Yoshinkan Kenshu Centers (YKC) and the

California Shindokan Aikido Dojo would like to invite you to our…

10th Anniversary & International Invitational Embutaikai
with Special Guest Instructor Ando Tsuneo Shihan!

October 3 – 6, 2002 in Irvine & Zen Mt. California

Ando Shihan: 7th dan Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo Staff Instructor
Founder, Yoshinkan Ryu Dojo, Urayasu City, Japan
14-year uchi deshi to the late Shioda Kancho, founder of Yoshinkan aikido,
respected instructor and author

This 4-day camp will offer a limited number of students an enjoyable and intimate “breakfast, lunch and dinner immersion” with one of the youngest and most inspiring of today’s Yoshinkan tatsujin…in beautiful Southern California!

Camp facilities include beachside accommodations, a large, modern 84-tatami dojo demo facility as well as a remote and traditional mountainside dojo with on-site lodging at a 5,500 ft elevation up the nearby 10,000 ft. Mt. San Jacinto!

Thurs. 10/3 guests arrive at Los Angeles International Airport

            6:30 – 7:30 p.m. kenshu #1 (Irvine Kenshu Center Dojo)

            7:45 – 8:45 p.m. kenshu #2

Fri. 10/4 Free time at Doheny State Beach

            6:30 – 7:45 p.m. kenshu #3 (Irvine Valley College Dojo)

            8 p.m. Public Demonstration & Multimedia Tribute to Yoshinkan Aikido

            YKC 10th Anniversary Reception, Double Tree Hotel, Dana Point, CA

Sat. 10/5 adjourn to Zen Mt Dojo (1.5 hours from Irvine, CA)

            11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. kenshu #4

            2 - 3 p.m. kenshu #5

            4: - 5:30 p.m. kenshu #6

            6 p.m. mini demo for Zen Mt. Staff

Sun. 10/6 Zen Mt Dojo

            9 – 10:30 a.m. kenshu #7

            11 a.m. Zen Mt. Sayonara Luncheon (official end of our immersion camp)  

            adjourn to Palm Desert CA for poolside desert relaxation*

Mon. 10/7 YKC Aiki-Golf Scramble* & Thank You Luncheon*

Tues. 10/8 Los Angles Airport departure

*(Sunday afternoon in Palm Desert and Monday’s activities are optional and while not included in camp tuition, everyone is welcome to join in the fun!  A festive sushi luncheon will serve as a finale to thank all of our many guests, participants and supporters!)

 

Camp Focus

 This camp will have two parallel foci:

 - traditional Yoshinkan keiko

detailed study of the traditional Yoshinkan instructional format of kihon dosa & kihon waza (basic movement and technique) as taught by Ando Sensei in Tokyo

- embu geiko and embutaikai

individual refinement and presentation of various demonstration techniques (embu geiko), including kihon waza, jiyu waza, jisen soku waza (basic, freestyle and self-defense techniques) will cumulate in Friday night’s Public Demonstration (Embutaikai)

Embutaikai: All participants, at all levels from beginners to instructors are warmly encouraged to contribute a 1- 2 minute demonstration in any one of the three embu categories described above. Recognition of such performances will be made at the YKC 10th Anniversary Reception immediately following the demonstration at the Double Tree Hotel at Dana Point, CA

 

Instructional Objectives

 Since the 1990 inception of Shioda Kancho’s IYAF, dozens of Yoshinkan dojo have opened in nearly every region of the world. From Moscow to Minnesota, Brisbane to Bosnia, London to Long Beach, Shioda Kancho’s vision is being realized by scores and scores of devotees worldwide today. Nonetheless it only takes a moment on the mat at Ando Sensei’s dojo to realize that his instructional approach, complimented by his deep love of aikido and magnetic personality makes his Yoshinkan path truly distinctive! Specifically, those of us lucky to have come to appreciate his masterful instruction first hand feel that everyone in love with aikido will benefit from a closer association with Ando Sensei!

