| St. Paul Martial Arts Demo |
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| Katas 4 nad 7, single hand gayku kesa from kata 1, and single hand sui hei from kata 2. As the wet mat pieces plopped to the floor I realized I had regained the attention of the audience. Next came rokudan giri. I explained how this was the most important and fundamental cut in Toyama Ryu. Now feeling full of myself I finished off with Inazuma. For the most part successful cuting all around. As in every case I've done better and a whole lot worse. I felt delighted that I had acheived two of the goals of a tamishigiri demonstration... I had not made an ass out of myself and I had not drawn blood. Robert Steele |
| It was Saturday, February 16th. I had just returned all refreshed and rested from the Orlando seminar and dan testing cunducted by Hataya Sensei. I was all set for the Martial Arts Demonstration at the YMCA. This event was sponsored by the Minnesota Martial Arts Institute and the Chikara Dojo. The demonstration, which ran from 9:00 that morning till around 2:00 that afternoon, was devoted to the presentation of the various martial arts classes offered by the Chikara Dojo and was presented by their instructors. I had the good fortune to be included in this demo as the dojo's newest instructor. With this event Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu would be formally introduced and offered to the Twin Cities area. |
| The YMCA offered ample room an the back of one of its basketball courts. Tables were provided and set up for each of the arts to present itself to the public. I set up my little space with the basics...my shinken, iaito, boken and obi, to show the basic equipment needed to train in Toyama Ryu. I also included a rolled tatami and a couple of cut pieces to represent the objective of sword training. I threw in my two medals from the tai kai to, well impress the chicks. All this along with some brochures detailing the history of Toyama Ryu, which included pictures of Hataya and Elder Sensei, completed my Toyama shrine. |
| The crowd pleasing Kendo demonstration was lead by Stephen Voss, Yodan instructor of the Hokkyokusei Kendo Kai. He detailed the history and developement of kendo while his students suited up for battle. Steve then lead his students through various kendo drills and training techniques. Actual fencing was demonstrated. This, of course, attracted the attention of the YMCA members working out in the weight room in the upper level and even caused several of the basketball players on the other side of the partition to brave a look. Robert Boock, head instructor of the Chikara Dojo, presented two |
| Also set up along with the class tables was In The Shadow of Leaves, a distributor of Japanese swords, represented by Michael Wolbrink, one of the kendo students. Mike was also kind enough to provide the photos for this article. The event began with George Trembulak, owner of the dojo, demonstrating how judo techniques can be effectivly executed by people less than three feet tall. As founder and instructor of Kudokan Judo, George is an avid exponent of |
| family envolvement in the martial arts and offers courses to all age groups as was demonstrated by members of his Tot Judo Class. There is something inspiring about watching a four year old perform fighting techniques while valiantly striving to hold up the pants of their oversized gi. |
| demo sessions. Bob is the instructor of Kubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate, one of the five Okinawan Karate styles. He and his students performed various katas and techniques as taught in the class. Bob also teaches a class on Kenjutsu and Samurai weapons. In this class the techniques and values of the ancient Samurai are stressed. The class first starts with wooden weapons and progresses to live blades. The yari, naganita and katana are each taught. Finally came the Toyama demo. It was decided I would go last, not so much because of the dramatic and exciting specticle of tameshigiri, but mostly because of the inherent quality of cutting being so messy. I had already set the stage by showing up armed with a trash bag filled with sopping mats. After setting up the cutting stand I entranced the small audience with the history of Toyama Ryu, emphasizing how different it was in practice and spirit from all they had just seen. I performed the eight kata to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Toyama style of swordsmanship. They seemed especially impressed with my kiais. Having now reached the moment when members of the audience began talking amoung themselves and eyeing the exit door, I began tamishigiri. I was assisted by two members of the dojo who I had instructed to sit off to my side in seza. God they made me look good. I began by demonstrating the effectiveness of the actual cuts from several of the kata, the single-hand kesa from |
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