AWA
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | PAGE 01 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Jeremy M.L. Hix, Nidan Greater Lansing Aikido, Lansing, MI USA
This past year has been ripe with change. We left New Mexico and started our new life back home in Michigan. Though we've left the great outdoors of the American Southwest, with hiking and rock-climbing just outside the back door, we are fortunate and happy to be close to family again. This also extends beyond our biological family, to the family of the AWA and the community that we've built.
When we first moved back to Michigan, I struggled finding the right fit for continued Aikido study. I sought out other local Dojo of Birankai and Yoshokai, but none of them felt right. Simply studying Aikido was not enough. My enjoyment and passion for the art came from the people and the community which we've built over the years. I realized being a member of the AWA was a privilege, and not something to take for granted.
The AWA Newsletter is a way for us a strengthen those bonds, those relationships, within the AWA community. Probably considered a dinosaur by now, a Newsletter may seem obsolete in times when mass communication is rapid and fast-paced, when we can Tweet about our #aikidopractice and #breakfallsunday, and when Sato Sensei can look pretty cool with some rockin' Snapchat filters.
However, I do believe the Newsletter holds great value. In lieu of a world filled with Instagrams, Tweets, and Facebook posts, the Newsletter provides an outlet for us to reflect as a community, and share our deeper, more intimate understanding of Aikido. It provides a platform to recognize our achievements and set new goals for the future. It clearly defines us as a community and family, and brings out the best in the AWA.
This Newsletter features many of the things you've come to love and expect from our publications: Dan promotion and new Dojo listings, a letter from Sato Sensei, and, of course, articles and essays submitted by members of the AWA community. We encourage you to take in the material throughout the Newsletter, and reflect on what our friends have contributed.
Special thanks to John Hannon Sensei, Kris Sumner, Rob Linxweiler, and past Newsletter Editorial Boards for keeping the Newsletter alive since 2008.
Thank you for your continued support. -Jeremy-
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 02 NEWSLETTER STAFF
Jeremy M.L. Hix, Lead Editor & Designer Greater Lansing Aikido, Lansing, MI USA Kris Sumner, Editor Kiku Matsu Dojo, Chicago, IL USA Fred Mautz, AWA Photography Lakewood, CO USA Lori Hargis-Johnson, AWA Photography Kyushinkan Dojo, Atlanta, GA USA Kaitlyn Lutz, AWA Photography Wadokan Dojo, Tomball, TX USA Laura DeGraff, AWA Director of Operations Kiku Matsu Dojo, Chicago, IL USA
To make newsletter suggestions and submit articles for consideration, contact either of us:
Jeremy Hix: [email protected] Kris Sumner: [email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A message from Sensei. A.M. Sato...... 04 General Announcements...... 05 Hombu Dojo Report. E. Katsurada...... 06 New Dojo and Dan Promotions...... 07 Aikido History & Future of Aikido. C. Paul....10 Makoto: Essence of Training. K. Kondell.....13 Learning & Teaching Aikido. M. Lojewski....15 Photos...... 17
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 03 MESSAGE FROM SENSEI
Andrew M. Sato, Nanadan Shihan Chief Instructor, AWA Kiku Matsu Dojo, Chicago, IL USA
Hey now! The AWA newsletter is back after a short hiatus we now hope to be back on schedule.
That being said please let us know what you think about the new format and don’t hesitate to send in articles for submission as we all want to know what is going on in the AWA community. As you read on in the newsletter you will see we have had many dan promotions, births, weddings & new dojo coming into the AWA. Please reach out to congratulate them & say hi.
If you have not heard, a brief document was sent to your Dojo Cho to help clarify & inform students how decisions are arrived by the Test Committee for someone who is testing under the AWA banner. Please see your Dojo Cho for a copy, as we are hoping it will help all students reach one of their life goals to become a dan rank.
