Aikido and the Rising Sun

Announcement

2006-10-05T21:35:00.002+09:00

I regret to inform everyone that I will be unable to continue this blog due to circumstances beyond my control. I really apologize to all of you who have followed my exploits thus far.

Hopefully in the future I will have a chance to continue posting. If so, I will announce it on sites like AikiWeb, etc.

Thank you for visiting!

Quick Note

2006-08-26T21:44:00.000+09:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know I'm still alive. I haven't been able to train much lately, but I am leaving next week to visit my hometown in the U.S. and I'll have a chance to train at the aikikai branch there. Since I've never trained outside of Hombu, it should be interesting!

On the 2nd Floor

2006-07-23T16:45:00.000+09:00

This morning someone in the locker room told me that our class would be in the 2nd floor dojo. I was glad because it's about twice as big as the dojo we normally use on the 4th floor. It also meant our lesson would be much more intense due to the extra room; the more space we have, the faster and harder our practice is.

It was good to practice katate-dori nikyo (pin #2 with uke grabbing tori's wrist). This is a combination that I have never done. I helped my partner with the move because she wasn't very familiar with nikyo in general. I helped several of my partners today; I guess that's a sign that I'm progressing.

It's always awesome to watch Irie-sensei demonstrate moves in front of the class. He is so hard on his uke! It's a relief that he isn't that hard on us white belts. But in time...

My partner for shomen-uchi shiho-nage today was a bit hard on my wrists when he downed me. He was very polite and asked me if it was too hard. I told him it was a little bit hard. After several injuries due to my macho silence when tori is too hard, I now let my partners know when they are going past the breaking point -- and I always seem to feel when they are reaching that point! (My joints are bent just a little too unnaturally.) I don't feel that I'm being too soft; I just think it's important to communicate with one's partner to avoid any unnecessary injuries.

After class, I asked three people (two of them were black belts) if they would accompany me to the regular class next week, and all of them turned me down. One black belt said the beginner's class is tiring enough! I was surprised.

I did, however, learn about a midsummer drinking party for members of Hombu dojo next Sunday. I haven't gone to them because the price is a bit high -- around 4,000 yen ($40). There are two "official" drinking parties every year at Hombu: one is at the end of the year, and the other is during the summer. At the end of class (after we formally bow) when everyone is still in seiza, a senior student sits in front and announces the party to everyone. It's usually held at a nearby izakaya (Japanese-style restaurant and bar). I just might attend if I can scrape together the extra money. I was told that there would be quite a few native English speakers at the party. I guess that was an incentive for me to come!

It's Official

2006-07-16T21:35:00.000+09:00

Well, I guess it's official: I am a lightweight when it comes to summer aikido training. On the news last night, the temperature at 9:00pm was 30 degrees celcius, and the humidity was 60%. During the day it was of course higher. That makes for some tough training.

In the dojo today, everyone was exclaiming, "Atsui, ne?" (It's hot, isn't it?) I didn't feel like such a wimp since everyone was complaining (and they were Japanese people, I might add!). I couldn't bring myself to go to the regular class; it was hard enough just to finish a beginner's class.

I might mention that there is no air conditioning or fan in the dojos at Hombu; there are some small ventilation fans near the ceiling, but those don't count. I read once that Doshu wants students to adapt with the seasons, so air conditioning is considered unnatural. Well, at least the showers feel good after a sweltering time of training! (There is no hot water in the locker room, so summer is the only time when guys take showers after class.)

Today during yonkyo (pin #4), my partner was fairly new to aikido, so he didn't know how to apply the pressure on the wrist during the pin. I tried to tell him (in my broken Japanese) and demonstrate, but he still didn't get it. I finally asked Kobayashi-san, a yudansha who was training next to me, for his help in explaining yonkyo to my partner. While he was showing my partner, Irie-sensei had us stop, so my poor partner will have to wait until next time to figure it out.

While I was taking ukemi for Irie-sensei during katate-dori nikyo (one-hand grab, pin #2), he told me in English that he thinks I'm ready to test for 4th kyu. I told him that I already have 4th kyu rank. I often hear that the exam for 3rd kyu is really difficult and that people usually fail the first time they take it, so I took that chance to ask Irie-sensei. He said it was indeed true! Apparently there is a gap between 4th and 3rd kyu as far as requirements on the exam (all the requirements for each exam can be found on the Hombu website -- click the link on the right).

After class, there were only two things on my mind: find the nearest drinking fountain and then jump in the cold shower!

Asian Summer

2006-07-09T20:20:00.000+09:00

I always seem to forget how humid the summers are in Japan. Every season I try and tolerate the extremely humid days, but I still seem surprised when summer comes around again. I guess once it's over, I quickly try and forget it all.

