Fall Festival 2009
SKH Festival 2009
Fall Festival 2009 is almost here! Festival is the big event of the year for To-Shin Do and Quest Center practitioners. It’s a whole weekend (2 days – Saturday and Sunday) of training. There are group training sessions with Mr. Hayes and Mrs. Hayes. Then, there are break out sessions with various instructors from all over. A group meditation lead by Mr. Hayes, demos and promotions, plus a Fire Ceremony held outside in the back, and a Karaoke party. That was just Saturday! Sunday there is more training and break out sessions with different instructors. Lunch is provided for both days, breakfast and dinner is your responsibility. Festival is something that needs to be experienced! The energy level of the place is so high up you can feel it as you walk into the doors of the hotel lobby. The experiences you gain from attending Festival are a huge adrenal shot to your training and can not be duplicated anywhere else. If this did not convince you just read what people who have gone to Festival had to say:
“Going to festival is an amazing experience, not only do you get to lean directly from the An-Shus’ but you get to do so in the company of several hundred To-Shin Do practitioners from around the world. I can’t recall when I last met such an open and friendly group. The energy of several hundred To-Shin Do practitioners has to be felt in order to appreciate it! The Fire Ceremony where everyone sets an intention for the year is a must to experience! All in all, it is a truly remarkable training experience.”
Dean Farrington, Ni-Dan.
“Out of all of the times I’ve been to Festival, I think the first time will be my most memorable. There’s something awe inspiring about seeing a few hundred people working on the same passion as yourself. I had a lot of fun seeing all of the distinctly different and yet eerily similar styles of To-Shin Do coming from each individual school and its students. On top of that, all of the instructors were willing to share any of their knowledge and experiences. It’s hard to find a more honest and open senior leadership in an organization; anywhere. All in all, it was a helmet wearing special time…literally, we were wearing helmets.”
Thad Stanfill, Shodan Instructor.
“SKH Festival 2008, “Ninja Timeless Treasures,” delivered just what the name promised. This was the second Festival I have had the pleasure to attend. Festival 2007 went by in a flash of advanced ninja moves, 3rd and 6th degree black belt techniques, and too many tiny bruises to count (Ninjuries). I just counted the days until I could do it all over again in 2008. When hundreds of ninjutsu students from all over the planet gather together in one place, the training opportunity is priceless. The energy is incredible and the potential for new understanding is lurking behind every wristlock and escape.”
Leonard Rickmers, Blue Belt
“Being able to train with instructors, who are not only higher rank than instructors at my home school but who have different perspectives than I was normal exposed to, was a very cool experience. The ways in which each student moves with each of the techniques showed me that this art is truly personal to the particular student who is training. I learned a lot from this experience. Festival is a fun and exciting experience that I would highly recommend to all students of To-Shin Do.”
Cynthia Sherwood, Red Belt