In the past we have had Katsurada Shihan come visit from Hombu Dojo. This year we are happy to announce that Yokota Shihan will visit for Fall camp, and I will co-teach this time as well. Please, seriously try to attend as he has great Aikido to offer in his teachings. Also, for those that missed instructor certification this past May, attendance at Fall camp will count for 2017.
It has been a busy year so far, but more is waiting to come. Looking forward to training with everyone in the coming months and share in the community of AWA friendship. Waiting to hear from all of you and see you on the mats soon!
Andrew M. Sato Chief Instructor ~ AWA www.aikidoworldalliance.com
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 04 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to Courtney and Josh Paul (Aikido of South Brooklyn) Brooklyn, NY USA. Married 16Jan2016.
Congratulations to Jenae and Cesar Aguirre (Houston Aikido Foundation) Houston, TX USA. Married 10Mar2017.
-Sylvan Isidor Schneiderman (Pictured Left). DOB 6/17/2017 Father Greg Schneiderman and Mother Rima Fand. (Aikido of South Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY USA)
-Evelyn Marie Gargrave (Not Pictured). DOB 3/29/2017 Father Dale Gargrave and Mother Alicia Patino. (Ikushinkan Dojo-San Jac. College, Houston, TX USA)
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 05 EIJI KATSURADA SHIHAN HOMBU DOJO REPORT
Eiji Katsurada, Rokudan Hombu Dojo, Tokyo, Japan Published: Hombu Dojo Aikido Newspaper.11/2016.Pg3.
Fall Seminar held in Atlanta USA
I visited Atlanta, Georgia USA from October 6 to 11 to coach Aikido at a training camp organized by Aikido World Alliance (AWA). I saw many familiar faces since it was my third visit there. I gave four sessions of two-and-a-half-hour training during the seminar.
Approximately one hundred people attended from various dojos of AWA in 26 cities and states such as Chicago, New York, Texas, Memphis, New Mexico, and Alaska. We trained hard in nice weather. I enjoyed training with them because they tried very hard to understand my instruction.
Members are often attracted to AWA by the personality of Mr. Andrew Sato, the Representative and Chief instructor of AWA. Therefore, before departing for home, I wished them continued success and growth in their friendships and aikido activities.
(Translation: Tetsuya Ted Akiyama, Assistant Instructor at Aikido Association Atlanta.)
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 06 NEW DOJO AND DAN PROMOTIONS
SPRING 2016 - SPRING 2017
Kimeshinkan Dojo - Glendale, AZ, USA (Ken Kondell) Greater Lansing Aikido - Lansing, MI, USA (Jeremy Hix) Southwest Michigan Aikido - Berrien Springs, MI, USA (Teddy Weithers) Seishinkan Dojo - Atoka, TN, USA (Kevin Thronton) Shiseikan Sofia Dojo - Sofia, Bulgaria (Toshko Getov) Aikido Razgrad Dojo - Razgrad, Bulgaria (Adrian Atanasov) Budokan del Norte - Barceloneta, Puerto Rico (Artemios Ramos)
SHODAN
Dan Argueta Maroun Beainy Stanley Belkowski Eric Bigelow Philip Buchanan Guy El Hajj SHODAN (cont.) Grezgorz Gebala Chris Gordon Carlos A. Llanos Derek Johnson Axel Manuel Maldonado Torres Ariela Marcus-Sells Francisco Padilla James K. Rice Jeffery Shumaker Rory Sullivan Robert E. Sweeney Kevin S. Thornton Ming Yao
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 07 NEW DOJO AND DAN PROMOTIONS
SPRING 2016 - SPRING 2017
NIDAN
John T. Caldwell Jessica Gaffney Jeremy M.L. Hix Glenden Johnson Gerald O. Leek Matthias Lojewski Matt McKnight Christos Milos George Minasov Malgorzata Obrzud Maxsim Ovcharenko Courtney Paul Aaron Rainey SANDAN Jose E. Rodriguez-Miranda Julie Thomas Edward "Ted" Maclin Jeffery Walker Keith Mclain Chris Washington John Naranjo Teddy Weithers Renat Takhtagnov Garrett Willett
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 08 NEW DOJO AND DAN PROMOTIONS
SPRING 2016 - SPRING 2017
YONDAN GODAN
Cesar Aguirre Michael Goodman Orpheus Hawkins Bob Hodge Michael Hutchinson George Hutchinson Fred Mautz NANADAN Joe Vaughan Roque Wardell Andrew Masaru Sato
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 09 AIKIDO HISTORY AND THE FUTURE OF AIKIDO
