from Report Paula Alexandrescu

The first visit of a Ueshiba family member in South Eastern Europe

In September 2014, Cluj-Napoca, a Romanian city, was the host of a double Ai- kido event, both parts being premieres for South Eastern Europe. The develop- all the 12 intense practices, during the ment of the Art through Romanian Foundation (RAAF) has been 3 seminar days, on 12th – 13th – 14th really amazing in the past few years in Romania, so that, by this event, with no tra- of September 2014 and once again, ce of doubt, a page of Aikido’s worldwide history was written, this autumn, in Cluj. we must say that we all “spoke” Aikido no matter the nationality. On 14th of September, Sunday, after And we all “spoke” Aikido the ending of the practice sessions, Located in the Western part of Roma- there could be watched the live dem- nia, Cluj-Napoca is one of the largest In the gym of the Sports College in onstrations of all the 7 masters. During cities of Romania and it has been the Cluj, situated on Arinilor Street, num- the seminar, the audience had free host of the biggest Aikido event ever ber 9, all aikidokas and masters “spoke” access in the building, so that anyone organized in this part of Europe, be- Aikido, for 3 days in a row, through the interested in stepping on The Path of tween the 8th and the 14th of Sep- basic elements of the Art. Waka Sensei Harmony could watch and find out tember 2014, as we mentioned before, presented the basic elements as: , more about Aikido and its principles through its specific national organiza- , circularity and kokyuho, but and start “speaking” Aikido once and tion - Romanian Aikikai Aikido Founda- also all other 6 great Aikido masters for all! What for? For a more peaceful tion (RAAF). insisted on the basics elements of the world! The event drew, for sure, the attention Art, although sometimes the “dialect” of the entire Aikido community, but may have been different. What do we also of the entire martial arts commu- mean? Well, the specific terms may be Not only the presence in Romania and nity and it was organized in two main different, but the principles are the in this part of the world of a member parts. The first part was the board same. We all know that tai no henko of the Aikido Founder’s family and the meeting of International Aikido Fed- and soto tenkan mean the same thing, IAF board meeting made of the Cluj eration (IAF), in order to debate and they illustrate the same principle. city event the largest and the most establish the organization’s strate- During the seminar, practices have important ever held in the region, but gies for the next 4 years to come. The been lead by 7 of the biggest Aikido also the important number of aikido- second part was IAF’s International masters, worldwide known: Waka Sen- kas and the diversity of their nationali- Aikido Seminar that had as a very sei - Mitsuteru Ueshiba, Christian Tis- ties. special guest, none other than Waka sier Shihan (France), Ulf Evenas Shihan Sensei, Mitsuteru Ueshiba , the great- (Sweden), Peter Goldsbury Sensei (IAF 465 aikidokas took part in the seminar, grandson of Aikido’s Founder O’Sensei, President), John Rogers Sensei (vice- from different Romanian Aikido orga- . Waka Sensei lead, president IAF), Kei Izawa Sensei (Gen- nizations and also from other 22 coun- during the seminar in Cluj-Napoca city, eral Secretary IAF) and Wilko Vriesman tries from 5 continents. We mention 3 practices that will surely be impos- (Member of the Board of IAF and also here the countries that had aikidokas sible to forget for those that took part Chairman of the Dutch Aikido Founda- on the tatami: Japan, France, Belgium, in the event, both Romanian, but also tion). Netherlands, Taiwan, Croatia, Germany, aikidokas from other 22 countries that Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Republic of attended the seminar. Everybody and we mean everybody, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Peru, Poland, men, women, young, adults, children Serbia, Sweden, UK, South Africa, Slo- and seniors, all practiced with joy for venia and USA.

AJ 3/2015– N° 83DE Seite 10 Waka Sensei in Cluj-Napoca Report

Romanian Aikikai Aikido Foundation (RAAF), based on the Art’s principles and tradition, lead Romania to be- come a part of the worldwide Aikido’s Waka Sensei in Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca) © Photos Horst Schwickerath – September 2014. history, together with the September www.aikidojournal.de / or www.aikidojournal.fr 2014 event in Cluj city.

Nowadays, RAAF is the largest Ai- kido organization in Romania, having The next 4 years in terms portant is to be willing to learn how to about 3,000 aikidokas and over 50 do- “speak” Aikido, through practice. jos, in almost all the country’s counties. of IAF’s strategies In Romania, there are other Aikido or- Another debated subject was the pro- ganizations, but RAAF has also the rec- cedure for other members to accede ognition of Hombu dojo, Tokyo, Japan. Between the 8th and the 11th of Sep- to IAF, in the future. At present, it is tember, the first part of the event, possible to accede at IAF only every Moreover, Masatake Fujita sensei, 8 which will remain forever in the mem- 4 years, when the board meets, at the dan Aikido Aikikai, one of the direct ory of all aikidokas that “spoke” Aikido same time as the Congress in Japan. students of O’Sensei Morihei, was the those days, IAF’s Board analyzed and For an organization to accede it has to person that instructed, from the tech- agreed upon the strategies that the be followed by a voting procedure, by nical point of view, the Romanian organizations and its members will IAF’s board members. RAAF’s leaders. Also, Fujita sensei follow for the next 4 years, the future helped with the development of Aiki- partnerships and the attendance at The next IAF Board Meeting will be in do and RAAF in Romania, following the Sport Accord – World Combat the fall of 2016, in Takasaki city, Japan, the Art’s principles. RAAF is lead by Games (WCG) events, the international at the same time as the International Dorin Marchiș sensei, 5 dan Aikikai Ai- organization that joins both Olympic Aikido Congress. As you all probably kido, who holds seminars in Romania, and non - Olympic activities, such as already know, the IAF board mem- as well as abroad. AJ Aikido. At the Sport Accord events, bers meet once every 4 years, outside Aikido will be represented through Japan and also once every 4 years in Paula Alexandrescu-Bucharest, Roma- demonstrations. Next Sport Accord Japan, during the International Aikido nia. meeting will take place in 2015, in So- Congress (also taking place once every chi, Russia. 4 years), resulting a meeting once ev- ery 2 years for all international entities. At the same time, the IAF’s representa- tives discussed about possibilities to encourage as many women as pos- RAAF’s tale, part of world- sible to practice Aikido. The Path of Harmony is for all those interested, no wide Aikido’s tale… matter the gender, age, weight, reli- gion or nationality. The only thing im The existence and development of

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