Hojo Seminar, 30 September, Biel

An internal course to go into detail and make progress

Join us in the adventure, come to progress and share new experiences.
Improve your Aikido practice with this complementary training. It is also open to non-aikidokas.

What is Hojo?

Kashima Jiki Shinkageryu-Hojo (simply called Hojo) has its origins in sword fighting (kenjutsu). It is a training art in which both the body and the concentration (mind) are exercised.
Hojo is also practiced by many Zen masters around the world (Japan, Italy, Germany, Hungary, USA). This is because it is a rigorous form of active meditation. Nevertheless, this (martial) art remains little known and mysterious.
In training, one learns to perform the four katas (series of prefixed movements) which symbolically correspond to the four seasons of the year (or to four periods of a human being’s life). The execution of these four katas takes about fifteen minutes and is practiced with a partner. Once these sequences have been learnt by heart, one “only” repeats them “for life” by improving them, polishing them, working on the exchange of energy with one’s partner, concentration, timing, speed, precision. For some beginners, it is monotonous to repeat the same movements over and over again, until one discovers that the movements are only the scaffolding of this art. This search for perfection makes Hojo beautiful and spectacular for the spectator.
The practice of Hojo was introduced by Master Ikeda as a complement to Aikido because he noticed that his students who also invested themselves in learning this art progressed faster and developed a much better presence.
This workshop does not require any particular knowledge. Everyone is welcome!