Courtney Paul, Nidan Aikido of South Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY USA
“Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow.” Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace
Aikido occupies a unique place in the history of Japanese martial arts, being neither an ancient, traditional koryu art of combat, nor a modern competitive sport. Rather, it developed in the early 20th century from a curious combination of traditional fighting arts, obscure religion, and the horrors of World War II, to become an art of self-defense and spiritual growth. The founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba O-sensei, as a young man, was an avid practitioner of a variety of demanding sports and martial arts, including sumo wrestling, swimming, running and strength training, as well as traditional empty hand and sword arts. Despite his small stature, he developed extraordinary strength and stamina and enjoyed demonstrating his prowess in bouts with other martial artists. Over time, however, he began to realize that mere youth and strength would not bring the type of personal growth that he thought martial arts training should provide. O-sensei began developing aikido in the 1920s and 30s, as an offshoot of his practice of daito-ryu jujutsu, combined with the influence of an esoteric Shinto sect known as Omoto-kyo, which teaches that the true god is present in all things and beings, and that paradise on earth will be achieved by bringing all people back to the true path of harmony. But O-sensei’s art finally came together as the aikido we know today following Japan’s defeat in World War II, when he realized that the true path for humanity must be peace, rather than combat. “The world will continue to change dramatically,” he wrote, “but fighting and war can destroy us utterly. What we need now are techniques of harmony, not those of contention. The Art of Peace is required, not the Art of War.” Consistent with the sweeping ambitions of his religious background, O-sensei’s vision for aikido was not limited to the young, strong men who traditionally sought out martial arts training in Japan. To the contrary, he repeatedly described aikido as a path for all humankind, with principles that could be applied to all aspects of life. Toward this end, O-sensei was open to teaching a variety of students as long as they were willing to train hard with commitment, notably accepting and encouraging women aikidoka to an extent unheard of in the notoriously sexist post-war Japanese culture.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 10 AIKIDO HISTORY AND THE FUTURE OF AIKIDO
(continued)
Takako Kunigoshi, a direct student of O-sensei’s during the 1930s, noted in an interview with Stanley Pranin that even during the harder, pre-war period of aikido, O-sensei “never made us feel different by changing things because we were women,” nor did he “pull any punches” with his female students. His philosophy toward women aikidoka only became more inclusive over time, although it continued to be a challenge for many of his male students. Mary Heiny, who trained with O-sensei at Hombu Dojo during the late 1960s, describes a time when O-sensei came into the dojo and scolded the men in her class for “training in a manner which was merely a contest of strength.” Instead, O-sensei said, “you should train like the women train; the women train to learn aikido.” She remembers many similar instances where O-sensei expressly welcomed female students to the dojo and instructed men and women to train together, although she predictably encountered many male training partners who were unwilling to accept women as equal participants. Despite O-sensei’s admonitions, there were male aikidoka who would refuse to train with women or pull their punches, or who would only train with a woman “for the purpose of teaching her a lesson.” But other men took O-sensei’s instructions to heart and readily trained with the women. These experiences are familiar to female aikidoka today, although thankfully to a lesser extent as a result of changing cultural attitudes toward women in the U.S. and Japan. Despite these challenges, aikido was designed as, and continues