Today when I entered the dojo in my keiko-gi (uniform), I immediately felt the stifling heat all over my body. After we warmed up and I started to sweat a lot, I actually felt cooler since my uniform was becoming drenched.

I attended Irie-sensei's beginner's class because it has been several weeks since I last trained. I didn't feel like getting my butt kicked all over the place in the regular class. We started with tenkan (turning while partner grabs one wrist). My partner (uke) was 1st kyu rank, so he gave me some pointers concerning the placement of my hands after I turn and release ki energy. He showed me that I should lower my palms more and force his hand down more. I was pleased with the results.

By the way, the Japanese female students at Hombu never cease to surprise me. Most of them are small, slender, and in their 20s or 30s, but just under that exterior lurks a ferocious ambition. Today I was partners with two different women, and my main concern was going extra easy on them so I wouldn't cause any injuries. (Because of my size, I have to be careful, especially since a lot of the students are small.) Well, when it was their turn to execute the moves on me, I was amazed at how rough and strong they were.

For those of you who are reading this and don't know a lot about Japanese popular culture, the cuter something or someone is, the cooler it is. That goes for schoolgirls and young women as well. But in aikido, the "cute" culture doesn't exist, and only serious, determined students train here. I am glad for that!

As I was putting on my shoes in the lobby after class, I saw Irie-sensei in his street clothes taking some dishes to the kitchen. I commented on how hot it was, and he responded by saying, "It's Asian summer, isn't it?" It sure is!

Rainy Season

2006-06-18T15:39:00.000+09:00

My four-month-old son, Andy, with ajisai (hydrangeas), a symbol of the rainy season in Japan

Testing

2006-06-18T15:12:00.000+09:00

I emailed a friend of mine, Toshi, whom I haven't seen in quite some time. He teaches shamisen (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument) to private students in his home. I suppose that's why I haven't seen him at the dojo: Sunday seems to be a busy day for him.

He was happy to inform me that he recently passed his exam for 1st kyu (the rank just below black belt). He said it was easy and that he didn't study or practice for it.

According to Toshi, 3rd kyu is the hardest exam to pass because there is a big jump between 3rd and 4th kyu; the exams for 5th and 4th are based on the fundamental moves of ikkyo, nikyo, shiho-nage and irimi-nage. From 3rd kyu, however, the exams include sitting moves and other moves that are not learned in beginner's classes such as defending against straight punches, etc.

I've also noticed when I observe 1st and 2nd kyu exams, there is a segment where the examiner will call out a random move such as "yokomen-uchi shiho-nage ura." The student is expected to execute the move in about one second or he/she will be considered to have forgotten the move (or the name). That is sometimes counted against the examinee during the test.

Therefore, I've decided to start making flash cards for all the combination of moves including omote and ura (front and back variations of a move). Hopefully this will prepare me for the "lightning round" segment of the upper-kyu exams.

Mind Your Tongue

2006-06-11T17:34:00.000+09:00

I was a little nervous while going to the dojo this morning. It would be my first time to attend the regular class without going with a friend. The locker room was full of yudansha (black belts) as I put on my uniform and tied my white belt.

There were probably around 60 students (maybe more) in the 9:00 am regular class this morning. I was surprised to see Sugawara-sensei enter the dojo to instruct; Kanazawa-sensei usually teaches this class.

I think everyone decided in advance who their partners would be. After our warmup, everyone quickly grabbed a partner. The only student without one in my part of the dojo was a woman who looked as if she was visiting from overseas: she had a big patch on the front of her uniform (patches are not worn on uniforms of Hombu students) and was wearing a brown belt with no hakama (generally only white and black belts are worn). So we did ukemi for each other during the entire class. Depending on the instructor, we either change partners before each move or we keep the same partner during the entire class.

Everything was so fast-paced this morning; I could tell it wasn't a typical Sunday morning for me. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up, but I did fine. It was a great workout. I thought my partner was going to break my wrist during shomen-uchi sankyo, however. I was too embarrassed to tell her to go easier on me.

By the way, I want to give some advice to anyone reading this: when you do ukemi during irimi-nage, make sure your tongue is not between your teeth! When my partner was taking me down, she hit the underside of my jaw and I bit my tongue. Luckily it wasn't too bad. I'll never make that mistake again (at least I hope I won't)!

After class was over, I talked briefly to my partner. She said she was from Washington D.C. and was visiting Japan for just a few days. Today was her only chance to practice at Hombu. I felt bad that she came all the way to Japan for aikido and was stuck with me! I told her she should stick around for 30 minutes and attend Doshu's class. I could tell she didn't seem to keen on that idea! The regular classes are so intense; it would be hard to practice in two back-to-back classes.

