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Old 10-02-2012, 02:14 AM   #18
Eva Antonia
Dojo: CERIA
Location: Brussels
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 211
Belgium
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Re: Why/Why Not Seminars?

Hello,

in this small country we have a very high density of dojos, which compete in hosting seminars, so you have the choice between different seminars every week-end. Last week-end I went to two different ones . Normally I go at least once per month; in September I went to four seminars, which was a bit exaggerated, and my family didn't approve very intensely. So now I'm back to once per month. Since there are so many seminars and so many students, they are also not very expensive; you pay something between 10 - 25 € per half-day. Some are for free. And Belgium is small, and public transport is very good, so if you live in Brussels you can attend them all without major difficulties.

Some are only two hours, some one day, some 2,5 days, and once in summer we have a whole week with Christian Tissier and Dany Leclerre - which is a pity for me, because I'm always in Turkey that time. When Sugano Shihan still lived, he gave a 2,5 day seminar every August, now we have every year Osawa shihan coming (in November), Endo shihan (in June), Smibert shihan (also in June), Tissier shihan (in January/ February), and also different people who come less frequently like Yamashima sensei (in September) or Yamada shihan (in October). The two Belgian shihans and lots of 5 - 7 dan teachers fill in the rest of the year.

In Belgium, 80 hours of seminar (not counting seminars given by your own teacher) are required for 1st Dan, and then 40 more for 2nd and so forth. There are many people, myself including, who have already 100 - 200 hours of seminar before getting to 1st Dan, and for whom this requirement wouldn't be necessary because we go to seminars anyway. However, I think it's good that this condition is there because it helps very much to look over your own plate's edge, as they say in Germany.

Still, there also lots of student's who don't go, who just train their two hours of leisure and fun per week, who don't have the money - even if seminars are cheap, money still may be an issue -, or who don't have the time due to their jobs if they have to work on week-ends. I know one whose wife forbid his going to seminars because she's afraid he'd get hurt.

All the best,

Eva
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