1) What is your name?
-"Marko."
2) How old are you?
-"32."
3) What is your nationality?
-"Finnish."
4) Why did you come to Japan?
-"This time it was a combination of a holiday and training sessions with Takada-Sensei."
5) When did you start iaidô and why?
-"I started iaidô in 1997 when Musô Shinden ryû practice started at Tampere. I had been interested in iaidô already for few years, but as the closest dôjô was few hundred kilometers away I couldn't start practicing earlier."
6) Have you ever participated in iai demonstration in Japan? What was it like? How about in Finland?
-"Yes, we were at Hachimangu enbu this January and I've also participated in many domestic enbus. I think the biggest difference is that in Finland you not only participate in the enbu, but also have to arrange it while in Japan everything is pre-arranged and you simply show up and do your part. Another difference is size; at least Hachimangu enbu was huge compared to Finnish ones. Added benefit in Japanese enbus is that you get to see many different styles of iai when in Finland you already know all participants and their iai."
7) Is there a difference between training in Japan and in Europe?
-"Yes there is. I think you Japanese iaidokas are lucky as you have Takada-Sensei with you in every practice sessions whereas we practice together and try to recall Sensei's teachings from his seminars. There simply is no substitute for the real source."
8) What do you think about Takada Gakudô Sensei's style related to iaidô and training?
-"I like Takada-Sensei's style a lot. Compared to many other teachers, his iai is very powerful and alive, it is very real. I also like his traditional teaching style; I only wish my Japanese would be better so I could get more out of it."
9) What kind of a teacher is Takada Gakudô Sensei?
-"Takada-Sensei leads by example, which I think is great. You are not offered any shortcuts but he simply shows you what you should do and then you have to understand yourself what exactly he is showing and "steal" it from him. Sure, there can be faster ways to learn, but in my opinion this is the only way that guarantees that you truly learn and understand your iai as you have to work hard for it."
10) What would you like to say to someone who is thinking about starting iaidô?
-"A good friend of mine always says that you have to have more pressing reasons for not to do something than to do it. I agree with this so I would urge everybody who thinks about starting to go ahead and give it a try. Iaidô might not be for everybody's taste, but everybody can try it out and make their minds based on their own experience."
Yokohama, Japan 2009/10/10
-"Marko."
2) How old are you?
-"32."
3) What is your nationality?
-"Finnish."
4) Why did you come to Japan?
-"This time it was a combination of a holiday and training sessions with Takada-Sensei."
5) When did you start iaidô and why?
-"I started iaidô in 1997 when Musô Shinden ryû practice started at Tampere. I had been interested in iaidô already for few years, but as the closest dôjô was few hundred kilometers away I couldn't start practicing earlier."
6) Have you ever participated in iai demonstration in Japan? What was it like? How about in Finland?
-"Yes, we were at Hachimangu enbu this January and I've also participated in many domestic enbus. I think the biggest difference is that in Finland you not only participate in the enbu, but also have to arrange it while in Japan everything is pre-arranged and you simply show up and do your part. Another difference is size; at least Hachimangu enbu was huge compared to Finnish ones. Added benefit in Japanese enbus is that you get to see many different styles of iai when in Finland you already know all participants and their iai."
7) Is there a difference between training in Japan and in Europe?
-"Yes there is. I think you Japanese iaidokas are lucky as you have Takada-Sensei with you in every practice sessions whereas we practice together and try to recall Sensei's teachings from his seminars. There simply is no substitute for the real source."
8) What do you think about Takada Gakudô Sensei's style related to iaidô and training?
-"I like Takada-Sensei's style a lot. Compared to many other teachers, his iai is very powerful and alive, it is very real. I also like his traditional teaching style; I only wish my Japanese would be better so I could get more out of it."
9) What kind of a teacher is Takada Gakudô Sensei?
-"Takada-Sensei leads by example, which I think is great. You are not offered any shortcuts but he simply shows you what you should do and then you have to understand yourself what exactly he is showing and "steal" it from him. Sure, there can be faster ways to learn, but in my opinion this is the only way that guarantees that you truly learn and understand your iai as you have to work hard for it."
10) What would you like to say to someone who is thinking about starting iaidô?
-"A good friend of mine always says that you have to have more pressing reasons for not to do something than to do it. I agree with this so I would urge everybody who thinks about starting to go ahead and give it a try. Iaidô might not be for everybody's taste, but everybody can try it out and make their minds based on their own experience."
Yokohama, Japan 2009/10/10
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