to be, an ideal art for all students to practice together - men and women, young and old, large and small. At nidan, I am still young in my aikido career, but I believe that as we progress in the art, it is our responsibility to transmit to the next generation not only the skills and techniques of aikido, but also the philosophy of inclusiveness that allows everyone to find “a suitable path.” To accomplish this, as senior students and teachers of aikido we must be mindful of how women and students other than young, strong men experience training with us and in our dojo. Our understanding of aikido deepens when our practice partners represent a spectrum of genders, ages, body types and energy patterns, and our spiritual growth as human beings also benefits from interactions with a diverse aikido community. It is vital that we create a training environment in which all students who train with commitment can thrive.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 11 AIKIDO HISTORY AND THE FUTURE OF AIKIDO
(continued)
As a woman, I have always felt welcome in my dojo, and I have been inspired by the Aikido World Alliance’s efforts to prominently feature female instructors. However, I have also seen periods of waning female attendance in class and at seminars, and images and stories of women are still rare in aikido publications and the broader media. Women still leave aikido practice at a higher rate and earlier in their careers than men, and high-ranked women instructors are still a small minority. With effort, I think we can change this. In order to develop the vibrant and diverse aikido community that we want for the future, we must continue to evaluate ourselves and our practice, asking difficult questions such as, are we truly promoting O-sensei’s vision of refinement for every spirit and training for every body? Are we creating an environment where our students and practice partners are encouraged to challenge and improve their aikido by training with someone different from themselves? And, specifically, are we finding ways to encourage women aikidoka and help them be seen and heard as valued practitioners of the art?
As in all aspects of aikido, there are no easy answers, but if it were easy, why would any of us continue on the path?
Sources: Pranin, Stanley. Aikido Pioneers: Prewar Era. Japan: Aiki News, 2010. Siegel, Andrea. Women in Aikido. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1993. Stone, John and Ron Meyer. Aikido in America. Berkeley: Frog, Ltd., 1995. Tohei, Koichi. Ki in Daily Life. Japan: Ki no Kenkyukai, H.Q., 2006. Ueshiba, Morihei. The Art of Peace. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1992.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 12 MAKOTO: THE ESSENCE OF AIKIDO TRAINING
Ken Kondell, Nidan Kimeshinkan Dojo, Glendale, AZ USA
I would like to take this time to share with all of you some of my thoughts on Aikido Shugyo. Each and every one of us has something to share as it pertains to Aikido and training. All the waza, no matter what Budo or art you train in, takes two people minimum. In Aikido there is a certain amount of agreement. All of us have to work, and have to live our lives outside of the dojo. Injuries sometimes happen in the world of budo training. Aikido tries to minimize this risk. Awareness of your partner, especially uke, is paramount. To most of us who train in Aikido, this sentiment goes, without saying. Learning the way (“do”) is not easy. Trying to master this learning is a lifetime of study. Trying to control your ki, strength, energy, and timing, is your goal. Awareness of your training partner’s age, flexibility, Aikido acumen and rank, all come into play.
I would like to address sincerity in training: Makoto. Truth. Honesty.
Many people shun truth; it is hard for them. Facing truth is harder. In Aikido training with Makoto is paramount to progressing in the art. This happens both physically, and psychologically. I want to zero in on Uke, the attacker. Te waza is centered with the attack. There is no Aikido without an attack. Uke has a huge role to play in the training paradigm. The attacks require Makoto. Truth. Sincerity.
