GALLERY — LYON, FRANCE, JANUARY 2010
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On January 6th, we arrived to Lyon to begin our training. In order to prepare a reasonable teaching plan for the public seminar, we had two additional full days of training on Thursday, January 7th and Friday, January 8th.
We were hosted by Mr. Jean-marie PERRIER at his private home Dōjō: Shinjinbukan Lyon, France:
Our private training was focused on several basic elements of the Shinjinbukan School:
Dai San Kihon Gata (Sanchin Form)
Making Chīshi by Melanie Petrak
We also enjoyed some of the culture and tourism in Lyon:
Tour of Lyon — Le Funiculaire de Fourvière
Tour of Lyon — Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Tsuki, Keri & Tenshin
As usual, we worked on the basics of the Shinjinbukan System: Tsuki, Keri & Tenshin. These three elements are the foundation of Okinawan Karate, which originated from Okinawa Ti.
In the Shinjinbukan School, we have preserved and further developed many traditional training elements, such as circular tenshin (motion). This allows us to train without the need for huge training hall. Therefore, by using circular tenshin we are able to adjust our techniques to the space and create many combinations of Tsuki, Keri & Tenshin.
Hammer Drills
In the Shinjinbukan School, strengthening our wrists and increasing control over them is essential. We went over a few Hammer Drills as we found it paramount to include this training in the gasshuku.
Dai San Kihon Gata (Sanchin Form)
Dai San Kihon Gata is one of the cornerstones of the Shinjinbukan System. The Feet Techniques and Principles used in this form are based on Sanchin Stances, which are designed around two essential mechanisms: kuru and shiboru.
In addition, the hand movements of Dai San Kihon Gata are based on Chinkuchi. The Hand Techniques and Principles used in this form are based on hand movements which pass through the correct chinkuchi positions (static positions) creating two separate groups: frontal motion and lateral motion.
Dai San Kihon Gata was created by my teacher Onaga Yoshimitsu Kaichō. In its simplicity, it presents very deep principles, and it opens the door to understanding many aspects of Ti. The final phase of Dai San Kihon Gata is to use the aforementioned hands and feet techniques and principles at the same time.
Making a Chīshi by Melanie Petrak
Ms. Melanie PETRAK built several Chīshi at her home in Augsburg, Germany, two of those she took to France and presented them to Jean-marie PERRIER.
Kanpai — A Toast
The day we arrived to Lyon, Jean-marie invited Melanie and me for lunch and for a toast. Afterwards, we took a tour of Lyon.
Tour of Lyon — Le Funiculaire de Fourvière
Lyon has two funicular lines. We started our tour with a ride on Le Funiculaire de Fourvière. The Funicular line #1 operates from Saint-Jean to the Basilique de Fourvière.
Tour of Lyon — Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is located on a hill next to the river Saône, with an impressive panoramic view of the entire city of Lyon. It was designed by Pierre Bossan and built with private funds between 1872 and 1896.
In 1998, UNESCO added the historic center of Lyon to the World Heritage List, which includes the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. The UNCESCO award decribes Lyon as a city that: "illustrates in an exceptional way the progress and evolution of architectural design and town planning over many centuries.
See UNESCO'S official award: World Heritage List — Historic Site of Lyons
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to commemorate the overcoming of the plague in the city of Lyon in 1643. Every December 8th, during the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights), the people of Lyon celebrate this event. The Fête des Lumières is a four day festival which peaks on December 8th. Candle lights are placed along the windows in every home, creating a unique effect in the city of Lyon. The Basilica of Fourvière is one of the focal point of this celebration with a series of light shows.
An interesting architectural design of the Basilica is its two separate and contrating sanctuaries: the upper sanctuary is is splendidly decorated, whereas the lower sanctuary is much simpler. And since we were in Lyon, there was a big statue of a lion guarding the entrance of the Basilica.
Below: The view of the entire city of Lyon taken from Fourvière.
Lyon at Night
Next, Jean-marie took us on a tour of Lyon at night. The subway system in Lyon is clean, efficient and well designed. Among some of the main stations were: Place Bellecour, Charpennes - Charles Hernu, Stade de Gerland and Gare de Vénissieux.
We visited Place Bellecour located in the heart of the city of Lyon, between two rivers: the Rhône & the Saones. Place Bellecour attracts many tourists who enjoy the French cuisine, art, fashion and more. We walked around Place Bellecour trying to choose one of the great restaurants in this area.
Bouchon Lyonnais
Lyon is famous for its cuisine, known as Bouchon Lyonnais, which includes duck pâté, Lyonnais salad, roasted pork, andouillette (smoked tripe sausage made with pork), quenelle (creamed fish, chicken, or meat combined with breadcrumbs & egg binding). Bouchon Lyonnais is very different than Nouvelle Cuisine or other French styles of cooking. Also, Lyon's cuisine is based on the quality of the local produce.
Jean-marie recommended a restaurant in Place Bellecour. It was Délicieux!!
On January 10th, Melanie and I left on the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) — France's High Speed Rail from Lyon to Paris. Normally, the trip is less than two hours!!
Melanie and I had a great time in Lyon training and meeting new friends. We look forward to coming back again!!
Merci beaucoup, mes amis!
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