Aikido is a melody of life,
resonance of energy,
visualization of dreams,
purification of the soul,
and a song to reacknowledge our unlimited possibilities which begins now.
All the individuals living on this earth,
60 trillion cells of individual is hoping to change and reform them,
by eternal and uncountable exchanges.
I do not know how many trillion light years will be taken to create our united soul,
however,
I know our practice -cultivation- has deep means for endless completion,
to play together as an orchestra of the universe.
After being a part of AKI Australia for nearly 10 years and drawing so much from the tireless efforts of its founders and leaders, it was a privelege to be able to give something back through hosting the godogeiko and enbukai celebrating the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach Dojo. I thoroughly enjoyed the keiko and it was an honour to have Chicko Xerri and Stephen Seymour lead classes in the space they had each had a hand in creating.
The enbu were fantastic with everyone offering something unique and beautiful to the group, especially Big Mike and crew. It felt like watching a storm build as the shidosha enbu progressed, the intensity increasing as the line of extension between uke and nage - the nobinosen - became ever sharper and apparent. What shone through most though at the end of the day was the warmth and freedom with which we as a group, as Aikido Kenkyukai International, practice.
Takeda Sensei's vision, illustrated so beautifully through his choice of kanji on the kakejiku - simply 'Aiki' (harmony) with the 'do' (the Way) unwritten and left for each one of us to find for ourselves - is a truly magical gift.
I'm not sure who else closed their eyes as Tash and the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the kyotaku brought us full circle to close but if only you could articulate that feeling to people when they ask, "What is Aikido?"!!! It was pure magic; a day I'll not easily forget...
- Berin Mackenzie (AKI Bondi Beach)
The first anniversary of our dojo, AKI Bondi Beach, was just great. Berin's genuineness, his ability to show vulnerability as well as his warrior qualities created a refreshing atmosphere. He beautifully demonstrated that a martial artist does not need to hide his sensitivity. Tasha's exquisite piece of flute playing clearly enhanced the particular quality of our instructor's style of teaching, his art of weaving playfulness into teaching effective moves, expanded lines of direction and staying with center.
Having three instructors true to their style and personality made the day a very enriching experience.
Chicko's teachings embodied the principle of 'being there', right in the center of the action; small moves, big effect - he was awesome.
Steve's sharpness and precision, especially in the last demo was truly impressive and, I must add, it blew away any doubts someone in the audience had about the effectiveness of Aikido techniques.
So, until next event, happy birthday to us and happy Aikido to everyone.
- Genevieve Autret (AKI Bondi Beach)
Bondi Beach Dojo Isshunenshiki Participants
(L-R, front row: Fiona Hawke, Mike MacGregor, Nev Sagiba, Bruce Lowes, Stephen Seymour, Tasha Sudan, Berin Mackenzie, Chicko Xerri, Stephen Nugent, Clare Engle; 2nd row: Paul McKey, Tony Cox, Geneveive Autret, Vaughn Duncan, Laurie Nash, Monty Gallagher, Oyama Kazuyoshi, Adam Dawkins, Yoshida Hikari; back row: Abe Rina, Helde, Trina Cleary, George Kamencak, Stephen Rodwell, Clinton Manukau, Paddy Flynn, Rodney Bereshezckiy, Gustavo Alvarez and Dave Williams)
It was a beautiful spring day, storms and sunshine, for the Bondi enbukai, and it was a beautiful setting in which to play the kyotaku; I felt like I could smell the sea when I breathed through the bamboo. The kyotaku opened the enbukai and closed it, and it reminded me of what Uncle Yasu had told me once about training at Hachimangu in Kamakura - at the beginning of class, when everyone makes two claps and bows, the sound is scattered and out of time, but at the end of class, the sound is all in unison. At the beginning of the enbukai, the kyotaku song felt shakey and separate, but at the end, it was in unison with everyone; we were all listening, playing, being played together.
It was wonderful to see so many different aikidoka all together, and reminded me very much of the enbukai at Hachimangu. The day at Bondi captured that same feeling of togetherness and joy in the training, and the same feeling of respect for everyone's different and unique expressions of the Art. I was very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of that feeling, and I am particularly grateful to Berin for bringing back so much of what he and I and the members of our group fortunate enough to train in Japan experienced under Sensei's guidance. The day demonstrated to us that Berin is a teacher of all aspects of the Art, helping us to train in custom and etiquette just as much as in the form and spirit of Aikido. It's a joy to see Sensei's teaching so beautifully, and uniquely, emulated in Bondi.
