Summer seminar in Paulhaguet - July 2026

From 11 to 17 July 2026, sensei Pascal Durchon (7 dan) and sensei Thomas Gavory (6 dan) directed a summer Aikido seminar in Paulhaguet. The jo training sessions were led by sensei Pascal Durchon. Sensei Andrzej Bazylko (6th dan) was responsible for the individual Kenjutsu and Batto-jutsu training sessions. The seminar in Paulhaguet was, in substance, a continuation of the end-of-year seminar in Puteaux. Aikido techniques were first demonstrated in a form designed to teach the mechanics of movement, and then in a form that enables their practical application. Great emphasis was placed on the work of the uke, who should react to what is happening rather than simply reproducing from memory what they had learnt previously. Spatial awareness was key. Work on structure and rhythm was at the heart of the jo training sessions. Sword training involved identifying weaknesses in the opponent's movements and attempting to exploit them within the framework of individual kata, regardless of whether one was the attacker or the defender.