Starting in Lincoln, New Hampshire, off the Kancamagus Highway

Call 860-739-5482 for hotel info and meeting places by July 1st.

The Principles of Natural Law are the rules by which all things in our world function and behave. Insight into these Laws, and behavior within their parameters, are essential in the highest levels of performance in all endeavors. This retreat experience will offer guidance in returning to the source, in an essential interpretation of Mother Nature’s lessons, from the 770-year-old art Kosho Shorei Ryu.

If you are a martial artist, a natural healer, or simply a seeker of Truth and inner peace, this retreat is for you! It will deepen your understanding of nature, and yield great insight into yourself. We will begin with slowing down, leaving space and time for quiet retreat within your heart-mind. We will walk and hike together through some incredible mountains, near breathtaking streams and waterfalls, among strong New England- weathered trees, glacial boulders, and breathtaking vistas. And you will learn to understand your relationship to these things as interpreted through ancient Asian philosophy. The Kosho Shorei Ryu Japanese Warrior-Healer tradition offers many exercises in the mountains to help us understand the macrocosmic and microcosmic universe that we all inhabit. You will come away from this experience with new insight, deeper understanding, and a renewed sense of natural ease and vitality.

Retreat Info

Hotel: “Mountain Club” on Loon Mountain –
“Club Room” with 1 king sized bed is $101 (1-2 people in room) -or-
$131/nt for studio room: holds up to four w/2 twin beds & sofa bed
(split four ways that’s only $33 each)

Call 800-229-7829 & mention “KSSK Retreat”. See www.mtnclub.com

*Rooms will be released on June 17th.
Please group yourselves with other students & register by then to guarantee space.

Trails: We’ll hike the Sabbaday Brook Trail for the Black Belt Training on Friday, the Benton Trail (near Mt. Moosilauke) Saturday, and the Tunnel Brook Trail on Sunday.

Click here for Registration Form PDF.

What to bring, wear, and how to prepare: see the Appalachian Mountain Club website.

Be sure to at least read the Ten Hiking Essentials!

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Eastern Mountain Sports (in Crystal Mall) has offered a 20% discount on anything you want for the retreat. They did that for us last year too. All you have to do is bring in a copy of the retreat flier, and you'll get the discount, any time before the retreat.

Everyone should have a good pair of hiking boots, a map of White Mountain National Forest (I'd recommend the one from AMC), a compass, a whistle, a good flashlight or headlamp, waterproof matches or a lighter, a knife, and a jo, as well as food and water. A mini fist-aid kit (complete with Yunnan Paiyao), and a nylon rain-wicking jacket are also essential. We're going rain or shine.

It'd also be a good idea to bring bug-repellant. I'd recommend a brand called "Green Ban", which is all natural ingredients and still effective. Its available at the Natural Food Store, on Main Street in Niantic.

This is a serious forest. But, we've done this many times before, and the black belts and I are going to do our best to make sure everyone stays safe. So, there is virtually no chance a person will get hurt or lost, but we always prepare for the possibility. Kosho is a preparatory art!

There is a lot of interest in the retreat this year, and I won't be surprised if we have as many as thirty participants! I have been inspired several times lately about great Kosho Shorei lessons I'll be teaching this year! It's going to be an unforgettable and inspirational experience for all attending.

Please make sure you sign up for the retreat at the Dojo as early as possible before the deadline, to save lots of money, and because it really helps me to plan the trip well if I have a solid idea of who and how many people are joining us. And, make sure you coordinate with each other for room-sharing early too, so no one gets left out, and so you can all make your reservations with the Mountain Club early enough to get the discount on the rooms. I know some of you have already.

When you call the Mountain Club, make sure you tell them you're with the "KSSK Retreat" group so you get the discount, and also ask for the buffet breakfast package for both days if you'd like. It is our custom to meet and have a hearty breakfast together each day before the hike. Most of us generally only carry light snack-type food for the "lunch"; then we have a great dinner somewhere together Saturday night.

Osu!
Sensei David LoPriore, KSSK Kai Cho