In the regular class, we did a brief cool-down after practice that involved jumping in place and stretching. That is something we don't normally do in the beginner's classes. Afterwards, I saw my friend from Sri Lanka in the dojo. I asked him if he had fun, and we both laughed. Last week, Irie-sensei told us both that we should start attending the regular class instead of his beginner's class. My friend jokingly said that we had no choice! Anyway, I'm glad I took Irie-sensei's advice. I'm sure my friend was too.

Leaving the Nest

2006-06-04T15:55:00.000+09:00

I knew today's practice was going to be crowded because the staff at the front desk had put newspapers on the floor in front of the big wall that holds everyone's shoes. There were already pairs of shoes on the newspapers. Sure enough, lots of new faces were present. That's okay because I was able to meet some new people. There was a married couple visiting from India who had only been practicing aikido for one month. It was their second practice at Hombu, and they were going to be in Japan for one month.

There were people on either side of my uke and me who kept bumping us during practice. In Japan, people sometimes bump into others without any acknowledgment; I suppose in a country with such a dense population and not much livable space, bumping has become part of life. I have even caught myself doing it withouut offering an apology. Anyway, After practicing the second move and bowing to my partner, I rushed across the dojo to find my next partner. It seemed like the students in that part of the room were a bit more considerate of others around them.

I learned a few new "tricks" today that helped me with my technique. On shomen-uchi ikkyo, when I cut down on uke's arm, bringing my left foot forward after leading with my right foot, I brought that left foot against uke's grounded foot. It nearly tripped uke and prevented him from recovering from being off-balance. Whenever I am partners with a black belt, this technique is always used on me, and I was finally able to figure out how to do it.

Another tequnique that I learned was during shomen-uchi nikkyo. Again, my partner was a (recently promoted) black belt, and when he had my arm in a wrist lock, he applied pressure with his thumb on the outside of my hand where the index finger and thumb come together, right above the bone. It really hurt, and no one else has ever used that pressure point on me during nikkyo, so I'm not sure if it's something taught by Aikikai (because I can't understand every point that sensei explains) or if it's just something that this individual does. At any rate, I will use it from now on.

After class, I was standing in the 4th-floor hallway near the stairs and Irie-sensei had to pass me to get to the stairs. He stopped and said to me in a low voice, "Karaana-san, you should start attending the regular (advanced) class in the main dojo since this beginner's class is so crowded." I said, "But I'm not very good," and sensei immediately responded with, "No one is very good the first time." I took this as a sign! I was a little scared, so I quickly told an English-speaking student what had happened. He told me that sensei told him the previous week to start attending the regular class as well, but this student decided not to. Well, I think I'll take the challenge! We all have to leave the nest at some point, right?

Dude Looks Like a Lady

2006-05-21T19:33:00.000+09:00

It was a nice warm day; the sun finally decided to come out after a few weeks of nothing but grey skies and rain. It felt good to sit in seiza (sitting on heels with legs folded under) as we waited for sensei to come into the dojo. The only problem was that sensei didn't come! Class was supposed to start at 9:30 this morning, and at 9:45, one of the students had to go downstairs to see if sensei had forgotten about us because we were still without an instructor. Finally, Suzuki Sensei entered with an awkward look on his face. He is a shidoin (training to be shihan -- master). Oh well, mistakes happen...even at Hombu. It gave me time to do several minutes of zazen (meditation) though.

I was in the back row as we waited for sensei to enter, and I was noticing how Japanese people nowadays are not accustomed to sitting in seiza for periods of more than ten minutes. Everybody was shifting around due to numb feet and sore legs (myself included). There were a few men who actually changed and sat cross-legged ("Western style"). It was an interesting cultural observation. So it's not just foreigners who have trouble sitting in seiza!

Before class, I saw a friend of mine, Kobayashi-san, sitting in the back row, so I sat next to him and we chatted for a little bit. He is a yudansha (black belt) and his English is quite good. I haven't seen him in over a year. He was surprised at my appearance; he said I had lost a lot of weight. I was flattered. He said the last time he saw me (at a drinking party), I was overweight and my face was chubby "like Bill Clinton's," but now I "look like Robert Kennedy." I guess he follows U.S. politics a lot! Nevertheless, it made my day. We made plans to get together again to go drinking (a favorite pastime of many aikido practitioners!).

We worked on moves today that are typical for beginner's class: shomen-uchi ikkyo (standing and sitting), irimi-nage, and shiho-nage. I had trouble in the past with shiho-nage. When it was time to down my partner, my technique wasn't good enough for me to take him down. I realized today that I wasn't cutting down enough as I turned while walking under his arm. As I turned, I also cut down on the arm, thus making it easier to throw him off balance. I love it when I discover little gems like that. It makes me wonder why I didn't learn it before, but I guess that's why we need to train a lot; it comes with experience.

