Dojo Question

[lost_in_translation]

Hey there guys and gals.
I just got a job as an ALT in Sendai shi in Miyagi in Northern Japan (whoo hoo).
Been looking for a Bujinkan dojo here, but there doesn't seem to be any
The closest one I found is in Yamagata, www.freewebs.com/bujinkannafiannadojoyamagata

Never heard of the instructor and he doesn't look particularly Japanese! Anyone know if he is legit?

Thanks!!!

 

[Dale Seago]

Hey there guys and gals.
I just got a job as an ALT in Sendai shi in Miyagi in Northern Japan (whoo hoo).
Been looking for a Bujinkan dojo here, but there doesn't seem to be any
The closest one I found is in Yamagata, www.freewebs.com/bujinkannafiannadojoyamagata

Never heard of the instructor and he doesn't look particularly Japanese! Anyone know if he is legit?

Thanks!!!

Pol MacFionmhacain is very legit. He is the personal -- and only -- student of Junichi Kan shihan (whom I first met at a California Tai Kai in '86) and a personal friend of mine as well. When Kan sensei gets asked about lessons and training, he refers people to Pol.

A warning, though: Even though he's fluent in Japanese, he conducts about half of any given class in his native Gaelic. No worries, though, he's equally fluent in the Sassenach tongue.

He's also a superb player of the Irish uillean pipes. In fact, while I was there in December for Daikomyosai he gave a pipe concert for the Irish consulate in Tokyo. . .as well as a private "mini-concert" for me and a mutual friend of ours on the grounds of the Atago Shrine one evening after training.

 

[Dale Seago]

BTW, if you hadn't yet figured this out from Pol's site:

Riomh-phoist would literally be something like "calculator/computer post", with "post" in this sense meaning to mail something -- a sense still used in English, though not in American. In other words, e-mail. And yes, that's his email address on the site.

You might also want to read up on the Fianna of old Eire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fianna

As a sort of parallel, the San Francisco Bay Area's fogs (especially in the coastal highlands) being famous, I've sometimes referred to my own dojo as the Clann a' Cheathaich or "Children of the Mist", in tribute to Clan MacGregor (it was one of their nicknames), which in many ways could be considered Scotland's own "ninja clan".

I've already let Pol know you're looking for him. If you do hook up with him, you're in for a lot of joy and pain. Or joyful pain. Or something kinky like that.

 

[lost_in_translation]

Pol MacFionmhacain is very legit. He is the personal -- and only -- student of Junichi Kan shihan

So definatly not Japanese then

Sole student? So he is a student not a teacher? Kinda confused, if he is a student how is he teaching? Are there any online clips?

Any idea of his rank, (Is he a shidoshi or shihan or anything like that?) Oh yeah whats with the hakama on the site?

Thanks for the help guys

 

[jks9199]

So definatly not Japanese then

Sole student? So he is a student not a teacher? Kinda confused, if he is a student how is he teaching? Are there any online clips?

Any idea of his rank, (Is he a shidoshi or shihan or anything like that?) Oh yeah whats with the hakama on the site?

Thanks for the help guys

Many "teachers" remain students, in many arts.

I still consider myself a student, despite having trained several people from the start of their training to black belt, and having been entrusted by my instructor with the preparation of several other black belt candidates over the years.

And my instructor still considers himself a student of his teacher...

 

[Dale Seago]

Oops -- meant to edit, not reply.

 

[Dale Seago]

Many "teachers" remain students, in many arts.

I still consider myself a student, despite having trained several people from the start of their training to black belt, and having been entrusted by my instructor with the preparation of several other black belt candidates over the years.

And my instructor still considers himself a student of his teacher...

Exactly.

There are many shidoshi who would happily sacrifice an intimate body part for the privilege of being the sole student of one of the senior Japanese shihan. (I'm not suggesting that Pol has done so, as I think his wife might feel she had some reason to object. . .)

Pol is a shidoshi -- 7th dan as I recall -- and still a student of his teacher, Kan sensei. . .just as, even though I'm "maxed out" on rank in the Bujinkan, I still consider myself a student of my teachers in Japan and hold the same rank they do (apart from Soke of course).

As for the hakama, that photo was taken last year when the Bujinkan-wide training focus was on Kukishin ryu, originally a naval military (samurai) art; so the hakama fits. A few years earlier when we were focusing on Takagi Yoshin ryu (a samurai jutaijutsu system) Hatsumi soke asked everyone to train in hakama. . .not because of the "image" but because of the way it affects one's movement.

 

[lost_in_translation]

Thanks for all the help guys, have sent an e-mail to their dojo page. Do you know if Kan Shihan does the teaching there too? Just kinda strange being in Japan and taking lessons from a foreigner if you know what I mean.... Do many of the ex-pats there teach?

 

[Dale Seago]

Thanks for all the help guys, have sent an e-mail to their dojo page. Do you know if Kan Shihan does the teaching there too?

No, he doesn't -- he only teaches Pol.

Just kinda strange being in Japan and taking lessons from a foreigner if you know what I mean....

Imagine what Pol's class -- native Japanese -- must think, learning their own historic/cultural art. . .from a foreigner. . .in Gaeilge. :wink2:

Do many of the ex-pats there teach?

No, not many -- pretty much only those who have the special trust and confidence of their Japanese instructors.

Any significant questions you may have from this point, Pol will happily answer with his body.

 

[lost_in_translation]

Thanks for all the help guys. I have managaed to contact the dojo in question. I'll be attending from April can't wait!!!
I know that very few Bujinkan dojo are alike, anyone here any idea what I'm letting myself in for? (in a good way of course!)

 

[llong]

Sorry I'm so late in this, but I know Pol a bit and can say that he's a fabulous guy, has great technique, is a willing teacher, and trains hard.

 

[lost_in_translation]

Sorry I'm so late in this, but I know Pol a bit and can say that he's a fabulous guy, has great technique, is a willing teacher, and trains hard.

Yup he does indeed like to train hard.........

 

[lost_in_translation]

Bit of an update here. I've been training at this dojo (www.freewebs.com/bujinkannafiannadojoyamagata) for quite a few months now and all I can say is wow and oww! Very hard training and 100 percent what I was looking for! Thanks to the guys here for the encouragement to try it out. Definatly worth the 90 mins from Sendai! IF you don't know Pol, you should .

Lee