On the beautiful and inhospitable hills of Orljak, in the harsh winter conditions, yesterday was held the tenth in a row seminar “Ways of Winter Survival”. This was also the first event for this year, and judging by the number of participants, we can say that we starter off strongly and with gusto.
Immediately after arriving on location, a heavy rain started, which quickly turned to snow. And so, besides the cold, the warriors of Bujinkan Macedonia had to fight the wet clothes that clung to their bodies.
Let’s remember that during the first five years of this seminar, the teacher Igor Dovezenski readied his students for survival during winter conditions in the forest. During the last five, he taught the techniques of winter survival in hilly terrain. And from next year on, the seminar will move to rocky and stony terrain in the region of Sm’kneno.
From the time that the dojo was first created in the year 1995, we are the leading authority in Macedonia on the topic of survival in nature. When we organized seminars dedicated to this issue, there were no documentary shows on National Geographic or on YouTube. The public had nearly no knowledge of the fact that among them lived people that were specialists on the ways of perfecting the techniques of survival in nature.
In the end, we need to mention that during yesterday’s event, our member Vladimir Antovski was tested for the first level of “winter survival”, sadly he was but a hairs length form achieving his goal (he was but one point short). Immediately upon returning to Skopje, he wrote the following:
“Today was held the jubilee, the 10-th in a row seminar “Ways of Winter Survival”. I have to say that this was one of my top experiences, and it definitely was one of the most beautiful things that have happened to me in Bujinkan Macedonia. Not that any of the other winter seminars weren’t amazing, but until you have been left alone in the unforgiving wild, that today was in her full brutal glory, you do not realize what this event actually represents.
I can say this out of my own personal experience and would like for all those who have not experienced this –not to miss it. When Sensei told me that I shall be tested, deep inside I knew that I will have to give it my all, mostly so I didn’t disappoint him. The day before the seminar I kept repeating all the things that I had learned before and which are important for survival in winter conditions and I readied myself for any challenge. I had no doubt or second thoughts on my mind. When we reached the location where my compatriots parted ways with me and Sensei told me where I should go, I was overtaken by a great sense of joy, as if I was a little child. I felt happy about being able to experience nature in its entirety – no masks, no pretending, no lies, unconditionally. All those hours spent fighting her brutality, with soaking wet clothes, legs frozen stiff, with bloodied hands from the thorns, with the chilling wind – will be forgotten. But the emotions and memories of this wonderful day will remain forever”.