For the last ten minutes of class, Suzuki Sensei drilled us on how to turn and pivot (sitting and standing). Then we went through some exercises that reminded me of yoga: We did the splits (legs out to our sides as far as they can go) on the ground, put our hands on the floor in front of us, and lifted our bodies off the ground. We also tried this while sitting in some kind of lotus position. My upper thighs started cramping, so I had to stop. I had never experienced exercises like this in aikido. I'm not sure how I can spread my legs further apart; they just don't seem like they are designed to do that!

On my way out of the building, I checked my name on the signup sheet for the Aikikai demonstration next weekend at Nippon Budokan. It was still there, but I noticed that I had previously written my name under the wrong column; I was signed up in the women's category! I didn't notice the first time since almost all the names were written in Japanese, nor did I notice the categories marked (in Japanese) "men" and "women." Luckily the kanji characters for gender are easy enough for me to read. I'm not sure why I didn't catch it the first time though.

Back for More

2006-05-07T16:28:00.000+09:00

Today was my first day back to the dojo. I was thinking about how glad I was to be returning. It felt good to put on my uniform once again. In the locker room was a man who had just bought his uniform at the front desk. He had to ask another guy how to fasten the drawstrings of the pants. It reminded me that I had not practiced in over a month! In a way I felt like a novice again.

The 4th floor dojo was closed during March for renovations, but the only thing I noticed was that the clock had been replaced; everything else looked the same. I wondered what else had been updated. Maybe I'll never know.

There were a lot fewer students in the dojo this morning. Technically, the Golden Week holiday ends today, so I imagine lots of people are still out of town. Still, between 25 and 30 were in attendance. It was noticeable in that I had lots more room during our warmup stretch routine.

Before class, I inquired at the front desk about participating in the annual demonstration later this month at the Nippon Budokan. There is a short segment where kyu- and dan-ranked members can participate in floor routines in one big group. I thought it would be interesting to be a part of it -- not to mention good blog material! All I had to do was sign my name on a sheet of paper in the dojo after class. It was as simple as that. There were quite a few names on the list already, but since it will be held at such a large place, everyone can be accommodated. However, we have to arrive with a partner, so I'll have to find one beforehand.

I learned something new about my ukemi today. We practiced kote-gaeshi (entering and grabbing uke's wrist and then turning and manipulating his wrist in a throw). This move intimidates me since it can cause severe damage to the wrist. I was taking ukemi for a yudansha, and I wasn't moving my feet enough because I was too busy anticipating the sudden twist to my wrist. Irie Sensei showed me that I need to follow tori as he leads me around in a circle. At least we weren't doing it at full speed today.

My partner for irimi-nage was a small college student. I usually work the hardest with small female college students because they have so much energy! I try and keep up with their pace and it really wears me out. Oh well, it's a good cardiovascular workout at least -- something I do need.

There is a foreign student that I have seen on Sunday mornings for the past year and a half. Since I am shy and not good at breaking the ice, he finally initiated after class and we talked for quite some time. He is from Sri Lanka, and we have several things in common. It's really good to get to know my fellow aikidoka!

Hiatus

2006-04-23T16:52:00.000+09:00

I want to offer an apology for not updating the blog recently. Due to circumstances beyond my control (my job and my son!), I have not trained at the dojo since the end of March. However, all that will change at the beginning of May when I pay my membership dues for the new month; it's kind of like holding myself accountable. When I pay for a particular month, I want to get my money's worth. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for this month.

During my time away from the dojo, I've been exploring the spiritual aspects of aikido along with zen meditation, etc. Following is a short bibliography for anyone interested (if some of these books are difficult to locate, then any title on these topics should be adequate):

Miyamoto, Musashi. The Book of Five Rings. (trans. by Thomas
Cleary.) Boston: Shambhala, 1993.
Shikantaza: An Introduction to Zazen. Shohaku Okumura, ed. Tokyo: Sotoshu Shumucho, 1996.
Ueshiba, Kisshomaru. The Spirit of Aikido. (trans. by Taitetsu Unno.) New York: Kodansha, 1987.
Yamada, Mumon. How to Practice Zazen. (trans. by Eshin Nishimura.) Kyoto: Institute for Zen Studies.
Zen kokoroto karadaga kireini naru Suwarikata (Zen Style for a Beautiful Life). Tokyo: Ikeda Shoten, 2004.

Before each class at the dojo, I like to do five minutes of zazen (sitting meditation) before sensei comes in. It really helps me draw the mental line between my busy life up to that point and my hour of training. Plus, zazen is something that I can do at home. At Rinsenji Temple in Tokyo where my wife and I used to practice zazen, the priest told us that even five minutes each day will refresh the mind and body.

