Looking for intensive courses in SE Asia
I am looking to kick start my Aikido learning by doing an intensive course in SE Asia between September 2002 and December 2002, possibly extending training to April 2003. I will be in Sarawak in September with time on my hands.
When I return to England, I will then train once or twice a week. Does anyone know of intensive courses in SE Asia, preferably in cheaper countries such as Thailand and Malaysia? Does anyone have any experience of doing Aikido in Japan, including finding accomodation and living costs? Thanks for your help. |
Intensive course?
I know of at least one instructor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who can very likely help you with this. I went through intensive training with him and can say that it was well worth it for me. He's at Aikikai Malaysia HQ Dojo in KL(listed in the dojo database here, and there's a website); he's the shihan's son. I'll be glad to tell you more if you're interested; just drop me an e-mail.
I'm sure the other ASEAN folks will be chiming in... Regards, |
Hello,
At the Renbukan Dojo, headquarter of the Thailand Aikido Association, we do not offer any intensive courses. However regular training takes place daily from Monday to Saturday evenings for 2-3 hours depending on days. We have also 3 hours afternoon classes on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Dojo fees are 1500 THB/month for evening classes and an extra 500 THB for the afternoon classes. A yearly 300 THB membership fee should be paid to the association. Students are mixed: Thai, Japanese and Westerners. Teachers are Japanese and Thai (about 7 teachers) headed by Fukakusa Sensei, 7 Dan. You can check our website: www.thaiaikikai.com You are welcome to join if you wish. Cheers, Edward |
Since you're going to be in Sarawak... maybe you would want to check out Sensei Haniff 5th dan. Ermm damn can't remember his place off hand. Or maybe you want to check out the dojo search in Aikiweb... :p I know its there.
And since you're in the region, maybe you might want to visit Singapore once in awhile and train with Harry Shihan. I would recommend it actually. If you do drop by peninsular malaysia, eg KL... you can drop by dojo in Bangsar, or alternatively you can visit Aikikai HQ some 5 minutes away. My dojo unfortunately does not offer any intensive courses only 5 1and1/2 hours classes a week, but I bet Shihan Yamada at the HQ would be able to oblige you. |
Aikido in the Philippines
:) Hi, if ever you are planning to go to the Philippines you can get in touch with the Aikikai Philippines.
Aikikai Philippines had been operating since 1963. We do offer extensive training in our Dojo. All you have to do is give us the lenght of time that you will be staying. My email address is Aries_navy@yahoo.com please do send me an e-mail to tell you more about the instructors and the school. Is it cheap? Philippines has one of the lowest and cheapest cost of living in SE Asia. Hope to hear from you soon! |
ABOUT THE TRAINING IS JAPAN
Hi:
Forgot about your question about training in Japan. Hope this helps. I this looks unintelligible to you please visit this site: http://www.aikidojournal.com/article...les/MS_TIJ.asp Thanks So Ya Wanna Go ta Japan? Okay, you've been training for, what? several years now and you think you're ready to make the "Big Step," and train in Japan. A big step, indeed, going to a foreign country where customs are very different, where you can't speak the language, where even the simplest daily tasks and errands can suddenly become major problems and seemingly insurmountable challenges. Whatcha gonna do? Whoya gonna call? (Nope, DojoBusters is not it.) First of all, where will you go? Have you got the name and address of a teacher and/or a dojo? Have you an introduction? Do you need one? (Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't.) Next, where will you live? Do you plan to rent an apartment? What about hoshokin (key money, usually equal to two months rent payable to the landlord, non-refundable), reikin (one month's rent, a payment to the realtor for finding a place for you), shikikin (deposit money, first and last months' rent), and a cleaning deposit (also a month's rent; depending on the landlord's personality, you may get all, some, or none of it back when you move out). Did I mention that rents in Japan are, to put it mildly, a bit on the steep side? If you think it's bad in New York, San Francisco, or other popular cities, wait'll you get to Japan! Did