Berlin Autumn Training Seminar (BATS) 2016: Friday

Today's post is only in English again, as it is Shorinji Kempo related.

These two make most of the magic happen with so little money that I always feel like paying extra.

As you might know, I spent last week in Berlin. Mainly hanging out with these wonderful people...

64 of my facebook friends and then some. I think this year the turn out exceeded all expectations and the organising Berlin Branch had had to really squeece the dojo space to get us all fit in. There was around 90 kenshis present. 

 90 kenshis tells you all you need to know about BATS. Yep, it is the best gasshuku of the year. Say what you want about this claim, I stand by it. The warmth of the organising team is unlike anything you meet anywhere in the world, including Finland.

This is no official camp. It is not for Unity credits. It is for hard training and the most valuable lessons thought by a multinational sensei group.

 Something tells you that Russia for example had send a team of six persons. I think Finland this year had five. There was kenshis from Germany, Russia, Finland, Sweden, UK, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, The Netherlands... I am sure I am forgetting a country or two. Help me out, guys! 

 On Friday night, we had the dojo for one hour and we spent it with the excellent care of Anders sensei and Rossi sensei, who thought us two pieces of embu. If you follow my blog, you might know that Kirsi and I are training for San Francisco next year, so we practised together. Pick the embarrashment factor on the picture below!

 The Spirit of the gasshuku is also unique in Berlin. Everyone is very friendly and all about helping each other to learn. The teachers give you personal, constructive guidance and you notice that you actually remember what the teachers said after the camp is over.

 How is it actually that these teachers can make you feel like 'I am doing things right' even when they are telling us what we did wrong...?

 At the end of the day Anders sensei asked for valunteers to show us their embu and sure enough we had Arnaud and Bodhi action. These guys could do an embu in 5 minutes and it would still look like they've been practising it for years. Show offs!

 We finished the day in the best possible German way: Prost! Cheers! Thanks for the Gasshuku guys, two more days of pictures will follow.

Where are the pictures from last year's BATS you wonder... hmm.. ohom...Some PhD happened... But I might still go through them and sent them around, let's see how tired I get this week.

Photos of me: (c) Tiina Tikanoja