ESC Forum 2006

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The ESC Forum 2006

The Annual European Shintaido College Forum is a unique opportunity for Shintaido Instructors, assistants (and anybody else actively teaching Shintaido) to get together and learn from each other. If you have not attended such an event before the structure is quite unlike any other Shintaido gasshuku you may have attended.

As we are all instructors there, there are no formal gasshuku leaders. Anybody is welcome to teach a keiko, or to attend keiko led by any other instructor of whatever rank. Proposals for keiko are welcome, either on a theme of your choice, or a theme which reflects the theme of the gasshuku.

In past years there have been a multitude of keikos to choose from, allowing each participant to tailor their own gasshuku experience, attending as much or as little of the gasshuku as they wish.

Offers and Demands

Offers and demands for keiko are being organised through the ESC Resource Centre

Once you have registered for the event you will be issued with login details. You should bookmark this site and get to know it, since it will enable you to plan your own schedule for this event, and so get the most out of your time there.

Registration

This event is getting very full! Registration officially closed at the end of August 2006, since this is the date by which the YHA asked us to confirm numbers and pay for the booking. To date we have 42 firm registrations, so we have booked two chalets at the YHA, which will sleep hold a total of 46 people. This means that there are still 4 spaces left for late registrants. If you havn't yet registered, and would like one of these spaces, please get in touch without delay!

Once all these places are filled further registrations can only be accepted if there are still free places elsewhere in the Hostel.

Financial Stuff

As there are no gasshuku leaders the fees for the event do not include instruction! The relatively low cost of the event only includes the cost of board and lodging, and the provision of other essential services, such as an indoor dojo and conference facilities. Each instructor who offers to teach a keiko at the event will also ask a small fee for the keiko. These fees vary quite a lot, so be prepared for this!

Note that we can only accept payment for the Forum and exams in GB Pounds.

For individual keikos we will leave it up the instructors whether they wish to accept payment in €uros, GB£, or a combination of both. For this reason those attending the event from the UK are asked to bring some €uros with them as well.

Practitioners rate for the 2006 Forum: £120.00
Estimate for keiko: allow an extra £50 - £80 or so if you wish to attend lots of keiko.

If you arrive at the event will inadequate funds in GB£s there are banks with ATM facilities within easy walking distance of the venue.

Examinations

Attendees can take examinations at Graduate (Jun-shidoin) and Instructor (Sei-shidoin) levels in Shintaido, and also at Shodan and Nidan levels in bojutsu and karate. If you are practicing in a country that does not run it's own exam system, and therefore do not have the opportunity to take lower level exams, you can also take the Shintaido assistant exam at this event.

Note that exam and registration fees will also be payable in GB£s, since we do not have a Euro bank account in the UK, so please be prepared for this. The rates will be as follows:

Assistant exam fee: £10.00
Jun-shidoin / shodan exam fee: £34.00
Sei-shidoin / nidan exam fee: £68.00

If you are successful in passing your exam you will also be asked to pay a registration fee, which is to cover your registration as an ESC examiner and the cost of your certificate. The rates will be as follows:

Assistant registration fee: £10.00
Jun-shidoin / shodan registration fee: £20.00
Sei-shidoin / nidan registration fee: £40.00

Gasshuku Management

Gassuku Manager: Charles Burns

Registration: Geoffrey Fitch

Keiko Offers and Demands: Serge Magne & Clelie Dudon

Venue Liason: Charles Burns

ESC Exam Coordination: Ula Chambers

ESC AGM Chair: Peter Furtado

BS Equipment Sales: Ruth Trevenna

Lee Valley Village

Close to London, the six log cabins of Lee Valley Village are situated on the shore of a lake in the 10,000 acres of Lee Valley Country Park. There are plenty of activities on offer for non-practitioners to explore. Take your pick from sailing, kayaking, caving, climbing and canoeing to name but a few.

More information about Lee Valley Country Park can be found on their website.

Dates and times

This years ESC Forum will begin on Sunday 29th October, with registration in the morning, and will end on Tuesday 31st October, after lunch. We would ask you to arrive anytime on Sunday morning for registration. Exams will take place on Monday 30th October.

The ETC event.

The ETC (European Technical Committee) meeting will start on Saturday 28th October, after lunch, and will finish on Sunday morning. If you are eligible to attend this event please arrive on Saturday morning. This event is free if you are a member of the ETC (your accomodation costs will paid for from ESC funds). For other people who wish to arrive early (eg: organisers) there is a charge of Ł35 to cover accomodation costs.

Extra nights

You may stay on after the event if you wish, but not before. Because Lee Valley Village is a very popular weekend resort there were very limited places available on the Saturday night, and we have booked all they had! However, on the Tuesday night (31st October) there is plenty of space, so please let us know if you would like to stay longer and explore London! Extra nights cost Ł35.

Travel

If you are coming from overseas try and book your flight into Stanstead Airport if possible. This is just 4 stops on the train from Cheshunt Station, right next to the gassuku site.

Otherwise, fly into any of London's main airports, or take the Eurostar to London. Then:

Ask for a train ticket to Cheshunt. Take the airport train to central London (from Gatwick these go to Victoria, while from Heathrow they go to Paddington. If you are travelling by Eurostar you will already have arrived in Waterloo).
Take "the tube" (London's underground railway network) to Liverpool Street Station.
From Liverpool Street local trains to Cheshunt run very frequently, taking about 20 minutes.
The YHA is just 100m from Cheshunt Station.

By road. Navigate your way to Junction 25 on the M25 (London's orbital motorway). From there take the A10 North (direction Hertford), and follow signs to Cheshunt. When you get to Cheshunt follow signs to Cheshunt Station, or the brown signs for the Youth Hostel.

By helicpoter (or walking): OS 166, grid reference: 368024

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