Tokushikai Inside Look

Piotr Kukla Jr. is from Utrecht, the Netherlands, and  has been practicing budo for nearly 30 years, during which time he has won the national championships iaido and jodo in several categories, represented his country on multiple occasions, including placing first in the godan division at the EIC in 2016; and is the currently the tournament manager for iaido and jodo in the Netherlands and manager of the Dutch iaido team

Piotr holds the rank of 5-Dan in Iaido and 3-Dan in Jodo, and has been teaching iai (as assistant and teacher) for over ten years, including several seminars abroad; and was jointly responsible for the organisation of the Ishido Cup for several years.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the place budo plays in building up one’s character and growing as a person, and delve deeply into the meaningful relationships in a global community, and creating a unique connection that can't be found anywhere outside of direct family.

Piotr is such an engaging individual, and I found myself talking a lot more than usual, so apologies for that, but I hope you enjoy this stimulating conversation.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Masa Ando is from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, and has been training for over 30 years, during which time he’s achieved the rank of Kyoshi 7-Dan in Kendo and 5-Dan in Iaido. 

Ando Sensei is the instructor of the Alaska Kendo Club, and in this stimulating conversation, we talk about his decision to move away from Japan, his motivation for studying Kendo and Iaido to connect with traditional budo movements and culture, and the benefits and challenges of continuing his journey in a remote and harsh area of the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation, and felt Ando Sensei’s dedication and commitment energizing for my own budo pursuits. 

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Hamed Qashash is from Amman, Jordan, and has been practicing martial arts for over 30 years, including Karate, Taekwondo, and more recently Iaido, where he currently is 4-Dan, and Jodo, and Kendo, currently 3-Dan.

Hamed was part of the early group of Jordanians who worked tireless to nurture and develop these traditional disciplines in the country, and continues to encourage others to contribute and participate in this lifelong journey.

The growth and spread of budo around the world has seen many peaks and valleys over the past few decades, and it is only due to efforts of people like Hamed that these arts are available for us to enjoy outside of Japan.

For those listening to this episode with similar experiences, let’s take some time to appreciate our own journeys, and for those just getting started, know that it is possible, and support is just around the corner.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Osvaldo Marsella is from the city of San Carlos de Bariloche in the Argentine Republic, and has been training in Kyudo for more than 10 years, during which time he has obtained the 4-Dan awarded by the All Japan Kyudo Federation.

In this starting Kyudo and helping to develop this art in Argentina, we talk about his travels to learn, and the discovery and growth of his relationship with members of the Mitsui Dojo in Okayama, Japan, and the many lessons he’s learn from Sensei, Sempai, and Kohai along the way.

Osvaldo has kindly shared his notes from the interview, which can be found via a link in the description. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vklDsqSwUermsu0QEd_mPHZVaVD_roZjBF2jjbr9wUk/edit?usp=sharing

Despite his age, Osvaldo continues to exude the qualities of a beginners mindset, and is a role model for anyone who wants to follow these martial practices at any point in life. 

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Kevin Adams, Kevin Lee, Garfield Li, Michael Suen, Patrick Suen and Hanna Ikeda-Suen live in Toronto, Canada, and on November 2007, went to Japan for Iaido for the first time as a group.

In this whirlwind 10-day journey across central Honshu island, we visited castles, shrines & temples in Osaka, Kyoto, Inari, and Koyasan; we spend a night at the Jigokudani Monkey Park near Nagano; we practice Iaido in Ohara with Trevor Jones Sensei, and in Tokyo with Kikkawa Sensei, Yoshimura Sensei, Kuwata Sensei, Hatakenaka Sensei, and Tsubaki Sensei.

Through all the walking, all the trains, and all the challenges of traveling in a foreign country, we've stuck together as friends for all these years, and the experiences we had on this trip 13 years ago has given us memories of a lifetime.

This podcast was created specifically to share meaningful experiences of budo practitioners around the world, and this was an amazingly fun alternative to the traditional 1-on-1 interviews. 

