Soshinkan Leadership Training Camp 2026 Report
- 7月25日
- 読了時間: 15分
更新日：4 日前
The leadership training camp of the Soshinkan took place over five days from Thursday, July 16, to Monday, July 20, at the Soshinkan Grand Hombu Dojo on Awaji Island. Led by Ushiro Sensei, the camp brought together both Shihan, leaders from across Japan, and branch chiefs from the United States and Europe.
The theme of the camp was entering. On the first day, Sensei began with an overview and various verifications based on what he had written on the whiteboard regarding the core characteristics of Ushiro Karate: zeroka (bringing to zero), neutralization, and what it truly means to "take the sen" (preemption) in order to reach that state. There is a conscious realm of conflict and striking that can be verbalized, and an unconscious realm of harmony and neutralization that cannot. As one moves toward the latter, the precision of one's physical capabilities becomes far finer.
Starting on the second day, direct instruction and verification focused on the specific steps toward this state, particularly the flexible use of the elbows. Moving the elbows with total freedom is another defining feature of Ushiro Karate. Can you move an opponent when connected in a group? Can you move them while lying on the ground? Ushiro Sensei noted, "When something from a realm of fine precision is shown to a realm of coarse precision, the recipient cannot comprehend it." He repeatedly emphasized that all arrows must point toward oneself, not the opponent, stating, "The trigger for realization is different for everyone. When you can do it, your body understands it. Trying to do it is proof that you cannot."
On the third day, Enomoto Shihan and Takuji Shihan joined, leading training in two separate groups under their guidance. The practice covered basics, Ten no Kata, as well as kata and bunkai. Aligning constantly with the camp’s theme, Ushiro Sensei instructed, "Create ma (distance/space); when ma is established, ki flows there." At the same time, he addressed all participants strictly regarding their lack of severity and seriousness when facing bujutsu karate. Rejecting conflict and striking is meaningless unless one acquires a rationale and mastery that far surpasses them; otherwise, it is merely "otaku karate (nerd karate)" and cannot lead to the hope for the future that Sensei envisions. To achieve this, he explained the importance of uncompromising strictness with one another during verification, as well as the need to constantly ask oneself, "Why? What am I lacking right now?" rather than being happy when successful or discouraged when failing.
The Soshinkan Hombu Dojo is a special place where like-minded individuals gather. Through repeated training, each participant senses a depth of precision that cannot be experienced in daily life. This depth is not confined strictly to the dojo. During the dinner time, when the New York Branch Chief was pouring wine for Sensei, Sensei asked him, "You are enabled and doing it right now. So, which is the real training—when you cannot do it in the dojo, or right now?" He added, "It is because this group of people spends this much time together in this place that sensitivity heightens and understanding deepens."
The Japanese word for "human being" (Ningen / 人間) is written with characters meaning "between (間 ma) people (人 people)." In that space between people, underlying principles resonate and spread, but habits do so just as well. Children naturally absorb everything around them. Therefore, the responsibility of parents and surrounding adults is immense. Referencing the proverb "Everyone has their habits," Sensei repeatedly pointed out the habits each person carries unconsciously. External habits are relatively easy to correct, but internal habits and cellular movements lie within a person's subconscious and cannot be noticed unless pointed out. Throughout the five days of verifications, Ushiro Sensei provided uncompromising guidance both in the dojo and during gatherings so that everyone could face their individual challenges.
Ushiro Karate is a wonderful method for developing human potential, with daily life serving as the true ground for practice. If more people across Japan, the United States, Europe, and around the world acquire this practice, its ripple effect on their surroundings will connect directly to hope for the future. After five days of training, each participant left the Soshinkan Hombu Dojo with renewed resolve and a clear awareness of their own personal path forward.
Impressions
■MA New York Branch Chief
It is Friday afternoon, and I am still recovering and processing this year’s camp…. After a quick turnaround sleep Tuesday evening, I have been working hard, overcoming jetlag, and processing all that I went through during this camp experience.
Thursday evening, Sensei’s direct message to me was truly needed to be finally heard by me. He told me that as a person, I had Sen, but as soon as I was in a martial arts/bujutsu context, I stop allowing my inner self/potential to emerge and so that Sen could be expressed. The theme of shinken reverberated that message throughout my entire being. I left Germany upset with myself, because I was allowing my bad muscular habits to invade my experience as soon as I started to do any bunkai kumite. I endeavored to go back to my “baby steps” of beginning to physically practice kata after my back surgery and return to the movements without muscle tension and allowing my back to direct movement through my limbs.
