Can I come and whatch a class?
Yes! The best way to determine if the training and our dojo suit you is by watching students of different levels. Please contact Fusō to make an appointment.
Can I come for a trial lesson?
There are no trail lessons, but it no problem to come and watch a training. Our classes and teaching is mainly individual. At individual training, starting students deserve a lot of attention from the teacher (sensei) and the senior stdunts (sempai).
If you decided you’d like to start training, sensei and all the sempai are ready to give you the attention you need to start your training and develop.
If you do want to start by experiencing, you can consider participation in a workshop. These workshops are designed for students with different levels of experience, including students without and prior experience.
I’d like to start training what do I do?
When you decided to start your training, you need to register here and fullfill your contribution.
What is expected of me?
Everyone will be taught and guided on their own level. So whether you are a natural with years of experience of someone who just started, you are more than welcome and and you are sure to find a place in our dojo.
We do expect our students to attend class as much as possible. When studnets cannot attend, they should report their absence on the day of training. It’s important to coem on time, compose yourself with dignity and behave resepctfully towards your dojo friends.
Will I need to be able to speak Japanese?
Almost nobody who starts training speaks Japanese. It’s also not the goal of training to learn Japanese, but Japanese terms and words are being used in training.
These terms will be taught naturally through repetition in class, but if you do want to read up on them you can do so here.
How do I address the teacher?
The teacher is traditionally addressed by “sensei” or in combination with his name: “Fusō-sensei”. Outside the dojo you can address him as you find comfortable: “sensei”, Fusō, Arjan etc. More about this: here.
How will I pay my contribution?
Payments should be made at the beginning of each month on NL63 INGB 0667459766 (on Sohei BV).
The first payment we ask students to pay 3 months contribution at once. This contribution is not refundable when you decide to quit in these three months.
After three months of training payments can be made monthly and your membership can be cancelled every month.
I can’t afford training. are there possibilities?
Yes, in very exceptional cases we can make exceptions, but only under strong conditions. More information can be found here.
What do I need to wear?
When you are just starting out with your training simple and comfortable sprtclothing will be enough. You can borrow a sash. If you already have martial arts clothing you can wear that. The color of the belt/sash has no meaning in our school so feel free to wear any color you happen to have.
After about a month you are expected to start wearing appropriate clothing according to our dress code.
Wat weapons do I need to purchase?
If you just start with training you will not need to purchase all weapons directly. In the beginning you can borrow everything from the dōjō.
For Mugai ryu iai- en kenjutsu:
- bokken
- iaitō
- shinken
A bokken (wooden practise sword) is the first item you’ll need and you are expected to purchase a bokken after about a month of training. Before you have a bokken of your own you can borrow one from the dōjō.
An iaitō (blunt metal practise sword) can be borrowed from the dōjō for the first 6 months of your training without any costs (when available).
After 6 months you are expected to purchase your own iaitō, or make a contribution of €2,50 per class for the use of the dōjō-iaitō. On your ikkyu (1e kyu) exam (this is last the exam before the ‘black belt’ exam) you need to use your own iaitō.
A shinken (sharp sword for cutting exercises) can be borrowed in you first year of your training without any costs.
After one year you are expected to make a contribution of €2,50 per tameshigiri-class for the use of the dōjō-shinken or purchase your own shinken. On your nidan (2nd dan) exam you need to use your own shinken.
Never buy a sword without consulting Fusō-sensei. If you buy a sword without checking it with sensei, chances are it is not usable for training. There are strikt criteria a training weapons has to abide by.
For Meifu Shinkage ryu shuriken- and fundokusari-jutsu:
- shuriken
- fundō kusari
a set of 5 shuriken (throwing spikes) and a fundo kusari (weighted chain) can be borrowed from the dōjō for the first 6 months of your training without any costs (when available). After that you are expected to purchase or make you own set.
How do I maintain my own weapons?
At the end of class we clean swordstogether. This is the only maintenance you need to do on a regular basis. We clean the swords using this method.
Shuriken need to be kept free of burrs. Sometimes they need to be sharpened, this can be done with a weth-stone or a file.
What grades are there?
ALthough grades are not a goal in and of itself, there are grading systems in all the schools we teach.
Mugai ryu has a kyu/dan-grade sytem with 3 kyu-grades and 8 dan-grades. Besides this system, very advanced students can recieve menkyo en menkyo kaiden.
Meifu Shinkage ryu has a een kyu/dan-grade sytem with 5 kyu-grades en 4 dan-grades.
How often can I train a week?
Training is on every sunday evening. If students are training for a while there is also free-practise on friday.
Besides regular classes several times a year (6 to 8 times) a day long training on Sunday is organised were training is several hours. Read more about all trainingoptions here.
There a also special trainings, seminars etc. More about this here.
