Portuguese Shorinji Kempo Federation / December 2010 - Contributor: Portuguese Shorinji Kempo Federation

Portugal: WSKO President and Aosaka Sensei in our 35th Anniversary

Portuguese Shorinji Kempo celebrated last October 29th , 30th and 31st its 35th Anniversary at the highest level, with the prestigious presence of Ms. Yuuki So, President of the World Shorinji Kempo Organization (WSKO) and our leader, as well as Hiroshi Aosaka Sensei, General-Secretary for Europe and WSKO Official Instructor.

We were so honoured to have the presence of Ms. Yuuki So for the fifth time in Portugal (first was in 1994), and we really thank her so much, since she came to the most Western country in Europe only for our anniversary, and returned immediately to Japan after it due to her full agenda (and we know that she had another important invitation in Japan for the same days, but decided to decline in order to come to Portugal...).

The Portuguese Shorinji Kempo Federation (FPSK) organised three major events to celebrate its 35th Anniversary: the Study Session, the Festival, and the Anniversary Dinner.



STUDY SESSION OF THE ANNIVERSARY

The Study Session (recognized by WSKO as an official one) took place in the brand new school Externato Joao XXIII (private school founded in 1963 with 430 students from 4 months old to 11 year old in this school year, who opened its brand new facilities last September) and where 90 kenshi from 13 years old and above learned with WSKO Instructor and leading teacher in Europe, Aosaka Sensei (8th Dan Seihanshi), with the assistance of FPSK instructors Mr. Fausto Carrico (5th Dan Daikenshi), Mr. Carlos Ramires (5th Dan), Mr. Jose Araujo (5th Dan), and Mr. Nuno Albuquerque (5th Dan).

Aosaka Sensei's high performance was not a surprise, but nevertheless was impressive that he keeps in his best shape year after year.

On the 30th (morning and afternoon) the practice was for all kenshi (divided by ranks), including the 5th Dan instructors who were very pleased to learn alone with Aosaka Sensei in one of the dojo, along with the participation of Mr. Christian Gilles, Montpelier branch master (5th Dan, one of the first kenshi in France, in the 70's) who came all the way by car with three of its Yudansha kenshi, one of them Portuguese (Mr. Nuno Amorim, living in France for many years).

We had one lecture by Aosaka Sensei, which was of great interest for kenshi, since Aosaka Sensei was very enthusiastic and with a very good humour, asking for everybody's participation.















On the 31st, the session was only for Yudansha and first kyu kenshi, and we had the chance to enhance our techniques and sensibility to them.

We previously asked our President, Ms. Yuuki So, to give a lecture to Yudansha kenshi, who will be future instructors and assistants in the Portuguese Federation. Therefore we need to nurture them and give them the best teachings we can, in order to build always better leaders who fully understand what Shorinji Kempo truly is, and what path we should walk, something it seems not very clear to some people, sometimes.

Thank you Sosai for those wise teachings and advices!



FESTIVAL OF THE ANNIVERSARY

On the afternoon of the 31st we had the Festival of the 35th Anniversary, with the presence of almost 100% of the Portuguese branches (with more than 100 kenshi involved) and some hundreds of enthusiastic people in the public.

After all branches presentation, with the participation of kenshi from 3 year old to 65 year old, the Portuguese Federation Demonstration Team (with male and female members) leaded by FPSK's national technical director Ms. Cristina Carrico, presented a very nice Group Embu (all wearing Ho-i), which received many applause from everyone, including Ms. Yuuki So and Aosaka Sensei.



DINNER OF THE ANNIVERSARY

On the evening of the same day we had another important event, the Dinner of the Anniversary, at Tivoli Hotel at Parque das Nacoes, quite close to famous river Tejo (Tagus), same hotel which received our guests for these days.

Around 130 people, kenshi, family, friends and guests, met for this night of happiness and party. Present were many kenshi from the old times (70's and 80's), and the joyful meeting with old friends was very nice to watch...

