Aikido Yoshinkan Saudi Arabia

Ryu: Introduction
January is more than half over - for most of us the excitement of the holiday season is over and it's back to grim reality.  For some of us, however, the new year will only start on January 26th when the Chinese New Year is celebrated and the Year of the Ox starts.  Therefore, it's still not too late for me to wish you all a happy New Year and lots of health and happiness for the year ahead.

In keeping with the spirit of the new year, this month's magazine is all about freshness - fresh starts; keeping it fresh and - hopefully- keeping some of those resolutions!

Meigen
This month's saying is a Japanese proverb that was often quoted by Gozo Shioda Sensei.  It is:     日 々新たなり。 This is read as "hibi aratanari"  and it translates into the English proverb that "every day is a fresh start".  We should apply this to our aikido training by stepping on to the mats every time with that fresh-start feeling.  Because there are no fights or competitions, it is easy for aikido techniques to become empty, stylised forms.  It is particularly easy for this to happen once we have a general knowledge of all the test techniques.  We soon fall into a pattern of thinking "Oh, I already know that technique" or "I know what the most important points of this technique are anyway".  There is a big difference between knowing a technique and really understanding or being able to do that technique.  What we thought was the most important point in a technique may not be the most important point after all.  In aikido, our technique can only ever get better or get worse; it never stays at the same level.  Aikido is never about maintaining the status quo; like life, aikido is dynamic.  Skill in aikido is something that takes a long time to acquire and it is for this reason that any improvement or decline is difficult to see.  The gradient of the upslope or the downslope is very gradual. 

Presumably, we all want our aikido to evolve.  For this, we need freshness of spirit.  We must always be ready to throw out old ways of thinking about a technique and try to see that technique in a fresh light.  At the end of the year in Japan everybody has a big spring clean of their home or office - they scrub away the accumulated dirt of the year and they throw out and replace broken and useless stuff - and they prepare special New Years food to eat.  Then, on New Years day, they put on fresh clean clothes for the first temple visit of the year.  In this way, they turn to face the new year with a clean slate.  This is once a year - we must do this every day in our training.  This is "hibi aratanari". 

The first sunrise of the new year ("ganten hatsuhinode") is also considered to be very important in Japan.  Shioda Sensei often said that he got the same feeling of a fresh start from beginners in aikido that he did from watching the "ganten hatsuhinode".  In our training, we should all strive to be as beginners, as the "ganten hatsuhinode".

Images

A signature Ando Sensei move! (Picture taken during the 2009 Urayasu City Aikido Association kagami biraki demonstration.) You can also click here to see a video of Ando Sensei's demonstration at the Honbu Dojo Kagamibiraki.

Books
This month I'm reading "Yojokun: Life Lessons from a Samurai" by Kaibara Ekiken and translated by William Scott Wilson.  Kaibara Ekiken(1630-1714) was born into a samurai family during the lifetime of famous swordsman  Miyamoto Musashi who wrote the Book of Five Rings.  Kaibara was a samurai physician - chief medical doctor to the Kuroda clan - who studied a variety of subjects from Confucianism to Bhuddism; education; history; herbal remedies; spiritual issues and philosophy.  Six decades of his studies and observations are collected and compiled in "Yojokun: Life Lessons from a Samurai".

Bushido, or the way of the samurai and it's true meaning is a well-debated subject.  However, most scholars tend to agree on one principle concept - that "The Way of the Samurai is found in death."  This code was set out in the Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai which was written in the same period as the "Yojokun".  But in the "Yojokun", Kaibara takes the opposing view.  "With the loss of your life, you are good for nothing," he writes.  For a warrior to be of any use, he must have a sound body, mind and spirit - "Taking care of your life is your first important work as a human being."  Kaibara then proceeds to give very practical advice on how to do just that by covering; over eight chapters; subjects such as food, drink and sexual desire; overeating and treatments for various illnesses; disease, your doctor and the art of medicine and sustaining old age. 

A lot of the advice is common sense and still applicable today - mostly counseling moderation in everything (don't eat or drink too much, don't sleep too much, don't exercise too much).  Some of the advice is a little outdated but a lot of it is so far ahead of it's time that modern medicine is only now starting to realise the value of the holistic approach to health set out in the book.  (In fact, some of the medical texts quoted in the "Yojokun" are still  primary texts for practitioners of Oriental medicine today and the "Yojokun" itself is still widely read in Japan today). 

William Scott Wilson (who has also translated the "Hagakure") has produced a lovely clear translation that is easy to read and which includes an informative and interesting introduction.  The extensive notes are useful and some include the kanji which is nice for students of Japanese.  I have the book in hardcover and it is an attractive book - nice to hold and the perfect size for taking on the train!

Aikidoka will find much that is familiar in the "Yojokun" - for example the Zen quote that "The everyday mind, this is the Way" which echoes  the phrase "Aiki soku seikatsu" ("Aikido and life are one".)  Bu you might also find something new and inspiring to help you find your own Way  in your aikido training and in your everyday life.

Dojo shokai
This month we are introducing Shuryukan Yoshinkai Aikido in Saudi Arabia.  The Shuryukan dojo has a long and mixed martial arts history (that you can read about on their very very professional and well-put together home page - especially take a look at their gallery!) but since 2005 the dojo has been run by Romuel Villareal.  I first met Mel when he visited Japan about three years ago.  He came to Ryu Dojo during testing time so he wasn't able to get a lot of training done but he still came all the way out to Chiba from where he was staying in Tokyo and I remember being impressed by the intensity with which he watched the tests. 

