Update on next Annual Seminar with Maruyama Sensei
Important Update on the next Australian annual seminar with Maruyama Sensei.
After a lot of discussion about the alternatives and their pros and cons Sensei has agreed that the seminar will be in Tokyo rather than Hobart. Whether it is the third week of January 2019 or the April 2019 school holidays will be decided in the next week based on the availability of venues.
All Yuishinkai adults, regardless of grade, and all those senior AikiKids who have attended a seminar with Peter Kelly are eligible to attend (parents are welcome to travel with us and we are also happy to fully supervise in loco parentis). We will probably aim for a group on the mat of 15-20 all up.
It will run for 2 weeks for those who stay for the full period, with 2 classes a day. The mat fee is fixed/set and will need to be paid by August 2018.The venues will rotate amongst 3 different dojos depending on the day and time of day.
We recommend accommodation in Ikebukoro district, and will arrange a group booking for accommodation for those who want to take advantage of that. Ikebukoro has good links to the rest of Tokyo and is itself interesting. It will also make it easier for us to guide/take you to the dojos.
There will be plenty of free time for sightseeing and there is a great deal to see and do in Tokyo. We will take groups to different places of Aikido/Budo, historical, entertainment and retail interest (whole suburbs specialise in different shops…), and we’ll show you how to get around on your own.
Its a safe and comfortable place, and once we’ve shown you how to work the train system you will find it very easy to get around by yourself and do your own thing.
For those who are thinking “Tokyo? That’s expensive compared to Hobart” the answer is “not really.” We will look at a group airfare booking to reduce costs, so it is likely to be anywhere from $900-$1200 return. Accommodation will be around $100 per night. Day-to-day expenses are lower than Hobart – food choices range from cheap but good to ridiculous, but we usually eat really well at the cheap end; train travel is by a prepaid card that you top up and is very reasonable. The mat fee is likely to be around $650-$700, but that is for 10-12+ training days rather than 4 days for the same amount in Hobart.
This is your chance to see or return to Japan, to experience one of the world’s great cultures, and to experience Aikido the Japanese way with a direct student of the Founder.
So get excited! Start planning! Let Peter or Murray know if you are interested.