It has been awhile since I've been on the mat, so I am really looking forward to going back. During my hiatus, I have come to realize how fortunate I am for the opportunity to train at Hombu.

Cherry Blossoms

2006-04-06T10:54:00.000+09:00

Cherry blossom (sakura) trees in full bloom

Ohayo Gozaimasu

2006-03-28T22:41:00.000+09:00

To me, the Sunday morning beginner's class seems more like a tight-knit club where the same members are together every week. Before class, the locker room is empty except for a few students trickling in. Loud blanket-greetings of "ohayo gozaimasu" ("good morning") can be heard at this time. It must be because of the special Sunday-only membership that a lot of students take, but for whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of camaraderie. On weeknights, or even after the Sunday class, there are too many people in the locker room at one time; a loud greeting would be a bit awkward (or maybe it wouldn't be heard at all).

On Sundays, quite a few university students and company employees visit Hombu to train. They can be spotted by the name of their company or university on the sleeves of their uniforms. It's sometimes interesting to train with these students because I can detect a slight difference in their style from move to move although our dojos are all Aikikai-affiliated. Their greetings on the mat are sometimes different as well. Instead of bowing to the partner right after stopping, they wait until partners have changed, then go back and bow to the old partner. It is a little confusing.

I have heard that aikido is different from one person to the next since no two humans are exactly alike. That's one reason I like to see demonstrations where instructors from all across Japan participate. Even instructors at Hombu might have slightly different styles; I think it's good to attend as many different classes as possible for this reason. There are some instructors who I prefer to others, but that's just because of personality and so forth. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because an instructor will correct me when I do the variation that I learned in another class -- at the same dojo. In cases like that, I go back to the DVD and watch how Doshu (the head of Aikikai) does it. I'm pretty sure all variations are approved by examiners during testing. I haven't had any problems yet.

On a different note: The building of Hombu is quite big (five floors), so I sometimes notice hallways and doors that I hadn't realized were there. On the second floor, to the left of the beginner's dojo, there is a short hallway. I've recently noticed that one of the doors in this corridor has a sign in English! (It's always great to come across my own language in Japan.) It says "International Department" and also includes a notice in four languages which reads "English, Spanish, French, and Russian are all spoken here." I'm not sure how long this so-called department has existed or what it consists of, but I was extremely curious nonetheless. I'll have to inquire at another time...

Spring is Here

2006-03-19T14:28:00.000+09:00

Sensei was a few minutes late this morning, which was surprising. Another surprise was to see Ito Sensei (with a black eye) walk in instead of Irie Sensei. Regardless, it was an invigorating class.

Just like last week, a lot of yudansha (black belts) were present since we were in the main dojo again. It seems that the pace of the class is determined by the students and not the instructor or size of the class. It felt like a beginner's class until I became partners with yudansha. The tempo was just so fast, but I was glad for such a good cardiovascular workout; it motivates me to try and watch my diet. There's nothing more embarrassing for me than to struggle with finishing a class while everyone around me is so vibrant and full of energy.

I received some help from my uke regarding katate-dori shiho-nage. That's another good thing about yudansha partners: they usually offer good advice on inproving my technique. When I tried to down my uke, I was just pulling on his hand to no avail since he was tall and pretty solid. He told me to use the same motion as I would when cutting down with a sword. It helped me get more momentum in my movement, and my uke fell to the mat more easily.

For irimi-nage, half the class practiced while the other half sat in seiza and watched. My partner really wore me out. His timing was really good and effective. I noticed he was using the outside of his elbow to down me instead of the inside of his bicep and elbow. I figured he was a yudansha, so he knew what he was doing.

When we finished and the other half took to the mat, I plopped down on the wooden floor and finally took a break. However, a yudansha came up to me and said in English, "Would you like to practice with me?" I was so out of breath that I actually refused at first, saying that I was part of the first group. He said he would go slowly, so I got back up and was glad I did. I was able to go slowly and focus on my movements and hand/feet position when downing him. He was also very friendly and was eager to communicate with me in English. Living in Japan, I really appreciate that sometimes!

I'm really wondering how April will affect me and my training. Winter/spring break will be over and I'll be teaching six days a week, not to mention all the hours commuting every day. Sunday will be my only day off, so I'll probably do aikido training on weeknights instead. It will be tough, but I'll try and see how it is.

It's called 'training' for a reason!

2006-03-15T21:30:00.000+09:00

I have to admit, I was tempted to use this entry to vent my frustrations concerning tonight's class. It just seemed as if nothing went well. Realizing that my frustration is probably just due to my insecurities, I have decided to remain positive; I'm sure nobody wants to hear a grown man whine (Plus, I already got it off my chest when talking to my wife!).

