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AMERICAN ZEN JUDO ANNIVERSARY
Keo Cavalcanti, 6th Dan, hcavalca@richmond.edu
This edition of the Wadokan News celebrates
the first decade of Zen Judo in America. The first Zen
Judo club was started here in March 1991 at the Nashville
Tech State Institute (the "Nashville Tech Zen Judo Club").
It is hard to believe that it's been 10 years already!
So this is a special issue of the Wadokan News, including
some related stories and sharing
a little bit of what Zen Judo has been like in America.
AN AMERICAN ZEN JUDOKA IN JAPAN
Morgan Benton, 1st Dan Zen Judo, 2nd
Dan Kodokan, mcbenton@rose.ocn.ne.jp.
At first, I came to Zen Judo mostly
for the Zen and less for the Judo. At the time I was
a sophomore at the University of Richmond, where Keo
Sensei is a professor. It was a time when I was seeking
a form of spirituality that fit my beliefs about the
world. In a very short time I was equally excited about
both the Judo and the Zen. I began to see how the principles
of softness and flexibility translated into solutions
to problems I was facing every day. As my judo began
more and more to flow, so did everything else. As a direct
result of my experiences with Zen Judo I began to develop
an interest in Japan. I learned that I could get a job
teaching English in Japan that would allow me to live
there and study our art a little more closely.
Upon graduating from UR in May of 1996 I almost immediately
left for Japan. Now, four and a half years later, I'm
still in Japan and still practicing Judo. In fact, this
past weekend I successfully passed the test for nidan
in the Kodokan style. Doing judo in Japan, though, has
not turned out to be anything like I expected it would
be. I have to admit that I didn't really do much research
about Japan before deciding to come here. In my mind
I imagined a land of serene people in kimonos, whose
judo was smooth and gentle and beautiful. Imagine my
shock when upon arriving at my first Japanese dojo, instead
of a picture of Dr. Kano, the joseki was occupied by
the latest issue of Judo Magazine and was full of pictures
of bruisers doing bone-crushing techniques.
All the kids in the club practiced either kata tsuyoi
or harai goshi over and over again and only on the right
hand side. I tried to practice the full variety of techniques
that I had learned up to that point from Keo Sensei.
My sensei in Japan just gave me blank looks and for the
most part ignored me. In retrospect, I realize that he
must have been thinking something like,"Where did that
foreigner learn all of those silly techniques?! And why
is he practicing on the right AND the left???"
Although he was a 4th dan, that sensei was not very controlled
or gentle with his students.
After about a year, I stopped attending. When I tested
for shodan in Japan, the test consisted entirely of shiai.
I was put into a group with five other boys (all junior
high schoolers), and we competed round-robin style until
everyone had met everyone else. Since for the most part
the other boys' technique amounted to tsuyoi nage on
the right, all I had to do was wait, sweep a leg and
go into a groundhold until the match was over. For many
of the matches it was hard to say for sure that it was
judo these guys were practicing. After winning five times
I was awarded my black belt. As far as the judges
were concerned I probably could have passed without using
a single judo technique. The worst part about it was
that one of the five guys in my group was my student
at the junior high school where I taught. He failed the
test because of me. It didn't feel good to me that my
progress was bought at the expense of my fellow judoka.
My third year in Japan, I married a Japanese
woman, got a new job and moved to a new town. Quite by
coincidence, the local judo sensei was quite well known
locally, had been running his dojo for over 30 years,
and had a reputation for turning out successful judoka,
in the competitive sense. He was not bashful about telling
me that my technique was strange, and that my energy
was wasted practicing my techniques on both sides. In
fact, the word he used (and continues to use) for my
techniques was "hen" which in Japanese is the same word
used to describe perverts and other social misfits.
However, in the past two and a half years Kumagai Sensei
and I have spent a lot of time together. Despite the
fairly competitive atmosphere in his dojo, he really
stresses safety and technique, and there are very few
injuries in this club. My techniques have adjusted to
accomodate the more forceful style practiced here, and
gradually I've learned to reintroduce softness into them.
Kumagai Sensei has stopped making fun of my technique
and even was bragging about me in front of some other
senseis recently. Despite the peer pressure, I have never
stopped working on both the right and the left. During
randori I switch sides frequently to show the kids I
work with where their weak areas are, and I've noticed
that the range of techniques that other senseis in our
club teach has expanded. Although no single technique
is taught on both the left and right, they have built
a repertoire that includes techniques designed for both
sides.
This past Sunday I tested for nidan.
