Course schedule for spring 2014

The autumn demonstration for beginners will be held on Monday, January 13th from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the eastern wing of the Olympic Stadium.

(Look below under Training venue for more specific coordinates)

In addition there will be a longer, more thorough demonstration for each discipline as follows:
Jodo: Tuesday 14.1.2014 6 – 7 pm
Iaido: Tuesday 14.1.2014 8 – 9 pm
Kendo juniors (under 14 years): Wednesday 15.1.2014 6 – 7:30 pm
Naginata: Thursday 16.1.2014 8:30 – 9:30 pm
Kendo, adults and youths (over 14 years): Friday 17.1.2014 6 – 7 pm

The entrance to the demonstrations is free and no preliminary registration is necessary.

The courses start to roll after the longer demonstration sessions as follows:

Kendo, juniors (under 14 yrs): Wednesdays 6 – 7:30 pm and Saturdays 12 – 1:30 pm
Kendo, adults and teens (over 14 yrs): Mondays 7:30 – 9 pm and Fridays 6 – 7:30 pm
Iaido: Tuesdays 8 – 10 pm and Saturdays 2 – 4 pm
Jodo: Tuesdays 6 – 8 pm and Thursdays 7 to 10 pm
Naginata: Thursdays 6 to 7:30 pm and Sundays 4 to 6 pm

Below You’ll find more precise information on each beginner’s course and the person to contact in case you have questions

Common information on all courses

Registration and course fees

Registration is done with a web form. After registering to a course you will get a confirmation and a bill for the course to the email address you specified upon registering. The courses have limited space so please confirm your participation by bringing a receipt of the paid course fee to the first course practice.

The prices are the same for all disciplines. The course fee for people over the age of 18 years is 100€. The course fee includes the beginner’s course consisting of two practice sessions per week, club membership and insurance.

Training venue

All the courses are held at the club’s dojo at the Olympic Stadium’s east wing. Address: Hammarskjöldintie 4, Helsinki. (Map)

Inquiries

Questions about the contents and schedule of each course can be addressed to the persons mentioned in each of the courses’ descriptions.

Kendo beginner’s course for adults and teens

The age limit for the adult’s course is 14 years. There is no upper age limit. The course participation is limited to 40 people.

The practice times are Mondays from 19:30 to 21:00 and Fridays from 18:00 to 19:30. Course instructors are Mikko Salonen (renshi 7th dan) and Susanna Porevuo (6th dan).

To participate in the practice you will need sweat pants and a t-shirt. We train barefooted.

The participants should purchase a shinai, the bamboo sword used in practice. Adult’s shinai costs approximately 30 euros. We try to have shinai available to buy at the first practice. The club also has some shinai you can borrow during the practice to get started.

The course finishes after three months with the grading of 6th kyu. The exact date of the grading will be announced later in the spring. Succesful grading will cost 20 euros.

After finishing the beginner’s course the new kendoka may start wearing the blue kendo uniform of keiko-gi and hakama. The course instructors will advice where to buy these during the course. It is possible to continue practicing kendo for about a year until you’re expected to start wearing the full set of armor.

Information:
Mikko Salonen
salonen.porevuo (at) elisanet.fi

Read more about kendo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo

A small kendo video:

Kendo beginner’s course for juniors

In spring 2014 there will be a separate beginner’s course for juniors of ages 7 to 13. Those who are 14 years or older are asked to join the adult’s course.

Parents can participate in the same course with their children. If you want to bring a child younger than 7 years to practice, this is an absolute requirement. With the smaller juniors we ask the parents to consider their child’s capabilities. In order to be able to participate in the course, the juniors have to be able to concentrate from 1 hour up to 1,5 hours in the instruction given at the course. We have gathered that each parent is the best expert in all things concerning their child and is the best person to assess, whether he or she is mature enough to participate in group practice.

The beginner’s course for juniors trains on Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 12 to 1:30 pm. The main teacher at the course is Jukka Alstela (5th dan).

To participate in the practice you will need sweat pants and a t-shirt. We train barefooted.
The participants should purchase a shinai, the bamboo sword used in practice. Adult’s shinai costs approximately 30 euros. We try to have shinai available to buy at the first practice. The club also has some shinai you can borrow during the practice to get started.

The course finishes after three months with the grading of 6th kyu. The exact date of the grading will be announced later in the spring. Succesful grading will cost 20 euros.

After finishing the beginner’s course the new kendoka may start wearing the blue kendo uniform of keiko-gi and hakama. The course instructors will advice where to buy these during the course. It is possible to continue practicing kendo for about a year until you’re expected to start wearing the full set of armor.

Information:
Mikko Salonen
salonen.porevuo (at) elisanet.fi

 

Jodo beginner’s course

The beginner’s course in Jodo lasts approximately three months, after which the new jodoka graduates the first grate of 6th kyu.

Practice is twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The course instructors are Timo Reenpää (4. dan) and Simo Hellsten (2. dan).

Jodo is suited for practicioners over the age of 14 years. For the course you will need sweatpants and a t-shirt. The jo (stick) can be borrowed from the club. The instructors will advice where to buy your own equipment later on.

Information:
Timo Reenpää

timo.reenpaa (at) welho.com

More info in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodo

Iaido beginner’s course

The beginner’s course in iaido practices twice a week, on Tuesdays (20:00-22:00) and Saturdays (14:30 -16:30). Instructors are Sakari Myllymäki (3. dan) and Tuula Kiviluoto (3. dan). The course finishes with grading of 6th kyu. The course os suited for those who are 15 years or older.

For the course you will need sweatpants and a t-shirt, a canvas belt to hold a wooden sword, and knee protectors. Knee protectors are needed since many of the kata forms are performed from traditional Japanese sitting position. We train barefooted. The wooden sword, bokken, can be borrowed from the club. The instructors will advice where to buy your own equipment later on.

Information:
Tero Kojo
tero.kojo (at) gmail.com

 

Naginata beginner’s course

Atarashii naginatado is relatively new in Finland, it has been practiced in our club since 2009. Beginner’s course will train twice a week on Thursdays (18:00–19:30) and Sundays (16:00–18:00). The beginner’s course is suitable for those who are 15 years or older.

For the course you will need sweatpants and a t-shirt. A naginata can be borrowed from the club at first. The instructors will advice where to buy your own equipment later on.

Information:

Jukka Paasonen
jukka (at) naginata.fi