First, the attack must have proper form. A sloppy attack does nothing for sincerity. The intent of uke is to impart a feeling to Nage that the attack is for real. This KI, or energy, must be believable. The nage has to respond differently to an honest attack. This feeling shapes nage’s response, the timing, the movement chosen. Without Makoto, aikido becomes a dance. Some aikidoka want the dance, some want more martial spirit. Budo is “martial way.” We all sometimes forget that the key word is martial. Martial connotates a certain seriousness. I have seen insincerity in Aikido, and much Makoto.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 13 MAKOTO: THE ESSENCE OF AIKIDO TRAINING
(continued)
I would like to also bring up the second topic for Uke. Receiving nage’s waza. We all know ukes that fall down if you breath on them. This is not ukemi. This is faking it. This is not Makoto. For most ranked Aikidoka, Makoto from uke is a must, to know if your waza is correct and you are taking kuzushi. If nage is not getting off the line to take kuzushi, there is no aikido; you are only using strength. Fighting with your nage is not the point of training either. Falling down for nage, even though nage does not perform the waza correctly, helps no one. There is no Makoto. We all know the waza. We know how to defeat the waza. I am not talking about being obstinate. I am saying be true. If nage takes your balance, as uke, you take the ukemi. This gives nage a true feedback of their aikido. If you are fighting nage, you are not being a truthful in your duties as uke. If you are just falling down and nage has not taken your balance, and performed the waza correctly, you are failing, and both of you are not getting the full benefit of Shugyo. Yudansha should never just fall down for other Yudansha. Yudansha should always train with Makoto. Lower ranked Mudansha, because they are new practitioners, have leeway until they get the feeling of Aikido, and become comfortable. This is the only time I see that Makoto is relaxed.
I hope this opens a few eyes to my fellow Aikidoka. Training in Aikido is not easy. In fact, it is very, very difficult. Progressing in Aikido takes Makoto. I hope each and every one of you take some time and reflect on your own personal Makoto.
I hope to see many of you on the mat again soon.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 14 LEARNING AND TEACHING ON THE AIKI PATH
Matthias Lojewski, Nidan Valley Forge Aikido, Norristown, PA USA
The following statements are from my viewpoint, observations and ideas I learned through various literature and being a teacher. In the last few years I have had the fortune to teach on a regular basis and have learned a lot about how we, as Aikido practitioners, perceive techniques and approach training. Through some examples from great literature, I can better explain what I have observed. In western culture, we are especially goal-driven. We learn very early to be goal-oriented and to push forward, come hell or high water. Even though setting goals has great merits and keeps us focused, I think it is very overrated in the scale of the big picture. In my opinion reaching a goal can be a great achievement, but it is relatively short-lived in comparison to the long process that leads up to it. Not respecting and enjoying the process (something many learners unfortunately neglect) leads to much unnecessary frustration and missing out on some important lessons. I think the reason for this disinterest is the impatience of people because they have only the goal in mind. This is where I would implement the idea to have the end (goal) in mind, and to think backwards to realize the process that got me there. This allows me to be able to repeat success over and over again. Focusing on the process helps me to realize what tools I need to implement (in our case hip, posture, stands, etc.), why certain things are not working, or why I’m failing in a certain approach. Thus, through small adjustments I can get closer to the end/goal in mind. If this approach happens too quickly, one might not see the little mistakes and inherits bad habits, which now will take time to unlearn.
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 15 LEARNING AND TEACHING ON THE AIKI PATH
(continued)
After acquiring my Shodan almost 9 years ago, I’m still a big fan of basics, which I still practice each class. One example I stress to the lower ranks is that I can show anyone on the street how to manipulate someone’s hand to achieve, for example, a Kotegashi or Nikyo, but it is more important how I get to that point. It is the perfect example of process and goal. There are so many variables in that process because we are dealing with a live person who moves, counters, and so on. How I position myself, get vantage points, speed, force, and timing are all key. It sounds boring to many beginners, but focusing on those aspects brings you closer the the desired outcome/technique. By slowing everything down to the point where it appears to be mechanical, even though not pretty or cool, one can adjust all those mistakes before they become bad habits. After a while, one can then move to the “smooth” steps which transform the movement to fast and efficient. Everything follows the process of confusion- mechanical-smooth-fast. I think by approaching that process-oriented thinking in Aikido, one can absolutely apply it to any aspect of life. When you do something, do it with pride, do it right, and enjoy it while you are doing it, otherwise it is pointless.
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Aikido World Alliance
4512 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60625 USA
773.784.4450 (Main) 773.784.4405 (Fax)
JULY 2017 | ISSUE 15 AWA | Page 20