The last weekend of August was once again dedicated to a Jodo seminar led by René van Amersfoort Sensei (hachidan, kyoshi) from the Netherlands. This time, practitioners from Germany, Slovakia, Romania, and the host country Hungary gathered in Budapest. And since August was clearly not ready to give up its summer weather just yet, we were in for a seriously hot weekend, perfect conditions to put both our technique and fitness to the test.
The seminar focused primarily on preparation for examinations for the higher technical grades of rokudan and nanadan. Throughout both days, we therefore kept coming back to the very basics. Kamae, body movement, correct handling of the jo, timing, zanshin, and other fundamental principles were at the centre of our attention. It is often in the simplest things that the greatest challenges can be found. And that was exactly what we kept returning to throughout the seminar, step by step, detail by detail. Of course, there was no shortage of kihon, because you can never have too much of it. This was followed by kata and enbu, with plenty of time also dedicated to individual feedback. Everyone received specific pointers on what to work on and how to take their practice to the next level.
And while the technique was being put to the test, the weather certainly did its part as well. The temperature during training was definitely not on our side, and there was more than enough sweat to go around. But that is part of a good seminar too, leaving the dojo tired and soaked in sweat, but with the satisfying feeling that you have learned something new and taken another step forward.
After a full day of training, it was time for some well-deserved rest, good food, pleasant conversations, and a beautiful view of the illuminated Hungarian Parliament on the banks of the Danube. It would be hard to imagine a better way to finish a hot day of training. A big thank you to René sensei for his guidance, valuable advice, and all the inspiration and ideas to take into our future practice. And many thanks to all the participants for the great atmosphere, positive energy, and shared training.
