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BIRBIRANKAANKAI EEUROPEUROPE NEWNEWSSLLETETTERTER MM UU SS UU BB II IsIsssuue 6 Januaryry 20201133 ʻYoung Lionsʼ face challenge of CONTENTS self-examination Chiba Sensei explores teachersʼ mindset 1 Exploring the teachersʼ mindset ow difficult body with no depth of inner quality. it is to Problems associated with this 2 Editorial keep the particular stage can be commonly Hcorrect attitude of seen among the young instructors 4 An uchideshiʼs mind for one’s around the level of third dan – those experience training. It is the who were once considered to be the mind that con- Chiba Sensei ‘young lions’, the spearhead of the 6 Definition of a healthy tains shoshin, young generation, representing the dojo the beginner’s mind, with its self- future prosperity of the Aikido motivated discipline continuously community. 7 Joe Curran on his heightened and refreshed as each It is easy to lose what one used to Shihan promotion layer of awareness is penetrated. have without undergoing continuous There is no room for stagnation. self-examination and continually look- 8 Notice-board Generally speaking, the completion ing for inspiration in order to renew of the physical embodiment of the art one’s conviction. One of the reasons is achieved around the level of third contributing to this particular problem dan or so, given reasonable accumu- has largely to do with the tendency lation of effort together with the neces- to start teaching too soon without sary quality of training. Ironically, this knowing exactly where one stands. is the stage where many practitioners O-Sensei used to say, “If one starts get stuck, falling into a self-created training a day earlier than others in slump. At this stage training is carried Aikido, he or she can be a teacher by inertia, with no fresh motivation; a day in advance of the others.” rather, sitting at ease after mastering What a weight these words carry, the muscularity of the technique. expressing the true nobility of what I believe the perfect example of the Aikido is meant to be. However, it superficial stage is when I see the continued on page 3 a v o k a m e r K a n e l i M Please send submissions : o t o for July 2013 issue by h P 1 June 2013 Chiba Sensei with Paul Robinson (uke), BB Summer School, Bangor, Aug 2008 BIRANKAI EUROPE Technical Director Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan o c n a r F European Birankai Shihankai : o t Norberto Chiesa 6th Dan, Birankai o h France Editorial P Gabriel Valibouze 6th Dan, Birankai France Dee Chen 6th Dan, British Birankai Tony Cassells 6th Dan, British Birankai t the BE Second Summer School held in Worcester, UK in July Chris Mooney 6th Dan, British 2012 Chiba Sensei announced that Birankai France has been the Birankai latest organization to be granted Aikikai Hombu full recognition in MIke Flynn 6th Dan, British lineA with the other Birankai organizations in Europe. Chiba Sensei has Birankai been working tirelessly over the years to realize this objective for all the Daniel Brunner 6th Dan, Birankai organizations in Birankai International. Switzerland He was also pleased to announce the promotion of Joe Curran, British Patrick Barthélémy 6th Dan, Birankai, to Shihan status. Joe Curran met Chiba Sensei in the early 70s Birankai France and in his article, on page 7, he talks about the special relationship and Joe Curran 6th Dan, British esteem he holds for Sensei. Birankai The 2012 BE summer school closed on Friday 27 July, the day of the Opening ceremony for the London Olympic Games. It was a busy time Member Countries in England and this was also reflected in the countries of the students Birankai Austria who attended the summer school. There were 167 participants from Birankai France Austria, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland, Birankai Germany Russia, Spain, Switzerland and, of course, the UK who all joined in the Hellenic Birankai classes conducted by Chiba Sensei and Miyamoto Sensei from Hombu Birankai Israel Dojo, Tokyo, assisted by the BE Shihans and Shidoins. Birankai Poland The BE Third Summer School will be held again in Worcester on 27 Birankai Portugal July to 2 August 2013. Participants at the BE Summer School in 2011 Birankai Switzerland will be pleased to learn that Shihan Etsuji Horii 7th Dan from Aikido British Birankai Kobe Sanda Dojo, Japan has again accepted our invitation to attend. Last summer, Chiba Sensei agreed in principle to the addition of a BE Musubi is published twice teachers’ course within the summer school programme. This is open to a year in January and July. all Birankai certified teachers as well as Head of Dojos with a minimum English edition available on rank of Shodan. It