2017 Seattle Karate Seminar Report

The 8th annual Seattle Seminar was held in September 9th and 10th, 2017. Most of the attendees are from US repeaters from the past seminars of Ushiro Jukucho. They have been practicing the entire year based on the previous teachings to attend this year's seminar they have been waiting for.

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First day (September 9th)

The first day was mainly spent on Sanchin and Passai kata. During the morning, the class was broken down to groups to focus on the order of Passai.

Passai kata

Once the unified body gets created through kata, you can throw your opponents no matter how many they are or where you are grabbed.

Adding weight in the body

The energy coming from the kata is totally different from muscle power. The opponents cannot handle it.

The opponent cannot keep standing due to the weight he feels in his back

Ushiro Jukucho showed the Bunkai such as Taikawashi-Tsuki and taught each group.

Taikawashi-Tsuki from Passai

The afternoon practice started with the techniques against a bokken strike.

Entering the opponent who has his bokken up

Under normal situations, it is impossible to enter under the blade. Even if one tries to move to the side, the movement gets followed by the blade. If one forces himself in, he will get hit and the only way out would be to step back. However, Ushiro Jukucho can see and therefore enter. Even if it looks like as if he is moving to the side, the opponent cannot catch that. And when entered, the opponent's body gets unstable.​

When entered, the opponent's body gets unstable.

Same theory when facing the bokken with bare hands.

​​There is no way to resist when the opponent gets entered in the beat of one.

Because Ushiro Jukucho's body does not show any fear, people standing behind him feel protected and can stand there assured.

The sense of being protected

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Second day (September 10th)

Based on the first day's practice, the second day was spent on various applications.

Entering with Shuto Gedanharai

Once the unified body gets created through kata, one can see and enter the opponent. One feels close to the opponent while the opponent feels far which is the budo distance.

The opponent strike does not reach

Unlike the partial body, the unified body does not leave any opening. The opponent senses it and stops.

Even when the back is shown, one cannot strike.

The body runs and the strike gets stuck in the middle.

The body runs and there is nothing one can do

Observing Ushiro Jukucho's Passai after being taught of its application is a totally different experience compared to the first day, and gives the participants a further understanding of what they need to learn.

Ushiro Jukucho's Passai

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Through 2 days of practice and the party at Drachman's place, each participant was able to experience Ushiro Jukucho's teaching on how to enable oneself with the energy within. The seminar ended with another hope towards further practice.

Teaching during the party

Sanchin with everybody's unified Ki