This seminar was one of those that one never forgets. Great training, beautiful blue sky, yellow sun and discipline that can only be found in a traditional dojo.
The seminar took place in the Kornishor location, on the eastern slope of mountain Lipac. We got there moving with a steady and stable rhythm. After the short introduction with the subject and training plan, instructor Igor Dovezenski started teaching.
During the entire day we studied and practiced
a total of 21 kata. At the beginning, we practiced three kata from the first level, known as Ten no Kata: Gekkan, Setsuyaku and Musan. After each kata, instructor Dovezenski showed two henka (variations) for each of the kata shown. From the second level, Chi no Kata, we practiced Riken, Shinken and Raiken, which were later studied in detail through a few of their variations. The third level, Shizen Shigoku no Kata, was practiced through the kata: Tai Nagashi, Kobushi Nagashi and Fubatsu.
During the short brakes, the students had the possibility to learn more about the ways of finding food in the outdoors, zen meditation as well as the differences between the customs and traditions in the Japanese and Macedonian cultures. There wasn`t a shortage on the lectures about the renown places on the Lipac mountain either, which can be found almost everywhere on the mountain – and considering that instructor Dovezenski is an ethnologist, the students attending this seminar enjoyed listening to him
Even though the seminar was supposed to end around 17.00, it was extended to almost three hours more, and we arrived in Skopje at 21.00 hours. That was because we decided to visit the beautiful Beljakovski monastery towards the end of the event. Descending from the mountain, those that participated in the seminar expressed their regret – they didn`t want to return and walked the path down the mountain with sadness. Their only comment on this seminar was that there is no better training than the one done outdoors, especially when it`s on the mountain with mystical beauty – Lipac.