I was very excited about going to Japan after hearing many stories from Australians who have trained in Japan and also after experiencing the teaching of Yassuyuki Suzuki-sensei and the other Japanese aikidoka who have accompanied him to Australia. To say that I had a fantastic time in Japan would be an understatement.
It was an amazing experience for me to be able to train everyday with so many skilled and amazing practitioners of aikido. Everyday brought new experiences and new teachings, all of them positive and inspirational. The highlight was of course having the opportunity to meet and experience the incredible teachings of the great Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan. His teaching and energy was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I would like to personally thank him for allowing me to experience his wisdom, skill and genius. It was truly a great honor for which I will be forever grateful.
I would also like to thank all my Japanese hosts and those people who I trained with. In particular, I would like to thank Hirayama-san and Ken Schulz-san for allowing me to stay with them and Yassuyuki Suzuki-san for making it possible for me to come to Japan. I have never experienced such generosity. I felt welcome at every dojo I visited and with every person I trained with. I also felt very welcome off the mat and made many new friends over a bottle (or ten) of sake and some delicious food. Although I learnt the hard way the valuable lesson of drinking lots of water after sake in order to make the next days' keiko easier.
My trip concluded with attendance at the September Enbukai. This was a brilliant experience as I had never seen so many aikidoka in one place which in my view is a true testament to the teachings of Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan. There was also a great feeling at the Enbukai as everyone was respectful of everyone else regardless of what dojo they were from.
I hope to see all of you again soon and encourage you to come to Melbourne any time
To all members of AKI International and other friends,
Kootenay Aikido Kenkyukai of Canada wishes to thank everyone for their
contributions relating to the burning down of our dojo in the summer of
2003.
We have moved to a much smaller space which suits our needs for the moment.
We would like to thank Takeda sensei for supporting our idea of [an Aikido Rollathon]
fundraising event.
We will provide a more detailed account for the next issue.
In the meantime, here are a few pictures of our new space. We hope you will
come some day and visit and train with us.
The Kenkyukai class held at AKI Honbu Dojo (Higashi Totsuka) was established in 2000 with the aim of further developing AKI Aikido instructors and Aikido research. The training is held once a month and is conducted by Takeda Shihan with a limited
number of instructors from each dojo nominated by Takeda Shihan (Management: Haruniwa Oka-san, 5th dan).
The main purpose of this training is to "practice" and "experience" grasping our partner's center and entering our partner's center rather than "understanding" those feelings intellectually.
After the training session with Takeda ShihanAfter the training session with Takeda shihan, we film each person's demonstration to increase deeper self-awareness while performing new things we learned at that class.
Besides the monthly class, a gasshuku is held every autumn to promote mutual friendship. This year Takeda Shihan invited Gunma Aikido Renmei led by Toshiyuki Arai Shihan*. We had a precious experience through the training.
- Yamamoto Hiroshi
* Arai Sensei trained with O-Sensei as his uchideshi. He has also supported a Japan-Australia friendship event promoted by Takeda Shihan and he has taught Aikido classes at AKI Sydney's Balmain Dojo.
The Kanto Gakuin University Aikido Club 30th Anniversary was held on the 9th of October. As a tradition, we had training with Takeda Sensei and then we had an enbukai. We planned to party afterwards inside the campus but we had to get out of the university because a typhoon hit the area. We were wondering what to do but finally found a place in Kanazawa Hakkei and managed to have a party anyhow.
It has been 30 years since Numata Sensei started the Aikido club in Kanto Gakuin University so I was willing to arrange this big event but what happened...?
I am now called "Rain Man" as it starts to rain wherever I go. When I visited Australia for the first time, I caused rain even though Australia had been having a serious drought for two years! This time I became a legend by causing a typhoon. Anyway it turned into a memorable event after all.
AKI New Zealand, for those who don't know us, is headquartered at Victoria University in Wellington. Like all university clubs, it has a large floating population, that comes and goes as the academic terms start and end, and a small core of off-campus stalwarts, who are the ones who really keep things going. After ten years we are getting some depth in the upper ranks now. Mike Lubamudrov did his sandan grading not long ago. And Matt Morris did an examplary nidan grading at the weekend seminar we held in Auckland, at the David Lynch dojo, earleir this year. Numata-sensei flew from Japan for the occasion, and the Wellington students slept in the dojo. It was a very successful event, and as we have the whole thing on video, anyone interested can let us know, and we can get you a copy (at cost). Numata-sensei did a special class on dojo etiquette, as well as one on sword (which is a speciality of his).
