Introducing Creative Kobudo

‘Creative Kobudo’ team building workshops use weapons training to provide insights into better working relationships at all levels across all sectors.

‘Kobudo’ means ‘old martial way’ and involves training with a variety of traditional martial arts weapons such as nunchaku (two sticks joined by a chain), bo (6ft long staff) and tonfa (side-handled baton). The kobudoka (or one who practises kobudo) uses their training as a vehicle for developing qualities within themselves. These include self-control, timing, patience, intuition, courage, a still mind-set and focus….to name a few.

The aim of ‘Creative Kobudo’ is to use training with weapons as a vehicle for discovering, experiencing and understanding qualities and values that can be taken into all other areas of life. Weapons training also provide an ideal platform for team building.

When presented with a bo for the first time, the beginner soon realises that the bo has a ‘mind of its own’ once it is set in motion. It is, after all, a 6ft solid wooden stick of around 3cm in thickness. It carries force and momentum and it won’t always do what the practitioner wants it to do. Likewise, when one holds a tonfa for the first time, it presents itself as a clumsy weapon with no grace or fluidity. Yet, with practice, the tonfa can be made to move like lightening with superb flexibility and grace. Being able to deal with different types of people is essential for a winning business and team building is all about ensuring that each member of the team has this ability. Dealing with different weapons engages a similar skill set to getting on with others – listening and responding, knowing when to push and when to yield, going with the flow.

Develop Your Resilience and Versatility

The weapon can be seen as a metaphor for clients, colleagues, directors in the boardroom. It can also represent any external force or element that you have to deal with and have influence over, in order to succeed in your mission.

As well as setting up the Chan School of Nunchaku, Martin Morrison has spent many years within the business to business and business to consumer sales environment. Most notably, he spent 15 years working for a well known broadsheet. He has dealt with people of all ranks, across many industries from lawyers, accountants and architects through to security firms, nightclub owners, IT companies and many others. Having been involved in martial arts for over 30 years he also has substantial experience training with and teaching weapons.

If you are an individual executive interested in learning kobudo in a unique way, within a one-to-one setting, you can find out more about that here.

Business Seminars

The Chan School of Nunchaku are keen to be involved in seminars for business people, designed to inspire creative thinking, better relationships with internal and external customers and to show how even the most ambitious goals can be achieved. Whether you want to add a completely unique element to your seminar or workshop or think you have something to offer one of ours, please get in touch to discuss.

Team Building Workshops

Great organisations need exceptional individuals to thrive but one of the most important elements to success is how those people interact with each other and how they operate as a team. Team building is an ongoing process that occurs primarily through shared experience rather than text book instruction.

 

Team Building WHEREVER YOU WANT

We can run a workshop wherever you want, space permitting. That could mean on the grounds of a beautiful country house on a sunny day, or a large conference room of a 5 star hotel. Alternatively, we are happy to accommodate smaller groups in one of many smaller, practical venues, such as the one pictured above.

Key Benefits

The Chan School of Nunchaku tailor make ‘Creative Kobudo’ team building workshops that really engage the group. Ideal for people and organisations from all sectors, Chan workshops work on a number of levels:

•  Creating a unique and memorable experience that bonds people and helps with team building

•  Encourages better engagement and focus on the present

•  Gives insight on better interaction with others – colleagues, staff, managers, stakeholders, clients and customers

•  Develops a positive, ‘can do’ attitude for everyone involved

•  Shows how to get the most out of situations and people

•  Encourages creative, open minded thinking

Here’s how we were covered in the Yorkshire Evening Post, when they came to one of our team building workshops, and below you can hear the Radio Leeds interview from 7.50am, 28 May 2014, where Martin Morrison discusses mindfulness and kobudo training benefits for the workplace:

The client was a creative agency called Fist of Fury Ltd and this is the program they were taken through:

•  Some brief reflection on the nature of mind – the self, reality and mental chatter

•  Meditation training – mindfulness brings people into the present allowing for richer engagement

•  ‘Iaido’ training with wooden sword (bokken), sometimes described as moving meditation. This involved team building because the group was required to move as one unit

•  A quick guide to Okinawan traditional weapons, looking at bo, tonfa, sai, nunchaku, katana and bokken

•  Kobudo training, showing how the different weapons move and an opportunity for safe practice

•  Creative kobujutsu looking at how anything can be anything; how creative thinking and open-mindedness creates unlimited possibilities in any situation

What others say about us

Many business lessons can be learnt and experienced through training with weapons. The team building workshops are designed to be engaging, easy and insightful, and people have a great time in a safe environment. This is what Martin O Toole, MD of Fist of Fury Ltd, said about us:

“As a relatively new business, with a mixed team of creative and technical people, I wanted to do something different in terms of team building. Since our brand was directly inspired by the late great Bruce Lee, I couldn’t think of anything better than a Nunchaku (and other weapons) training session! Martin handled the session with expert competency – ensuring safety at all times. The lads all had a great time and it was a worthwhile experience in terms of bonding us together.”

While Martin obviously had an interest in martial arts however his team all gave positive written feedback and it was clear that they all had a great time. They all particularly enjoyed the meditation session which just goes to show the martial arts is not just about fancy moves.

Interested?

Do you have a sales team that you want to reward while doing something new and interesting? Are you wanting to inspire a management team to make them think differently? Creative thinking and a positive approach is often the secret weapon for business growth. Whatever your motivation for a team building session, the Chan School of Nunchaku can deliver results.

Contact us today to find out how we can work with your organisation to improve productivity and working relationships.