Aberdeen Trip 17-18 June 2005

Full picture gallery for this event is here

Club members Lewis Watts, Nigel Whittaker and Michael Gratzke joined a large group from Edinburgh Kendo Club for a trip to Aberdeen (joined for Friday evening practice by Malcolm Jarvies from his nearby "holiday" home). Aberdonian Kazuo Yamazaki sensei had a broad programme lined up for us including two long training sessions with Aberdeen Kendo Club, an exhibition of Japanese Culture and a visit to Glover House* where we also had a very nice BBQ.

Those of us who had been to Aberdeen a year ago were again overwhelmed by the club’s and especially sensei’s hospitality. We also felt that AKC club members had taken very big steps forward in their kendo. At the end of the kendo seminar young guns from Edinburgh and Edinburgh University (and Graeme Birrell) faced our Aberdonian friends in a team competition in which no prisoners were taken – in the nicest possible sense of the expression.

From the perspective of StAKC it was good to see that you can run a successful kendo club in a relatively remote town on the east coast of Scotland. What our club members who started kendo about a year ago could learn from Aberdonians is how to develop strong attacking spirit. There was little doubt or hesitation about their actions. Concerning waza (technique) the level was similar to ours.

Most memorable scenes included Dmitri S, Mao, Lewis et al jack-assing and Steve Bishop shooting Michael’s ear with an Olympic-ten-metre air pistol. In neither case lasting injuries were incurred.

*Glover House is located in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen City and was home to the Glover family and in particular Thomas Blake Glover (1838 - 1911). Glover is generally regarded as the man responsible for the creation of the modern Japanese shipbuilding industry and of the industrialisation of Japan. The house has been restored to its 19th century appearance with many original details and features.
More information: http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfamglover.htm