will be held this year before the start of summer www.britishbirankai.com and school on Friday 26th to Saturday 27 July and replaces the separate the French edition on course held annually - the last being in Edenkoben, Germany. www.birankai.eu/shiun_fr.html This arrangement will benefit our membership as there will be more senior members participating and the expenses will be limited to an Individual article reflects the author’s extra day of intensive instruction and accomodation. Further information own views. All submissions may be will be provided when the summer school details are published. edited due to space constraints and should be sent to the Editor or On behalf of the BE Shihankai I thank you all for your support, hard Assistant Editor or Sub Editor. work and loyalty and we look forward to working with you for the benefit of Birankai Europe in 2013. ☯ Editor: Dee Chen [email protected] Assistant Editor: Didier Boyet en [email protected] Dee Ch Sub Editor: Chris Howlin [email protected] Design Consultant: Franco Chen © Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Reproduction is prohibited without express written permission. BE MUSUBIMUSUBI Jannuuaaryry 2001133 ‘Young lions’. continued from page 1 would be equally important to refer to one must give to be a teacher, We should not have a preconceived another side of O-Sensei’s words. He and what is ahead; and idea that sesshin or zazen is a solution said, “If my student makes 50 steps 4) many other factors such as the to the issue, but hopefully it may lead of advancement, I will make 100 aging process, injuries, family the way to a shift in awareness beyond steps.” These words keep Aikido alive circumstances, health and diet the physical mastery of the art, in reality in its nobility. problems, etc, etc. wherein an inexhaustible source of Many young teachers, those who Whatever reasons or causes lie inspiration can be found. ☯ open dojos and start teaching without behind the stagnation of progress into really being able to shift their aware- which many young teachers fall, it ness to being a teacher from what he must be dealt with more consciously, or she used to be as a simple trainee, on an individual level as a personal will face retrogression, most commonly challenge, as well as on a collective without themselves knowing what is level by sharing experiences and happening. challenges faced as teachers. What is scary is that it is even When the British Aikikai faced this noticeable within the period of a few problem, the teachers and I proposed months. My analysis of the cause of the idea of organizing a sesshin to this tendency is: create a common ground from which 1) immaturity in the depth of the art; we could form a collective base for 2) retrogression or loss of the sharing more or less collective experi- Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan training environment to which the ences. Whilst everything must be Birankai Founder individual used to be exposed; experienced on an individual level, San Diego, California 3) allowing a little ego to play the only through collective efforts can Article originally published in Biran, game of being a teacher without such an environment as a sesshin be Fall 2002. Biran - The Aikido Journal realizing the amount of sacrifice created. of Birankai North America. a k s w o a r n a i s D E a t a a g l e O B : : o o t t o o h h P P Polish Summer Camp, Wroclaw, Poland, Aug 2010 BNA Summer Camp 2012, Bronxville, NY a v o k a m e r K a n e l i M : s o t o h P BB Summer School, Bangor, Aug 2008 Chiba Sensei with Emily Noak (on left) Janunuaarryy 2020113 BE MUMUSSUUBBII 3 EVGENIY BERMAN’S UCHIDESHI EXPERIENCE: Birth, Childhood, Survival, Death, Redemption, Oneness attended the would have felt in Japan in the first half a thoughtless machine out of a human uchideshi pro- of the last century. being so that society could use it to gramme from While I was studying the biographies destroy an enemy. The goal of the ApIril to August of outstanding Aikido Masters I noticed Dojo is to set a human being free from 2012 and trained that almost all of them went through his preprogrammed behaviour and under Shihan Chris such an intense process of transforma- fears. He stays at attention in the army Mooney in Evgeniy Berman tion, and that is how a wish to become living ‘through his mind’ and, separat- Birmingham, an uchideshi came to me 8 years ago. ing from his own body, he separates England. I learned Aikido (the art of That’s why two years ago when I met himself from the environment. In the the body and weapons), Iai Batto-Ho Sensei Chris Mooney at a course in Dojo he becomes grounded and (the Way of Sword Drawing), Zen Israel and, being impressed by his centred.