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This post was written by Will Ng, 3rd Dan. The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect that of the Central London branch, its associates, or the BSKF.  Czech Republic was going to be my last big Kempo trip before I move back to Hong Kong. It also happened to be IKA’s inaugural international Taikai, and 2nd international seminar. Knowing I am unlikely to attend another Taikai / seminar, or spend a great weekend with a bunch of great friends, I was quite determined to get involved in the Taikai as much as possible, and so I entered for pair-form embu (with Antonio), group embu (with Ben and Karl), shakujo tanen and randori categories. In the weeks leading up to the Taikai, Antonio and I made sure we practised as much as we could both during and outside of class, especially given our schedules did not always match up. But by the time we arrived in Karlovy Vary in Czech Republic, we were reasonably happy with what we had. Of course the embu itself could be refined and perfected even more, but that would probably take months. The Taikai was due to start at 10am on the Saturday, so we decided to get there earlier for some last minute practice. We managed to run through it 3-4 times (though still not 100% happy or ready at this stage) before the bombshell came. Just before the event kicked off, Yasue Sensei and Mizuno Sensei called us over and said that a proper Taikai must have an opening embu as part of an opening ceremony, and that we should do ours. For a split second we both laughed, thinking that Sensei was just pulling our legs. But of course he wasn’t, and of course it would be very rude and disrespectful to refuse! Were we prepared? Yes and no. Sure, we'd practised it enough times by then, but psychologically much less so. For a start we thought we had at least another hour to psych ourselves up! My gut was retching. The not-so-big breakfast I had earlier was finding its way back up. Butterflies were flying through a hurricane inside. I’d never been so relieved of how long the opening speech takes, first in English, then translated to Czech. At one point I even imagined myself vomiting in front of a hundred people. But then the quote that I had read from an article the day before resounded in my head: “If not me, who? If not now, when?"  This was actually a quote from Emma Watson in her interview with the BBC explaining how she overcame nerves before giving a speech at the UN headquarters. She is completely right. Who else would do it except for me? Even if there was somebody else, this is an opportunity given to me (and Antonio). How stupid would I be to give it away, whether by turning it down, or not giving it my all. And if I didn’t do it now, when else would I do it? My tailored-made black belt has 一期一会 (ichi go ichi-e) written on it, and I’ve been wearing it for the last 7 years. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to practice what I preach? Chris had told me once – if I’ve been asked to demonstrate or teach something, it is because I have earned the trust. So why lack the confidence? Antonio and I both knew there was only one thing we could do – one thing we must do – which was to perform the best ever run of our embu. This was it, there was no holding back. To be asked to perform the opening embu at the inaugural IKA Taikai was probably the biggest honour we have had in our Kempo careers (but let's not blow it out of proportions either!) Opportunities like this do not come around often, and probably won’t do for a long while. Afterwards, we were both so happy and relieved that we did it. The rest of the Taikai felt like a breeze after that. As it turned out, we didn’t win in the competition later on that day, but I left the Taikai with no regrets. Learning that we should have the confidence to say yes every time without hesitation was worth more than any trophy or medal, because we can do it; because others have faith in us, so we should have faith in ourselves too; because "if not me, who? And if not now, when?" 
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This post was written by Will Ng, 3rd Dan. The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect that of the Central London branch, its associates, or the BSKF.  I have only started getting to know Paddy in the last couple of years, mainly through training together at BSKF seminars like the summer camp or UTS. He has organised one-day seminars in Dingle for a few years already, but it wasn't until last weekend that I visited him for the first time, along with Mizuno Sensei. (You might say, Ding-what? Yes, that's right, Dingle is a small quiet town on the south-western tip of Ireland, with a population of around 2,000, yet boasts a remarkable count of 54 pubs! It also had some buzz recently when filming crews descended on nearby locations to film for upcoming episodes of Star Wars. Anyway, I digress...) I had an absolutely fantastic time. The training seminar took place on Saturday 4th June, from 10-4pm, followed by a grading the next morning. Apart from taking taiso, I also assisted Mizuno Sensei with demonstrating kata, and taught the three junior kenshi's (11 years old) when we split up by grade*. Paddy is quite a remarkable man himself, yet fantastically humble. Before starting to teach Shorinji kempo, he had trained and taught karate for over 25 years (and yet he still found inspiration from Shorinji kempo to defect!) He has even dedicated half of his living room for training purposes, with a wooden floor and punchbag in his self-built house.
