Nanbu budo university inauguration seminar. This fine title crowned the Zagreb seminar. Around the nanbudo circles there had been some discussion about Nanbu budo university project. This seminar was it's first manifestation. Expectations were rather high and emotions a bit mixed.

The seminar invitation was rich with words. Based on the invitation I expected something else than a regular nanbudo seminar. I really didn't know what it would be, but at least I thought that the seminar would contain some sort of lectures and the focus would be on learning how to teach nanbudo. In the end the seminar was pretty much like any other nanbudo seminar. The training sessions had some nice titles but there was no significant difference between them, nor to some other training sessions in other seminars.

Anyway, I wouldn't say I was disappointed. The seminar was well organised. The emphasis was on training, not competition, like some years before in Zagreb. There were a lot of participants, and one could train with people from all those countries of Europe where nanbudo is practised.

I suppose Nanbu budo university is such a young organisation that I have not yet fully comprehended it's purpose. And maybe my expectations are a bit silly. How can one comprehend nanbudo just by listening to lectures? Nanbudo is not something that can be achieved with only theory – it needs to be understood through practice, through one’s own body, moving, exercising, sweating. Too much thinking can turn counterproductive in this kind of learning process.

Kalle Lönnroth, 2 dan