Nagasaki Media
5th March 2016 Nagasaki / Bartelli “Most Promising Newcomer” Fund-raiser Contest – Update…
Here’s a quick follow-up from the March 5th Nagasaki / Bartelli “Most Promising Newcomer” to British Wrestling Event at the Victoria Hall, Hanley.
It was an excellent day which everyone really enjoyed – we were delighted with how many of the participants as well as the guests said they’d had a great time, and had enjoyed meeting so many friendly people, many of whom, for those who generously gave their time to participate in the event, would go on to be helpful collaborators in wrestling.
Most importantly, we were delighted with how we were able to spread the word about veterans’ support and raise funds for such a worthy cause. We were working with Lyn Rigby and the North Staffs Veterans Organisation, in pursuit of setting-up the Lee Rigby Lodge, a facility aimed at veterans and their families being able to come to the Nagasaki Retreat, and get away from it all, relax, recharge their batteries, and move forward in their lives with a new strength.
We were also honoured to have Lou Macari come along to judge the finals matches alongside Lyn Rigby and Kendo – Lou is already involved in very worthwhile charity work, and we were delighted that he brought his charismatic support to our contest.
We are currently putting together a DVD of the event – at its heart was a wrestling challenge, seeking the “Most Promising Newcomer”, as voted through the heats by two cherished friends of the Nagasaki organisation, Joseph and Margaret Heath, who had been present at the original Nagasaki / Bartelli match at the Victoria Hall on 5th March, 1966 (accompanied in the judging by own Yvonne Walker), and then by Lou Macari, Lyn Rigby and Kendo judging the finals matches.
The wrestling was most impressive! The newcomers who participated were highly professional and very energetic, giving the audience quite a show! All this will be shown on the DVD.
The “Most Promising Newcomer” event had 2 main aims – to raise awareness of the need for veterans’ support, and hopefully to raise some funds, but this was a secondary consideration to the profile-raising we hoped to achieve. It was an expensive event to hold, and sadly, the weather was against us – we had rain, hail, snow, and even sunshine on the day! – so the audience and consequently the donations received were limited.
Ultimately, we lost £55.94 on the day, but it still has more to give, from sales of the DVD, which will be available this summer.
We’d like to extend our deepest gratitude once again to everyone who helped us hold the event, including Brian and Letitia of Superslam Wrestling, Gareth at the Victoria Hall, Lou Macari, Lyn Rigby and family, Margaret and Joseph Heath, Yvonne Walker, all the wrestling participants, the many others who helped behind-the-scenes, and particularly all those who came along to support the event – thank you so much.
PS: buy the DVD – help us to help Veterans!
Help Us to Help Others – Hit the ‘Donate’ Button!
As you will no doubt know, Kendo Nagasaki has his own Zen Charity, which works from his Retreat in Staffordshire to offer a lovely place to get away from it all, meditate, perform mindfulness exercises, and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful grounds around the Retreat. Our guests have reported feeling wonderful after coming to the Retreat, as the experience has helped them to overcome stress, find peace of mind, get better sleep at night, and enjoy life more, whilst feeling stronger and better able to cope with whatever challenges it throws at them. We’re delighted that our guests keep coming back!
We now offer overnight stays for Retreat Events over 2 days, and are planning longer stays too, and we are looking to expand our facilities to offer more bedrooms. With this in mind, we are raising funds now to refurbish currently-unused rooms, so that more people can come to the Retreat, and become deeply relaxed and empowered…
In addition to being supported by sales of Kendo memorabilia in the Nagasaki Web Store, Our charity, The Kendo Nagasaki Foundation, can now accept donations through PayPal, and we would welcome your support!
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has bought Kendo memorabilia and helped our cause, but we also welcome any donation that anyone feels able to make at any time. Of course, once you’ve donated to us and supported our work, you’ll have to come and stay with us, and get a deeply-relaxing and empowering return on your investment!
We are delighted that we are providing ever-more support to forces Veterans, and we look forward to being able to constantly expand our facilities to help as many people as possible, from all walks of life.
So – please hit the ‘Donate’ button! You’ll be helping us to help more people overcome stress and find peace and strength through Zen at Kendo’s Retreat. From all at Kendo’s Retreat, and everyone you’ll be helping, now and into the future, we say a BIG
Thank You!
2016 Events Calendar – Price Correction!
Hello;
This is a quick update regarding the 2016 Nagasaki Retreat Calendar and our charges for Events.
The day-rate figure was incorrect – please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
The 2016 Retreat Event rates are as follows:
2-day event including an overnight stay, including the first day’s lunch and evening meal, and the second day’s self-catering breakfast and lunch, and an endless supply of tea, coffee and biscuits: £75.00.
Single day Events (per day), including lunch and tea, coffee, and biscuits: £25.00.
To those of you who have already reserved places at Events, please be assured that the corrected rates will apply to your bookings – for all single days, we ask just the £25.00 rate.
