Rome Italy Seminar 2023
Ushiro Sensei led the first seminar in Rome, Italy, over the weekend of October 21 and 22, 2023. A total of nearly 60 people from Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the U.S., and Japan attended.
Day 1:
Since half of the participants were from Italy and it was the first time for them to be under the guidance of Ushiro Sensei, the first morning started with the basics of sword (iai) and 5 iai kata so that they could experience the three characteristics of Ushiro karate: karate, wooden sword (iai), and Ki.
In the afternoon, the basics of karate were taught, including Ten no Kata and Sanchin. Ushiro Sensei repeatedly emphasized that Ushiro karate is fundamentally different from the sports karate that the participants had studied in the past.
Karate tends to focus on the strength of destruction, such as defeating a relative opponent or breaking a board, but this keeps the human being in a small realm. In contrast to such karate, swordsmanship (iai) aims for a state of "victory without fighting" through the act of putting the drawn sword back into its original sheath. Furthermore, the most distinctive feature of Ushiro karate, "ki," is a method of capturing the energy of the universe and harmonizing and merging with all things. Unlike sports, martial arts are an essential part of the human condition.
The participants were asked to verify the changes that occur when one performs the correct movements in the correct posture, not only by teaming up with an opponent, but also by having two people carry a bench on which a person was lying down.
Although many of the participants had seen Ushiro Sensei on video before, they could not hide their amazement at the extraordinary world of the unknown that he demonstrated on the spot. Each time, Sensei told them that everyone had this energy, but emphasized that they were blocking it themselves. He reiterated the need for a neutral body and mind as a way to access the invisible Ki energy, and the need for a kata to create it.
Video: A proper strike and kata generates gravity
Day 2:
Based on the first day's practice, the second day was spent on the Bunkai of Sanchin and the teaching of Naifanchin. He also explained that the Bunkai practice is often misunderstood, and that throwing and seizing are the result, not the purpose.
Several students of Sub-branch chief Emanuele’s students were teenagers, including triplets, and their positive attitude and the way their eyes lit up when they learned from Sensei highlighted the difference in attitude between adults and children when it comes to learning.
Six adults hold down a 17-year-old boy who is sitting on his knees. While in today’s common sense it would be impossible to stand up, the boy was able to stand up with ease when Ki was applied to him. This is the power of Ki, the unknown energy of human beings. Maintaining the status quo is regression. Ushiro Sensei showed us that Ushiro Karate is the very thing that leads to hope for the future.
Video: Verification of energy when standing up
The children also spent time with each other during breaks, participating in dinner, and coming to greet Sensei after the seminar.
Over the course of the two days, Ushiro Sensei spoke about how there are no answers for the future in the extension of sport and power, and that even in war, it is civilians who are sacrificed. He repeatedly taught that what is needed is to acquire the power of harmony as a skill that is accompanied by actual ability, not spiritually, and that Ushiro karate and kata are necessary for this purpose.
It had been a dream for 10 years for Sub-branch chief Emanuele to invite Ushiro Sensei to Italy, and the hospitality and attention to detail of the Italian team, including Emanuele, were fantastic. Many people gathered not only at the seminar, but at the reception and others. The children (17 years old) even attended the evening reception, which they had not originally planned.
The seminar was a great opportunity for each and every one of the participants to realize how much the charm of Ushiro Sensei and Ushiro karate attracts people and gives them hope for the future.
Impressions
F. F.
It was a very wonderful day. This is the first time I have attended one of Ushiro Sensei’'s seminars. It was really wonderful. I am very happy. I was surprised to see something today that other teachers did not have at all. I could feel his energy. After the seminar, I want to go back to my dojo and continue what Sensei taught me. I am really happy.
M.A.
The energy that Sensei exuded from his atmosphere was wonderful. I have never experienced anything like this before. I felt my body soften and I learned that it is important. I have been studying with Emanuele since I was 10 years old.
N.M
The atmosphere of the seminar was very good, and everyone was very supportive, which is something you don't usually see in seminars. I was very surprised when I saw what Ushiro Sensei was doing. I had never experienced it before, so I will try to experience it by actually touching Sensei. I started karate with others and I have been training with Emanuel since I was 10 years old.
