London Aikido Club News October 2008 Oct 2009 Volume 1, Issue 5 London Aikido News That Commitment Word What do Janice, Phil, Paddy, Tony Wilkinson, Keith Meredith and Keith Bentley have in common? Janice isn’t a male and only two of them are called Keith. Try again. They all study aikido, but (front L to R) Phil Croskin, Keith Meredith, (behind that’s a little obvious… Keith standing) Paddy Bergin, (centre front) Tony Wilkinson, (foreground right) Keith Bentley The answer is that they are all (centre back kneeling) Janice Hemmings, (standing) the longest standing students of Lyn Gameson, (back extreme right standing) Sensei Cornish the club still training on our mat, each with 20 years and over of times. They bought me flowers and training experience. Training for that both came to my mum’s funeral – two length of time requires a commitment blokes who would have never entered which is not so easy to come by in my universe otherwise, nor I theirs. these times of myriad distractions and There’s also the warm welcome I fast, easy paths. In this issue we hear receive at the LAC, a base to return to from Phil, Paddy and about how they in what is a somewhat nomadic life. started in aikido. We also go on a short trip down memory lane with a So that’s the people. The other aspect INSIDE : brief history of the dojo. which draws me back is that training puts me in the right place or orienta- As the newsletter was being compiled I tion, in other words it keeps me in the Our dojo’ s journey got to thinking about commitment. As now. Whatever else is going on in my and a tribute you may have noticed, it’s been a life, being on the mat snaps me into while between newsletters. A combina- focusing on the here and now. Interview with Phil tion of geography, injuries and be- These are not the reasons I started Croskin reavement have meant I haven’t trained since last year. The momen- aikido, but they are what has kept me training long beyond the desire for a Tony and Paddy on tum of regular training has always carried me along and it was surprising new rank or better technique. starting aikido how easily and quickly it is to lose both I asked Paddy and Phil about staying Featured technique the momentum and the enthusiasm, with aikido. Paddy said, “You learn a until not training becomes the routine. lot about sticking on the path and not Diary of a Would be So what has drawn me back to the giving up. The reason I train now is Fencer mat? Two things – people and place. I because I can, just about, physically.” realised I’d made some good friends in And for Phil, “The impact aikido has on Destination Iwama aikido, friendships which could only your own internal environment is very ever come from the experience of powerful.” Kids Corner training together. I think of my two We are fortunate to have the opportu- “aikido buddies” from my training in nity to learn from these long-term Message from Australia. One gave me his biggest students. In the end, the essence of Sensei Andy compliment – I was “okay for a girl” – aikido is the doing of the aikido itself, and the other, my first instructor, who nothing more, nothing less. saw me through lots of challenging Jenny Lawther Page 1 of 22 London Aikido Club News October 2008 Our Sensei, Andy Hathaway, was inter- administered by Yvonne Tabaillou, a ested in things martial from an early nidan who had joined as a student at The Way age and practised a variety of martial the Bath Street dojo in the late 1980s. arts before his interests crystallised into Students still remember her lovely We Were: pure aikido. smile and welcoming manner. It was a The dojo, as we currently know it, was great loss when she passed away on formed in 1977 when Andy was looking Valentine’s Day 2002 after a long our dojo’s for people to train with on a regular battle with cancer. basis. In 1978 Andy also began teach- journey ing classes at the East West Centre, 188 Old Street and also at the Vauxhall Mejiro and in 1980 Andy began to study under the late Morihiro Saito Sensei. In 1983 the dojo moved to 18 Middle 1977 Street in EC1 near the Barbican and classes continued to run at the nearby Dojo started East West Centre for a short period of time. Paddy Bergin, Phil Croskin and Janice Hemmings began their training at 1980 this time. As Phil recalls, the Saturday morning classes with jiu waza were Saito Sensei notorious. “On Saturdays”, Paddy explains, “There was a black belt