- Stephen Nugent (AKI Orange)


Word about Aikido Kenkyukai is spreading

For many of us, part of the reason we love Aikido and continue to train is that there is so much we can learn and apply to our lives off the mat. Aikido principles are often used to illustrate conflict resolution and negotiation techniques - many books have been written and videos made.

We had the opportunity to explore this side of training recently when asked to do a guest lecture spot at Charles Sturt University (in Orange in Central West NSW) on Aikido and conflict resolution. The lecture was to students doing a course on Managing Yourself and Others as part of a degree program offered by the Faculty of Rural Management.

Course participants came from all over the Central West and from many areas of work, including farming and sheep shearing. Some were sceptical at the beginning, while others were short on concentration as the seminar came at the end of an intense week of lectures.

Fortunately, we'd designed the seminar to be participatory, active and physical, rather than passive and purely oral-based. We had the participants up doing warm-ups, ki exercises and some basic partner work. We drew on the input and inspiration of our Aikido Kenkyukai teachers and fellow Aikidoka in the presentation and discussion of these activities. The seminar was structured around a number of principles of Aikido and their application firstly to managing self, and then to working with others.

The one and a half hour session flew by and questions and discussion continued on for another half hour. The energy in the room at the end of the seminar was significantly different from that at the beginning.

One of the students who seemed most interested was a big, burly farmer who lives and works on a property outside of Boorowa, a small rural community 300kms from Sydney. We believe that he and the other participants went away with a greater awareness of what Aikido is (and isn't), and with some small seed of learning that may take hold and grow.

The opportunity to present this seminar came about through meeting the lecturer at a biodynamic farming gathering and a chance conversation about Aikido. He is a founding member of a group called Spirituality in Leadership and Management (SLAM) and has known of and been interested in Aikido for some time. Through opportunities like this, the work of Aikido Kenkyukai International continues to spread and touch the lives of an increasing number of people.

    - Stephen Nugent and Fiona Hawke (AKI Orange)


Unlocking Takeda Shihan's in-class explanations

My first Aikido teacher, Nev Sagiba, spoke often of what he considered the most important and valuable technique for any student to master. He called it 'stealing the technique'. In Japanese, we say 'mitori geiko', meaning 'training to watch and to take'.

I first arrived in Japan armed with little to no Japanese ability and was forced to rely soley on what my eyes were quick enough to glean from Takeda Shihan's movements, and my body sharp and soft enough to absorb when taking his ukemi. It is certainly possible to study and learn like this. However, with such limited time available in the dojo and in direct contact with Takeda Shihan, his verbal explanations, rich in vital clues to his thoughts and movements, are simply invaluable, carefully guiding and focusing our efforts.

There are no ordinary moments in Takeda Shihan's keiko; he is constantly evolving. As such, the intensity of our concentration must burn. Otherwise the moment and the opportunity it holds will be lost. And it truly is lost. That is perhaps one of the most beautiful things about Aikido - we can't keep it or hold it or have it again. We never get the same opportunity or meeting and blending of centers twice. Each moment happens only once, 'here and now' as Sensei is constantly reminding us. And that was the feeling training under him in Japan. There was a sense of urgency because we knew that in any given moment, we'd have to use anything and everything at our disposal to grasp whatever subtle and spontaneous feeling Sensei was expressing in that split second before it changed and evolved into something new. Every clue counted.

With time, I began to recognise occasional words amidst the overwhelming aural fog. First more words came. Then the words slowly became phrases. Eventually, I was able to follow most of what Sensei would say to me, pointing me in different directions and opening doors with each new hint. As the number of western students drawn to Higashi Totsuka Dojo and to Takeda Shihan increased, I saw the need for a bridge over the language barrier and set about building one in the hope that Sensei's joyful and inspiring teachings could be more easily and widely accessed by others.




The result is the Aikido Kenkyukai International Japanese Aikido Glossary, listing the key adverbs, verbs and phrases that feature most prominently in Takeda Shihan's keiko. Beautifully presented, professionally printed and wire-bound, this first edtion contains nearly 400 words and phrases in kanji (Chinese characters), hiragana (Japanese phonetic syllables) and romaji (English text), as well as a pronunciation guide, and a selection of quality black and white and original full colour images depicting Japan's breathtaking and very distinct four seasons. Limited copies are available now to anyone looking for a key to the door!

    - Berin Mackenzie (AKI Bondi Beach)



AKI Canada

Brief update from White Pines Dojo, Slocan Valley

Well, it's Spring time here at White Pines. There are two adult classes and three kids classes per week. There will be a kids gasshuku later in the spring, dates to be announced. We are also planning an adults gasshuku this summer. Otherwise, there are many finishing projects presently going on indoors and out.

