While November was a fairly quiet month at the dojo, and not much in the way of extra activities were planned for December, either, the pace will definitely pick up in January.

Holiday Schedule

During the holiday season, the dojo will be closed on December 24^th, 25^th and 31st, as well as on January 1^st. The dojo will be open on Thursday, December 26^th for an open mat period from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, and normal class schedules will apply on Saturday, December 28^th and Monday, December 30^th.

Kagami Biraki

Along with the gang from Shutokukan Dojo and some possible guests, we’ll celebrate Kagami Biraki (Japanese New Year) on Saturday, January 4^th. This is actually a week early, but we needed to move our observation forward in order to prevent a conflict for persons attending the same event at Relnick Sensei’s dojo in Washington the following weekend. The plan is for demonstrations to start at 4:30 pm, with a dinner party to follow at 6:00 or 6:30 (dinner will be catered by the Thai restaurant that did such a spectacular job for the recent SMR Jo eastern region gasshuku).

On Sunday, January 5^th, the regular SMR Jo practice normally held at Shutokukan Dojo will be held at Itten Dojo, instead, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.

Aikido with Ellis Amdur

Preparations are proceeding for our aikido seminar with Ellis Amdur on January 25^th and 26^th. If you are planning to attend please do not wait to register, since almost half of the available 30 spaces have already been taken (and half of those have been claimed by people from outside Itten or Shutokukan Dojo). Meik expects to be here for at least part of the seminar.

Swordsmanship at Itten Dojo

I was fortunate to enjoy some very concentrated training in toho (“generic” swordsmanship) with Meik during November and early December, in preparation for and during a seminar Meik presented in Exton, Pennsylvania. Following this experience I am even more enthusiastic about the toho curriculum, particularly in terms of the philosophical depths and practical applications this practice addresses. Anyone aiming to explore swordsmanship in detail, or simply desiring to add some appreciation of swordsmanship as a supplement to their primary training, will be very well served by toho.

At the same time, opportunity still exists for those determined to train in koryu kenjutsu.

Persons able to accompany Eric Fennell and Joe Palumbo on their twice per month, Saturday pilgrimages to New York City to attend class with the New York Yagyukai should speak to Meik about Yagyu Shinkage-ryu. Our YSR practice group meets Wednesday evenings, and YSR members are still permitted to train in toho (or the jodo seiteigata) if they desire.

Shinto Muso-ryu Jo also incorporates a very heavy emphasis on swordsmanship. Between the sword work demanded of uchidachi throughout the kata, and the Shinto-ryu kenjutsu set, practitioners have every opportunity to become accomplished with this weapon.

Swordsmanship or Jo at Your Dojo

If you’re interested in having Meik Skoss visit your dojo to present a toho seminar or an introduction to jodo, please contact Meik at mskoss@koryubooks.com to inquire about possible dates. I’ve had the chance to be involved in several such seminars now, at our own dojo and elsewhere, and I can say without exaggeration these events are an absolute blast.