The Buyu Camp Concept

[Dale Seago]

From another thread:

Originally Posted by Dale Seago

We just had our annual East Coast Buyu Camp in New Jersey last weekend. Steffen Froehlich from Germany was there to teach as usual -- he's been to several (West Coast ones as well) and has taken the concept home, where he hosts a Buyu Camp each year.

This time we also had a judan friend of mine from Wales, Murray Taylor, and a friend of his from Liverpool. This was his first time at any Bujinkan event other than Tai Kai and Daikomyosai with Soke, and he totally fell in love with the concept and approach. . .so much so that he and his friend are setting up a Buyu Camp in Liverpool for the 4th of July weekend next year (2006).

I'm going to try to attend myself. There's a good chance we can also get some of the Irish over, and it should also give me a chance for a quick run north over the Border: I've dreamed for years of visiting Scotland, and since I'd already be on the same island. . .

It might be helpful to explain how this whole thing works. We've been doing these on the West Coast for years; just had the second one on the East Coast; it's been going in Germany for 3-4 years now; and is about to happen in England next year (Murray's going to call it "BuyU.K." )

The idea was Jack Hoban's originally, drawn from the Native American (Lakota, a Plains Indian group) concept of the "tribal hoop". In order to "keep going" in a sustainable way, Lakota bands would spend most of the year in their own respective nomadic territories, living within the resources they had there. But once a year all the bands would come together for a while to trade with each other, spread news and tell stories, work on crafts and prepare provisions for the coming winter. . .all that sort of "sustaining and cross-pollenating" stuff.

And when it was over the various bands would return to their own territories to "do their own thing", until the next annual gathering.

I s'pose you could think of it as a Native American Tai Kai. :-)

Of course, we don't have Tai Kai here with Soke any more; and the day will ultimately come when he no longer teaches. People will still go to Japan to train with various shihan, I hope; but apart from that, how do we "keep going" and maintain a healthy and vibrant "Bujinkan culture" outside Japan?

This is one way to do it.

Here is a "quick & dirty" overview of how it works in the US (here it's a Friday through Sunday event, while Steffen hosts a 4-day camp in Germany):

Training begins on a Friday evening, generally with a review of fundamentals led by the host (Jack Hoban at those here in the US); usually just runs a couple of hours. The bulk of the training is Saturday & Sunday.

Saturday morning's training is again "led" by the host (though anyone could be designated for that) and generally focuses mainly on taijutsu with a "theme of the year" flavor. While Jack sort of "sets the tone" in terms of concepts and principles, all other instructors present are strongly encouraged to jump in at any time to elaborate further on what's being shown, present peripheral things/ideas, address problems they may see large numbers of folks experiencing, and so on. This goes until lunch.

After lunch comes a series of "breakout sessions", a couple of class sessions lasting up to an hour and a half with half the instructors teaching their own separate classes during the first session, and the other half during the second. They can teach anything, on any subject, they choose. People decide whose classes they'd most like to attend, show up, and sign in. . .This also allows the instructors themselves to go and train in other teachers' classes for at least one session.

In the evening, junior-level instructors may teach sessions as well.

Sunday morning it's a couple more "breakout" sessions until lunch. In the afternoon, it again is a "community" training led by Jack, usually focusing on weapons (Saturday was taijutsu) for another half-day, again with the other instructors jumping into the mix whenever they feel like it (and sometimes "getting volunteered" if they haven't contributed anything for a bit. ).

So Saturday begins with a half-day of "community" training, followed by a half-day of "breakout" sessions; with (as of this year) the order reversed on Sunday with more breakout sessions in the morning and everyone brought together to do the "community" thing again in the afternoon. Then people say goodbye, go back to their own "tribal territories" and do their own thing -- whatever that happens to be -- in their own way, until the next year's gathering.

So each person attending goes through training where everyone is together and working on the same stuff; but also spends half the camp able to "tailor" their own training with instructors they want to spend time with, on subjects that particularly interest them.

The event is advertised, but no formal invitations are issued: "No one is invited, everyone is welcome". There are no obligations to do anything, even maintain contact, once the camp is over -- in other words there is no "organization" being formed.

There are potential obstacles for teachers. The first is that no one, the organizers included, makes any money off the camps. After the camp expenses are recovered, whatever's left gets divided among the instructors who taught -- typically 5 to 10 dollars for each person who signed in for a given instructor's breakout sessions. In a "good year" a popular instructor might walk away from the camp with 200 to 400 dollars. Whoopee. So it's not a financial incentive, really just a sort of honorarium. That typically doesn't go over too well with instructors who teach commercially and try to make their living from it.

Another potential obstacle is that any instructor can announce that they want to teach one or more breakout sessions, on whatever subject they like, and they're welcome to go for it. . .But there's no guarantee that anyone will show up to train with them. That's decided purely by people "voting with their feet" and attending the sessions THEY want to go to. It has happened that an instructor has no one show up at his session. It's also happened that only a couple of people show up for a Saturday session. . .and then the Sunday session is full to bursting, because people have been talking among themselves Saturday night about what their respective experiences were like. Conversely, there have been cases where an instructor's Saturday session was full due to some self-promotion, with no one showing up on Sunday, for the same reason. This unpredictability doesn't go over too well with instructors who have ego problems, want to be the "main attraction" or center of attention at an event, etc.