class from 8-9, followed by a general class 1983 from 9-12. If you turned up at 8 you were expected to stay.” Middle Street dojo Around 1986 the dojo was moved to nearby Bath Street, not far from the Old 1986 Street tube station, and Keith Meredith commenced training there. The dojo has Bath Street dojo always had a busy timetable with classes being held every day of the 1989 week to accommodate the varying needs of students, including some lunchtime classes. Stoke Newington dojo In 2005 Aikikai recognition was given At Christmas in 1989 the dojo was when the club joined Paolo Corallini 1990 moved to the first floor of the Windus Sensei and Ulf Evenas Sensei, the two Road premises in Stoke. “I remember shihan appointed by Saito Sensei opening the door down the stairs to the Acton dojo before his death in 2001. dojo, hearing Andy’s voice shouting, turning around quietly and going For 3 years the dojo expanded to home,” recalls a now braver Janice. include premises on the ground floor 2002 and extend the upstairs mat area. In In 1990 the satellite West London dojo 2007 the first floor premises were Yvonne passes away was started in Acton and for a long time developed as residential flats and the classes were run by Eamon O’Keefe, ground floor premises were remodelled 2005 then Clive Munroe. Today Allan Cowie is to form what is now the current dojo. the head instructor at Acton dojo. Some The club’s ethos has been consistent Dojo expands classes were also run at Middlesex Uni- versity around this time by Louis Hyde over its entire life. In the 1970s and a club was run at BT by Yvonne students would bow, clap, turn around 2007 Tabaillou. Andy Murdoch joined around and start training just as we do today. late 1992, taking over the reins from Regardless of location the business of Dojo moves downstairs Yvonne some time later, until it closed the day is always, “Please may I in late 2004 when Andy relocated to train”. Scotland. Onegai shimasu The dojo at Stoke Newington was Page 2 of 22 London Aikido Club News October 2008 my income. After a few months into my plan, I got a phone call from Yvonne. “Haven’t seen you in a while Irreplaceable Louis..everything ok?”. That phone call was like a therapy couch, Yvonne the therapist. Before I knew it, I was laying on said imaginary couch telling 18 months ago I changed jobs, her my inner most thoughts. “So you thereby my route to work. On my new are not going to train until you have route I always walk pass a single By Louis enough money to train all the time, is storey white building. The building that the plan?”, said Yvonne, after a had a large signage across the door- Hyde while. “Yes” I said. “Training, even if way that read: LONDON SCHOOL OF it’s a few times is better than not SHIATSU. When I read the sign, training at all, don’t you think Yvonne came to mind. Yvonne prac- Louis...?” continued Yvonne. I felt 7 ticed Shiatsu massage, along with years old again, as our wise Aikido Aikido. A few weeks ago, the building club mother gently showed me my was sold and the signage removed. errors, as she always did on the mat. Gone is my daily reminder of Yvonne, That conversation showed me that: “It as I walk to does not matter work. how slowly you Yvonne taught go, so long as on Friday eve- you do not stop nings with Andy training1” Also, Murdoch. She “The key to was at the club realizing a every day. She dream is to looked after the focus not on club records, success but the bills, filming significance - grading events and that even and the club’s the small steps film archives. along the path She was a point will take on of contact for greater enquirers’, new meaning I’m beginners and a sports masseur to the ”. club’s veteran’s physical aliments. I still trying to apply these principles never saw her angry, she never had a many years on. This is why the bad word for anyone, but was frank inscription in the LAC membership and no push over. She always loved a book, means so much to me. chat and gave sound advice. You could From Yvonne I learnt so much to put hear her laughter from the bottom of into words, particularly the power of the stairs. She put you at ease. the smile. Mother Teresa quoted: Yvonne’s Aikido techniques were “Peace begins with a smile”. Behind gentle, powerful and real. Yvonne’s memorial plaque Yvonne’s smile she hid her battle with which is located opposite the “If I stand here all day nothing is going cancer well.