My opponents were a 45 year old, ex-karate-ka who has
been doing judo for two years, and a fifteen year old
high school student of the bruiser variety. Amongst the
three of us, we all lost once and won once. We were all
promoted. I feel it was sort of a shame though. By this
time everyone's judo is developed fairly well, but it
was the other little things like correctly tying one's
obi, or entering the tatami or sitting seiza in the correct
manner. In the demonstration of Nage no Kata that came
after the shiai I surprised everyone by showing the most
attention to detail. I think some were actually a bit
embarrassed that a 'gaijin' knew more about the kata
than the Japanese.
In short, Judo in Japan has become wholly
a sport, and there are very few left who would keep it
at the level of art that it once was. Japan is certainly
not what I expected it would be, but after nearly five
years I have developed quite an abiding love for this
country. I've learned to see the bits of every day life
here that formed the roots of the art of Zen Judo. I've
learned much here that I'll be eager to take back to
the US with me. In the past few years, distance and the
cost of travel have prevented me from sharing more with
you, but I'll be back in the US soon and we'll have plenty
to share.
THERE'S A NEW (OLD) ZEN JUDO
CLUB IN WASHINGTON,
D.C. John McIntyre, 1st Dan Zen Judo,
johnmcintyre01@hotmail.com.
We're happy to let you know that the
National Capital Area Zen Judo Club may be out of hibernation.
Jason Girard (Yonkyu) and I worked out last night at
the National Capital YMCA. No one got hurt, although
we were both extremely rusty. We are going to meet once
a week while we look for a home in the District. The
suburbs are just not Zen Judo material with all the Tae
Kwon Do clubs around. We may even have a chance at the
Y eventhough they offer a competitive Judo class now.
It was a lot of fun to be back on the mat. Take care,
we'll keep you posted.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO EXPLORE
AMERICAN ZEN JUDO OUT WEST...
In our last newsletter we highlighted
Sensei Gordon Lawson's dojo. This time we're pointing
you to what in the U.S. we affectionately called our
Zen Judo West branch.
Sensei Vern Borgen (vern_borgen@ndsu.nodak.edu)
has been a great supporter of Zen Judo in the U.S., traveling
to our trainings in England and working with us as a
contact person between Zen Judo and the USJA. His dojo,
the Gentle Ways, has been responsible for promoting great
Judo out in Minnesotta and North Dakota.
Sensei Borgen lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where he
works at North Dakota State University. His dojo's website
is http://sites.netscape.net/borgenv .
THE WADOKAN DOJO WELCOMES TWO NEW
BLACK BELTS
The Wadokan dojo is the hombu dojo for
American Zen Judo. This is where we have all of our national
trainings and some of our high level promotions. So it
was a great pleasure for Sensei Keo Cavalcanti (hcavalca@richmond.edu)
to grade and promote Chris Flinn (sflinn@richmond.edu)
and Frank Curran (CUR@co.henrico.va.us)
to shodan last February 14. The promotion board were
Sensei Cavalcanti and Sensei Ed Stockwell of the Inner
Stairway Zen Judo club in Charlottesville, VA. Chris
and Frank have been with the Wadokan from its early days
in Richmond, Virginia.
They're been assistant Sensei for almost a year and a
half before the promotion. The two have worked hard and
are a great source of strength to our Zen Judo Yudanshakai
(Black Belt Association). Congratulations to both on
a job well done!!
THE WADOKAN STARTS BLACK BELT CLASSES
We have enough dan grades in America
now to justify us opening a special series of classes
for them (My thanks to Sensei John McIntyre for taking
the initiative to suggest the classes and leading in
their organization). Starting in March, every other Monday
night we'll have black belt classes at the Wadokan that
will will focus on advanced Judo techniques and Kata
training. All dan grades are, of course, invited.
ZEN JUDO TRAINING -- THATCHAM
ZEN JUDO WEEKEND
Sensei Mike Healy (mike.healy@sjpp.co.uk)
would like to invite you to the April 2000 Thatcham Zen
Judo Training weekend. The objective of this weekend
is to bring a number of like-minded individuals, who
enjoy the practice of Judo in the mutually cooperative
and beneficial way that Mac McCarthy encouraged, to practice
and improve their skills; and perhaps acquire new ones.
The weekend is aimed mainly and unashamedly at Green
Belts and above although players of all ages and abilities
are encouraged to attend for the last part of both days.
There will be some parallel activity taking place as
gradings to green belt and above will be being conducted
during the weekend. Chief instructors from other clubs
should advise us of any
candidates they wish to include. Places for the weekend
will be limited so please book early by completing and
returning the attached booking form along with your cheque
for £20 per person.
Those who would like more information feel free to contact
Mike at home 01635 877530 or office 01635 601139 or mobile
07831 863257. See the training form and schedule along
links on the Home Page. |
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