In fact, if this format seems popular enough, I would love to host a similar session with others in the budo community.

One thing to note. Since our discussion is conducted while looking at some video and photos we took on this trip, there is much more context for those watching on Youtube, than on a podcast app with audio only. Although, I think that’s sufficient as well.

If you want to find this episode on Youtube, go to https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada

David D’hose is from Brussels, Belgium, and has been training for over 27 years in Atarashii Naginata and about 10 years Tendo ryu

David holds the rank of Renshi 5-Dan and has been the President of the European Naginata Federation since 2010.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about David’s beginnings in Naginata, including a trip to the World Championships in Tokyo that coincides with a 6-month seminar in landscape architecture. We talk about developing Naginata in Belgium and Europe over the past almost 3 decades, and the structures and contributions from people that have made it a stable and generous community.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

David Smits is from Nieuwegein (close to Utrecht), The Netherlands, and has been training for over 18 years, during which time he’s grown into the position of co-leader of Yushinkan dojo as well as the European Shinkage Ryu group

David holds the rank of 6-Dan in Iaido, and was recently awarded Renshi by the Dutch Kendo Federation.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we talked about growing up in Iaido, reconnecting with his Japanese heritage, the people he’s had the privilege of sharing this journey with, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Many of these topics resonate with my own personal experiences as well, and I look forward to picking David’s brain again in the future.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

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To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Andy Fisher is from Blackpool, UK, and has been training for over 20 years, during which time he’s represented his country in 7 European Championships, and 4 World Championships. He’s taken 1st place in both the British Open and Team Championships as well as gold in the French Open.  

Andy currently holds the rank of Renshi 6-Dan Kendo and is the founder and operator of Kendo Star, a top tier international Kendo equipment supplier, as well as the host of an extremely popular Kendo theme series on Youtube called “The Kendo Show”. 

In this conversation, we explore Andy’s journey in Kendo, the many twists and turns, failures and successes, and hard work that has led him to where he is today. 

This is an especially important episode that I think everyone should listen to, no matter the discipline, because it shows what it really takes to pursue these arts as one’s life calling. Like anything big in life, the highs are extreme, but so are the lows, and the strength, courage, and generosity Andy has shown to Kendo and the Kendo community cannot be compared.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Laurence Oriou is from Montpellier, France, and has been training for over 31 years, during which time she’s taught in seminars across France, Europe, and Toronto, Canada.

In May 2005, Oriou Sensei became the first western woman to receive the title of Kyoshi 6th dan, which is awarded for not only technical and aesthetic qualities of her shooting, but also possessing the human qualities required to be a leader within the French Kyudo community -- the largest such Budo community outside of Japan.

In this wide ranging conversation, we talk about her start in Kyudo and impactful moments, lessons, and relationships over 3 decades in this art. We talk about balancing competition and tradition, and wrap up with a philosophy about life and death.

I’m excited to share Oriou Sensei’ deep and insightful thinking and experiences around Kyudo, and I know that I’ll be drawing ideas and inspiration from this interview for years to come.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada

Jason Hankins is from Salt Lake City, USA, and has been training for over 20 years, during which time he achieved the rank of Renshi 6-Dan in Iaido and became champion of the highest ranked division in the 2019 All US Kendo Federation National Iaido Taikai.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the Jason’s start in the martial arts and developing Iaido in a remote area of the country, the reinforcing cycle of learning between budo and real life-and-death tactical situations, overcoming ego for growth and development as a person, and the need to find connection between individuals in martial arts and in life.

This was a great opportunity for me to pick the brain of an Iaido practitioner I greatly respect, and the interview exceeded all my expectations.

This episode is also available at the following podcast platforms

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Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tokushikai-canada

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tokushikai-inside-look/id1523336799

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yMzk0OWVhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mf1mrLTfVT3Sbu8XM032m

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523336799/tokushikai-inside-look

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/tokushikai-inside-look

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/i9qbnxx7

Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/tokushikai-inside-look-We0ozJ

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada, and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/tokushikaicanada