Hechingen April 2024

Seminar with Bernhard Boll

Seminar in Hechingen 04/2024

Hechingen

On April 6th and 7th, 2024 the Hechingen Aikido spring seminar took place, with Bernhard Boll as teacher and participants from Hechingen, Haigerloch, Balingen, Stuttgart, Nürnberg and Koper.



On Friday Bernhard and Yvette came from Ticino via San Bernardino to let Ryan, who came from Lubljana on the night train, board in Buchs SG. Luckily the train was 2 1/2 hours late so the timing at the station was perfect. After a shopping trip in Tübingen, the three reached the hotel "Bären" in Hechingen in the early evening.

Lichtenauhalle

On Saturday morning, after some searching, they also found the entrance to Eveltstrasse, which leads to the Lichtenauhalle.
The Hechingen Aikidoka had already brought their mats and laid them out.
As information boards in the entrance area describe, the hall is equipped with several energy recovery systems and is therefore also energetically optimized. The temperature in the hall was surprisingly pleasant. Because the sun was shining brightly outside, although it was somewhat dampened by the Saharan dust in the upper air layers, but it got very warm as the day went on.
Saturday morning started with Kenkotaiso, stretching and Aikitaiso. Then followed the series of bokken exercises from the 2nd and 1st Kyu with explanations and Ki tests. These are suitable as supplements for the Ki exams in the Kyu grades. In addition, a series of Ki tests for the DEN grades were repeated because a Joden test was due.
The techniques practised in the morning lesson were from the Tsuzukiwaza for the second dan.

JODEN


At the end of the morning training, Stefan took the JODEN test, which he passed without any problems.

Congratulations!

Lunch break

In very sunny weather, a group of external participants walked the few steps towards Obertorplatz. In the outdoor area of the Museum restaurant they had very tasty Indian food.

Two Aikidoka used the long lunch break to refine some Tsuzukiwaza from the 2nd Dan program with their uke.
The afternoon program also consisted of techniques for the 2nd Dan. At the beginning of the lesson there was an increased noise level because a basketball group was training in the middle third of the hall.

2nd Dan I

The planned Dan exams started a little earlier because both an examinee and an uke were fasting because of Ramadan and their endurance should not be put to the test.
Hamza was the first to show his level of abilities. The uke were Waldemar, Stefan, Erdal and Leon. Hamza was very well prepared and demonstrated all Tsuzukiwaza without any problems and fluently.

Congratulations!

2nd Dan II

Then it was Leon's turn. This time the ukes were Waldemar, Stefan, Erdal and Hamza. Leon was also very well prepared and gained even more dynamics because of his young age.

Congratulations!

Domäne Hechingen

In the last lesson of the day, Tsuzukiwaza 25 was practiced in the form "Bokken and Jo 1", as it has to be shown in the 3rd Dan exam.

We then went to the Domäne at the foot of the Hohenzollern castle for dinner together. The former state farm has been converted into an extensive gastronomic area already many years ago. The former cow stables, horse stables or barns are now home to several restaurants and event locations. The good beer is also brewed on site.

Jodori & Jonage

On Sunday morning Ryan started training with Ki musubi and Bokken Misogi. A few participants from Saturday were missing, but another three Aikidoka from Balingen, Hechingen and Stuttgart had come to the seminar.
Bernhard taught Tsuzukiwaza 24 Jodori completely and the first four techniques of Tsuzukiwaza 20 Jonage. The techniques were checked for plausibility together with the Dan present.
At the end of the practise, teacher and participants thanked each other for the nice seminar. Some participants helped the people of Hechingen to transport the mats away. A larger group of external participants went back to the museum at Obertorplatz to deepen the culinary experience of the previous day.
Yvette and Bernhard then took their passenger back to the train station in Buchs SG and arrived well in Balerna in the late evening.