Since that first visit - when he tested for 6kyu - Mel has continued to apply that same intensity and focus to his training.  Mel and his students get  a lot of help and support and mentoring from Steven Miranda Sensei of the Seikeikan dojo in Sacramento and it was on Steven Miranda Sensei's recommendation that Mel received his shodan and instructors certificate in 2008. 

Hopefully, another visit from Mel (and his students!) will be on the cards sometime in the future!

-----ooOooo-----

Ando shihan's training tips
This being the new year, we are giving away two training tips for the price of one.  In last month's issue, Ando Shihan's training tip was "to always train diligently and with patience."  I hope a few of you at least included "train diligently and with patience" on your list of New Years Resolutions - here are some tips on how to do that:

The first tip is that aikido must be a habit that is embedded in your lifestyle.  Most people, on waking up in the morning, will brush their teeth and wash their faces.    In the same way, your aikido training must be something that you do as a matter of course.   'I want to go aikido, therefore I'll go' or 'I don't want to go to aikido, therefore I won't go' - this is wrong.  'On this day of the week, at this time; I do aikido.'  This must be set in your schedule.  However, if something happens to prevent you from training or for some reason you don't go; you mustn't become pessimistic and give up.  If you become pessimistic, you will create stress for yourself.  This will be a burden on your heart and you will become discouraged.

Aikido is not something that only takes place in a dojo.  If you are interested in something, you will find a place for it in your daily life.  For example; if you have an interest in cars, you won't only admire sports cars in a car showroom.  As you're walking down the street, you'll be checking out the cars that go by or are parked on the side of the street.  You'll probably have car magazines in your home or posters on your wall or car DVDs that you like to watch as you fall asleep at night.  In the same way, leave an aikido book in your bathroom so you can flip through it when you er... are spending time in there.  When you're walking down the street, practise walking with your back perfectly straight and your chest open as in kamae.  When you ride the train or subway and you don't get a seat, try gripping the overhead strap with just your little finger in order to strengthen it for techniques like nikkajo.  This is what it means to embed aikido in your lifestyle.  Keep aikido close at hand.  This will help maintain your interest and being interested in something is what keeps us fresh and positive!

Being human beings though, sometimes we go through bad times and there is disorder in our lives.  How can we continue our training through these times?  The trick here is to think not only of yourself and your own feelings.  For example, if you really don't feel like going to training try thinking about other people.  Think about your teacher or your fellow students who are waiting for you at the dojo and try to be grateful for their efforts.  Your teacher needs you there!  As a teacher, I can tell you there is no question about that.  If you focus only on your own feelings during times when you don't feel like training, you will waver.  But if you can absorb and use the energy of the people around you, you can forge ahead. 

Another way to motivate yourself is to re-define the reasons why you do aikido.  You need to have big reasons to go training.  Wanting to become stronger so you can win fights or getting fit - these are not good reasons for doing aikido.  Think about aikido as being your life work.  Think about, after your retirement, opening an aikido class for everyone to enjoy. Think about opening an aikido youth group in your neighbourhood.  Think even bigger - like these people using aikido to fight AIDS and poverty.  Think about how you can use aikido to bring people together like these people do in Palestine and Israel.    If you don't feel like training, don't focus on how you feel right now.  Make aikido a dream you can focus on.  In this way, you will start feel enthusiastic about your training again.

These are just a few tips - if you have any other good ideas or suggestions, Ando Sensei would like you to e-mail him directly and let him know! 

Shameless plug
Have you seen the Online Dojo yet?  New videos are uploaded weekly and videos are down loadable for iPod and PSP.  Also, take a look at all the cool stuff in the Ryu Online Shop.

Events
2009/2/1-7
Winter Training: 7 continuous days of training from 6-7am at Ryu Dojo.  Those who attend every day for the week will receive a certificate and a small prize.
2009/2/1
5th Annual Junior Aikido Demonstration: Kids compete for a Disney Pass in a kihon dosa renzoku and jiyuwaza tournament.  From 1pm at Edogawa Sports Center.
2nd Annual General Training: Held at the same location with seminars taught by Ando Shihan and Chino Shihan. (Both events are in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Nishi Kasai Dojo).
2009/3/21 & 22
The Spring tests will be held on 3/21 (Sat) from 2pm and on 3/22 (Sun) from 10:50am at The Urayasu Chuo Budokan. 
2009/3/25-31
Ando Sensei seminar at the Seieikan in Moscow.
2009/5/17
19th Annual Urayasu City Aikido Demonstration
(We are now accepting applications for individuals or groups who would like to take part in the demonstration.)
You can also find a printable version of the event calendar for 2009 here or you can visit the Ryu website for a monthly schedule. 

Finally...
Speaking of fresh... In September, Ryu Dojo will be celebrating it's 10th Anniversary.  We have lots of events planned and the dojo itself will be getting a makeover!  Maybe some of you can come out and celebrate the occasion with us.

The best part of 2008 at Ryu Dojo was - for me - the chance to meet people from all around the world who came to visit the dojo, even if it was just for half a day on the HIS Experience.  We literally had people from every single continent come through the dojo at one time or another.  I hope 2009 will be more of the same!

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