There is something special and deep about training in the Awaji dojo. I was in the proper space within myself and began to practice Sanchin kata. Sensei told me that he observed that my Sanchin kata had changed and he gave me direct instruction in how to take that change into the direction that it was now ready (and overdue) to go in. This is where his Shinken message registered at a level that I had never experienced before. He was 100% accurate that I was not severe enough in the awareness of my movements in kata. He talked about Ma as going far beyond controlling time and space and linked it to the neutralization of the other person, while controlling time and space in a manner beyond the conscious awareness of the other person. This proper movement allows Ki to fill the space, which later transforms into Ki automatically filling the space. In practicing the movements that Sensei (and later from Enomoto Shihan). I became aware of the different “feelings” of moving with excess muscle tension, movement without muscle tension that is empty of ki, and proper movement that embodies Ki. I have been so severely focused on becoming aware of my loss of Ki flow in my movements and I am practicing these movements awareness throughout my day. The class I taught last night, the students, particularly Scott, was very cued into substantial changes he observed in me. I shared with my students my personal focus and they were able to experience their different responses to how I moved, which I hope helps them to quicken their own progress.
The other major point that hit deeply home for me, is the lack of severity in my focus in how I am not letting the goal of harmonizing and helping to heal a sick, combative world imbue all my experience. I am now that I can do this well in my professional life as a psychologist, but that I need to aspire to do a better job with everyone else in my life.
This is the first camp I have returned from in a long time in which I feel positive change happening and am excited to see how I can accelerate my personal development by maintaining the necessary severity towards my daily being. I hope that this development can be observable when I train under Enomoto Shihan next month in Seattle.
■T.K Tokyo Jissenjuku
Ushiro Sensei,
Thank you very much for allowing me to participate in the leadership camp at the Soshinkan Hombu Dojo and for giving us such invaluable guidance.
To train at the Awaji Island Hombu Dojo alongside you, both Shihan, and fellow students from overseas—and to share meals and living space with you for five full days—is a truly rare and precious experience. While I am deeply honored to have been given this opportunity, it has made me realize even more strongly that I must approach Ushiro Karate with a far greater sense of responsibility and self-awareness as a leadership member.
Bujutsu is a strict world where you either can or cannot do it. No matter how extraordinary the guidance we receive, unless we personally realize and master it within our own mind and body, it does not truly belong to us. When we fail to perform, there is always a reason behind it. We have no choice but to uncover the countless underlying causes residing within our current selves, one by one, and overcome them through integrated mind-body practice.
These causes include the bad habit of filtering everything through intellectual logic, the subtle ego and desires lurking in our hearts, and, as you specifically pointed out this time, even self-deprecation or subservience. During the practice of kata and bunkai kumite, you corrected many of my physical habits and unnecessary extra movements (shakuri). These, too, can only be corrected through physical refinement.
The pinnacle of bujutsu—taking sen to enter the opponent and neutralize them—operates in the subconscious realm of under 0.5 seconds, and the super-subconscious realm of under 0.2 seconds. Because your ki reaches down to the level of one-millionth of a second—the timescale of our cells—you can instantly transform us between a state where we can perform and a state where we cannot. This subconscious realm can only be felt through the mind and body; the moment one tries to think about it, it freezes and vanishes. As you told us, "Human growth exists solely within this subconscious world of under 0.5 seconds." You also explained that human evolution means refining and expanding our inner depth (memori) through sincere devotion (magokoro), which constitutes true growth and directly enables us to enter and neutralize the opponent.
During this training, when Mana-san performed Sanchin kata, I could clearly feel a wave of radiating energy emanating throughout the space. Experiencing this wave beyond all logic with my entire body filled me with an overwhelming conviction that human beings possess truly limitless potential. This emotional moment was the most impactful experience of the camp for me.
It is a world entirely untouched by gender, age, physical build, or social status—a world that transcends conflict and confrontation, subduing the opponent through harmony and integration. This is the realm of Ushiro Karate, and I believe it exists nowhere else on earth. Today, as wars, conflicts, discrimination, and unimaginable tragedies continue around the globe, I believe the teachings of Ushiro Karate represent the sole solution to break free from this state, especially for the children who bear the future on their shoulders.
Whenever the camp comes to an end, I am initially overcome by a profound sense of powerlessness and exhaustion, rendering me unable to do anything. Yet, as time passes, a quiet energy welling up inside brings me back to the resolve that I simply must press forward. I believe this happens because, at the subconscious level, we were repeatedly exposed to an astronomical amount of energy during the camp. Even if I cannot recall every detail of what occurred during training right now, I know those experiences will continuously bubble up to the surface over time. I am filled with overwhelming gratitude for being granted such an irreplaceable, life-changing experience during this leadership camp.
