Martial Arts Retreat

Do-No-Kai Temple, located in the hills overlooking Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, is located about 30 minutes south of Guadalajara. This martial arts school was built in 1979 by three martial artists, Lonny Riddle, Cindy Paul and James Deaver, with the aim to create a place to teach and practice traditional martial arts.

Do-No-Kai Martial Arts Temple was created in 1979 by founder Lonny Riddle Shihan, with the goal of teaching and furthering the path of the warrior. Riddle Shihan has been practicing and teaching martial arts for over 50 years, almost 30 of which have been at Do-No-Kai Temple, located in the rolling hills overlooking the largest lake in Mexico just outside of Guadalajara. This well-established working dojo is referred to by the students as “the Shaolin Temple South.”

Martial and Healing Arts Retreat
based: Melbourne, Australia

Wu Lin is a purpose-built Martial and Healing Arts retreat, tucked away in the centre of Victoria (at the base of the Cobaw Forest 4kms out of the Lancefield township). This 20-acre sanctuary is the perfect place to pause on life’s journey, for rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit.

Whether you visit for its peaceful ambience on a weekend getaway, or for the learning of Martial Arts wisdom - or both - it will be an unforgettable and positive experience.

Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi,
Qigong retreat

This beautiful Eco-Friendly off-grid centre is located on Rice Lake just 90 minutes northeast of Toronto in Northumberland County. Unique in its vision and design, it was constructed to inspire harmony, balance and transformation in both the “external” and “internal” (within yourself) environment, making it ideal for healing and transformative retreats and workshops.

Fengshui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, has been used to create a noted sense of tranquility and harmonious flow within the retreat building, which is cozily nestled into a hillside and surrounded by meadows and woodland. Solar and wind power as well as other sustainable energy technologies enable it to be independent of outside utilities and away from public roads. The building itself gives guests a rare opportunity to experience firsthand the living conditions and possibilities of a ”cleaner, “greener” future. Harmony Dawn is recognized as one of Canada’s most complete sustainable energy buildings.

The Memories of Henry Ellis Sensei – 1957 - 2007

In the past 50 years I have been most fortunate to not only meet but study with many of the great Budo Masters who have visited the UK and Europe. I would like to place my memories on record in the hope that they may one day be of interest to others in the Martial Arts.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, 1915 – 1985

I began my Martial arts journey in 1956 at the now famous Hut Dojo. I started with Judo under the instruction of Ken Williams Sensei. Abbe Sensei had arrived in the UK in 1955 at the invitation of the London Judo Society ( LJS ) . He would soon become disillusioned with the LJS and join forces with Matsutaro Otani Sensei which would eventually lead to the formation of the British Judo Council ( BJC ) – British Kendo Council (BKC )

British Aikido Council ( BAC ). Williams Sensei was there with Abbe Sensie at the very beginning of this exciting period in British Martial Arts history. The new association with Otani Sensie would make Abbe Sensei a regular visitor to the Hut Dojo. Which would soon be renamed The Abbe School of Budo. I first saw Abbe Sensei when he attended a grading at the Hut. I realised even on this first occasion that I was in the presence of someone very special. Abbe Sensei appeared to me to be an awesome man . I would later get to know sensei much better and engage in some conversation although his English was very poor. Many people today claim to have been friends of Abbe Sensei, I never met one person who was a friend of Sensei, we were all privileged students. I would soon start Aikido and would see Sensei on both the Aikido and Judo classes. I also became a regular at Abbe Sensei’s own Sandwich Street Dojo in Kings Cross, London.

At this time Abbe Sensei was in his early 40’s and still a force to be dealt with in randori or competition. I was not at the LJS when the following happened, Sensei thought that he did not receive the respect due to a man of his lineage and stature, he lined up all the 31 Judo dan grades and walked along the line and told them individually what technique he would use on them and whether it would be right or left handed, he did exactly that, he went down the whole line and beat each and every dan grade.

1935 - 2003

Keinosuke Enoeda was born in Kyushu, an island in the South of Japan, on July 4th 1935. A strong and natural athlete, he initially took up baseball, kendo, and judo, as did many of his contemporaries - these being the popular sports in Japan at that time. He proved particularly adept at Judo, and by the age of 16 he had reached 2nd Dan. However, as is often the way, fate guided him to a demonstration by two top Karate exponents from the famous Takashoku University. The two Karateka, Senseis Irea and Okazaki, so impressed him, that there and then, he decided to channel his energy into Karate.

He enrolled at Takashoku University, joined the Karate section, and within two years was the proud holder of Shodan. Another two years found him Club Captain.

One his teachers was the great Master and founder of modern Shotokan Karate, Funakoshi Gichin, whose instruction and advice is still a source of inspiration to him to this day.

He graduated with a degree in economics before joining the JKA instructors class which he attended for three years, during which time his main instructor was Sensei Nakayama. He also trained with many of the top Sensei of other schools and styles of Karate. It was this quality of instruction, combined with a fiercesome determination, which moulded Sensei Enoeda into one of Japan's finest ever competitors and instructors.

After achieving his aim of becoming JKA Champion, Sensei began to receive invitations to instruct in various countries - Indonesia, South Africa, Hawaii - and eventually joined his friend, Hirokazu Kanazawa, to instruct in England.