February 2008

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February 2008 Newsletter Title Feb 2008 Volume 1,合 Issue 3 London Aikido Club News LAC Koshukai 2007 気 道 In November this year the London good chance for many who had trained Aikido Club held a two-day Koshukai led together on the mat to meet without by Paolo Corallini and Ulf Evenas. throwing each other on the floor, and to INSIDE : Months in the planning, the weekend spring a surprise birthday cake on Ulf. began for many at 7am on a crisp And despite the obligatory refreshment Koshukai 2007 autumnal morning. Mats were hauled we were eager for more on Sunday. photo scrapbook into place in a sports hall in Walthamstow, and large numbers Before, during and after the weekend armed with cups of tea mucked in to set dozens of people helped carry out New Year Seminar up. numerous, and often unseen jobs, which ensured the whole weekend was Aikido and Zen People from as far away as France and a great success for all involved. Cambridge joined the regulars of the London Aikido Club and it was amazing Jo Wheeler Following the ‘Do’ to see such a long line of aikidoka all bowing to the kamiza. Full photos of the Koshukai can be How I started found on the website. On the following Paolo and Ulf demonstrated a wide and training in Aikido pages are some scrapbook collections of interesting range of aiki-ken, aiki-jo and photos, some not found on the website. tai-jutsu techniques throughout the For all those we missed out – sorry, you Weapons Training weekend. For new aikidoka a Koshukai are not forgotten, you just weren’t there can be daunting as we move from one at the right moment. There were many technique to another. I remember not Kids Corner behind the scenes helpers which don’t having ever held a jo before my first grace these pages, in particular those koshukai. But the experience of training who helped with transport, planning, with a range of people from different organising the videoing etc. Thank you clubs and countries is a valuable one to everyone for a fantastic effort, for whatever the level of experience. supporting the event and making it run so smoothly. The buffet on Saturday night was a London Aikido Club News February 2008 The Senseis Page 2 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 Setting Up Jo on the reception desk Joe and Matthew working out the layout for the mats John also on Left & reception below:Variations on mat cleaning technique Page 3 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 The Aikido Yudansha during weapons class Page 4 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 “Was it something I said?” Time for a rest Page 5 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 The Party Party photos by Svetoslav Kostadinov Message from Andy… wonderful Aikido left to us by the late Morihei Saito Shihan, in its This event was a great success, turn a very special continuation bringing together a broad range of the Founder’s Aikido. Present of Aikidoka for a very good suite at the seminar was Sensei John of practices which were at once Cornish, who actually trained serious and focused, but good with the founder, Morihei humoured, co-operative and Uyeshiba, O’Sensei, in Japan. generous (as Aikido events ought to be). The number of people who I was happy, Senseis Paolo and contributed to making every- Ulf were happy, and the thing run as smoothly as it participants all seem to have undoubtedly did is quite large, had a good time. These events and we owe them all a huge really are vitally important to vote of thanks: domo arogato maintain the standard of the kosai mashita. Page 6 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 2008 New Years Seminar What better way to bring the new year in than to spend the day training..This hardy group braved the day and spent an invigorating four hours training – much better than nursing a hangover. And a NEXT DOJO really nice social event. SEMINAR DATES Congratulations…. Easter Bank Holiday Monday Congratulations to Tony Wilkinson whose book 'The Lost 24th March Art of Being Happy' at one point reached number 66 in the Amazon.co.uk best sellers list, and which is now also Summer Bank stocked by Waterstones. Holiday – 3 days Saturday 23rd August, Sunday 24th August & JANUARY GRADING RESULTS Monday 25th August Congratulations to the following who successfully graded on Saturday 26th January 2008: 6th Kyu: Alan Lambert 5th kyu: Macies Bojan 4th kyu: Batu Onver, Jo Wheeler, Keith Forward 1st kyu: Joe Sealy, Frank O'Sullivan The next kyu grading will be on Saturday 26th April 2008. Page 7 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 Aikido and Zen by Peter Georgeson (reproduced with the kind permission