I have recently returned from Grass Valley, California where I played the
Samurai Game® at the Aikido¹Ka Dojo run by Sensei Frank Bloksberg. If you
have never heard of the Samurai Game® it was created by Sensei George
Leonard (who holds a fifth degree black belt) - you can check it out at:
www.samuraigame.org

In short, two teams take on the roles of medieval Samurai each led by a
Daimyo and guided by the code of Bushido (even into death) ­ one team
against the other engaging in a variety of unpredictable contests. There is
no significant physical contact yet every contest requires the utmost
commitment and focus. The atmosphere is chaotic ­ metaphorically everyone¹s
life is at stake ­ and trying to stay centered is a real challenge. Leonard
Sensei once described the game as ³... subtle and complex. Participants are
never quite certain of all the rules or of exactly what¹s going on, or what
may happen next.² As far as I am aware it has been played all over the USA,
in Canada and Mexico, China, Taipei, Poland, Egypt and the UK. It has been
run for corporations and, like the game I attended, as a public course with
participants aged from 13 to those in their 60¹s.

I could say a lot about my experience of the Samurai Game®. For me it was
subtle and profound. So much so that I am bringing Lance Giroux of Allied
Ronin Leadership Training & Consulting to run the Samurai Game® over a
weekend in Brisbane at the end of July. Lance led the game I played and has
been doing so since 1978. We already have participants who have played
twice before with Lance flying over from Perth to take part!

If you are interested participating or just in finding out more shoot me an
email at either prmarshall@... or paul@...

Warm regards,

Paul Marshall
Principal
Concur Dispute Resolution Services
www.cdrs.com.au



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