French Budo

As I was travelling to France from December 17 to January 6, I had the great pleasure to meet and train with my old Budo buddies from a long time ago...

I got to train twice with the Kendo club of Friville Escarbotin . 

My friend and instructor Francis Hollier, originally a Judoka, founded the Kendo club 30 years ago. I started to train with him in 1989 just back from Korea. Since then, I have tried to go train with him at least once a year...

From Left to Right : Pascal Barraud, Frederic Lecut, Abel Brunet, Francis Hollier. 

The four of us were training together 25 years ago in Kendo, Tai Jitsu and Tai Chi... After 22 years in the USA, I can go back to France and meet these guys, it is just as if I had left them last week !

While I was training in Kendo under Francis, he asked me if I would like to open a Tai Jitsu class. Which I did, under supervision of Jean Luc Lemoine, who was teaching in Rouen, 90 km South of Friville. I was not a black belt at the time and could only teach under supervision of a licensed black belt instructor.

On January 3, at Jean Luc's request, I had the pleasure and honour to teach a Yoshukai Karate Class for the Tai Jitsu club of Normandie...

Everyone had a great time...

Once you have practised Budo for years and years, there should be a realization that maybe this is not at all about fighting, but rather about making peace. 

Unless you are able and ready to fight, it is going to be difficult to live in peace. 

Faithfull friends are part of this...

Yoshukai Chaperones go to France

Shihan Travis Page and I traveled to France in November 2011. I had planned a few classes and demonstrations to promote Yoshukai Karate. 

On November 21, we visited my friend and previous Nihon Tai Jitsu instructor Mr Jean Luc Lemoine at his Tai Jitsu kan Dojo in Rouen.

Jean Luc had suffered a heart attack the week before, and we proposed to teach his Monday night class for him. 

We got on the mat with his students and Mr Page taught them a number of his signature street and bar fighting techniques, while I was trying to translate some of the details.

Nihon Tai Jitsu incorporates techniques found in mainstream Budo such as Karate, Aikido, Judo. Students ranged from 7th Kyu to Niddan, The class lasted about 2 hours. The enthusiasm and efficiency of Mr Page, and the practicality of his waza - chokes, throws and strikes - were highly appreciated by all. Mr Page had to come home early and we did not get the opportunity to work out with the local branch of Kyokushinkai Karate which is has been getting more and more popular in France for the past 10 years. Another trip will be needed...

On November 25th, I myself had the pleasure to train with my friend and Kendo Instructor Francis Hollier, at the Kendokai of Friville Escarbotin, when Mr Page and I gave classes several years ago on 2 occasions.

Overall, Yoshukai Karate and its Spirit are appreciated for its simplicity and efficiency. It should be kept this way. 

If it works, practice it, if it does not, drop it.