Moving forward, I will continue to search for the root causes of my shortcomings during solo practice, act upon them in daily life, and strive to practice Ushiro Karate in every moment so that I may continuously refine my inner precision.
I humbly ask for your continued guidance and mentorship.
Thank you very much.
■M.K Europe Branch Chief
The Awaji training camp was an intensive and profound experience for me. Training under the direct guidance of Sensei and within his immediate field of observation gave me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of the principles of Bujutsu significantly. The immediate corrections and explanations showed me that there is far more behind each technique than its physical execution alone. I was able to experience a deeper entry into the world of Bujutsu and gain a clearer understanding of the connections between its various principles.
A particular focus of the camp was placed on the topics of “Entering” and “Nullification.” I was especially grateful that these subjects were explored so thoroughly, as I had personally requested that they become a central part of the training. I truly appreciate Sensei giving this topic his attention and dedicating time to its deeper exploration. Through working intensively on these foundations, I gained a greater understanding of how important proper entering, positioning, and dissolving the opponent’s structure are for creating effective techniques.
Another important part of the training was the verification of techniques related to the principle of “Taking the Sen” as well as the conscious creation of “Ma.” I came to understand that techniques can only unfold naturally when distance, timing, and positioning work together in harmony. This creates a state in which movement can flow without unnecessary force. This insight has greatly expanded my understanding of the fundamental principles of Bujutsu.
I see my responsibility now as taking the learning objectives developed during the training camp and applying them not only in the dojo, but also consciously in my daily life. Presence, awareness, mindfulness, and proper timing are values that I want to carry with me beyond training and that should continue to support my personal development.
One of my personal goals is to pass on the knowledge and insights I gained during this camp to my children’s training groups. My intention is not only to teach techniques, but also to share the values and principles of Bujutsu in a way that is appropriate for their age. I hope that through this they will not only develop martial skills, but also experience respect, confidence, discipline, and the joy of learning together.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sensei. I deeply appreciate this exceptionally profound introduction into the world of Ushiro Karate. This training camp has enriched me both technically and personally and has provided me with valuable inspiration for my continued journey. I look forward to further developing what I have learned, incorporating it into my daily life, and passing it on to the next generation.
■J.D Seattle Branch Chief
The recent Kanbu Gasshuku in Awaji was both revelatory and transformative for me.
The camp’s theme of entry gave me an exceptionally clear window into the inner world of Ushiro Karate. It felt as though I was being given a guided tour through karate’s internal principles. Before the camp, I had many questions about ma and its relationship to ki, zero, and entry. By the end of the second day, I had a much clearer understanding in my body of what these concepts are, how they feel, and how they interact.
On the first day, Sensei asked us to move a line of people. Unsurprisingly, I failed. I made many mistakes: I intended to move the line rather than enter, I relied on my head instead of my body, I thought too much, held my breath, and failed to create zero. The lesson—that we must first integrate the body, establish zero, and then enter—was a profound revelation. Through this exercise, I saw how deeply conditioned I am to create conflict and opposition in almost everything I do. I realized how much of a prisoner I am to that conditioning. Becoming aware of it also opens the exciting possibility that I can free myself from it.
The work Sensei had us do with nakaware and ude uke to establish ma revealed the incredible depth contained within these basic forms. I was encouraged to discover that genuine ma and entry can be developed through the basics alone. I also came away with a much clearer understanding of the mistakes I have been making—such as not moving from the elbow or failing to complete kaiten—and how even an approximation of the correct movement creates a tangible sense of ma and entry. The guidance I received from Enomoto Shihan on ude uke, nakaware, the proper use of the elbows, and the creation of kaiten was invaluable. It gave me confidence that these fundamentals are the path to developing ma and entry.
The five days were a complete immersion in Sensei’s teaching of entry, ma, zero, and ki. I was determined to stay fully focused and not waste a single opportunity to learn and change. I treated every lesson Sensei gave to others as though it were directed to me. This level of immersion demanded intense concentration, and I felt more present and actively engaged than I ever have before.
One of my greatest realizations was that every human being possesses extraordinary hidden potential. Kata and the basics are the keys to unlocking it. What became clear to me during this gasshuku, however, is that progress depends on the quality of practice, not the quantity. It is the precision of the movement, attention to detail, and the correct feeling that produce change—not the number of repetitions. I can now see that my previous emphasis on quantity often reinforced poor habits instead of eliminating them. I had heard Sensei say this before, but after five days of intensive training, those words became something I could feel in my body. Even a week later, that understanding remains with me.
