KANGEIKO IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Erin Hagedorn, San-Kyu
Charlottesville, VA
Held in different styles, on different days, and in various countries, Kangeiko is a long-established tradition in martial arts. Meaning winter practice, Kangeiko is an intense training during one of the coldest times of the year. Though few outside of the martial arts have heard of Kangeiko, It is a time of training both the mind and body, rooted in history.
Most years, a few ranking belts of Charlottesville Yoseikan will head to Kentucky to take part in Kangeiko. This year, Charlottesville Yoseikan was given the opportunity to stay in town, participating in our own Inaugural Kangeiko. The Kangeiko was run by Sensei Linda Gage, Sempei Emma Gage, and Sempei Richard Rike. Approximately 20 members from age 11 to 68 participated on January 29, 2010.
Friday night we gathered for a spaghetti dinner and a birthday celebration for Sensei Gage. Family and friends enjoyed the time while the younger members played twister and other games. The evening ended with a traditional sake ceremony, introducing the theme of Kangeiko.
Rooted in Buddhist beliefs, our theme was Hendoku Iyaku, or changing poison into medicine. Everyone was challenged to share a time in our lives when we had changed poison into medicine. The moment was intense, leaving us with much to think about as we headed to our sleeping mats.
Waking up before 3 a.m. to get ready for training is an experience in itself. It is exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. Regardless, with the sound of the bell, we quickly change to our gis, roll up bedding, and run downstairs. We enter the dojo silently in anticipation. As Sensei enters, we turn to bow and the sound of "oss" echoes through the dojo.
Sempei Emma Gage wasted no time as she led us through walking and June-waza, a pattern we repeated many times. On the chilly dojo floor, we moved through the kata warming our muscles and finding our own rhythms. Sempei would pause to allow stretching and give corrections, then training would begin again. We worked through many katas, beginning with tai ko kyu and running through seisan kata. Each kata was repeated at least three times under the watchful eyes of our ranking black belts.
From kata we moved to kihon and bag training, spending valuable time on basics. Sensei Gage emphasized the need to visualize each attack and to treat each block as a strike. From kihon we moved to a set of bunkai. Sensei Linda Gage and Sempei Richard Rike demonstrated Ju Ni Ko and led us through the techniques. For several members, this was a revisit to the techniques introduced by Blanchette Sensei at the Fall Clinic. For all, this was an exciting opportunity.
After working on Ju Ni Kos, we moved to the highlight of our training, which had been held secret until that moment. Under the direction of Sensei Gage, we had the privilege of learning Chokusen Kata. Chokusen Kata is the Dometrich Family Kata and was created by Hanshi William Dometrich during his service as a police officer. This kata requires one to visualize multiple opponents in a tight space such as a hallway. Everyone worked earnestly to learn the movements, and when Sensei approved, the kata was filmed and sent to Hanshi, to honor him and show our respect for everything he has done.
Sadly, our Kangeiko was cut short due to weather conditions. Unknown to students the snow had been building for several hours and would soon prohibit any driving. Reluctantly, we lined up, recited the Showa in Japanese, and hurried to get home before the worst of the weather hit. Alike in our Kangeiko shirts, we took many things home to work on. Above all there was the pride in our accomplishment and the renewal of our spirit in training.
There is no doubt that Kangeiko 2010 was a success that would not have been possible without the support of Hanshi and Okusan and the commitment of our members and their families. A special thank you to all who helped make our Inaugural Kangeiko a success.
