Toshirshiro Obata Sensei - Northern California Shinkendo Seminars
March 15-18, 2001

Contributed by Jim Alvarez*

This year the Northern California Shinkendo dojo did something different for Obata Soke's visit. It was agreed that each of the ISF member dojo in this area would host Obata Sensei during his annual weekend visit. In the past Sensei would teach a 3-hour advanced workshop at the Oakland dojo on Saturday and Sunday mornings with an open class at a larger dojo both afternoons. So when we finalized this year's schedule he would visit Oakland on Thursday, Aikido of Livermore/Shinrei Dojo on Friday afternoon after our morning class and Seikishin Dojo in Morgan Hill as his last stop on Sunday. Saturday was reserved for another instructor's class in the morning with the afternoon open classes held at Aiki Zenshin Dojo in Fremont.

So with great anticipation I headed off to Oakland on Friday morning to see what Sensei had in store for us. Since Shinkendo is a Gendai Budo (new budo) it is still evolving as Obata Soke refines and adds to the curriculum. Friday's morning class was just that, refinement of our techniques and the addition of the theme of flexibility within the kata. Shinkendo has a number of standing and drawing kata (batto-do) that we practiced as we normally do then started adding cuts and turns to "create" a new kata with this added flexibility. He stated that we should be able to draw, turn, and cut from any direction, as that is the way to truly understand the connection that the sword and the body have.

He also talked about the different ways in which to practice sword suburi. Starting with fure tome - a single cut stopping the sword at the finish of the cut and then moving into kamae for the next cut and so on. Following that is makuri where the sword travels somewhat circularly for continuous kesagiri (diagonal cut down) cuts. Next is kaeshi where the sword reverses on the same line into the next cut as in kesagiri into kiriage (diagonal cut upwards). And finally nagashi where after finishing one cut the sword tip will form a loop as you assume the kamae for the next cut as in kesagiri into yokogiri (horizontal side cut). Using these concepts help to bring us a better understanding on how to control the sword especially while performing multiple cuts in kata, suburi, and finally tameshigiri (target cutting with live blade).

After a lively morning class I had to get on the road so I could make sure that everything was in order for his afternoon visit to my dojo in Livermore. I had scheduled a 2 hour advanced class for my senior students that included an hour of tameshigiri. So at 3pm we got started with Sensei giving us the finer details on our tachi-uchi (paired two person kata) practice. As my mind filled with all this new information I was suddenly struck with the realization of just how lucky I am to have the founder of the art here as I still had much to learn. I can only imagine that this is what it must have been like if you were lucky enough to be alive and training with O'Sensei as his art was evolving into what we now know as Aikido.

For the next hour we brought out our Shinken (live blades) for tameshigiri. We set up the targets and one by one began to cut. I put into practice the transitions we had practiced that morning when it was my turn to cut. Sensei wanted me to try multiple cutting on two targets so we set them up close side by side. I cut kesagiri first on the right then left then back to the right and left for kesa/kiriage and finished with a yoko-giri. Sensei offered suggestions and critiqued our form reminding us that above all safety with the sword is the most important aspect of training with a live blade.

The evening class began at 6pm with my small dojo filling up with many Shinkendoka, most of whom had never met Obata Sensei and were eager for class to begin. As usual Sensei was able to manage the often-crowded mat doing suburi, he then split the class with the seniors doing advanced tanren kata while the juniors. He then brought back the juniors for their turn. He gave each person special attention making small corrections in their batto-do kata. During the class Sensei would give us a short rest while he told us stories of Samurai life and swordsmanship in feudal Japan.

The rest of the weekend was much the same as we moved from dojo to dojo. As always our highlight was a tameshigiri demo by Sensei and as always he made it look effortless. He explained that your cutting angles must be the same each cut. He demonstrated this by making a cut and setting that piece aside then he cut again. He picked up the first piece and it fit perfectly on the angle made by the second cut. He then proceeded to do it again and again to our amazement.

All in all it was a great weekend with Obata Soke and we are already looking forward to next years visit.

For more information on Shinkendo please visit the ISF website at http://www.shinkendo.com