2023 North American seminar of World MJER Iaido Federation

in Alameda, California June 16th (Friday) - 18th (Sunday), 2023

Instructor:

• Mochizai Shuichi Sensei (Hanshi 8th dan) assisted by Kokusai Renmei instructors from North America

Improve your iaido. Attending a seminar is one of the best ways to sharpen your skills in iaido. For those of you who have been away from iaido for a while, it is also the best way to catch up. You will have the opportunity to learn from Mochizai Sensei, exactly the same as when visiting Japan. Attending the seminar will help you to reinforce correct techniques and will give a new or different perspective on what you can improve upon. We encourage everyone to take this opportunity to benefit from the skill and wisdom of Mochizai Sensei.

Seminar Details:

Schedule:

• Day 1 (Friday, June 16): 12pm-6pm (seminar opening ceremony, session 1, lunch break, session 2); 7pm-9pm Welcome Dinner at Abigail’s Moroccan Cuisine
• Day 2 (Saturday, June 17): 10am-6pm (session 3, lunch break, session 4, Embukai)
• Day 3 (Sunday, June 18): 9am-2pm (session 5, Dan Examination, results announcement, seminar closing ceremony)

Location:
Patton (Old) Gym at Alameda High School
2267 Alameda Ave, Alameda, CA 94501, USA Map

Seminar Cost: $250 USD
We hope everyone is able to attend the entire seminar–because each practice session will be different, but in case this is not possible for you, please let us know in the registration form comments and we will try to adjust seminar cost for your circumstances.

Embukai (Demonstration):
Everyone is invited to participate. Number of waza and other details TBA here and at the seminar.

Dan Examination:

• Please register by May 10th, 2023
• You must have your sensei’s permission to take a dan examination.
• You must be a member of World MJER Iaido Federation (Kokusai Renmei) to take a dan examniation.
• Please check with your sensei regarding exact dan examination requirements: required waza, examination and certificate fees, any other requirements.
• All dan examination fees are to be paid to Kokusai Renmei in Japanese Yen (cash) at the seminar.

Airports: SFO, OAK, SJC (check the prices and flight schedules for all three)

Accommodations:

• There are a few hotels in Alameda, some are on the Alameda (main) island (ZIP code 94501), but there is also Bay Farm island (ZIP code 94502), which is close to Oakland airport.
  Recommended Hotel: Hawthorn Suites By Wyndham 1628 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501 Map
  We have a special corporate rate at Hawthorn Suites available to all seminar participants. Please check with your sensei: they have the info on how to make reservations and get the special rate.
• Also take a look at airbnb.com
• Other possibilities could be the neighboring cities, in particular, Oakland, Emeryville, and Berkeley.
• Consider travel distances to Alameda High School when booking your accommodations.
• You can get a good sense of time required if you use Google maps or similar.

Access:

• By car: if you are driving, there should be no problem finding street parking nearby. There is also the school’s parking lot, but we are not exactly sure yet if we are allowed to use it.
• By public transportation: there are several AC transit buses that have stops within walking distance from Alameda High School: 19, 20, 51A. In case you are coming from San Francisco or East Bay, you can take BART to either Oakland 12th St station or to Fruitvale station and transfer to a local bus (19, 20, 51A). Another possibility from downtown San Francisco is to take a Transbay bus O, OX, or W, which can take you to Alameda. In case you are staying on Bay Farm island, take a look at buses 21 and OX, but these might be less frequent than others. Again, check Google maps or similar for exact directions. There is also AC Transit Mobile app which is very useful since it shows all bus stops and real time bus positions.

Seminar Registration:

• Currently registration is open to members of Kokusai Renmei affiliated dojo only.
• Please fill out registration form online: REGISTRATION FORM.
• Please complete and sign AGREEMENT AND RELEASE FROM LIABILITY.

Payment and Refunds:

• to save everyone’s time at the seminar, if at all possible, please pay before the seminar by any of the following methods: Zelle (alameda.iaido@gmail.com), PayPal https://paypal.me/mikhailfaiguenblat, or Venmo https://account.venmo.com/u/Alameda-Iaido. Important: when using PayPal or Venmo, please use send money “For friends and family” and NOT payment for purchases!!!
• If you can’t send your payment by any of the above methods, you can pay at the seminar by cash (USD).
• If your plans change and for some reason you cannot attend the seminar, please let us know, and your payment will be refunded.

If you have any questions, please send an email to alameda.iaido@gmail.com