Choosing Partners of Varying Abilities to Consolidate Techniques B
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ISSUE 17 NOVEMBER 2018 Shihan TK Chiba Choosing Partners of varying abilities to consolidate techniques t is always enjoyable to work your mind open with a partner who you know to the individual and who understands you. characteristics IHe/she can be cooperative or which vary from even helpful to your particular person to problems at any given stage of person. Train training. It is, therefore, natural your eyes to the Chiba Sensei to seek partners at your own diverse expres- level. However, an ideal practice sions of the art and the reasons should include many different behind them (gender, age, height, elements if progress is to be made weight, mentality, personality, in the development of a solid nationality, history of training, physical base and dynamic-flexi- physical condition etc). In other ble character. words, cultivate your power of In this regard, some of the basic observation. concepts commonly understood Practise and apply your tech- in the Japanese martial arts need nique with maximum effort so to be carefully considered. First, that you come to know your practise with members who are limitations and can learn to at a more advanced level. Keep continued on page 2 Photo: Ana Shorter Ana Photo: Chiba Sensei, London Aikikai, 2001 CONTENTS 1 Choosing partners Shihan TK Chiba 3 Keep an open mind Wellington Tsang 4 Gen Ei Kan celebrates Alexander V Gheorghiu 5 Friendship awards Muhammet Sensei 6 German summer school M Jung/S Habath/C Goldemann 7 Camaraderie Andy Colclough 9 Japan Trip Alexander V Gheorghiu 13 Notice-Board BIRANKAI EUROPE NEWSLETTER EUROPE BIRANKAI MUSUBI Closing date for submission for May 2019 issue: 31 March 2019 BIRANKAI EUROPE Choosing partners... continued from page 1 Founder Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan extend them (if you don’t know As in the three basic training what your limitations are, you guidelines above, flexibility of cannot work with them). Learn attitude should also be applied to ukemi that is applicable to differ- working with the various kinds of European Birankai Shihankai ent styles of execution. physiques. This means, practise Gabriel Valibouze 7th Dan, Birankai Second, practise with members with members who are bigger France who are about the same level than you in size (height, weight, Tony Cassells 7th Dan, British Birankai as you. Apply what you have etc), practise with those who Chris Mooney 7th Dan, British Birankai learned and reconfirm the learn- are about the same size as you, MIke Flynn 7th Dan, Scottish and Borders Birankai ing process. Try to see your own and practise with those who are Norberto Chiesa 6th Dan, Birankai problems and weaknesses at any smaller than you. France stage in other students. Observe For the reasons mentioned Dee Chen 6th Dan, British Birankai closely when others of about your above, I generally conduct classes Daniel Brunner 6th Dan, Birankai stage overcome a particular prob- so that members keep changing Switzerland lem. Discover how it has been partners (at least twice in the Patrick Barthélémy 6th Dan, Birankai overcome. This not only refers same technique). I consider that France to technique but especially to it is desirable to practise as much Joe Curran 6th Dan, British Birankai breakthroughs to a higher dimen- as possible with every person sion of physical awareness. To present on the mat, and in any Member Countries paraphrase, study and be aware of one class. Birankai Austria your own problems and limita- I have heard of a dojo where Birankai France tions, common at any particular one’s partner for the practice Birankai Germany stage, by observing others. period is fixed beforehand. This Hellenic Birankai Birankai Israel Third, practise with members is a reflection of the ignorance of Birankai Poland who are at a lower level than you. the teacher. Birankai Portugal Confirm the basic techniques These training guidelines refer Birankai Switzerland and apply them with minimum to the following two forms of British Birankai effort. Learn to control yourself training: The first is to receive Scottish and Borders Birankai and yet make the technique instruction, and the second, is to effective. Practise, especially, with work with it during free practice. beginners (those who have no Within free practice there are two BE Musubi is published twice preconception about the move- elements: to work with someone, annually in May and November. ment). This is important to study and to practise alone, without a English edition available on the workability and precision of partner. www.britishbirankai.com and movements. Above all, this is a Generally speaking, free the French edition on good opportunity to bring you practice is given towards the end www.birankai.eu/shiun_fr.html back to ‘beginner’s mind’. continued on page 3 Individual article reflects the author’s own views. All submissions may be edited due to space constraints and should be sent to the Editors. Editor (English): Dee Chen [email protected] Editor (French): Jean-luc Busmey [email protected] Sub-editor: Wellington Tsang [email protected] Design Consultant: Franco Chen © Copyright 2018 All rights reserved. Reproduction is prohibited without express written permission 081218 Photo: Kremakova/Masri/Evans Photo: Shihan Joe Curran, Warwick Aikido Anniversary Course, March 2008 2 BE MUSUBI NOVEMBER 2018 Wellington Tsang continued from page 2 Keep an Open Mind to Refresh our of a class, about ten minutes or Practice so. Its purpose is to reconfirm what was taught in the class. This is immediate reconfirma- tion. However, free practice, in was thinking a true sense, is not limited to as we approach the relatively short time given three years to it in class, but should include Isince the passing of that part of training conducted Chiba Sensei as to outside the class schedule. what was his most Without doubt, an outstanding meaningful com- Aikidoist is one who has used ment for me: free practice as much as possi- “Treat Every ble as a way to train (both with Technique as if it is others and alone). This initia- fresh” he thundered tive is one that I find lacking at us during a lesson in American students. I recall in the later stages of the time when I was uchideshi USA WR Summer at Hombu Dojo and there were Camp 1999. always a few students who stayed My interpreta- behind after the last class of the tion: Think of your day for free practice. This caused daily commute. considerable problems for the You’ve done it uchideshi who had been working hundreds of times, all day and were exhausted but yet you don’t walk could not rest until all members exactly the same Photo: Suren Patidar Suren Photo: had finished training. During number of steps, Wellington Tsang, BB Autumn Course, Manchester the day, uchideshi had to be well close your eyes Oct 2017 skilled to snatch a nap for 10 and ears to all of or 15 minutes, still wearing gi, the obstacles like road cross- honing our principles, sometimes taking the opportunity whenever ings, other vehicles, new diver- not reaching the peak, but always possible in order to survive. sions thinking that nothing will returning home. These experi- It is not my intention to assert change this day, because to do so ences and lessons we can pass to the importance of vigorous train- could be the untimely end of the the next generation, climbing ing, however, while the mentality commute, sometimes with fatal different mountains. We must of the general student body is consequences. You walk or drive, not stagnate or become compla- limited to training by instruc- you negotiate crossroads and cent on the well trodden path tion only. I hope that the above you adapt your commute every that is a martial art otherwise it information will give some light day, so that you can reach home will eventually die. to your future training. [ safely. On a technique, each principle Thank you Chiba Sensei for is a crossroads to be negotiated keeping Aikido alive and fresh. [ with timing and positioning to neutralise and prevent injury. You cannot be blind to a potentially dangerous situation. For Aikido, we should consider this journey up the mountain with the same attitude. Do or Tao is a spiritual and philosophi- cal path. We cannot expect the mountain path, the weather conditions, ourselves or our Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan companions to be unchanged Wellington Tsang 3rd Dan Birankai Founder after 100 years. We climb many South Manchester Aikido, personal mountains, with differ- North West Aikikai From Sansho, January 1987 ing adverse conditions, using and British Birankai NOVEMBER 2018 BE MUSUBI 3 Alexander V Gheorghiu Gen Ei Kan Celebrates 20 Years of Aikido before Dignitaries he camp I chose the name Birankai. with blending sword work and was over Biran is a Buddhist term meaning body art, a demonstration of the before a cosmic storm that occurs in the nature of aikido. Twe had time moment before cosmic order shifts. to look at the It is a force of recovery, spontane- “The penetrating brilliance of clock. One class ously manifesting itself to restore swords simply flowed Alex Gheorghiu order. The storm can be power- Wielded by followers of the Way into the next; ful and violent. Yet, at the same Strikes at the evil enemy one day into the following. This time it is one that heals through Lurking deep within is perhaps due to the high stand- cleansing and purification. Their own souls and bodies.” ard of teaching we had and the -T K Chiba, ‘The Bowl of Biran, - Morihei Ueshiba (O-Sensei), elegant timetabling which kept Heavenly Gift’. The Art of Peace us warm and ready, but not burnt out or depleted.