Besides Ms. So and Aosaka Sensei thankings to everyone and gifts to branch masters and to Portuguese Federation officers, also the president of the federation, Mr. Carlos Ramires, made small speech and thanked to all the Japanese sensei who brought Shorinji Kempo to Portugal from 1975 until 1981, specially: Tanino Sensei and Takihara Sensei (first to arrive from 1975); second were Uzawa Sensei and Matsunaga Sensei; finally, Kombayachi Sensei and Takahito Morita Sensei, who was in Portugal for longer time, coming after to Portugal for some times to aid us and keep in touch.

If these Sensei read this article please contact Portuguese Federation (presidente.fpsk@gmail.com) since some contacts of yours we have are not up to date. Thank you!

Also present was Mitsuharu Tsuchia Sensei, who was also responsible for the starting of Shorinji Kempo in Portugal, since it was in its new Budo School (in Lisbon) that the first Japanese Sensei thought our art.



VISIT TO REFUGEES CENTER

Also important was the visit Ms. Yuuki So, Aosaka Sensei and four Portuguese Federation officers (Mr. Fausto Carrico, Mr. Jose Araujo, Mr. Nuno Albuquerque and Mr. Joao Catarino) made on the 29th to the Portuguese Centre for Refugees (CPR, north f Lisbon, in Bobadela, Loures), which is the national organization of the United Nations High Commisionner for the Refugees (UNHCFR), whose international High Comissioneer is Mr. Antonio Guterres, former prime-minister of Portugal.

Mr. Tito Morais (on the left) waits for the Japanese translator to inform Ms. Yuuki So and Aosaka Sensei of the CPR activities

The visitors were received by one of the CPR's director, Mr. Tito Matos, who deeply showed all the centre, its facilities and goals.

It was informed that also Ms. Yuuki So is a member of the Japanese organization of the UNHCR for some years already, something which few people know outside Japan, therefore she was quite up to date to the hard times these refugees had in their birthplaces and the adaptation difficulties in their new lives in the new countries.

The second part of the visit was to school Espaco A Crianca ("Space The Children") who is a part of the CPR but open to all this working (and with some social difficulties) community, not specifically to refugee's children. The visit was conducted by Ms. Filipa Silva, director of the school and our friend who has been supporting Shorinji Kempo.

The link between this Refugees Centre and Shorinji Kempo is that one year ago now Olivais branch master Nuno Albuquerque was invited to teach these children, and from January 2010 a class was started for children from 3 to 6 years old, within this branch's responsibility (teacher is the branch master, and assistance Joao Catarino).

After a short but sincere presentation by our children to our distinguished guests, we had some tea and cookies, made by the children theirselfs, which was highly appreciated by Ms. Yuuki So and Aosaka Sensei, who felt clearly happy with all the visit and with children's offering.

Finally, and in a more private day, Monday November 1st , the Portuguese Federation invited our guests as well as our branch masters and their wives to a special lunch, only a few meters by the sea at Ericeira, near famous Cascais, in order to celebrate Ms. Yuuki So's birthday.

This occasion happily happens for the second time in Portugal (after 2004, for the European Study Session) and our President was so happy to celebrate her anniversary again with us.

Ending another great day, and the end of a memorable visit, Portuguese Federation president, Mr. Carlos Ramires, was happy to inform our two special guests that Portugal is bidding and would be honoured to organize the European Taikai in 2015, in order to celebrate at the highest level its 40th Anniversary (1975-2015), showing Portuguese kenshi's devotion to Shorinji Kempo, and our organizational skills and the tradition of well receiving guests from all over world.

We would be very happy and honoured to receive you all in Portugal in 2015!

Gassho!

PS: we thank BMW Portugal for the sponsoring with the high class car where Ms. Yuuki So and Aosaka Sensei were transported to assure their full security and confort.

 

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