American expat Brent Hire has successfully founded a school in Amsterdam to teach traditional Japanese martial arts. We ask him about his experiences as an expat and his driving passion for the martial arts.

Editor Natasha Gunn asks Brent about his life as an expat and the success of his school.

Could you tell us about your background and what brought you to The Netherlands?

Brent Hire

I've lived for extended periods of time in Germany and the Netherlands and although I have moved around a bit but I'm originally from Colorado and California. I graduated from UC Berkeley in California with a degree in German Literature and Information Systems. During my student years I lived off and on in Germany until at some point I was recruited to work at a start up company in Amsterdam that specialised in creative solutions and software for the emerging world of interactive television.

Japanese swordsmanship

Ironically enough, although I have often submerged myself in the business world during my time in Germany and the Netherlands I have actually invested a far greater amount of time and energy in my true passion of Japanese martial arts. I have been training and teaching Jujutsu, Aikido and Shinkendo (Japanese swordsmanship) since 1988. Yes, I came to the Netherlands because of a challenging job offer where I had an opportunity to work in the cutting edge world of high bandwidth television and internet, but I actually came to Europe because my martial arts Sensei (instructor) wanted one of his top students to represent his organisation in Europe.

What inspired you to travel and live abroad?

My mother inspired in me a true love of travelling and I've always been something of a language aficionado so the idea of visiting and one day living in Europe always appealed to me. The dynamic mix of so many cultures and flavours living next to and on top of one another, and the ease with which one can move between these cultures; one day you are in Amsterdam, the next you're in Paris and the next you find yourself in Budapest. I can't think of anything more exciting; it demands and develops a greater respect and deeper appreciation for cultural difference.

Aikido training

How did you come to teach martial arts as a full time job?

When, after the dotcom bust, first one company that I was working for and then the next went bankrupt, I was faced with the challenging decision to either return home to the US or try my hand at making an enduring new life for myself here in Europe.

There simply were not as many job opportunities in the IT industry in Holland at that time as when I had first stepped off the boat. However, that didn't really concern me. The Japanese martial arts have been a passion of mine since long before I attended university and found my way to employment here in the Netherlands. Soon after I arrived I had already opened the school and began teaching Aikido and Shinkendo. The classes were successful and received such good feedback that it seemed like a great idea to start teaching professionally, so instead of finding a new job in business I resolved to start teaching martial arts full time. I added more classes to our schedule and began the arduous procedure of finding a good studio space in Amsterdam.

Meditation

My school, the Shinbukan Dojo (school of true martial valour) continues to develop and advance in size and quality largely due to the constructive, encouraging and motivating energy that the students bring to the process. A core group of students have been with me for three to eight years now and some have become instructors in their own right. All of them share a feeling of responsibility and dedication to the community and the learning centre that we have created together.

I naturally speak English and German and am slightly less talented at Japanese and Dutch but I teach most of my classes in English. As a result of this and due to the many lasting contacts and colleagues I have in the business world means that a significant portion of our students are expats themselves.

In my opinion this means that our dojo (training hall) provides an excellent environment for people to explore the positive values of traditional martial arts within the framework of a diverse and supportive social community. I have seen people's lives transformed through their training in martial arts and through their involvement with a passionate like-minded community. I am proud to be a part of this change and enjoy knowing that I have made a difference in people's lives.

How have martial arts come to be so important for you?

It is important to take note that martial arts have something to offer that is far more important then just learning to fight or the oft sighted aspects of self-defence or mere physical exercise. These aspects of martial arts training are naturally very important, however, many people are not initially aware of the farther reaching and essentially more profound significance that such training can have in one's life.

We define the martial arts as an art form precisely because they encapsulate essential and fundamental principles that allow for the development, transformation and transcendence of the individual and the community in which they live. The traditional martial arts have a very long history as an art form and as a way of life. These days we are not busy using our skills to make war but the archetype of the warrior is still very important and the knowledge and training that is imparted more useful than ever.

Shinbukan dojo

The archetype of the warrior is 'integrity, loyalty, sincerity, service, honour and justice'. Being a warrior means staying true to your path even when that path becomes difficult or in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. The martial arts teach one what it means to be a warrior in modern life; a warrior is essentially someone who does not turn away from conflict but instead faces it with honour, dignity and respect for the opponent.

Conflict and the act of engagement are common to life and how we approach and choose to deal with conflict defines our character. In today's society conflict comes in all forms whether physical, verbal, mental or emotional, and in all places whether at home, school, in the workplace, local community or globally. Too often we respond to conflict in ineffective and reactionary manners because we aren't able to take advantage of all of the options available to us. We might have a hard time staying centred because we are overwhelmed by our own emotional reaction to an attack. Even worse, we may misconstrue a passionate or animated communication as an attack, because we project too much of our own intention into the message of our potentially innocent opponent.

Training in the martial arts teaches us how to stay centred, balanced and unattached to the fear of loss or the thirst of winning. This great ability allows us to focus on the matter at hand more clearly and use our strengths at full capacity. Martial arts teach us how to nurture and develop our own innate talents and skills beyond our perceived limits. They are a form of universal conflict resolution utilising strategy, tactics and problem solving techniques to help us better comprehend the myriad of choices that are constantly available to us and over time it provides us with the wisdom to choose the proper response in a given situation.

What is the connection between martial arts and the world of business?

The application of ethics, problem solving, conflict resolution and negotiation are all things that are directly related to conflict. Conflict is the sphere and the forte of the warrior. Sometimes working in a peaceful manner, other times in an aggressive and assertive manner, the business person is the epitome of the modern warrior. The arts of war and the world of strategy and conflict relate directly to the skills required of the modern business person.

KPMG business seminar

I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to provide seminars for businesses and corporations relating to ethics, corporate governance, team building, strategy, conflict resolution, negotiation and customer service. I am most passionate about teaching business people techniques that can enhance and often greatly improve their individual and team performance levels.

The martial arts build a framework whereupon all aspects of our daily lives can be addressed, enhanced and improved. The Samurai lived by a warrior code; a code of ethics and honour by which they evaluated their own action. They adopted essential principles from Zen Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism because a heightened mental and spiritual awareness made them more effective warriors. These principles also serve to make the modern warrior a more effective human in the modern human setting. These kinds of guiding principles allow people to increase their sense of awareness, their ability to concentrate and their overall feeling of harmony and integration in the world.

Please feel free to come by our school for a cup of tea if you would like to watch one of our trainings or learn more about the martial arts. Everyone is welcome.

For more information visit:
www.shinkendo.nl
www.shinkendo-europe.com

26 October 2007

[Copyright Expatica 2007]