I also mention that you may need a guarantor to co-sign the lease as well? A lot of landlords won't even let foreigners in the door. (Too much hassle, etc., etc.) Work? How will you support yourself? Not too long ago, it was fairly simple to find work. Many, maybe most, foreigners studying budo in Japan could find work as language teachers. It was a given that you'd be able to find a suitable job that would enable you to support yourself and still maintain a good training schedule. Those days are long gone. There are still a lot of teaching jobs available, but the pay rate isn't much different from what it was ten years or so ago and prices have continued to rise. Maybe, provided you have all the necessary qualifications and they need somebody, you can find technical or managerial work in an American or Japanese company that enables you to train a lot and support yourself. Jobs like that are somewhat scarcer than hen's teeth, though, and I wouldn't want to gamble on finding one very soon. Too, you'd have to be able to fit into the corporate culture. Otherwise, you'll likely be washing dishes, waiting tables, or working construction. Long hours, lousy pay, not much free time. These are things you'll need to think about before you leave home. Does this make the situation a little clearer? It's not impossible, but it's definitely not the easiest thing you'll ever do. That being said, living and training in Japan for an extended time period can be a most rewarding and meaningful experience, one that will teach you a great deal about yourself and your home country, about your host country and its people, as well as about the art you came to study. It's a lot easier now than it used to be. It's possible to order pizza for home delivery now. There are washing machines! and DRYERS! (There was a time when there was only one, that's right, ONE, laundromat in all of Tokyo that had dryers. You've absolutely no idea how important that can be until you're training three to five hours a day during the rainy season.) And there are any number of support groups available. Use 'em! If you're in a major city, there is probably an English language telephone directory, or you can call your local government office (town, city, or ward) for the information you need. Many of them have somebody who speaks enough English to answer your questions. They're very helpful. Visas and other bureaucratic obstacles Visas, work permits, and residential status. This is a very complicated subject that never seems to stand still. And it's different for people from different countries. People from the U.S. have one of the less enviable situations, if you compare it to those of folk from some other nations. Check with your local Japanese consulate or embassy for the conditions that pertain to you. One thing you need to keep in mind, though, is that the Japanese government is not tolerant towards people who are working here illegally. They will and do deport people who break the law. Nor are the Japanese tolerant of some of the other things that might not be considered serious offenses in your own country. Don't even think about illegal drugs. Maybe you could get away with it, maybe not. One guy who made that mistake spent considerable time in prison (not a fun thing in Japan--do you really want to be required to sit in seiza in absolute silence for eight hours a day?) before being kicked out. For just a bit of marijuana? Yup, it can be that way. It could be a lot worse, too. You have undoubtedly noticed by this time that I have raised more questions than I have given answers. This is because it's almost impossible to give you specific information for all of the questions you're sure to have, or to offer advice on how to deal with the unique situations you will encounter. There are, however, several very good guide books to Japan (I've listed some of them as an appendix), and you can refer to the advice and information given in Patrick Augé's excellent essay in the The Aiki News 1995 DojoFinder for more specifics. But there is some general advice that may be of use to you, which I'd like to offer as a sort of list. General stuff 1. Keep your sense of humor and a sense of proportion. One of my grandmothers used to say, "No matter how bad it is, it could be worse." She was right. A thousand years from now, no matter what the problem is, you'll probably laugh about it. 2. You've heard of Catch 22? There's another way to say it here: "Case by case." You've got a problem, one involving some bureaucratic procedure, requiring interaction with, surprise, a government or corporate official. It's very similar to one that's arisen before. You attempt to take care of it in a like manner but are told it is impossible to do so. Remember "case by case" as you start to protest vehemently (with accompanying loss of savoir faire). Oh, yes: it helps to refer to Rule 1 in such situations. 