of the Aikido Shudokan, Melbourne) Simply choose your favourite aikido technique and gain deep Zen insight into your own personality Shihonage Yonkyo You like suprises. Zen master say, “He who masters And folding. yonkyo, Origami is your passion. Especially Is one with the Universe. Human origami Everything is connected. In particular, Nage’s knuckle, uke’s wrist.” Ikkyo Gradings come and go But ikkyo never leaves you. Rokkyo Attachment leads to suffering, Seek out The Nikkyo. Like ikkyo too close to a wall. Your wrist, his elbow. Cracking in unison, a friendship blossoms. Nikkyo Possibly in hospital. The sadist arriveth. Hurt is your middle name. When you stand, ukes scatter to all corners of Shomen Uchi Iriminage the dojo, “Prepare to blend with the mat” Like cherry blossoms on the summer wind. Sensei once warned. You silently ponder: What is the sound of one Everything else about that day hand cracking? Is forgotten. Sankyo Sokumen Iriminage Watch uke spin. A heavy hand upon your heart. Spin, uke, spin. The oak tree falls with a mighty snap. You are power mad. But remember, Similar to uke’s back. As the caterpillar becomes the butterfly, nage becomes uke Page 8 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 has greater significance than Following the’Do’ the skill itself (hmmm, ikkyo by Jenny Lawther springs to mind). ost of us know that At the recent November the ‘do’ in aikido seminar those who were there Mrefers to ‘The Way’ – early to help set up would not the way to the nearest have seen Sensei Cornish bar but the esoteric ‘way’, the practising the art of kado, or way of spiritual enlighten- as it is more popularly known, ment. We’ve probably also ikebana (“bring life to had drummed into us flowers”), as he created the numerous times that the ‘aiki’ floral arrangement for the in aikido refers to harmony – kamiza. I wondered what it all thus, ‘the way of harmony’. meant…. Sensei Cornish We also hear a lot about practising the art of ikebana ‘budo’, the martial way – this Ikebana’s origins date back to is frequently referred to when sometime around the 6th whatever breach of etiquette century BC, to Buddhist ritual we have just committed is offerings. One of the original described sternly as “not most skilled priests in the art budo”…. sorry sensei. lived by the side of a lake. The name ‘ikebana’ is When we think of traditional associated with the word Japanese culture what springs ‘ikenobo’, which translates to mind, apart from budo, are from the Japanese as ‘priest’s disciplines such as shodo (the residence by a pond’. way of calligraphy), chado The concept of (the way of tea), kado (the In the late 15th century many “Do”, way of flowers). The concept changes took place in Japan. fundamental to of “Do”, fundamental to the The Muromachi shogun who the Japanese Japanese culture, is different ruled Japan at that time loved culture, is to the Western search for simplicity. The rules of flower different to the arranging were simplified and Western search meaning. It is deeply con- for meaning. nected to the recognition of it was no longer then only the the innate harmony of the province of priests and laws which govern nature. By members of the nobility but adhering to basic forms and became available for ordinary techniques of a discipline one people. As in martial arts, cultivates the self. In other new ryu or schools began to words, the practise of the skill appear, each with its’ own Page 9 of 18 London Aikido Club News February 2008 interpretations, emphases the human spirit’. The and traditions. Today there spiritual idea is to return to are three main ryu – the formless void through Ikenobo (‘classic’), Ohara form. (developed by Unshin Ohara using shorter stemmed Initially arrangements were Western flowers) and very tall and broad, set in Sogetsu (founded in 1926 by Chinese bronze vases, and Sofu Teshigahara, described designed for high temple as a modern ikebana of ‘no spaces. Later the flowers limits’). Several million people were arranged to represent a in Japan practise the ‘art of mythical Buddhist mountain flowers’ and the Japanese named Mt Sumeru which was Ministry of Education has a symbol of the universe. The more than 2,000 different late 16th century was a very schools registered. flamboyant era. Around this time the tea ceremony, which True proficiency in ikebana is had appeared a little earlier, only achieved after at least was refined. It emphasised 4/5 years and mastery takes the plain, simple things of life many years. It is regarded as and with it a simpler floral being a very creative process style called ‘chabana’ or “tea despite the many rules, flowers” emerged.
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