WELCOME TO SHERBORNE SAMURAI
INFORMATION
WHERE?
Sandford Orcas Village Hall, Sandford Orcas
Sherborne
Dorset
DT9 4RX
WHEN?
Adult class 14+ First class Tuesday 18th May.
6pm-7pm BOOKING ESSENTIAL. We are now full! At this moment we have as many people as we can take at this time. However please do let me know if it is something you would like to do. If I get enough interest, their is some scope to add another class on a Tuesday night.
PRICE
Donation based. If you are finding things a little tough, then it will be free (Nobody will know who pays and who doesn't). If however you can donate a small fee, it will go back into the club to supply us with more equipment. Any profits will go to local charities.
CONTACT
PHILOSOPHY
After a very difficult year for everybody, I am hoping that the world will be changing for the better. To do my small part I am setting up an Iaido school in Sherborne. It will be Free to those who are perhaps struggling financially and accepting donations from those who can afford it to cover basic running costs. All profits will be given to local charities.
It will be a relaxed, fun and all inclusive place to learn. Anybody can learn iaido, some practioners are well in to their 80s and you do not need a high level of fitness to start. Because it is a completely new school, everyone will be starting off at the same level and will all be in the same boat. We will all be learning from each other.
WHAT IS IAIDO?
Iaido is pretty much unknown to most people. There are only a handful of schools in the UK that actually teach Iaido and around 300 practitioners.
Iaido is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.
At its most basic level Iaido is the traditional Japanese martial art of drawing, cutting, and re-sheathing a katana (a particular type of Japanese sword). However, many practitioners would say that there is a deeper purpose to Iaido, one that strives to develop awareness, centredness, sincerity, a calm mind, and mental and physical harmony through the practice of traditional sword techniques.
It is perhaps the martial art most closely associated with the samurai class and Japanese nobility. Unlike many other arts it has not developed a sporting element and remains true to its focus on the development of mind, body, and spirit.
The art that I am basing my teaching on is called Mugai Ryu ('Outer nothingness school'). It dates back to the 23rd of June 1680 when a sword master named Tsuji Gettan was given persmission to take on new students. It has been handed down from generation to generation and I am hoping you will be the next.
Mugai ryu uses the same techniques that Samurai would have mastered many hundreds of years ago. You will not only learn how to use the deadly Katana but also learn the reasoning, history and traditions behind the art along with the 7 virtues of Bushido. Courage, compassion, honour, honesty, integrity, respect and loyalty.
ZAZEN, BUSHIDO, SATORI & IKIGAI
Mindfulness
At the heart of every Samurai was the study of Zen Buddhism. It helped them come to terms with the brutality of the role they played in society. In Mugai ryu iaido we study Zazen (Sitting Zen). Although linked to Buddhism we will only practice the meditative side and not the religious side. The meditation goes hand in hand with everything we do as a Samurai. Learning meditation can be life changing and by practicing it you may find you can deal with what life throws at you a little bit better.
Satori means comprehension or understanding. To do this we will be looking into one's nature and looking at things with a different point of view.
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being". The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one's life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.
Lastly and most importantly is learning to live the Bushido way. The 7 virtues are Integrity, Compassion, Respect, Honesty, Courage, Respect and Loyalty. By looking at these you can learn to lead a happier life.
Come along and be part of the Budo family.
ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Lee. I'm firstly a dad to three wonderful girls and husband to my wife Claire. I work full time as a head gardener and volunteer as a medic with Dorset search and rescue. I've studied various martial arts throughout my life. These include Wing Chun, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, traditional fencing, Boxing, MMA and of course iaido. I have also taught Kickboxing and MMA in the past and competed in both. I am an ongoing student with iaido and looking to work my way up the Shodan levels.
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*Completed the World United Martial Arts Federation Covid 19 Safety course*
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*Tier A Search and rescue medic*
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*Mental health first aid certified*
GET IN TOUCH
Please do get in touch if you have any questions whatsoever. Make sure you like the Facebook page to keep up to date with everything that is going on.
