashi, who kindly gave me Sensei Aharon Lopez's phone number and e-mail.

That was all I needed to make my travel complete. Packed with my Dogi I flew of to Israel, where I had the wonderful opportunity to meet this Shorinji Kempo "Veteran" who is one of Spain's the founding Kenshi, living over 20 years in Israel.

Sensei Lopez (right), Mr. Eduardo Labarca (center) Sensei Mac-Namara (left)

Unfortunately time is always short so we only had one time opportunity to meet, but what a wonderful day it was. Sensei Lopez had the kindness to travel from his home in Gazit (in the north of Israel near the border with Jordan) all the way south to Bet Berl, where I was studying, at the International Institute Histadrut.

It was an extraordinary experience, meeting with fellow Kenshi abroad is most important part, but this time was quite particular. Sensei Lopez opened the doors of his home for me and my colleague who went on the ride as well, as if we were long time friends. This gave us the fantastic opportunity to meet his; wife "excellent cooking and kind woman", his two daughters "excellent Kenshis and friends" his son in law "superb police professional with extraordinary humanitarian kindness", and his two granddaughters "beautiful young girl and baby".

Sensei Lopez lives in a Kibutz. I strongly suggest everybody read into what a Kibutz is all about. Well, this just begins to show the selflessness, solitarian and humble character of Sensei Lopez.

Sensei Mac-Namara with Sensei Lopez Grandaughters

A Kibutz is, for us, a different type of society (they were founded around 60 years ago in Israel, and today at days there is several hundred of them throughout the country). Kibutz Gazit, where Lopez Sensei lives is an about 700 member Kibutz with everything you could imagine, from health services, dentist, daycare, elder home, green areas, supermarket, youth center, a social gathering hall (under construction), and most importantly a Shorinji Kempo Dojo. In a Kibutz people live without salary, they basically work for the community and of course the community supplies them with all possible needs (for example if you go to the supermarket, you supply yourself with everything needed, but there is no money interchange, although the Kibutz discounts it from your monthly allowance/budget). People live in single homes, and the children have their own shelters where they live with other children of their age, separately from their parents. Everyone has to work for the Kibutz, in different rotating areas, such as laundry, dinning room (where everyone eats together, although today at days people are more and more eating at their own homes). Its a really friendly and safe environment where people live on the will of working for one another.

Hagalil Branch (Kibutz Gazit) is set up in a bunker, constructed on heavy cement for protection from possible bombings. This might sound as a very war like place, but I walked through the streets of different parts of Israel, at different times of the day, and did not encounter, see, or hear any dangerous (war related or criminal) situation. It's a very nice feeling that in Hagalil Branch the safety place for the entire community happens to be the Shorinji Kempo Dojo.

I strongly suggest everybody, to travel through the world and get this type of enriching first hand experience. I have traveled through eleven countries and practiced Shorinji Kempo in seven of them (the others did not have Branches).

Traveling abroad is a self investment, please don't think of it as a waste of money. And even better when we have the opportunity to meet foreign Kenshi on their own turf. To get a real feel of our cultural differences and similarities, and at the end we are all Kenshi pursuing a single purpose, meet people, enjoy people and cultivate friendship.

Once again I thank Lopez Sensei very much, and my best of greeting to his family, hoping they will stay in good health and safe.

Kesshu,

 

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