Otherwise, it is very much business as usual. Training is twice a week at the moment, down from three because I have been away in the UK and Germany. I trained in both places. The Cambridge club I trained with in England was old-style aikikai. The Frankfurt dojo was much more relaxed, being a zen and aikido centre. There was some interest among the senior students in what I was doing, to, so I taught a few classes to try and explain our style to them. On the way I gave some classes in Barcelona, organised by an old student of mine who now lives there. I was really impressed with the Spanish heart. It was very warm and willing, and very special to train with.
Anyone who wants to check out our website, please click here.
Last weekend we had a gasshuku which Kirisawa Sensei attended and taught at. His feeling was so large and his style of teaching was very helpful. We had a blast, no matter how much we could give, no matter how hard we
attacked, he met our efforts with a smile and movements so masked you just had to getup and attack
again, to try and figure out what he had done. We went to a winery Saturday evening after training and then
drove by Michael Jackson's ranch so his wife could take pictures for her friends back in japan. I got so
much out of the weekend I have decided to attend the gasshuku in November in Philadelphia with some of the
other members of our dojo. I am very excited about it, and so thankful for the opportunity to have such an
honored teacher.
- Greg Finch (AKI Santa Barbara)
On the weekend of September 24th , 25th, and 26th, AKI Santa Barbara had its fall gasshuku. On this
weekend we were lucky enough to have Kirisawa Sensei as a guest instructor. He flew to Santa Barbara from
Pennsylvania on his vacation and decided that he would spend his time teaching us in Santa Barbara and we are
very thankful and grateful to have such an illustrious teacher. Also joining
us was Kirisawa Sensei's wife who flew to Santa Barbara from Japan to train at this gasshuku.
The training was, of course, very rigorous and demanding and we left every class sweaty and excited
for the next class. Most special was the time that the gasshuku participants spent together after these
demanding classes. On Saturday we went to a beautiful winery in the Santa Inez Valley and sat under
transforming clouds with bottles of wine and an elaborate picnic put together by the dojo members.
After we left the winery we went to a coffee shop and relaxed on soft couches in the air conditioned cafE
This moment was the most memorable for me because everyone, thoroughly exhausted, just sat lounging
acting goofy, telling jokes and getting to know one another on a level only possible in the empty mind
space that demanding gasshukus put you. Everyone felt so comfortable and relaxed that the moment seemed to
last for ever but at the same time was over too quickly.
On Sunday night, after the demo, we had a farewell dinner for the Kirisawa's. It was an enjoyable dinner
with some of the dojo members families coming. We gave several toasts and bathed in post-gasshuku bliss.
It was sad for the gasshuku have to end because it provides such an incredible forum for interpersonal
and spiritual growth as everyone gets so close to one another and all masks and personal difficulties
disappear for the weekend. We were very lucky to have Kirisawa Sensei and his wife come to Santa Barbara as
it affirms that the work we do every night in the dojo is not limited to Santa Barbara. Aikido extends to
all reaches of the globe and allows us to create connections with wonderful people who each bring their unique self to each class. Thank you to the
Kirisawa's and to all who participated in the gasshuku for keeping the connection alive and strong!
Greetings to all from AKI Pennsylvania Dojo and thanks to the folks who are putting together this e-Aikitsushin. Our group here is still pretty small but we are having a great time training. Kirisawa Sensei has been here on a kind of extended visit for almost a year now and this has been a stroke of incredible good fortune for the Pennsylvania group. We have several new members who have never trained Aikido and they are certainly lucky to have a teacher like Kirisawa Sensei teaching them
the basics. We're all hoping that he never leaves (although we're not sure what his wife will think about that!).
Lately we have been getting a few visitors from some other dojo in the area as the word gets around that "there's a fantastic 5th dan from Japan teaching somewhere in North Wales." Word seems to get around slowly, but visitor always seem pleasantly surprised when they come and train with us.
As the nights begin to get cooler and the leaves are starting to turn red and gold, we are preparing for our Autumn Gasshuku the weekend of November 12. Lia Sensei will be visiting from California with some of the Santa Barbara members and we hope to see members from Cape Cod too. This will be our first gasshuku in Pennsylvania in quite some time so we are getting very excited. We expect to have a wonderful time and we'll send a few photos for the next e-Aikitsushin issue.
AKI Honbu Dojo - A poem by Takeda Shihan
AKI Australia - The Bondi Beach Dojo first anniversary celebration
AKI Canada - The Kootenay AKI Rollathon
AKI Japan - 2004 Kenkyukai Classes at AKI Honbu Dojo
AKI New Zealand - Greetings from Wellington
AKI USA - The Santa Barbara Gasshuku with Kirisawa Sensei
Bondi Beach Dojo Isshunenshiki Participants