Want to come work? We would love for you to come practice with us any time. We will be sending you more up-to-date info when our events are finalised.

    - Anita Werner (Kootenay AKI)



AKI Japan

Introducing AKI Tatebayashi Dojo

At A.K.I Takebayashi Dojo, through Aikido training three times a week, we research Aikido methods which are equal for men and women, young and old, and don't use huge physical effort.

In the junior class, there are some 1st grade school students who take ukemi like 6th grade students do. Children respect the kohai-senpai relationship and always practice with loud voices.

In the adults class, students from junior high school age up to 60 years-old train hard together and they sweat a lot. Most members are white belts but are never lazy, right from the beginning of swinging the bokuto all the way to the end of ato geiko.

Some people go to visit Higashi-Totsuka Dojo which is 2 hours drive from Takebayashi, every weekend. Outside the dojo, we enjoy talking to each other and we are very much like a family.

I hope we can make our dojo the place where we can consider others and I can improve myself.

    - Yuka Takeda (AKI Tatebayashi, junior high school student)


Great discovery from gasshuku

First the first time in some years, we participated in the Misaki gasshuku hosted by Numata Dojo. Spending two days in a friendly atmosphere, meeting old senpai from my childhood, getting to know new people and many different ways of communication brought such a nice feeling.

In training, Takeda Shihan told us that "the most important point is to be able to change", then I realised that I tend to create some sort of form which goes against each other as strength-softness, stability-gentleness and so on.

I was watching a wide range of people - young to senior - demonstrating and I thought I have a lot to learn from each of them.

It was a meaningful gasshuku for me. Thank you Numata Sensei and everyone else for the great opportunity.

    - Daiyu Takeda (AKI Tatebayashi)


My pre-AKI Australia 25th anniversary gasshuku ambition

Since I first visited Australia, it has become my dream to live there one day. So I started English lessons but I couldn't speak at all.

This time at the upcoming gasshuku, besides Aikido training I'd like to learn as much real English as I can. Please kindly help me (yoroshiku onegai shimasu).

    - Tomoko Suto (AKI Tatebayashi)



AKI New Zealand

2005 Gasshuku with Numata Sensei

Numata Sensei arrived, as planned, on the afternoon of Friday, the 8th of April. He was on the mat four hours later, giving the first class in a series of six that were held over the next three days. To boost the numbers and to spread the AKI word, AKI Wellington went in with Riai Wellington this time. The first five classes were held at the Riai Dojo in the Chartwell Primary School hall. Since nearly thirty students trained for every session, there was a good crowd, with Aikidoka coming from as far afield as Taupo and Auckland to take part. Numata Sensei had also brought with him one of his fourth kyu students. Despite having trained for only a year and a half, Taka-san was a lively and eager example to us all.

Numata Sensei himself was in very fine form, and keen to share with us his recent research on posture, and how it applies to the kind of 'nobinosen' training that Takeda sensei is doing now. He had brought with him a videotape of a gasshuku that Takeda Sensei had given just the weekend before. It is clear from that tape that Takeda Sensei is working at a very high level indeed now, throwing people with a relaxed ease that seems simply incredible unless you know - as we all do - that it is very real.

We showed Numata Sensei around in our spare time, for example, driving him out to a famous local location sight for the Lord of the Rings movie (the spot where Rivendell was constructed), and even booking him in for a riding lesson. Numata Sensei was also able to explain to us Takeda Sensei's current expectations of AKI clubs. We thank Numata Sensei very much for helping us in this way, as well as for being the genial, engaging, highly effective, and very popular teacher that he always is.


While he was here, Numata Sensei also certified Rose O'Hara as a nidan (congratulations Rose!), and Matt Morris as well in line for his sandan.

    - Ralph Pettman (AKI Wellington)



AKI USA

End of Winter greetings from Pennsylvania

Spring is finally coming to Pennsylvania. It seems to all of us that it has been a longer Winter than usual. Now we are starting to see the first flowers and a little green and pink in the trees and the weather is becoming warm. AKI Pennsylvania will have a two-day special training near the end of April. We hope a couple of the guys from AKI Santa Barbara might visit.

After a great keiko today, Kirisawa Sensei, Gene, Rob and I drove up to a Japanese shopping center just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. It was a bit of a drive, but we had a nice Japanese lunch and bought some sake and senbe for our upcoming special training.