So what we mostly get at these camps are teachers who feel secure about themselves and their abilities; who love Soke's budo; who aren't "mercenary"; and who love both sharing their knowledge and learning from others.

The ones who have a need to "be a big fish in a small pond"; who have "control issues" regarding their students and what they learn; who are trying to make money off the art; etc., etc. . .don't show up.

And no one misses them.

[Dale Seago]

Originally Posted by Dale Seago

There are potential obstacles for teachers. The first is that no one, the organizers included, makes any money off the camps.

Actually there's a minor exception to that, which I forgot to mention. We always have a "camp store" for training-related merchandise, where anyone who wants to can sell videos, training weapons, cool t-shirts & sweatshirts, and other gear before, between, and after the training sessions. Ed Martin always brings some of his "trademark" hickory walking canes and bokken, while Dick Severance always has inventive and genuinely evil little toys for sale. . .

[Wolf Clan]

Dale,

Weekend camps are always a blast. When I did my initial training back in 1995 we had a thing called "Ninja Fest". It was hosted in O'Fallon Missouri and ran from 1993-1997, I attended in 1996 and 1997. It was AWESOME. No one made any money off of it- the only fee a person would pay was to cover the cost of renting the area we stayed at, and that was only like 25 or 50 bux for a 3 day weekend. We stayed at a boy scout camp which had barracks, a mess hall etc. We did room clearing with squirt guns with a person that was a US marshall- which got me started in my interest in Law Enforcement and that helped lead up to me being hired as an Officer this year

I am looking at buying some property in Arizona, should be later this year, and once I get established there I will be hosting a "Ninja Fest" once or twice per year. It will either be free, or the only charge will be to cover food for everyone and other minor things. I would expect instructors and students to show up to LEARN and not make money. Non making money of course excludes selling goods, I myself am beginning to make wooden weapons and eventually make metal ones like Juttes, shuriken and eventually swords, etc. But for training, I have always taught for free and I feel that should be stressed when it comes to learning any martial art, especially Budo. Nothing wrong with making money, I just have no interest in it

I will keep everyone posted when things start to fall in place

[Dale Seago]

Don't forget to come to the Buyu Camp, either West (http://www.winjutsu.com/seminars/buyucamp/) or East (http://www.winjutsu.com/seminars/buyucampeast/) too while you're at it. It's the largest concentration of judan(+) instructors in one place that you'll find in the US, now that the Tai Kais with Soke are no longer held.

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by Dale Seago

From another thread:



It might be helpful to explain how this whole thing works. We've been doing these on the West Coast for years; just had the second one on the East Coast; it's been going in Germany for 3-4 years now; and is about to happen in England next year (Murray's going to call it "BuyU.K." )

I have a feeling that the UK one is going to be MASSIVE!
Count me in

[Dale Seago]

Originally Posted by SeanH

I have a feeling that the UK one is going to be MASSIVE!
Count me in

That would be great to see. I know the Liverpool location that's being lined up can take up to 500 people, with restaurants and a good bar just a short stroll away.

BTW, speaking of selling merchandise, I should mention that Murray is a superb jeweler: see http://www.mtjeweller.co.uk/bujinkan

[bujingodai]

I'm looking forward to attending one of the buyucamps next year.

[neds atomic dustbin]

It is about time the UK had a buyu going. Any talk on the enterance fee at the moment?

[KSprenk]

I would totally go to the Buyu camp but I dont even have my driver's license, and I doubt I could get a ride there. But it is on my list for next year when I should have my liscense.

[hatsie]

don't be so sure, post a note here or somewhere near the time and you might find a friendly buyu is driving past anyway and could give you a ride, just buy them lunch,lol.

i'd absolutly love to go especially in july, i havent had a birthday at home or 'lovely' scottish summer for almost 5 yrs.

but i'm working on a budget for japan in march, and its going to be tight.

unless dale is going my way in his 7 seater private jet, i'll buy the lunch,lol.

[neds atomic dustbin]

Originally Posted by hatsie

don't be so sure, post a note here or somewhere near the time and you might find a friendly buyu is driving past anyway and could give you a ride, just buy them lunch,lol.

This is usually the case. Part pay for the use of fuel consumption and a meal in return for travel there and back. Plus it is a good way or meeting other members from other dojo's.

[Dale Seago]

Some photos from Buyu Camp East are now up, at http://www.winjutsu.com/seminars/buyucampeast/

[llong]

Great pics......I can only recognize a couple of the folks, but must have been a great time!

Looks like 40 people showed..great turnout. That times the $175.....must have been decent enough $$$ to create more of these I hope!

[Dale Seago]

Originally Posted by llong

Looks like 40 people showed..great turnout. That times the $175.....must have been decent enough $$$ to create more of these I hope!

50 actually.

This was only the second time doing it on the East Coast, so it hasn't gathered as much momentum yet as the annual West Coast one. For that one, back in June, we had about 90 people.

But yes, it will certainly be continuing out East next year!

[kouryuu]

Originally Posted by SeanH

I have a feeling that the UK one is going to be MASSIVE!
Count me in

Sean, call me if you can.