Kuribayashi Sensei was the instructor tonight, and we began by practicing standing breakfalls. Sensei likes to explain things a lot, and that really shows his desire to help us. He spent a significant amount of time showing us how to place our legs and feet when we fall, and he also made a point to show us exactly how far we should roll onto our backs. It was good to receive such detailed explanation.

Next, we practiced controlling uke when doing tenkan (turning when held by one wrist). It was new for me; sensei showed us how to lead uke around the mat after tori turns (uke has an awkward grasp on tori's wrist and can easily be steered around the mat). It was pretty interesting. I made the mistake of guiding my uke backwards -- all this did was cause him to straighten up again and regain control! Next, we practiced downing uke by catching him off balance after turning. By stepping forward and sweeping the grasped hand toward uke, he can easily be pushed down onto the mat.

During katate-dori shiho-nage, sensei noticed when I was doing ukemi, I was going from a kneeling position directly to my back: I should have gone from kneeling to hips to back. He had me do ukemi quite a few times for him until I got it right (while about half the class was sitting and watching!). I think I finally got it right.

The last thing we always do is line up in seiza to bow and formally end class (tonight sensei had to tell us to fix our uniforms; apparently some guys had their uniform coats open a little too wide -- a sign of disrespect). First we bow to the portrait of O-sensei (the founder of aikido) and then we bow to sensei. After we bow to the portrait, if we are sitting at the edge of the mat, we should turn a little so that we are facing sensei before bowing to him. Most students (including me) kept facing forward, so sensei had to say, "I'm not in the corner; I'm here in the center. Face me." We/I got the hint and repositioned our bodies so we were then facing sensei. I'm sure this seems like common sense, but I have never been told this, so I didn't see my error at first.

Anyway, I felt like I did so many things wrong tonight including etiquette. But I guess it's called 'training' for a reason!

The Way of Harmony

2006-03-12T13:19:00.000+09:00

I was excited on my way to the dojo this morning because the class would be in the main dojo. The Sunday morning beginner's dojo is being renovated, so all the Sunday classes for the rest of the month will be held in the main dojo. Usually the class times are staggered, which cuts down on massive crowds in the locker room. However, for the rest of the month all the classes are held in a row; needless to say, the biggest challenge won't be in the training itself, but in navigating one's way through the locker room. A student from Moscow whom I met today seemed amazed at the number of men trying to change into their street clothes all at the same time. It must be fascinating for overseas visitors when they visit Hombu.

Irie Sensei was back from his European Aikikai trip. He seemed refreshed and invigorated, I thought as he was slamming his uke to the ground with unexpected moves. At Hombu, when instructors' ukes (partners) don't perform "up to par," instructors don't hesitate to give their unsuspecting uke a surprise jab, punch (not hard, mind you) or, with Irie Sensei, a judo-like throw.

Technically, it was a beginner's class, but many yudansha (black belts) either stayed after the previous class or came to our class since it was held in the main dojo. It was definitely more intense than what I was used to. My yudansha partners gave me a real workout (not to mention a good butt-kicking as well). It was all in good spirits; I rarely meet a student who seemingly intends to inflict pain or bodily harm on me during class.

I am in the habit of getting nervous and anxious when I am paired with a Western person. It is said that Western people are overly aggressive and forceful when practicing aikido. Since I have never practiced aikido outside of Hombu, the only non-Japanese students I have encountered are here. I cannot recall any "foreigner" who wasn't polite, respectful, or concerned about his/her partner's safety and well-being. One of my partners today for tenchi-nage (heaven and earth throw) was a fairly tall, strong Westerner (who later told me he was visiting from Moscow). My first reaction was to anticipate the wind being knocked out of me, but I was wrong. His technique was very fluid and nice to watch. I learned a lot from him. Above all, he was focused on his technique and wasn't interested in seeing how hard I could be thrown onto the mat. At times like this, I am reminded that aikido is not about sport; it is about being in harmony with one another and with the universe.

Like a Rag Doll

2006-03-05T13:47:00.000+09:00

It really felt good to return to the dojo this morning. It has been over a week since the last time I trained. I am learning that having a newborn requires lots of time and energy! However, I will make the effort to train as much as I can. I don't feel right about continuing my frequent training without some kind of compromise with my wife: tag-team babysitting comes to mind... Where there's a will, there's a way.

Irie Sensei is currently visiting several Aikikai-affiliated dojos in Europe, so our substitute this morning was Ito Sensei. He is a shidoin (apprentice) here at hombu. In time, Ito Sensei will become a shihan (master). It seems that he doesn't have his own class to teach; I have seen him only as a substitute for Irie Sensei on Sundays.

