O texto abaixo, em inglês, escrito por Kelvin sensei, da BRI, fala da visita ao dojo principal Budo-ryu e a foto de Hanshi Richard Salmon, Kelvin Daniels e faixa preta Kim. Matéria autorizada a publicar por Kelvin Daniels em email recebido dia 06/02/2012.
Hi Shihan Arthur
I am happy for you to use our story as below.
'For far to long Sensei Kim and I have been planning to visit our BRI
Honbu Dojo and Hanshi in his home town of Fouriesburg in the Free State and
unfortunately on to many occasions we have had to postpone our visit and
adjust our plans. Well let me tell you that the wait has been well worth it!
Our journey to the edge of the mountain kingdom would take approximately
four and a half hours through some of the most scenic country side South
Africa has to offer. Unfortunately outside Clarens (a small town just 30km
from our destination) we had to detour via Bethlehem which added another
60km to our journey.
Although arriving a little late we were warmly welcomed by Hanshi and
Dot who already had tea waiting for us outside under the big tree. Once
refreshed we were shown to our cottage and then given a brief tour of
the beautifully fitted main house that somehow seemed to tell some of
the stories that these remarkable people have lived. I also cant help
feeling that we had arrived in a colonial era that we have some how have
forgotten. After lunch we spent time catching up with what has happened
recently and discussing some of the more important issues.
Later that afternoon and once it had cooled off a bit we were given our
first glimpse of the Honbu Dojo and had our first training session
there. Hanshi taught us Hangetsu which is a Shotokan kata and for us
who are not used to some of the stances enjoyed trying to make those
little changes stick. Time was also spent discussing various techniques
and having Hanshi correcting some of our bad habits.
Between Hanshi and Dot we had a delightful braai (barbeque) and then off to bed early.
Day two would bring us to the famous early morning punishment session
where Hanshi shows us that beyond doubt, he is stronger and fitter than
us both. Although we were able to keep up with Hanshi we both felt the
after effects of this little mean streak he has. Afterwards, we had some
time to go over Hangetsu and one or two other combinations. From morning
tea Hanshi had planned a drive into Lesotho and up the Moteng Pass to
Oxbow Mountain way up in the Maluti mountains. What an incredible drive
that takes you through rural villages at about 1000 meters above sea
level then to stop at the top of the pass at 2820 meters. The views are
spectacular.
Later that afternoon we were back in the dojo for another lesson in
kata, and this time we were going to go through Saifa which alone is an
interesting kata and one I will definitely add to my list of kata to do at tournaments. Thank you Hanshi for you patience.
In the evening we took Hanshi out for dinner at the local hotel,
unfortunately Dot was not feeling well and so just the three of us were
able to dine. I know that Fouriesburg is a small town but it is
fascinating to see how the community and Hanshi interact and the fun
they have giving each other a hard time, obviously in jest, we hope. The
dinner was superb and the evening was not short of entertainment.
Day three would have us back in the dojo for our early morning session
and with a hint of relief we spent that time going over the katas that
we had just learnt and not having to go through Hanshi's normal
punishment session. We found time to ask Hanshi many questions and his
wealth of knowledge satisfied our quest for answers to so many things.
After yet another tea time and sadly our last, Sensei Kim and I headed
off back to our respective families. This time we drove back slowly
through Clarens enjoying the splendor of the countryside we missed on
the way up. In closing, I have traveled and been to many seminars in and
out of South Africa and can safely say that from this visit to our BRI
Honbu Dojo and Hanshi that I have gained much much more than just karate
technique. Hanshi preach and lives the true essence of what karate and
BRI means to me and am very proud to be associated with both him and BRI.
Thank you Hanshi and Dot for your hospitality and I look forward to
another visit in the near future.
Photos to follow
--
Kind Regards
Kelvin Daniels
Budo-Ryu International Karate, South Africa
