Survival in Nature®
Shidoshi Igor Dovezenski often said that anyone can practice martial arts anywhere. He said that the safety the atmosphere in the dojo offers doesn’t make one call himself a warrior. And most importantly, Dovezenski always claimed that ninjutsu can be trained only with a close contact with nature and with testing the endurance.
In 2007, Igor Dovezenski for the first time organized a seminar titled „Survival in Nature“, where the members of Bujinkan Macedonia could test the limits of their will power and endurance. As the years passed, the standards and the challenges were greater, but that made the event to gain almost cult like status amongst the members of the dojo. On the last two-three seminars, only a small group remained consistent and fearlessly entered this dangerous adventure. Because of that, shidoshi Dovezenski in 2013 decided, seven years after the first seminar, to organize the last „Survival in Nature“.
To understand what event this is, it is enough to read the announcement for the seminars that were put on three weeks before:
For the brave, for the dignified.
Two hellish days, far from civilization, without food and only liter and a half water, without additional clothing and hygienic means. Two days training, meditation and bare survival.
Location: S’mkneno (26 km. to the nearest town and hospital / desert-like conditions)
Date: last weekend of July
Application until 18th of July, with purpose to avoid the calculation of the weather conditions.
Start: 07.00 hours (Saturday)
Return: 16.00 hours (as long as you survive, otherwise Your equipment will be shared among us)
Read carefully and think!!!
Macedonia is known for the hellish summer temperatures caused by the so called „African waves“. It is hottest in the last days of July, when the temperature rises above 45 Celsius, and the UV index is on its maximum.
Before the seminar, every participant on his own should make appropriate medical examinations and to get an oral or written confirmation from the doctor that he is psycho-physical healthy and completely ready for a two-day extreme effort (under the hot summer sun), without food and water, followed by a hard training and a three hours of sleep.
Allowed equipment: sleeping bag, ground cover, army uniform (pants and a shirt), one t-shirt, hat, one pair of underwear (loose), one pair of socks, rope, knife and a bottle of a liter and a half (empty).
Important: the seminar is meant only for tough guys and girls. The training conditions will be extremely hard with an iron discipline. Those who do not feel psycho-physically ready to „enter the hell“ and who are not ready to kill their own ego, we ask them not to apply to this seminar. Bear in mind that the temperature might rise above 45 degrees Celsius. Sitting is forbidden during the seminar (on the two days) and supporting on all four limbs at the same time. Only three hours of sleep, the rest of the time – training.
Whining, excuses and crying are forbidden during the seminar.
Clarification: Allowed quantity of water for drinking during the two days: 1.5 liters.
Several times until now we’ve heard „when a liter and a half of water is allowed, it’s not that bad“. We ought to clarify to You, that quantity of water, during the hot sun is lost in the first few hours of the training. The fluids in Your body evaporate through sweating, breathing and talking. You during those two days will constantly have activities that cause you to sweat, and at the same time you mustn’t sit even for a moment and rest. There will be no shadows, no additional quantities of water. Think well!!!
We see each other soon in the „hole“.
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The Path of Shugenja®
This feat was also instituted by Igor Dovezenski in 2007, so that the warriors of Bujinkan Macedonia could test their will power and endurance. This spiritual journey, as it was called by the founder, traditionally was held at the last week of the month September. After seven years of the first march, shidoshi Dovezenski decided that it is time this event to go in the „history“ and to join the other feats that Bujinkan Macedonia is famous for.
What exactly this is about, you can see from the announcement that was put on three weeks before the seminar:
The warriors from the dojo for traditional Japanese martial arts Bujinkan Macedonia this year again will depart on the spiritual journey called „The Path of Shugenja“.
Twenty days before this event, instructor Dovezenski lays out a geographic map of Macedonia on the ground, and then with tied eyes points to a specific place. Then with a ruler a direction is drawn from the start to the finish point. Afterwards the participants on the seminar follow that route, regardless of the terrain conditions. On average, the route that is walked is 60 kilometers, and the record was set in 2009, when the members of Bujinkan Macedonia walked 80 kilometers in 15 hours and 40 minutes.
Shugendo is an ancient Japanese method that researches the relation between the man and nature. Shugendo means a „Path through training and testing“, in other words it’s an ascetic discipline that has the purpose to achieve self-improvement through retreat in a mountain, meditation under waterfalls and cold rivers, breathing exercises on unreachable terrain, everything to achieve incredible feats through testing the physical and mental endurance. Those who practice this method are known under the name of Shugenja, and the teaching is practiced in Japan to this day.
As the founder of the teaching is considered En no Gyoja, who lived near Kyoto in the 7th century a.d. The other name that these followers are known for, is Yamabushi or Mountain Warriors. They cruised the mountains visiting and protecting the many shrines. Some scholars believe that exactly these people, joined with the deserted Chinese generals after the fall of the dynasty Tang, are considered to be the founders of the art Ninjutsu.
Subject: The Path of Shugenja / Spiritual Journey
Date: the last week of September
Location: Lipac – Kokino (for 2009, although every year we choose difference route)
Program:
07.00 hours – departure from Skopje
08.00 hours – arrival and start of the march
Return – only God knows!
Equipment: Take whatever you want. Everything is on Your responsibility and conscience.
P.S. Encounter with wild animals, rain, storm and other unforeseen things are not excluded. Everyone comes at his own risk. Before you apply, check the information on the website from the previous years.