But what impressed and humbled me most from this visit, was how Paddy takes a personal and heartfelt interest not only in his kenshi's training in the dojo, but also their welfare and livelihood outside in their personal lives. From the few days I spent with him, you could see that he genuinely cares how his kenshi's get on in life - whether it is building more confidence, getting a job, or their general attitude. He is friendly with everyone in town and always carries a smile with him. Perhaps I've lived in a big city for too long, but for me such a human connection seems rarer and rarer nowadays, which makes Paddy's sincerity and authenticity even more precious. Then again, that's what Shorinji kempo is all about isn't it? The ideas of riki ai funi (unity of strength and compassion), the strong shouldering the weak, and creating an ideal world - all of which can be exemplified by and embodied in Paddy's actions. At an age where most people would be retired, he continues to devote his time and energy to training and teaching; his energy, spirit and thirst for further learning and development are extraordinary and would leave many much younger people envious.  I would absolutely encourage anyone to visit Paddy and his kenshi in this small yet buzzing corner of Ireland. Not only will his kenshi benefit from visitors (Dingle is pretty small after all), I genuinely believe that you would benefit immensely too, probably in ways that would surprise you. Travel arrangements are simple - you can take a direct flight from London Stansted or Luton to Kerry, which takes about an hour. From there it is an hour drive to Dingle. Paddy had kindly drove me and Mizuno Sensei, but I think you could also get the bus if you wanted. We also did some sightseeing around Dingle on the Sunday afternoon, and went further west towards Dunquin and saw the Gallarus Oratory which was a 1,400-year-old Christian church. We also had excellent seafood, and lots of silky smooth Guinness (obviously).
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*Teaching juniors was quite an interesting experience, one I've never really had before (other than the odd occasion I went to Sensei Rob's kids class several years ago). As I found out, I could not just explain techniques with plain and rational science, as I would normally do to an adult - this approach did not capture the juniors attention and imagination. I did end up using a couple of everyday analogies and some humour (unbelievable I know!) which worked to some extent, but I think I could probably do better next time. This post was written by Will Ng, 2nd Dan. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect that of the Mayfair branch nor the BSKF.   It has finally happened. In the space of a few years, a number of groups that had split from the World Shorinji Kempo Organisation (WSKO), some previously unconnected or unknown to each other, finally came together and took part in the inaugural international seminar under the banner of International Kempo Association (IKA). But it wasn’t just a case of participating in any training seminar. Rather, every group that joined together this weekend has helped build the new organisation, one where each and every person can freely express themselves, and contribute to goals of Shorinji kempo. Shorinji kempo has finally returned to its roots - to Japan, to So Doshin’s founding philosophy and techniques. The training seminar kicked off on the morning of the 10th October, and was attended by over 70 representatives from Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Hong Kong. Despite jet lags from previous day’s travels, the energy and atmosphere were positive, and spirits ran high. Everyone was determined to learn as much as possible not only from the masters of the art, but also from each other. We all made a point to train with kenshi we hadn't trained with before, and regularly change partners to maximise our learning, and made lots of new friends along the way.  Mizuno Sensei (8th Dan, chief instructor of the BSKF) led the philosophy session after lunch, in English and Japanese. One thing he said that particularly stood out was this: “You must take responsibility for your life, your actions and decisions...Your responsibility is your life. On each occasion, you must help yourself. There is no one from whom you can ask for help. Which way shall I go? That is your responsibility.” Indeed, every action and decision that we make is solely and entirely our own responsibility. To fully comprehend and realise this idea actually requires a great deal of courage. The courage to believe, the courage to stand firm for your beliefs, and the courage to own up to your actions. But that is not to say we cannot support each other. The establishment of the IKA was only made possible by the solidarity and comradeship each country, branch and individual have shown to each other. Both concepts of individual responsibility and support for others were accurately and eloquently reflected throughout our training and our attitudes to training this weekend.
After-party speeches. Gratitude, friendship and love between Mizuno Sensei, Imai Sensei and Yoshinaga Sensei. The after-party took place on the Sunday evening at the hotel where we stayed. Drinks were flowing, more new friends were made (in a less painful setting), and emotions ran high. The end of the training ended on a high note, but this was only the beginning. As each of us stood together, shoulder to shoulder, this was only the beginning of a movement that will only become bigger and stronger. And so a new era has begun. The BSKF would like to thank Yoshinaga Sensei, Imai Sensei, and all other Sensei’s, kenshi and helpers who made the event so smooth, enjoyable and most importantly of all, fun. We fully appreciate that a phenomenal amount of work has been put into it and to make this possible, so thank you. We look forward to many more successful seminars to come!  |