Nevertheless, Ito Sensei's style and technique are incredible! He is known to instill a bit of dread in students of the Sunday morning beginner's class. In a class last year when Ito Sensei walked into the dojo to substitute, a student somewhere behind me actually emitted a groan. Some instructors physically "go easy" on us when they help us with a move because we are "beginners." I'm not saying that's bad; it's just that different instructors have different styles. Well, Ito Sensei doesn't hesitate to put a little realistic force into his moves when he helps us during class. I usually feel like a rag doll when I am his uke (receiving his moves)!

We started with katate-dori tenkan (body turn when held by one wrist). Since Ito Sensei didn't know the students so well, he wasn't fully aware of everyone's rank and experience in the class. Before we practice a move in every class, sensei chooses one person and demonstrates it in front of everyone. The first person he chose today didn't have any experience and didn't know what to do. Sensei spent several minutes just telling him how to stand, how to grab, etc. It was a bit awkward. After that, things went more smoothly, though.

When we practice moves such as irimi-nage (enter and throw), sometimes half the class practices while the other half observes. Sensei was making his rounds, demonstrating irimi-nage with each person. I noticed that many people were intimidated, anticipating sensei's hand on the bottom of their jaws right before being slammed down backwards on the mat. It could be because of this, but sensei went a little slower on everyone today. When it was my turn, I still felt like a rag doll being yanked around, but taking hard ukemi is a great way to learn the technique and practical application of the moves.

Right now I feel a bit more sore and tired than usual. It's always difficult to get back into the training regimen after being absent for more than a week. That's one reason why I don't like missing classes, but sometimes it can't be helped.

Hina Matsuri

2006-03-01T23:08:00.000+09:00

My mother-in-law's hina matsuri (doll festival) display. Hina matsuri is March 3rd.

Mind Over Matter

2006-02-19T21:21:00.000+09:00

It seems like ages since the last time I practiced aikido. The reason is that, on February 16th, my wife gave birth to our son! It has been a terrific but hectic week for both of us; we will never forget it.

I wanted to go to the regular class again, but it didn't happen. I went to Irie Sensei's beginner's class this time. It seemed as if I didn't have the energy to get up at 7:00 am after spending the last few days at the hospital, sleeping restlessly in the waiting room. But I was able to deny myself and get out of bed.

There's something about a good workout that rejuvenates the body and senses no matter how tired or lazy one happens to feel beforehand. In other words, I'm sure glad that I went to practice this morning. That's one thing I like about aikido: Once class begins, I quickly forget all my problems and concerns and just focus on training.

About halfway through class, Doshu suddenly entered our small, cramped dojo and sat at the edge of the mat, directly in front of where my partner and I happened to be practicing ushiro ryotekubi-dori sankyo (uke grabs both of tori's wrists from behind). This was ironic because last week I was having a lot of trouble with this kind of move. I can't be certain that Doshu was watching me, but it sure felt like it! Actually, he was just waiting for a break in order to speak briefly with Irie Sensei. Isn't it interesting that we as students step it up a few notches when we know the instructor is watching?

By the way, ushiro sankyo didn't seem to be much of a problem today compared with last week's ushiro shiho-nage. I studied my book (Best Aikido) and DVD (Principles of Aikido) a little and made sure I could get a better grasp on these moves.

At the end of class during sitting kokyu-ho, my partner was a student whom I have gotten to know during the past year or so. Whenever we do this move together, his ukemi seems to humor me: He uses all his might to resist, and in the process, emits a loud animal-like groan when he can no longer contain me. Today I couldn't help but laugh out loud (and so did he). We weren't horsing around, but I was worried that Irie Sensei would get the wrong idea; he didn't. (The instructors at Hombu sometimes find things humorous and make light of certain situations. Like today when sensei grinned as he pointed out to a student that his uniform pants were halfway down his thighs, exposing a colorful pair of boxer shorts -- I guess the student didn't notice during all the suwari-waza!)

After class, I left the dojo a little more quickly than usual. I wanted to get to the hospital to visit my wife and our new son! I no longer felt lazy and tired.

29th All-Japan Traditional Martial Arts Demonstration

2006-02-12T23:52:00.001+09:00

Click on any picture to enlarge

Entrance of Nippon Budokan (Japan Martial Arts Hall)

Okinawan Kingai-ryu karate with weapons

Saburi-ryu sojutsu (spear fighting with armor), Hiroshima

Shibukawa-ryu jujutsu, Osaka

Hyohoniten ichi-ryu kenjutsu (school of swordsmanship founded by Miyamoto Musashi), Fukuoka

Step Up

2006-02-12T23:04:00.000+09:00

This was the first time for me to attend the regular class. Luckily, Toshi said he would also go. It is said that when going to the regular class for the first time, one should go with a friend so as not to be too overwhelmed. It worked for me at least.

