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Post by RufusScorpius on Oct 20, 2021 12:53:54 GMT
Oh, you are in Australia? Excellent! When the COVID restrictions lift, I will be going there probably twice a year as I have a customer in Karratha and a branch of the company in Brisbane. Maybe we can meet up and have a session or two. I am at kind of a dead end with the dual wielding as I have no teacher and no sparring partner.
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Post by chrisparker on Oct 20, 2021 13:10:43 GMT
Hi Rufus,
I'm in Melbourne... Australia's kinda a large place, so it's a bit out of the way of your two specified locations. Should you find an oportunity to head down here, I'd be happy to meet up and discuss how these arts operate, and see what can be done... or potentially help get you in contact with someone in an area you're visiting who may be able to help. Bear in mind, though, that koryu aren't really a "drop-in" kind of class... so it might be something that will need to be discussed first, so you have an idea of what you'd be looking at getting into.
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Post by RufusScorpius on Oct 20, 2021 16:00:02 GMT
Melbourne has an airport and a city park. Sounds doable to me.
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Post by chrisparker on Oct 21, 2021 10:09:50 GMT
It does... of course, we don't tend to train in parks (Melbourne's weather is a bit... unpredictable for that), and my schedule is rather tight, with working full time, and classes every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, every second Friday, and every second Sunday... add to that that koryu aren't really for "casual" participation. As I said, I'm happy to discuss what we can do, but this is not necessarily what you're thinking it is.
I'll put it this way... you don't join a koryu to learn "techniques", or to learn something like "two sword"... you do it to study and understand the system itself, which is a political, cultural, tactical, and philosophical entity whose essential lessons are expressed through technical methods within particular contexts... so, while both my koryu (Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu and Tenshinsho Den Katori Shinto Ryu) feature two-sword techniques, "learning to use two swords" isn't really the emphasis... it's more that you learn the lessons of the school through techniques that happen to be two-sword, if that makes sense. As a result, we tend to be a bit guarded about how (and what) we show, hence the "no video" rule mentioned on the other thread... our primary focus isn't really on being the best swordsman ever (sparring is not a feature at all... it's considered unnecessary and overly risky in HNIR, remembering that Musashi killed people with bokuto in his career, and the idea of engaging combatively with someone before attaining a full licence is actually forbidden in Shinto Ryu), it's about being the best embodiment of the ryu that we can be. And, in that sense, we tend to show our methods to people who are wanting to become members of the ryu, and work towards the schools aims and protection.
What I'm getting at here is that I'm happy to discuss the situation with you, and, should you find yourself in Melbourne, I'm more than happy to find some time to meet up (in a dojo or otherwise), but it might not involve training or technical aspects... at least, not initially... but do feel free to PM me for more private discussion, if you want.
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Post by Murffy on Oct 22, 2021 15:56:41 GMT
You may be confusing it with HEMA, which is pretty much nothing but reproduction... koryu are very much the opposite. I would also suggest that that is not "in the spirit of Musashi", just an fyi... a bit more Bruce Lee, or MMA than anything else... HEMA may be a "reproduction" (what isn't?) but it is drawn from detailed historical manuals and treatises. It also seems highly exploratory with an emphasis on sparring as a way of figuring out what works and what doesn't. It may not stem from unbroken traditions but it does come across to me as a living and growing martial art. Calling it "pretty much nothing but reproduction" strikes me as an unwarranted condescension. Wasn't Musashi a brawler, at least in his youth, and first and foremost a fighter pursuing the best means of prevailing in actual fights?
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Post by RufusScorpius on Oct 22, 2021 18:09:03 GMT
My personal viewpoint of martial arts, or more apropos to this discussion, sword arts, is that if it can't be tested, then it's just art.
I have no issue with anybody or any school that wants to preserve history as a museum piece, either through inflexible and strict adherence to tradition, or by reconstruction from historic writings and manuals.
As for myself, and speaking only for myself, my studies of the sword involve its practical application through technique. I want to see how it actually works against an opponent rather than how it looks in a kata. I respect the JSA schools that teach tradition, but without sparring, it is little more than a living book of pictures.
I started out studying JSA in it's pure form 35 years ago and I thought it was the pinnacle of sword knowledge. Until a dude in the SCA with a longsword made mince-meat out of me. I realize then that my beliefs were tragically wrong. I started looking in other places, and to make a long story short, I came to realization that there are no "ultimate" techniques, there are many different ways of approaching the sword, and nobody has all the answers. I seek to learn from everybody and anywhere that I can find information.
My job allows me to travel internationally (COVID being the bugger of that at the moment) which has allowed me to spar with diverse styles. I truly enjoy facing an unknown opponent of unknown skill using an unfamiliar weapon. This, to me, is the truest test of what I know and of what it's worth. My goal is to be better than myself, not other people.
I have never made any claims to any school's lineage. I have only ever claimed to be knowledgeable about the things I know, and I have admitted that I know little and need a teacher. I also believe that I have no right to criticize others if I don't put myself out in the public eye as well. The people on this forum who have shared their backyard cutting videos and sparring sessions have my utmost respect because they are doers and not talkers, even the ones that clearly have no skill whatsoever. I also have little respect for those that criticize, but then do not follow up with their own actions.
I apologize to Chris Parker if I have insulted him or his school in any way with the video I posted. I admit you pushed my buttons when you criticized my style, then refused to show your own. I only ask that you remember that I am not a student of your style nor do I follow your philosophies, I am walking a very different path. When I come to Melbourne (after this COVID nonsense) it would be my pleasure to buy you dinner and an adult beverage of your choosing.
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