It is in our knowledge the first time that such a training of Iaïdo takes place in France, what certainly allowed very fruitful technical exchanges, but especially exchanges on the cultural and human plan. This training will be renewed next year, always in Easter, but in Spain this time, in Barcelona.
French-Spanish Training Course of Iaido
in Avignon with Me F. Royo & R. Maroteaux
APRIL 2007
The Easter weekend was marked this year by a huge training course of Iaïdo and Ken-jutsu in the gymnasium “Chevalier de Folard” of Avignon (Vaucluse). This training period (the first of type) united a hundred of persons, among whom more than 70 trainees. This initiative, put under the aegis of the “Ligue de Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur Takeda-ryu” (LIPACAT) which chairs Myriam DESVEAUD, returned to European Sobukaï Takeda-ryu Maroto-ha (ESTAM), founded here fifteen years ago in Vaucluse.
The masters who enlivened this training period of opening, introduction and refinement, were FRANCISCO ROYO RIBERA, qualified of the famous school Nitten-ryu of Miyamoto Musashi, founder of the Warei-ryu, and Roland MAROTEAUX, 5th dan Renshi, qualified of the famous school Takeda-ryu. The supplementary character of both traditional styles enticed all the trainees. Between two lessons our Spanish friends, but also the Frenchmen who come from the South and the Centre of the hexagon, could notably visit the Palace and the bridge of Avignon, the city of Popes.
At the conclusion of the training, the sensei Francisco ROYO received the honorary member's diploma of the W.T.M.F of the hands of his French homologue, and the one of the U.N.G.D.A. by his President master Serge CHARLOPEAU, who had specially moved from Chartres for the occasion. From his part, to seal this cordial agreement between our two schools, F. ROYO handed to his French colleague, two samurais' magnificent statuettes, the one wearing the "mon" of Takeda-ryu and the other one the one of Warei-ryu.