AKI Honbu Dojo, Japan
Aiki Journey
I do not know why I am practicing Aikido but it's a great journey of so many years.
I do not know how I can get images of waza but I feel they exist far beyond images.
I can just feel that through millions of purifications called 'keiko',
we visit the origin and help our dreamful walk on the 'Do'.
It is the greatest journey of life.
Y. Takeda
Yokohama, Japan
October 2005
AKI Australia
A big day out: AKI Bondi Beach Enbukai
We met at 6am on a cool spring morning in Orange. For Fiona and Stephen, the day ahead was a familiar and welcomed journey. For Ine and Mark, it was to be a new experience, especially for Ine who had joined our dojo just two months before.
The journey from Orange to Bondi Beach via the Blue Mountains is about four hours by car. This particular trip was pleasantly uneventful and an easy drive with a short stop for coffee, pies and juice at Blackheath Bakery.
Arriving at Bondi Beach just on 10am, we were greeted by the sea air, the blue ocean and the warm greetings of our Aikido friends. It's always a joy to be with them again. And today we were able to introduce one of our new students to the Aikido family.
The three one-hour training sessions back to back were challenging, rewarding and fun. A number of themes were explored by our teachers, Berin Mackenzie, Mike McGregor and Stephen Seymour - opening in both directions along the line; moving without thought of "doing something" to uke; embracing uke; keeping on extending up, even when you feel it's time to cut down; and entering in early (acting, not reacting).
A brief break for lunch gave us time to catch a few words of conversation in between mouthfuls of food and fluid. The mats were rearranged for the embukai and each dojo made last minute preparations. The demonstrations started with Aikido Kenkyukai dojos, followed by guest dojos and finally dojocho. A small but appreciative audience watched. All too soon we were at an end.
The opportunity to demonstrate in front of others is a rare privilege. At times, it might seem of questionable relevance to our Aikido practice. But as an opportunity to reflect on what we've been working on in training, to represent our dojo to the wider Aikido family and to an outside audience, and as a formal celebration of a significant milestone, it has meaning and importance on a number of levels.
So our thanks go again to Berin and Bondi Beach Dojo for hosting another gathering and bringing us together. And congratulations also on their second anniversary! To see the dedication of Berin's students in helping to organise and run the day, speaks volumes for how far the dojo has come in a short time.
Unfortunately, the Orange Dojo attendees were not able to join the post-embukai party in the city. The thought of the four hour drive home and work the next day overwhelmed the strong desire to continue the anniversary celebrations. A quick coffee and roll at a beach cafEwere partial compensation.
The trip home took us back through the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Bathurst and finally to Orange (and beyond for Mark) - 15 hours since we left that morning. A great day, but bed sure felt good!
- Stephen Nugent (AKI Orange)
Spring Gradings in Canberra
The weekend of 8th and 9th October was a get together and training in Canberra. On Saturday there was 2.5 hrs of training at Turner dojo conducted by Bruce Lowes. In the afternoon was the Floriade festival where a 1 hour demonstration was conducted amongst the flower beds. The weather was freezing but the Canberra hospitality was warm and friendly as usual. Saturday night saw a small get together at Bruce's place and Sunday was at Tengoku dojo for a 1.5 hr training followed by gradings. The kyu grades were capped off by an excellent nidan test by Dianne Wright.
Congratulations to all the people who took a test and heartfelt thanks to the hospitality shown to the visitors (Jeffrey James from the southern highlands, Steve and Ayano Seymour, Trent Adamson, Bertrand Drouilard and Mikiko Tanihata from Balmain, and Matthew from the south coast). Looking forward to the next get together!
- Stephen Seymour (AKI Balmain)
Aikido Gleanings from Iai
Somewhere I've already said that the biggest inputs to North Queensland training in the past five or six years have been from Bob Gibbons and from a two-year (too-short) involvement with a talented sword teacher. I couldn't begin to organise what Bob showed us. His teaching was always so much a part of his person that it was never easy to tease out specific points. But I think I can list a few tips from iai that can be put to use in aikido.
Without question I take the following recommendations as healthful to mind and body but then I'm not a medical expert. Also, I can't know the needs and limits of your particular body. Therefore the practices outlined here are only suggested means of reaching the kind of aikido-results I talk about. Even then nothing should be accepted on sight, which is why I say try this or try that. At the same time much of what follows is pretty basic advice and shouldn't be very different from what you've already been told by others.
I'd be happy to learn about the results of your research, whatever they might be. If there's some interest in such ideas I'll write more at a future time.
Relaxed Upright Posture
Good posture is important in every martial art but especially in the sword-related arts, which include aikido. The usual teaching is that the body should be upright and relaxed. The shoulders should be back but not hiked up in a way that expands the chest by narrowing the back. Round relaxed shoulders are almost a trade-mark of Takeda Sensei.
As for straightness, Yamamoto Kenichi spent about a week correcting our various postures the last time he was here in the north, maybe ten years ago. I guess he thought they were that bad. The gist of his teaching (in my words) is as follows:
"Think of yourselves as moving pillars. The pillars can lean a bit but they can't bend at the middle. They can turn on their axes, grow fatter or thinner (get wider or more narrow) and become shorter or taller. But they always stay pretty much in a line..."
- Bob Jones (AKI Innisfail)
AKI Canada
Thank you
The members of Kootenay Aikido Kenkyukai from Nelson, BC, would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the contributors from the various dojos of Japan. Your generosity has been very helpful in restoring our dojo after the fire. Your support has helped us in our transition.