S.B
I am very happy to participate. I have already attended several seminars. It was good to learn something new every time. There are always a lot of surprises. Sensei’s Ki is the most wonderful thing. I like Naifanchin's kata very much because it is a kata that gives me instantaneous power. I look forward to Naifanchin's guidance.
M
I participated for the first time. It was a very interesting experience. It was good to have a deep taste of something I had never experienced before, something different from the karate I had been practicing until now. Through this profound experience, I feel that I can understand what karate is and who I am. I learned that it is important to know your potential. It is hard to explain, but what I felt yesterday was a kind of "hardness" (something hard?), like something that went into my body, like, let's say, a stone that fell on top of water, and I could feel the difference in the weight of my body. Not only knowing my potential, but how I could use it to change my life. This seminar was good timing for me, as I was at a time in my life when I was thinking about those things. I started karate in 2011.
N.C
Seeing Sensei Ushiro is a unique emotion, above all incredible and absurd. In the interview, among the questions I was asked what I understood from the seminar, I didn't know what to answer other than everything I saw, every gesture and movement of the sensei that came out of the imagination. Another question was how the seminar experience seemed to me and here too I found it difficult to answer, I can only say that it is something that only a few people will have the pleasure of seeing and appreciating, in addition to the purely of karate seeing the things that Sensei Ushiro can do is a pleasure for the eyes, combined with a sense of confusion of the mind that cannot explain what is happening. Thanks to this event I began to understand better about my body and everything that even just a correct posture can do, I also understood that even the smallest details are important and can make the difference. The most important thing that I understood is that karate is not the hours of training or those spent in the dojo but it is a lifestyle that accompanies you in every moment of the day. I would recommend anyone to participate in an event like this, even those who perhaps don't believe in it, to broaden their knowledge and try new things. Truly a wonderful experience, I hope to do it again as soon as possible.
F.G
It was wonderful. I had a lot of experiences. Each time I attend, I learn more and more things and my horizons are broadened. There is always new and more information. Even though the seminar is the same every time, I feel like I get more information each time I attend.
On the outside, I have learned many things that need to be fixed in various details. On the inside, the most important thing is that I need to become unified. I realized that my body, including my posture, was falling into a partial body, and that the important thing was to seek for a unified body, not a partial body.
(Regarding the verification of standing up from seiza) It was completely different when I was allowed to let Ki pass through me and when I was not allowed to let Ki pass through me. It was very painful without Ki, but with Ki, it did not hurt at all and I was able to stand up very easily with little difficulty.
I am still a university student, but I am also working at the same time.
I practice alone. Always thinking about what needs to be changed. When I do kata, I try to practice focusing on what I couldn't do or what I did wrong, not in terms of parts.
M.M.
I was surprised by Sensei's softness. Both karate and iai were full of great energy and we became one with Sensei's Ki, his greatness and kata. This was the second time I participated. The first was the Berlin seminar in 2015. Sensei's Ki has evolved even more since then, and while it was amazing then, I am even more amazed at the evolution this time.
I am very grateful to Emanuele because it was through him that I was able to meet Ushiro Sensei. Emanuele has changed tremendously since he met Ushiro Sensei. He has become much softer than he used to be, he tries to create the same atmosphere in the dojo that we saw in this seminar, and he tries to pass on Ushiro Sensei's teachings to us every day.
I train twice a week, I have been doing karate since I was 7 years old and in the beginning I was doing sports karate, but now I am learning the depth of karate. Since we switched to Ushiro Karate, we have become more open to learning new things, and we have changed the way we think about and approach karate. I am very happy now to have such a change.
M.M
I was very happy to be able to participate. I learned new things and new impressions. What I learned the most was surprise. I was surprised that I could do it. I felt power when I was held back in the verification of being held back and standing, but I could understand the difference between when I was careful and when I was not.
M.M.
I have been studying Ushiro Karate for 3 years now. I was very surprised to see Sensei's techniques in person, as opposed to watching a video. I learned for the first time today that the softer a person is, the more power he has. It was really amazing to see someone shorter than me knock down a much larger person.