I also realized that simply practicing kata is not enough to produce these qualitative changes. Moving from C and D to A and B, as described in Sensei’s diagram, requires constant awareness of ma, posture, ki flow, and breathing throughout daily life, no matter how ordinary the activity. It is about pursuing quality, detail, and depth in every aspect of karate, allowing improvement in one area to transform every other area. Depth, not quantity, is what matters.
I have often heard that karate must be practiced "24/7." Thanks to this complete immersion in Sensei’s teaching, I now have a much deeper understanding of what those words truly mean and a stronger determination to make them a reality. Living karate fully is the goal. Making karate my life is Ushiro Karate.
I was also very happy to see how naturally Gina is able to enter and use ki. Watching her was inspiring and reinforced once again that time alone does not produce progress—only the right kind of training does. I am fortunate to have her guidance as I work to improve both my posture and my approach to training.
Finally, I was deeply encouraged by the support that Sensei and the Shihan have shown for the children's classes and summer camp that I will be leading. Their encouragement gives my karate and my life a renewed sense of purpose. I also feel that the children themselves will become important teachers for me. I look forward to this next stage of my training, and thanks to Sensei and this gasshuku, I believe I can make some of the changes necessary to work effectively with children.
■G.D Seattle Branch
We owe thanks to Michael Koethe’s question for the theme of this year’s camp: “entering”. In order to enter, we have to first create ma. On Friday Sensei showed me one way to do this using nakaware. I had mixed results due, I think, to changing my focus from myself to the group. When I was able to maintain an inward focus and include the group I had more success. I see that my attitude to this is incorrect - I am happy when it works and frustrated when it doesn’t. At one point Sensei asked how I felt and I said “happy”, but I also felt physically light, which I think may have been a better answer.
Sensei also said I am still too dependent on my images. I think I have always used imagery in learning and I’m becoming aware of my tendency for my logical mind to edit my experiences. Even though I have a long way to go, I feel like I am on an edge of becoming a person who can rather than a person who cannot.
Because Sensei paired me with Mana san, I was able to observe her way of being. When I asked how she did something, she said “I have no idea”. This was an example of operating from a pre-conscious state as Sensei had outlined of the whiteboard. I want to develop myself through kata and bunkai practice in order to access this awareness at stage A or B when in a state of harmony. I realize that this can be done only through strict adherence to detail and will direct my focus towards improving in this way.
I am grateful to Sensei, Enomoto Shihan and Takuji Shihan for their patience and clear instruction.
■J.A Germany Branch
The training camp in Awaji was once again a valuable opportunity for me to further deepen my practice of Ushiro-Karate.
Through daily training and Sensei’s direct instruction, I was able to experience concepts I was already familiar with on a very deep level and thus internalize them more fully.
I am well aware that understanding Ushiro-Karate can be improved not only through hard training and the mere acquisition of knowledge, but also through the non-judgmental acceptance of the movement sequences taught.
During these days, I repeatedly realized that I need to strengthen my confidence in my own inherent capabilities. As long as doubts remain, the natural unfolding of my innate energy is restricted.
An important new insight for me was the realization that arm movements do not always have to be performed at the same speed. During the bunkai exercises with my partner, I was able to experience this under Sensei’s direct guidance, which made the importance of timing and natural movement clear to me.
Sensei’s advice that one can gradually approach an understanding of how to generate Ki energy through individual techniques was also particularly valuable to me. This showed me a concrete path to developing a deeper understanding—not through intellectual reflection, but through consistent practice.
I was deeply impressed by Sensei’s call to cultivate positive energy not only during training but also to carry it out into the world through my own actions in everyday life. Current developments around the globe show that change must arise not solely from above, but rather from many small actions. Therefore, I will continue to strive to recognize my own bad habits and gradually overcome them.
Once again, I was fascinated by Sensei’s natural joint mobility. This showed me once more that energy arises not from tension, but from relaxation combined with the harmonious engagement of the entire body. Resistance prevents the free flow of energy; therefore, one should perceive one’s opponent and adapt in such a way that the situation can be resolved without unnecessary counterforce.
Sensei’s comments regarding our current issues with our Polish friends also showed me that the principles of Ushiro-Karate are not limited to training in the dojo. They helped me see the bigger picture even in this rather challenging situation.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sensei for his intensive instruction, especially for his patience and his trust in me. The insights I gained in Awaji have once again shown me how far I still have to go on my path. I take these experiences with me with gratitude and will strive to deepen them further in training and in daily life.
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