Alberta Branch, Canada / Sep 2003 Contributor: Onno Kok

WSKO Seminar Report

The 2003 Western North-America Regional Study Session was held in Calgary Canada from August 30th through to September 1st . It was hosted by the Alberta Branch. 130 Kenshi from across North America made the trek to attend the seminar. The site chosen for the venue was the University of Calgary. The University was very helpful in providing for us the necessary meeting rooms and extra gyms for grading examinations.

Jan ken pon during basics

After the official opening and Chinkongyo the seminar got into full swing, literally. Matsuura-sensei led warm-ups by incorporating Jan Ken Pon ( paper, scissors, stone) into the exercises. It was an excellent exercise with lots of laughs and surprises. I missed these exercises as did other Kenshi that were taking their grading examinations that day. San dan and Yon dan grading tests started right after Chinkongyo with the physical test first. The written portion of the exam was done after lunch on the first day.

Organization for the event started months before hand. Teams were setup to research things like venue location, Hotel accommodations, transportation, dinner facilities, and T-shirts. Regular meetings were held to communicate between groups. It was a wonderful experience to work together with my fellow Kenshi in this way. I think we all gained new skills and recognized talents in others that we did not know about.

Dinner at the Zoo

The formal dinner was held Sunday night at the Calgary Zoo's Conservatory. The Conservatory provided a wonderful atmosphere to the dinner with guests able to walk around through the garden and some of the exhibits. There was no shortage of smiles and laughter as Kenshi mingled amongst each other. One of our Kyu Kenshi remarked to me later that the dinner felt more like a family reunion than a formal dinner. This was his first seminar and the friendship that exists between such far flung branches surprised and impressed him.

Matsuura-sensei answering questions about techniques

The final day of the seminar was just a short half day. Towards the end of the seminar was a Q&A session. Kenshi were encouraged to practice with each other and ask questions as the guest Sensei walked around the gym. Branch establishment interviews were held on this day as well. During the closing ceremonies official announcements of the examination results were given. Then it was time to say our good byes as we had a light lunch after the close of the seminar. We received many kind words about the success of the seminar form many Kenshi. It made all the effort more than worthwhile. Many new friendships have arisen and I sincerely hope that we will all see each other again in the near future.

Kesshu

Onno Kok
Alberta Branch
Calgary Canada

 

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