I think many people would find it hard to believe if they only watch the video, but I want to tell everyone that they should see it in person. It was a great shock. The most important things I learned were the importance of being soft, the correct posture when listening, and the power of concentration.
N.C
The seminar was great. They made me do wonderful things and when I lifted the bench earlier, I was amazed at how the weight changed when the teacher let my mind go through it. It was my first experience. I had done Ushiro Karate through my own sensei, but this was the first time I had met him. What I learned was how to use my body and how to get heavier. I also learned about wooden swords. I have been learning from Emanuele for 4 years. Before that I was doing sports karate. I would like to continue Ushiro Karate in the future. I realized that I still have a lot to learn.
A.M
I was very moved. I met Sensei in person for the first time and was impressed by the importance of the heart. I have been practicing Ushiro Karate for two years, but before that I practiced sports karate for about two years. Sports karate uses muscles, but Ushiro karate is based on relaxing, not muscles. I really like Bokken. I will keep up the good work.
A.G
I am not a professional now, but I used to be a professional archer. I am not a professional anymore, but I would like to practice more and make progress. Ushiro Sensei told me that when I was shooting an archery arrow, my body was floating, and that was why I could not shoot a good arrow. He taught me how to stabilize my body, which he hoped would lead to better results. If the center of my body is off, I will make mistakes. It was my first time to participate. It was a great atmosphere, everyone was eager to learn, and the teacher's guidance was wonderful in changing the participants. That is my impression. It is wonderful that you are trying to share your profound knowledge with the participants.
S.P
The seminar was very interesting. We were able to see how Ushiro Sensei actually teaches, not only the techniques, but also how to live and how to lead our lives, and this was the best part because it helped us to grow. We also got to know each other, which is the best way to harmonize with others. That was a very important lesson. It is very important to be compassionate and united with each other. It was great to be able to interact with people from different countries. This was the second time.
I.M
It was a pleasure to meet you Sensei. There is always something to learn in Ushiro Karate that will help me become a better me. There is something that I have been looking for all these years, and I am convinced that this is it. This is what I am looking for. It will take me a long time to get there, but it is amazingly worth i.
E.A.
I have been preparing for a year for this seminar, which is the goal, and I am very happy that all the people were pleased with this seminar. I have been preparing for this seminar in order to call on instructors from other schools as much as possible and to let them know as much as possible about Ushiro Sensei and what kind of teaching he is doing.
Michael was very generous with his wealth of experience and advice in organizing this seminar. What I understood from this seminar was that the atmosphere was even better than in previous seminars, and I learned a lot about Ushiro karate and how deep Sensei's teaching is.
I was very happy to have Ushiro Sensei in Italy, because my students were very interested. For them, this seminar was a great opportunity to experience Ushiro Sensei in person, as he always talks about. Many of them were very impressed with him. I have grown with each seminar. I am truly grateful for his guidance. It is a great honor to have you as our teacher. I will continue to learn from Sensei so that I can continue to grow.
M.K
I would like to thank first of all Ushiro Sensei and everyone who came to this seminar. I am very happy that Emanuele made this seminar a success. It was a great seminar. We all learned a lot, and I would like to personally thank you for Sensei’s guidance. He showed us many things, including techniques. Thank you very much.
F.F.
It had the same impact as usual, but I am reminded of how important the basics are. I learned again that it is important to practice those basics in a straightforward manner.
I felt how important it is because I have to lead as a leader of Hungary. There are many very important parts of the basics, no matter how small, and when you combine them, I think it will be important from now on to notice them and concentrate on teaching everything, even the smallest things.
There were times when I felt fuzzy and couldn't concentrate, but I still think it is necessary to think about the lingering mind.
The young people were there and I was very impressed with their reactions. Young people change quickly. I was very impressed by that, and I think my own son also changed quickly.
When holding seminars in Hungary, it is important to invite experienced karate masters, but it is also important to invite young people, students, and to see their surprised faces. I would like to try to invite young people and let them feel that kind of atmosphere. Thank you very much. I will do my best.