Best day/s you ever had in To-Shin Do?

[bydand]

Siting here tonight thinking of the years that have gone by, and the different people I have had the chance to train with in To-Shin Do now. I remember when we made the switch in 1996 to To-Shin Do at the Dojo I started my training, and it was still in it's infancy. Brett Varnum and John Poliquin announcing the change after training one evening and then making an appointment with each of us to ask about our thought and feelings toward the change. I still remember sitting in Brett's office above the lens grinding business he owned at the time and talking about what the changes would mean, both for the art and for me personally as a student and for him as an Instructor.

I remember being totally inverted over Bretts head one day in training and thinking "God, I better remember how to land right because this is going to hurt if I don't." I did, and learned a lot that day about the WHY we started each and every class with some ukemi drills.

Walking into a seminar after living out of the area for a few years and having 3/4 the Hombu Shihan for the art drop what they are doing and come over to give bear hugs all around and genuinely ask questions about how life is treating me. Then proceed to cover my body in bruises all seminar long to "welcome" me back.

The number one day though has to be that moment I was standing in front of a group of kids as one of the Instructors and feeling like I was going to be sick because... well, because I learn, not teach others. Then as soon as the class started and that first question came my way and I realized that I DID know what to say and how to show somebody else what they needed. I thanked all my Instructors the following morning for taking the time and effort to train an out of shape, unflexible guy; and giving him a gift that will last a lifetime. I am back in an area that has no To-Shin Do school within a few hundred miles and am wondering what to do about that situation, but somehow the way to the art will work out, it always does somehow. Even if it takes a few years to come back around, it always does.

Keep up the training. Keep up learning. Keep those of us who are Dojoless right now, in your thoughts when you walk in, and are surrounded by friends for training that you have it very, very good. Enjoy every single second.

 

[newbee]

You'll just have to get a few guys or gals to start training with you now. Then every time you can bring out one of those awesome guys from northern Maine to do a little seminar for you and your people.Hint Hint.

 

[bydand]

You'll just have to get a few guys or gals to start training with you now. Then every time you can bring out one of those awesome guys from northern Maine to do a little seminar for you and your people.Hint Hint.

That's what I am working on right now. Getting a location I can get a small group going and have some of the old gang come out a few times a year. Trying to do it the right way and not some half-assed attempt that is doomed from the start. Regular training times, real legit promotions and real Instructors that watch and guide what is going on. It helps that for being a lowly practitioner, I have some really high-end friends when it comes to training in To-Shin Do.

 

[Raynac]

Im wishing you the best of luck.

as for the best days I've had in To-shin do... well I've only had a few months so far, and every class is filled with so much learning and excitement.

a couple days stick out in my mind.

My first day, of course was amazing, because I walked into the class (a little late) and was confronted with this really tall guy named albert. and me and my friend told him that we wanted to get our free lesson advertised in the coffee news (I saw that ad and started reasearching ninjutsu and was hocked) and he told us that ed was busy for a minute but then started to tell us all about ninjutsu, what the belt structurement, how it was different from other arts and about how he used to be in boxing, but that this art completely opened his eyes. and just expressed a general love of the art. and we immediatly caught it too, as im sure more practitioners have. then we got to meet Ed, who personally gave us an amazing introduction into the art. and we both came back, even my friend who wasn't even interested in martial arts and just wanted to come in for support was captivated. Ed's an amazing teacher by the way, he loves the art and he loves teaching it to others and he a knack for teaching it.

another great day was the first day we learned to roll (I absolutly love rolls) can't describe this one really but I loved it.

next the ground fighting seminar that occured this fall OMG what a blast, I was a white belt in a sea of blacks (actually at least one of every color was their but there were alot of blacks) I wish I could go back their now with the experience I've gained just so that I would be able to retain that much more of what I was shown. and with teachers like brett and john around how could I ask for more.

the day I became a yellow belt was pretty good too. I was at the peak of my game that day (my nerves were tearing into me during the test though which dropped the quality a bit)

and finally discovery was great. to see so many people who loved the art training was amazing, and the amount of talent in that room just blew me away. I looked at all the practioners and thought. how am I ever going to be that good. the way they move, the ease, their ability to adapt... the amount of injurys during the black belt training (lol had to throw that in, a few people seemed to come away from that hurting) it was just great.

but so far everyday of ninjutsu is a blast for me. I'm loving it.