Training at the SMAA Europe Seminar in London began with daily exercises for increasing awareness of the tanden, a natural center in the lower abdomen that is important in the Japanese martial arts. The classes were lead by John Evans Sensei, an expert in Japanese swordsmanship and Hatha yoga. The exercises he taught emphasized tanren, "forging" of one's mind and body. They were derived from his background in Hatha yoga, Mikkyo esoteric Buddhism, and various yamabushi ("mountain warrior") practices. He later showed how these exercises could not only benefit one's health, but how they could also improve performance in Nakamura Ryu swordsmanship.
