Seattle Branch, U.S.A. / May 2009 - Contributor: Andrew Crowder

On April 18th, 2009, the Seattle branch of WSKO demonstrated Shorjinji Kempo techniques at the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival. This marks the thirty-fourth anniversary of the Festival and the twelfth consecutive year our branch has taken part.

This year, for the first time since we began participating in the festival, the martial arts demonstrations were held on an outside stage. This spring in Seattlehas been unseasonably cold and wet, with snowfall as late as March, so we worried about the weather - because the festival organizers told us even if it rained or snowed we were expected to perform - to demonstrate the true spirit of Japanese martial arts.

Fortunately when the demonstration day came, it was clear and sunny. But there was another situation we had to overcome. Branch Master Hiroshi Onaka seriously injured his back one week before the Festival and he had to cancel all his embu with kenshi. The rest of us had to fill a big hole in the planned program.

Shodan Daniel Willard led kyu kenshi, including two minarai, in a lengthy dan tai embu. Other kenshi demonstrated ido keiko, hard and soft techniques, and sparring.

Onaka-sensei, in order to develop leadership among his kenshi, has given the task of coordinating our branch's demonstration at the Festival to different kenshi during the last few years.

This year, Junichi Tsuneoka kenshi coordinated the whole program, acting as liaison with festival organizers, designing the demonstration, selecting techniques, drilling all participants, and creating and learning kumi embu. He reflected on this whole process, "I wanted to show a variety of techniques to the audience, to grab their attention rather than to educate - in the long run we'll create more interest that way." Tsuneoka kenshi, who also teaches drawing at a local fine arts college, reflected on the different teaching style he had to use with his fellow kenshi. "We're all adults, and I have to respect that as well as to give instructions. I can't just tell people what to do. We all have to do it together."

Onaka sensei gave a short talk to finish the demonstration. He explained the meaning of bu, which is to stop or prevent conflict, rather than simply to beat an opponent. He talked about the different types of Shorinji Kempo techniques - Go ho, Ju ho and Sei ho / Appo, comparing them to teeth, lips and tongue. He also expressed the idea that true power comes from moving in harmony with nature - using the power of gravity, the body's own weight, and the most economical motion to generate force with relaxation and mental calm or heijoshin.

At a branch meeting after the event, we outlined some principles we had tried to follow in creating this demonstration, and that we wanted to use when planning future demonstrations:

The most important thing is everybody should participate somehow, because we do public events not only for outreach, but to team-build as well. We oet good feedback from beginners, and we should encourage beginners' involvement more. Let's remember that we are practicing with a purpose, that we are practicing martial arts, and that we should always be looking for ways to do things better.

The Cherry Blossom Festival always provides us with a good opportunity to do some public outreach, and to support an event that represents the culture ofJapan to the people of Seattle. But it also gives us a chance to work with our own dojo mates in new ways. This year, we worked together to re-make our program very soon before the demonstration. The demonstration was successful, and Onaka-sensei expressed his thankfulness and pride after this public embu, saying that we really showed our discipline, family ties and Seattle Branch spirit together.

Contributer: Andrew Crowder 3rd Dan, Seattle Branch
KESSHU/GASSHO

 

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