The fire we experienced has allowed us to make the leap from sharing a dojo space to leasing a space dedicated to aikido alone. The new dojo has attracted fresh energy. We are now holding introductory classes for adults, youth, and children, as well as our regular adult classes.
We are celebrating our 15th anniversary in June 2007 and we hope that some of you could join our celebration.
- Jean-Rene and all of the members of Kootenay AKI
Fall Gasshuku
Slowly, week by week, the autumn snow, works its way, level by level, down the sides of the Columbia Mountains that surround us. Before the snows gets to the valley bottoms where we work, play and train, marking the onset of winter, this is the time for our fall Gasshuku. This past weekend Kootenay Aikido Kenkyukai members gathered at the White Pines Dojo in the beautiful Slocan Valley. Adult members of our two dojos and participants of Nelson's youth and introductory classes all practiced together. A special class was held combining the White Pines Dojo's children's class with the Gasshuku. Fifteen kids had a very invigorating hour of training with Jean Rene Leduc Sensei and all the adults.
Early mornings and late nights had us all rubbing our eyes as well as our knees but all the while smiling. As you all know, sharing food, sleeping quarters and hours of keiko is very special way to bring a group together and create a stronger feeling. Many thanks to out hosts Marcia and Roland Werner and to Jean Rene Sensei. By the way, Jean Rene Sensei left after the Gasshuku to fly to Chile and Uruguay to make new friends in dojos there!
- Alix Flavelle (Kootenay AKI, Nelson)
AKI USA
Attendance at Shobu Aikido of Boston 25th Anniversary
July 15-17: I found myself driving a long six hours from Philadelphia to Boston to be a part of the 25th Anniversary gasshuku in Bill Gleason Sensei's dojo. My original plan was to train only on the last day of the gasshuku but something inside me urged me to train for the whole weekend, and I found the means to do so. When I got to the dojo I was impressed by how nice it was and later by the kindness and friendliness of the dojo's members. From the start I was offered a place to stay for the weekend where a few of the members lived. My stay in Boston was off to a great start.
The gasshuku started with the first class being taught by Bill Sensei and it was wonderful to be in his presence again. As the gasshuku progressed different students of Bill Sensei, who are now teachers as well, taught their own classes and shared their unique Aikido knowledge with the people training. Two of my personal favorite classes during the gasshuku were those of Lia Suzuki Sensei and Rob Liberty Sensei. Overall it was great to see all the teachers imparting their wisdom to the students.
A special party was held on Saturday night where some of Bill Sensei's older students got to praise him in their speeches. What they said was very heartwarming and inspiring. By the time the last keiko ended on Sunday, I couldn't be happier that I had taken part in this great gasshuku.
- Gene Buryakovsky (AKI Pennsylvania)
Greetings from Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania dojo has gone through some changes in the past few months. Some members have left, some have left and returned and we have gained a new member. Kirisawa Sensei went back to Japan in July, and Steve has been leading the classes through this incredibly hot summer. We were also fortunate to have Lia Sensei and Matt from Santa Barbara teach a class in Pennsylvania this summer. Both went out of their way just to come and teach at our dojo, and we are very grateful. We now are enjoying keiko in the transitional weather of autumn. In Philadelphia that means a few weeks of beautiful warm days and clear cool nights before it gets really cold.
Thank you for all your support
- Rob McGann (AKI Pennsylvania)
Ohio Gasshuku
August 12-14: Serendipity is a word that I don't think is used too often with regards to a gasshuku, but it's what happened to me at a recent gasshuku with Lia Suzuki Sensei. I was lucky enough to have a Saturday to myself, so I drove a couple of hours to an afternoon class that Suzuki Sensei was teaching in Toledo. I got to the dojo almost two hours before the start of the second class, so I asked one of the local students if there was a coffee shop nearby, to spend a little time. Suzuki Sensei heard me talking and asked if she could also come along to get a cup of coffee. I haven't been practicing Aikido for very long, but to me, it seems rare for an outside student to get any one on one time with a visiting teacher, let alone outside the dojo at a coffee shop. I'll always be grateful to Suzuki Sensei for that one hour. It was very cool to hear the stories about Yamaguchi Shihan and Takeda Shihan, as well as Suzuki Sensei's own experiences in Aikido.
I'm also grateful to Jay Weik Sensei for allowing me to join the class for the afternoon. It was a lot of fun to practice with Weik Sensei and all of his students. As I said earlier, the best part of the day was having coffee with Sensei, but on the mat it was interesting to watch her movements. It was my impression that Suzuki Sensei's movements have a sense of humility and joy. To watch her move is to watch someone who really not only loves Aikido, but also does it very well. Thank you again Sensei for the great experience and your time. I hope to see you again someday.
- Jason Bulla (Shobu Aikido of Ohio)
Lia Sensei offered a uniquely enriching Gasshuku experience. She challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally, stretching my spirit and pushing my understanding of hara. Her instruction helped me to find reserves of strength I did not realize I had. My feeling after her gasshuku has been excellent.
- Andrew Lesniewicz (Shobu Aikido of Ohio)
- May peace prevail on Earth -
AKI Honbu Dojo - Message from Takeda Shihan
AKI Australia - A big day out: AKI Bondi Beach Enbukai
AKI Canada - Thank you
AKI U.S.A. - Attendance at Shobu Aikido of Boston 25th Anniversary