WE ARE ALL BEGINNERS, BE INSPIRED BY BEGINNERS AND STUDY WITH BEGINNER’S MIND.
Minoru Kanetsuka Sensei left Japan in 1964, after studying Aikido with Shioda Sensei and Fujita Sensei. On leaving Japan, he travelled through India and Nepal, then finally arrived in the UK in 1971. After Chiba Sensei’s departure, Kanetsuka Sensei became the Technical Director of the British Aikido Federation in 1976. From then, he also spent time teaching in Greece, the Netherlands, South Africa and importantly built relationships with Russia and Poland.
In Norway, Kanetsuka Sensei has a special position. The first Aikido dojo in Norway was opened in Tromsø, in 1977, by Birger Sørensen, a close student of Kanetsuka Sensei. From 1977 to 1998, Kanetsuka Sensei was the Norwegian Aikido Technical Director. Under his guidance, Birger Sørensen Sensei, Bjørn Eirik Olsen Sensei and some other Norwegian slowly built Aikido and created the Norwegian Aikido Federation.
Sentrum Aikido welcomes all Aikidoka to an Aikido seminar in Oslo, the Kanetsuka sensei memorial weekend, from February 07 to February 09, 2020.
Do basics and work hard – Sensei often repeated that with his students. We will continue with this tradition. The seminar will cover Aikido fundamentals and an introduction to ZaZen meditation and Shiatsu massage.
PROGRAM
- Friday 7th: 3 x 50 minutes classes.
- 18:00 – 21:00: Aikido (Hubert and Birger) and Shiatzu (Rex).
- Saturday 8th: 6 x 50 minutes classes
- 9:30 – 12:30: Yoga-inspired warming up and ZaZen (remember pillow for the sitting).
- Aikido with Ryushinkan and Hokushinkan/Sentrum Aikido instructors.
- Lunch 12:30 -14:30: Homemade fresh rolls, woked vegetables and fruits.
- From 14:30 – 17:30: Aikido, the last class will be an introduction to Sotai exercises and Shiatsu.
- Get together 19:.30: To be announced later.
- Sunday 9th: 4 x 50 minutes classes
- 9.30 -10:15: Yoga-inspired warming up and ZaZen meditation.
- 10:30 -13.30: Aikido with Ryushinkan and Hokushinkan/Sentrum Aikido instructors and possibly with other guest instructors. The last class will also have Shiatsu.
- Closing with tea.
INVITED GUEST INSTRUCTORS
Hubert van Ravensberg – 6. dan Aikido Aikikai and the President of the Aikikai Aikido Ryushinkan Nederland. Hubert started his aikido career in 1980 and in 1983 Kanetsuka sensei gave him his dojo name Ryushinkan to use for his dojos. In 1985 sensei Hubert started an aikido group in Deventer and in and later in Zwolle. The Aikido Ryushinkan Netherlands is since 2015 a recognized by the Hombu Dojo, the headquarters of Aikido in Tokyo, Aikikai organization in the Netherlands.
Rex Lassalle – Za Zen, shiatzu teacher. Rex Lassalle’s work in the healing arts was very much shaped by his practice of Aikido & Za Zen, which he began in 1977 with Birger Sørensen under the guidance and instruction of Kanetsuka Sensei. The importance of daily Za Zen was later reinforced by Chiba Sensei at the British Aikido Summer School where every morning it was done. The daily practice of Za Zen has remained an integral part of Rex’s life since then.
Rex is also a world-renowned Master in the Japanese healing art of Shiatsu and a global authority on the Japanese 9 Star Ki system, which has engaged his attention for more than four decades. He pioneered the teaching of it in the UK along with Belgium, Germany, Holland and Finland. His classes in these disciplines are known for their simplicity and accuracy in getting results. Many of his students have said: “Rex’s classes are not about menu cards, they are about tasting the food of these arts.»
FROM SENTRUM AIKIDO
Trond Pedersen – 3. dan Aikido Aikikai. Trond has been training Aikido since 1995. He has 15 years of teaching experience and has been dedicated to the development of the club since Sentrum Aikido was founded in 2007.
Tor Anton Gaarder – 4.dan Aikido Aikikai, the technical director of the club. Tor Anton has been training Aikido with life and soul since 1993. His approach to Aikido is a blend of softness, the pursuit of calm and the quest for uncompromising efficiency (Budo). His main sources of inspiration are Kanetsuka sensei, Tamura sensei and Endo sensei.
Jo Ring Giske – 5.dan Aikido Aikikai. Jo started Aikido in the early 1980s. He was the leading instructor in OSI Aikido and a long time member in the technical committee of Norwegian Aikido Federation. In addition, Jo has given seminars in different dojos in Norway. This photo was taken in a training session with him in Reimenkan Wintercamp 2009.
Birger Sørensen – 6. dan Aikido Aikikai. Birger has been a student of Sensei Kanetsuka since 1976. Birger started practicing aikido and Za-zen in Sensei’s dojo Ryushinkan in London and started the first dojo in Norway – Tromsø Aikidoklubb, Hokushinkan, in 1977.
In the early day’s, Kanetsuka Sensei used Birger frequently as uke. In the spring 1977, Michael G. Wilson, the executive producer/producer of several James Bond films was invited to Ryushinkan dojo in London to take foto and film shots from the aikido practice. The above photos were from this session.
In the resent years Birger has mostly been practicing at Sentrum Aikido, Oslo.
PRICE
- 750 NOK for the whole seminar
- students: 300 NOK.
- from abroad: 500 NOK.
- Per class: 100 NOK.
- Payment methods:
- Cash before training.
- to bank account: 0539 5613024
- Vipps number 11207, for Norwegian.
ACCOMMODATION
It is possible to sleep in the dojo. There is a kitchenette there, with water cooker, coffee machine, oven and fridge. And sauna 🙂
HOW TO GET THERE
- Dojo address: Brinken 20, 0654 Oslo
- Google Maps
- From Oslo airport: our friends at Jushinkan published a detailed post here
- Public transport in Oslo:
- Take metro / t-bane to Tøyen. The dojo is five minutes away walking from the station.
- The closest bus stop is Brinken (bus #60) or Kjølbergata (bus #20).