We look forward to seeing you very soon!
The 2016 Calendar for Events at the Nagasaki Retreat
Here is our formal Events Calendar for 2016.
1. February 13-14;
2. March 12-13;
3. April 9-10; (“Hana-mi” cherry-blossom viewing Event)
4. May 14-15;
5. June 11-12;
6. June 25-26; (Special Tea Ceremony Event, separate days)
7. July 9-10;
8. September 10-11;
9. October 15-16;
10. November 12-13.
You can apply for a place at these Events at any time, but additional Events will be held during the year, so do keep an eye on the Blog and the Events page for announcements about them.
The above Events will all be held over the 2 days of a weekend (except the Tea Ceremony Event, which is two individual Events over two separate days – see below*), and they are all on Saturdays and Sundays, so however often you visit us, you won’t have to take time off work.
The format for 2-day weekend Events including an overnight stay is as follows:
You’ll arrive late morning on the 1st day, and after a welcome meet-and-greet, there will be a buffet lunch, followed by the afternoon’s activities. There will be a traditional hot evening meal, after which you can relax in the guest lounge before retiring.
On the 2nd day, you help yourself to a self-service breakfast in the guest kitchen, and the morning’s activities start at 10:30. There will be a buffet lunch, followed by the afternoon’s activities, and, of course, an endless supply of tea, coffee, and biscuits on both days!
Each Event is for a maximum of 14 people, with overnight accommodation initially for 7 people.
Our current guest bedrooms include a triple room with 3 single beds, a twin room with 2 single beds, and a double room with a double bed, so please bear in mind that you are likely to be sharing a room with other guests, unless you come as a couple, and then you’ll be given the double room.
As mentioned, the guest accommodaton includes a kitchen with breakfast provisions, a shower room with basin and toilet, a separate toilet with basin, and the guest lounge. Please note that our guest accommodation is upstairs, on the first floor.
We will be expanding our accommodations during 2016, but with rooms initially being limited, please book early to secure your accommodation for overnight events at the Retreat.
Single-day Events include lunch and tea, coffee and biscuits.
The costs are £75 per person for an overnight stay, including all meals and refreshments, and £25 per day if you don’t stay overnight. Please note that our costs for these Events are much higher than these fees, and the difference is covered by a subsidy from the charity, so we would welcome any additional donations to help us continue to grow the work of our Foundation.
To apply for a place at any of these Events, or to make any further enquiries, please send an email to events@kendonagasaki.org
*The Special Tea Ceremony Event is limited to 5 people per day, and involves Kendo Nagasaki conducting the Japanese Tea Ceremony for you as an individual guest. You will be served Japanese “matcha” green tea in your own unique specially-commissioned tea bowl, and after the tea ceremony, Kendo will ceremonially present the tea bowl to you in a lined presentation box, with a certificate of exclusivity. The tea bowls were commissioned from renowned pottery artist Anne Bates, who came to the Nagasaki Retreat for inspiration in crafting them. The resulting tea bowls artfully encapsulate and reflect the beauty and spiritual depth of the grounds of the Retreat, and perfectly accommodate the time-honoured and artistic Japanese tea ceremony, particularly in the way it is expertly conducted by Kendo Nagasaki.
You will have your own place for the Japanese Tea Ceremony to be served to you individually, and you will receive the specially-commissioned tea-bowl in which Kendo serves you your matcha green tea, all for £100.
As with all income and donations to The Kendo Nagasaki Foundation, the proceeds of this event will go directly towards helping us expand our facilities, so that we can help ever more people find peace and strength through meditation and mindfulness, and we are most grateful for your continued support.
To enquire further or book a place, please email us at events@kendonagasaki.org.
Singing Bowl Healing and Japanese Tea Ceremony Event
This is to announce a new Event Day at the Kendo Nagasaki Retreat – on Sunday, 20th September 2015, Kendo will hold a Singing Bowl Healing Event.
In this version of Kendo’s Singing Bowl Healing, seven people in a circle all receive Healing together, as Kendo plays his 13 singing bowls at the centre of the circle. It’s an excellent introduction to the ways in which the energies of the singing bowls can deeply penetrate all levels of our selves, and bring peace, harmony and balance.
On the day, Kendo will also be holding sittings of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, which is a deeply spiritual experience in itself. Also, if you wish, you will have the opportunity to drink Japanese “matcha” tea from your own special tea bowl – we are having a series of tea bowls hand-made for tea ceremonies here, by talented pottery artist Ann Bates. Proceeds from sales of the tea bowls will go to The Kendo Nagasaki Foundation, our charity.
This will be a very peaceful and spiritual day, and should deeply re-charge the batteries of all who come!
It will be a full-day Event, a light lunch is provided, and, as it’s a healing day, there is no charge for participating.
