The seminar that was held this weekend on the locality of Cocev Kamen near the village of Konjuh, left a strong impression on all of the Warriors of Bujinkan Macedonia who took part in it. Right after the event they shared their impressions on our internet forum.
This is just a small part of their impressions:
“I can write 10.000 pages after this seminar. From the moment Sensei revealed it, i knew that in would be something incredible, but it definitely surpassed my expectations.
I would write pages and pages about what Sensei teaches us on these seminars about life and about survival in nature, about sharing the responsibility, gathering wood, cooking food, lighting a fire and keeping it going. Again Sensei surprised me with his enormous knowledge and the humility with which he passes it to us.
The place that was chosen for this seminar was one big rock, which in itself contains the life left from generations before us. That energy that it possesses is felt from the moment that you see it when it looks like a small pebble that grows ever so larger as you near it. The closer you come to the rocks, it becomes this monument that radiates awe and you start to understand how small you are in comparison to it and the weight of millennia that in caries and those that came before. And we had the honor of spending a whole day of our lives on this rocks and i can attest that this was the only experience of its type in my life.
I am utterly tankful to Sensei for opening our eyes and trying to show us from what we have been distanced.
On the second day we left for another place, a place even more amazing than Cocev Kamen. A fortress from the fifth century placed on a hill, with rooms and balconies placed in a terraced arrangement. Wherever you steeped history thousand of years old, and we are so blind and with minds so blurred that we cannot see it…”- Vladimir Antonovski.
“Is life the art of survival or so much more?
The seminar 10.000 b.c. wants to show us exactly that. We tried to learn how life was 12000 years age when people live in an hollow rock covered in black moss, and still looking magnificent. A castle with many rooms, places for pillars and beams, which help us too imagine what once was and to create a image in the minds eye what the rooms looked in the rock that was our home for thees two days.
Among other things on this seminar we learned how to live in nature – how to make delicious meals, to light a fire, to find wood, to study the geography, climate, winds, people, the flora and fauna, who are of key importance for survival. Sensei patiently explained everything, he was here to help and explain for all of us, he worked with us without without a sliver of energy kept back, or knowledge not shared. He had a extensive answer to every question, selflessly sharing every thought, positions and knowledge.
The weather was wonderful. Positive energy was felt at all times. At the top of the rock Sensei showed us where the points are that our ancestors used to see when it its the longest, and when the shortest day, and also when the day and night are equally long. We learned the techniques if climbing up and down a rock with and without a rope.
In the afternoon right before sunset we enjoyed ourselves on rocks form which we accumulated the energy that they had gathered from the sun it was amazing…
The first view was that of the northern star, the second towards the dark sky and the myriad stars. That is a million dollar view! The only sound in the night came from the birds.
The second day after the amazing breakfast, we conquered the second fortress from the V century B.C. There was a noticeable difference in its size and the look of the rooms – it was quite modern, and from it you can see the city that was partially dug up by the archaeologists.
In the end we also visited the holy place Cetiri Krsta that is located in the village of Beljakovce, where Sensei finished teaching us about life, about values from an anthropological, archaeological and historical aspect. And yes, we truly do study life. That is the thing that we miss today, because we are stuck in monitors, fogs, uncleanliness and traffic, in a fast and troubled life.
And something important to me. I learned what separates the Warrior from the ordinary man.”- Ivana Todorovska
“Damn, what a seminar! To describe the whole event, i will need 2-3 days to gather all the images in my head ( and there are thousands ). I still feel that amazing magic, that is so strong. I feel some form of stupor, which is amazing for me, calm spirit, filed with energy, and all of it mixed with nostalgia. I feel a bit sad, but at the same time there is hope that one day i will return to that almost heavenly place.
We left Skopje early in the morning at 7 a clock towards one of the most mystical places of our beautiful country of Macedonia. Toward the village of Konjuh, in the are of Kratovo. The whole region is filled with remenants of our ancestors that left traces there all the way from 10.000 b.c. to this day. In the area of the village there are a lot of remnants of fortifications, megalithic rocks and ancient cities. The whole region captivates with it’s mysteriousness, not leaving you unmoved for even a second, the excitement grows from moment to moment. The spirit is felt, the energy, the incredible charge of positive energy.
We didn’t know the full agenda for the event, but there was no need for it. All was planed to the tiniest detail in the mind of Sensei, who very precisely with an incredible sense of timing revealed detail after detail.
Our adventure began on one of the most amazing observatories in the world – Cocev Kamen. It is a megalithic rock, created during volcanic activity, in fact the whole Kratovo region is a leftover from volcanic activity. Right we made camp, Sensei gave us a tour through the entire rock, inside-out. As Sensei was passing his information to us, we were able to get to know the terrain down do the tiniest detail. After we went through the terrain, we settled down and Sensei gave a plan of action. We divided ourselves in to two teams. The first one was tasked with getting fire material, while the second began preparing food. Everything was functioning perfectly, like there was some magic between us, a great respect was felt between all present. There was no feeling of subordination, although we were divided into a hierarchy. Each and every one blended into the environment perfectly, our senses were sharpened, our minds open, we were ready to feel event for moment the life that flowed through there before us.
Sometime after diner, we organized the sleeping spaces. Sensei carefully chose the most strategic place where we could spend the night. Sleep began at 23 hours, after Sensei divided us into guard teams that changed every two hours till 7 o’clock. We slept by the fire, that was kept going through the entire night. From under the sleeping bags the warmth from the rock was felt seeping into us. We had no padding, it was amazing how well we slept. At 7 we all woke up rested as never before. Sensei imitatively organized us, we did some junan taiso, we got moving and continued on with other activities.
Somewhere around 11, after we cleaned up all traces of our stay on the rock, we headed for the next mystic place. At some two kilometers from Cocev Kamen, above Kriva reka, there is a early christian basilica from the 5th century. Right above the basilica there was a high hill strewn with ceramic remains. On the top of the hill there were the remains of fortifications, perfectly sewn from the rocks. At the bottom of the hill, near Kriva reka, there were the remains of an ancient city, which was connected with pathways to the fortification. As we moved through the locality Sensei in great detail taught us about the events that took place there. Somewhere near the end, of the roundabout, a heavy rain set in. We were wet, and the rocks became slippery, suddenly the terrain became treacherous. Sensei immediately adapted to the conditions and decided to take cover in a place near the end of the locality. When we got there, Sensei immediately asked us if we knew where we were. We all started analyzing and suddenly disbelief griped us. We were in a nobleman’s tomb. It was perfectly build, similar to some of those tomb’s from the early christian era, but sadly the grave was already empty, long since opened, and all the valuables stolen.
During those two days we felt like our bodies were separate from our soul, our minds open like never before, with the question always in our heads: What will Sensei gift us with next?
In the end sited opposite the Teacher. At first glance exhausted, but that was only the body, for the soul was removed from it, and our focus could not have been higher.
We delved deep into the topic of: life. Sensei spoke, and we listened, and each sentence was curt, deep, incredibly though out with the deepest level of consciousness. Simply at that moment we were not part of this earth, we were removed, we floated above time and space.
Ahhhh! Till the next adventure……” – Sase Gacev