3. Try to avoid being an "Ugly Foreigner." I don't like saying this much, but it's necessary. Remember that you are a guest, a foreigner visiting somebody else's home country. Try to act accordingly. You've just run into a real mixed-up situation, a la Rule 2, and are at wit's end. Or you're really mad at all of the inconsistencies, seeming lies, outright hypocrisy (or ignorance)--something that people here do just infuriates you. The only thing you can do, really, is to laugh and enjoy it. Sure, it's a major hassle, but you're having an adventure! Remember Rules 1 and 2. Stay cool. Martial arts stuff 4. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open. What you know, what you learned before is certainly of value, but isn't likely to have a great deal of immediate relevance to life and training in Japan. You came here to learn, right? Well, one of the best ways to do that is to place everything you already "know" on hold for a bit. Let it ride. Watch. Listen. By all means, ask questions--but do so when it is appropriate. Budo is a good example of a traditional Japanese activity, with all of the accompanying cultural trappings. This includes being more formal in behavior than is common in the West, and learning through direct experience rather than intellectualization. Wait a bit, then ask the question. You may well find the answer was right in front of you all along. This holds true for situations in daily life, too, of course. 5. Train smart. This is especially true just after you get to Japan. Hey, you're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and you want to get down and boogie. That's very nice, (here it comes) BUT! you'll be going through a great deal of stress: mental, physical, and emotional. It's not at all uncommon for newcomers to train for a while (a month to six weeks, say) and then the differences and stresses catch up with them. They suffer one or more very serious injuries. Sometimes it's physical, but it might be mental or emotional: disillusionment at discovering that martial arts training is not a big romantic adventure, or from finding out that your idols, Japanese budo teachers, are, after all, just like the rest of us. They have some pretty amazing abilities, they may seem (and likely are) very special people, but they put their hakama on one leg at a time, just like everyone else in the dojo. (Refer to Rules 1, 2, and 4.) 6. How to choose a dojo? You're F.O.B. (Fresh Off the Boat) and everything looks new, exciting, fantastic. What's the best way to find the right place for you? Where will you train? Who will be your teacher? You may have a situation already set up for you, courtesy of your teacher or some of your dojomates. Or you may have heard about "X" Sensei, or "Y" Dojo. Or it might be that you just wander in off the street, with no particular plan in mind. I've done all of those things at different times and they all worked for me. Sometimes better, sometimes not so well. My sincere suggestion is to take it easy, go slow, check it out before you commit to training with a particular teacher or at a particular dojo. I like to look at general training to see what the atmosphere is like in the dojo. How do the senior students (and teachers) relate to the juniors? Is there a good feeling, of trust and respect, among all of the people who are training there? Is it a happy place? Could you, would you, be confident in trusting these people with your well-being, both physical and mental? You will be, you know. Which's not to say that training should be some sort of light-hearted grab-ass or that you aren't going to get the wood put to you. That's all a part of the process. Nope. It's deeper, more subtle than I can describe in mere words. Your dojo becomes home and the folk in it become your family. Thing is, you get to choose, so why not be careful in doing so? (Rules 1, 4, and 5 apply here.) Might's well stop with the advice. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. To sum up: read up a bit, ask questions of people who've been to/trained in Japan, take your time, and stay loose. This budo stuff is too serious not to have fun. Where to go Now the fun part: I get to tell you where to go and when to go there. What follows is a list of addresses and the training schedules of the mainline aikido organizations. It is purely for information. It is not an endorsement of any of the groups included nor is absense from the list meaningful in any way other than I did not have access to the information. [Note: we're working to add informaiton about the headquarters of the main organizations representing other modern martial arts as well. Stay tuned.] A. Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Headquarters of Ueshiba-style aikido. 17-18 Wakamatsu-cho Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to Japan 162 tel. 81-(0)3-3203-9236 fax. 81-(0)3-3204-8145 Classes are held as follows: 1. Beginners class (2nd floor dojo) Monday-Saturday 0700-0800 Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1730-1830; 1900-2000 Sunday 0930-1030 (4th floor dojo) 2. Regular class (3rd floor dojo) Monday-Saturday 0630-0730; 0800-0900; 1500-1600; 1730-1830; 1900-2000 Saturdays only 1030-1130 3. Sunday regular class (3rd floor dojo) Sunday 0900-1000; 1030-1130 4. Women's class (2nd floor dojo) Tuesday, Thursday 1830-1930 5. Children's class (2nd floor dojo) Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ask office for times 6. Aikido Academy (4th floor dojo) Basic class: Monday, Thursday 1830-2000 Intermediate class: Wednesday, Saturday 1830-2000 Advanced class: Tuesday, Friday 1830-2000 Fees (as of March 1996) are: Membership Type Entry Fee Monthly Tuition Regular class 6,000 yen 10,000 yen 7,500 yen (students) Sunday class 6,000 yen 5000 yen Regular and Sunday 6,000 yen 13,000 yen Children's class 6,000 yen 4500 yen Individual class 6,000 yen 40,000 yen Group class (3 or more people) 6,000 yen 60,000 yen-plus All fees are non-refundable. B. Ki no Kenkyukai Tokyo Hombu Dojo. Tokyo headquarters of Tohei-style aikido and ki training. Ki no Kenkyukai Tokyo Hombu Dojo No. 101 Ushigome Heim 2-30 Hara-machi Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to Japan 162 tel. 81-(0)3-3353-3461~2 fax. 81-(0)3-3353-1897 The training schedule is: 1. Special class (mornings) Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Ki training 0645-0730 Ki aikido 0730-0815 2. General class (evenings) Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Ki training 1900-2000 Ki aikido 2000-2100 Fees (as of March 1996) are: Entry fee: 8500 yen Annual fee: 5500 yen Monthly tuition: 21,000 yen (special class) 8800 yen (general class) Note: students attending the morning special class can also attend the general class in the evenings. C. Nihon Aikido Kyokai Shodokan Dojo. Main (only?) full-time dojo of Tomiki aikido, located in Kansai. People living in other parts of Japan can contact the dojo for information. Shodokan Dojo 1-28-9 Hannan-cho Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi Japan 545 tel. 81-(0)6-622-2045 The training schedule is: Monday through Saturday 1830-2000 (general practice) 2010-2110 (yudansha only) Monday, Saturday 1400-1500 (general practice) Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 0700-0800 (general practice) Sunday 1000-1130; 1300-1430 (general practice) Fees (as of June 1996) are: Entry fee: 6000 yen Annual fee: 4300 yen (including insurance) Monthly tuition: 8000 yen (2x/wk) 9000 yen (4x/wk) 10,000 yen (open training schedule) D. Yoseikan Dojo. Headquarters of Yoseikan budo, a mixture of aiki budo, judo, karatedo, and weapons training. Yoseikan Dojo 846 Mukoshikiji Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken Japan 421-01 tel. 81-(0)542-59-0663 Training is divided into different arts. The schedule is: 1. Aikido Monday, Wednesday, Saturday 1900-2100 2. Judo Saturday 1500-1700; Sunday 0900-1100 3. Karatedo Tuesday, Thursday 1900-2100 The fee schedule is: Entry fee 3000 yen Annual fee 2400 yen Monthly tuition 7000 yen for one art, 1000 yen for each additional art (so, two arts: 8000 yen, all three: 9000) E. Yoshinkai Hombu Dojo. Headquarters of Yoshinkai aikido, founded by Gozo Shioda. Yoshinkai Hombu Dojo 2-28-8 Kami Ochiai Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to Japan 161 tel. 81-(0)3-3368-5556 fax. 81-(0)3-3368-5578 There are several types of training available, as follows: Regular class Tuesday through Friday 0830-0930; 1730-1830; 1900-2000 Wednesday, Friday 0700-0800; 2015-2100 Saturday 1130-1230; 1430-1530; 1600-1700 Sunday 1000-1100; 1300-1400 |
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