To apply for a place at Kendo’s Singing Bowl Healing and Japanese Tea Ceremony on Sunday, 20th September, please send an email to healing@kendonagasaki.org. Kendo will allocate places based upon need, so please be prepared to provide a little information about your need for healing.
See you at the Nagasaki Retreat!
A New Event: Singing Bowl Healing for Seven
Kendo Nagasaki wishes to announce a new Healing Event at The Retreat: it will be a day of Singing Bowl Healing for seven people.
There will be seven places available, and each of the seven attendees will receive an individual Singing Bowl Healing. While one person is receiving healing, the other six will participate in the process and add to the energies transmitted, by being present where the Singing Bowl Healing is taking place, and also by striking a singing bowl at the appropriate time. As they receive healing, they will join Kendo in helping to give it.
The Singing Bowl Healing for Seven Event will take place at The Retreat on on 19th July 2015. Please apply promptly, as demand is expected to be high. Furthermore, Kendo will allocate places based upon need, so please be prepared to provide a little information about your need for healing.
To apply for a place at Kendo’s Singing Bowl Healing for Seven, please send an email to healing@kendonagasaki.org.
Retreat Event Visitors Send Kind Words of Thanks…
After the Events held here at the Kendo Nagasaki Retreat, we are often told of how helpful the experience has been for our guests; it is wonderful to hear how Kendo’s work has such a positive effect, and, of course, the hope for the future is to help a great many more people to find peace and become empowered.
We have also been sent some very positive and appreciative messages by our guests, and we are very pleased to share them with you on the Messages of Thanks page.
Kendo and all at the Retreat thank you for your kind words, and are most gratified that they represent such positive experiences – we look forward to seeing you all again very soon at a Retreat Event.
A Day of Tea with Kendo Nagasaki
We are pleased to announce a special new Event at The Retreat – a Day of Tea with Kendo Nagasaki.
On 13th June, Kendo will hold several sessions of the Japanese Tea Ceremony in his personal Tea Room at The Retreat.
Guests will join Kendo in his tea room, which has been dedicated to Kenshiro Abbe, his judo teacher and spiritual sensei. Kendo’s tea room is of the “Yushin” type, which has western-style seats, so there’s no need to sit on the floor. The ceremony as conducted by Kendo is in the authentic and time-honoured traditional style, and is a deeply spiritual experience. Japanese “matcha” green tea will be ceremonially prepared by Kendo and served to groups of three guests at a time, for several groups during the day.
Of course, 13th is also a Distance Healing day, and those who would normally come to participate in the Healing ceremony are welcome to join Kendo’s Day of Tea. Those who haven’t been to The Retreat before are also very welcome, but because of the various gravel paths, stone steps, and varying terrain, we ask that you must be able to safely negotiate such obstacles before applying.
To cover costs, there will be a small charge of £20 per person, and this will include the Tea Ceremony itself and a buffet lunch, and the opportunity to contemplate at the various spiritual places in the deeply spiritual Grounds of The Retreat.
To apply for a place, send an email to events@kendonagasaki.org, and if you have any questions, please email them to the same address. Please apply promptly, as there are only limited places available for this special day!
Looking forward to seeing you at The Retreat!
New Events at The Retreat
Following the great reception that Kendo’s Singing Bowl Healing of 13th February has received, we are pleased to announce a further 3 dates for Singing Bowl Healing this year, and full Zen Retreat days.
The dates are:
Saturday, 16th May for Singing Bowl Healing, followed by a full Retreat Day on Sunday 17th May;
Sunday, 16th August for a full Retreat Day on Sunday (including Singing Bowl Healing);
Friday, 13th November for Singing Bowl Healing, followed by a full Retreat Day on Saturday 14th November.
Needless to say, there will be additional activities during the Singing Bowl Healing days, and the full Retreat Event days are themed and packed with fascinating activities!
We have another special announcement as well: between Friday 13th and Saturday 14th November, we will be able to accommodate 5 guests overnight at The Retreat!
We will have 3 rooms available – there will be two twin rooms and a single room, with single beds throughout, and there is a dedicated kitchen, shower room, and lounge available to these rooms. We will provide an evening meal on the Friday, and breakfast on Saturday morning will be on a self-service basis, with cereals, bread, milk, and tea and coffee available in the kitchen. To cover costs there is a charge of £30 per person per night, inclusive of Friday’s evening meal and Saturday’s breakfast.
So if you’re happy to share a room with a friend (or two), you could experience two consecutive residential days of Kendo’s Zen spirituality, mysticism, and healing, and empowerment activities!
In due course, more information will be made available on a dedicated web page, but these dates are now confirmed, and you will be able to make firm plans around them.
We look forward to receiving your applications for places at both the Singing Bowl Healing days and the Retreat Event days, and – importantly – for the 6 precious overnight places available between 13th and 14th November.
Please apply by sending an email to events@kendonagasaki.org and please also use this email address for any questions you may have.
Looking forward to seeing you at the next Kendo Nagasaki Event!