August 8th-September 6th, 2012
The Aikido Nippon Kan Summer Marathon 2012 was a 30 day intensive marathon practice instructed by Homma Kancho. Homma Kancho travels abroad extensively for AHAN about six months a year but August is a month of concentrated practice for Nippon Kan members and international uchideshi students with Homma Kancho in the lead.
Uchideshi students from different parts of the world joined Nippon Kan students for this special training highlighted with special guests and events.
Watch video of the special training for the international uchideshi.
Nippon Kan General Headquarters supported international students to attend the Summer Marathon training this year by subsidizing all training, lodging and meals for any international uchideshi that challenged and completed the program. Homma Kancho said, “If a well-known Aikido instructor comes as a guest instructor for a weekend, the expenses are high and the training, while interesting, does not vastly improve the technical level of students in attendance. A weekend seminar is an event not the extended training needed to achieve those results”.
Instead, Homma Kancho invited Aikidoka from all over the world, 3rd Kyu and above to attend the training for 30 days expense free if they completed the training. Homma Kancho believes that the experience, communication and training benefits to all students attending the marathon is a far greater investment than a one weekend event.
This marathon intensive included not only daily practice at Nippon Kan Headquarters dojo, but many quality events. The marathon ended with the traditional “Rocky Mountain Road Trip” to Salida, a small town 3 hours west of Denver in the Rocky Mountains. Here students joined Nippon Kan Certified Instructor Rick Thompson and his students at Yama Dojo for practice, mountain training, camping and a trip to the hot springs!
In 2013, the Nippon Kan Summer Marathon is scheduled for August 6th-September 4th, 2013. Uchideshi are invited to stay up to 3 months, including the month-long marathon training. Fees for training, housing and meals for extended uchideshi stays are $300.00 per month for the summer which will be refunded if the entire program is completed.