 

 Objectives #1: Personal Refinement of Classic Yoshinkan Basics

 Each participant will endeavor to “level-up” what we in California have come to refer to as the “Ando Formula for Mastery”, i.e. his distillation of the classic Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo kenshu course format that he presents weekly as follows:

 hirki no yosei (-) & (=) with partner

shumatsu dosa (-) solo

 These two exercises are performed in truly spirited budo fashion for the first 15 minutes of nearly every kenshu class taught by Ando Sensei. It is clear to any observer that those lucky kenshusei who dedicate themselves to this training modality improve very quickly indeed. There is also little doubt that this training method correlates with the fact that Ando Sensei’s Honbu satellite Ryu Dojo now directs over 600 students in Japan and that the Ryu Dojo regularly distinguishes itself in multiple categories at the annual All-Japan Yoshinkan Embutaikai!  

 Using the above “formula” as a base to cultivate stability of one’s “centerline”, we will follow Ando Sensei’s direction in key kihon waza including shihonage, ikkajo, nikajo, kotegaeshi, irimi and kokyu nage.

     

Objective #2: Personal Refinement of Our Individual Embu Waza

 To paraphrase Shioda Kancho, “one can only understand aikido when one is stretched to one’s limit, i.e. it is up to every young person today to find a way, in that sense, to stretch themselves.” Those familiar with Yoshinkan training methods will recognize four specific keiko or training modalities that have established a proven path to that end, cumulating in embu waza presentations…

 keiko - basic training offered weekly in general, intensive and specialist courses

metori geiko – lierally “watching training” i.e. modern sport’s “visualization”

shinsa geiko – training in basic Yoshinkan syllabi appropriate to one’s level

embu geiko – employing all of the above keiko in one’s personal presentation

 In our immersion approach to this camp, we will employ all the above keiko with the hope that each participant will not only “level-up” during the camp, but also contribute a personal embu presentation and optimally, establish a durable training behavior that they can share with others back in their home dojo. In that way we can each thank Shioda Kancho and those remarkable deshi like Ando Sensei in a most sincere fashion – by preserving and cultivating the treasure that is our Yoshinkan aikido!

  

Tuition Rationale and Fees

 Please note that to fund a limited-participation camp such as this necessitates a comprehensive tuition package, i.e. one price for all classes and events. We recognize this may limit our group to only those who can commit to a Thurs. through Sunday stay in Southern California. However every attempt has been made to keep the following fee structure reasonable. Individuals wishing to camp out at the dojo are welcome and should bring a sleeping bag! That said and in consideration that the alterative expense of journeying to Japan to train with Ando Sensei is considerable, we feel that this camp is truly a rare event indeed!

 YKC 10th Anniversary Gasshuku and Invitational Embutaikai Tuition Package:

 US$200, inclusive with seven kenshu classes; 8.75 hours of instruction; IVC Public Demonstration admission; one nights lodging at Zen Mt. including Saturday lunch, Saturday evening Reception Dinner & Party, Sunday morning breakfast and Zen Mt. Sayonara Luncheon and the availability of dojo homestay lodging.

 

Accommodations

Double Tree Suites Hotel, Dana Point, Ca
Official HQ for Ando Sensei on these dates: 10/3,4 & 7
Phone 949 661 1100 or email c/o jennifer_byrd@hilton.com
34402 Pacific Coast Highway
Dana Point, CA 92629
Suggested Lodging
$89 per suite per night (up to 4 persons per suite)

Courtyard by Marriott Palm Desert
(Optional for Sunday night, 10/6)
URL: http://www.bestlodging.com/sites1/19629/index.shtml
Address: 74-895 Frank Sinatra Drive
Palm Desert California 92211 United States
Optional for Sunday night, 10/6
$129 – double occupancy
$139 – 4 person room
$89 per suite per night (up to 4 persons per suite

Comfort Suites Palm Desert
(Optional for Sunday night, 10/6)
URL: http://www.bestlodging.com/sites2/26357/index.shtml
Address: 39-585 Washington St.
Palm Desert California 92211 United States
$89 and up

 

Note: Saturday night, 10/5 lodging at Zen Mt. is inclusive with the tutition package and your reservation will be made direct for you by YKC once your registry is confirmed. You’ll need a sleeping bag and warm jacket as this dojo, only and hour or so from the sunny beaches of Dana Point will be quite chilly at night! To secure your spot, please email reynolds@yoshinkan.com and type “gasshuku registry” in the subject line! Please include in the body of your message your full name, dojo, instructor and the number of comrades you are traveling with!

 

For those who wish to enjoy a dojo homestay before and after Zen Mt. Saturday, please request same in your email registry subject line.  Osu!