I recognized a few white belts from the beginner's class, but the vast majority were yudansha. The main dojo is significantly larger than the 2nd-floor dojo, but that just means more students will be there; it doesn't necessarily mean more room to practice.
Kanazawa Sensei began with ten minutes of stretching, and then we practiced standing kokyu-ho ura (briefly explained in a previous post). After doing kokyu-ho, I was already out of breath, and the class had just started. There was no time to worry because we soon started ushiro ryotekubi-dori (uke grabs both of tori's wrists from behind) ikkyo, shiho-nage, irimi-nage, and a variation of kaiten-nage that I had never seen before: Tori sets up uke for shiho-nage, but instead tori puts inside arm under uke's armpit and throws uke forward using shoulder force.

Needless to say, this was the first time for me to practice so much ushiro ryotekubi-dori at one time. I wasn't able to do shiho-nage or kaiten-nage at all; the ability seemed to elude me this time. My uke was extremely patient with me, as was Kanazawa Sensei, but I usually have trouble with complicated moves at first (and these definitely qualify!). With kaiten-nage, only half the class practiced at once since forward rolls require ample space. Forward rolls -- That's something else I need to work on by the way.

There was a student whose head was injured somehow during practice; I didn't see it happen, but half the class stopped as sensei and a few other students tended to him. The student was finally able to stand up and continue.

I was definitely tired after class, but not as much as I could have been: My uke and I were having to pause a lot since I didn't comprehend some of the moves. As I was leaving the dojo, I heard one student say to another, "Hmm... You seem to be bleeding all over." And with that, my first experience in the regular class came to a close. Until next time...

Hole in my Keiko-gi

2006-02-05T14:43:00.000+09:00

Above: A plaque on the first floor of Hombu Dojo in honor of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido (photographed with permission)

Above: The quiet side street where Hombu Dojo is located. It is the light-colored building on the left with all the cars. Doshu's residence is next door on the left.

I wanted to take some pictures of the side street where the dojo is located because it's such a quiet area -- totally different from busy Shinjuku station which is only two subway stops from Wakamatsu-Kawada station (the nearest station to Hombu Dojo). By the way, Doshu's residence is next door to the dojo. That sure is a benefit since he teaches class at 6:30am every weekday!

After stretching, we started with katate-dori tenkan. I had the same partner as last week, so I mentioned it to him and we both laughed. There is a Japanese woman who has just started aikido (I believe she started late last year), and we were paired together for shomen-uchi ikkyo. I think she is the same person who ran away screaming when I asked her in class last year to be my partner. I guess the fact that she was new plus having a huge foreigner approach her about being an uke was too much for her to handle. Anyway, she seemed nervous but did just fine.

It had been awhile since we practiced hanmi-hantachi katate-dori shiho-nage. My partner was the same person who did ukemi for me during my 4th-kyu exam. Since I was nervous, I think I did the techniques a bit harder than usual. I remember apologizing to him after the exam. Well, today I kept repeating to myself that he wasn't seeking revenge; he was bringing me down extra hard. I had to do a backwards roll each time just to keep from injuring my wrists.

We did a lot of suwari-waza as usual. For kote-gaeshi, Irie Sensei told me to turn (tenkan) faster. It was hard for me to keep my balance on my knees. I have to practice being more fluid in that regard.

For my next exam, 3rd kyu, I will have to demonstrate ikkyo through yonkyo, standing and sitting. It will be the first time for me to perform suwari-waza for an exam. Luckily I still have some time. 50 hours of practice are required after obtaining 4th kyu before one can test for 3rd kyu. However, the head examiner, Endo Sensei, prefers students to have more than the minimum number of hours when they test (which is not unreasonable at all). But the examinations are an entirely different story! I'm sure I will write plenty on that topic in days to come.

After class, I asked my friend Toshi some questions about the 3rd kyu exam. For example, I didn't know the term "tsuki" in tsuki irimi-nage. He told me it just means the uke delivers a straight punch. That is something I have never seen practiced in the beginner's class; all the more reason to attend the regular class, I suppose. He also taught me the phrase "hanmi-hantachi" (tori is sitting and uke is standing). Luckily there will only be one move on the 3rd kyu test that is hanmi-hantachi.

I also noticed that a hole is forming in the left knee of my uniform pants. I always envied students with holes in their knees because I thought it showed how hard (and often) they trained. It seems as if I will be one of them soon! It's a good feeling.

Time to Kill

2006-02-02T23:32:00.000+09:00

This was my first time to train on a Thursday night. Usually my work schedule doesn't allow it; also, the only beginner's class offered is at 7:00pm, which is a bit late for me. Anyway, I arrived at the dojo around 6:00, so I had a lot of time to kill. There was a women's class from 6 to 7pm, so I couldn't enter the dojo early. Instead, I went up to the 4th-floor dojo to warm up and stretch because it's seldom used at night. There were a few students practicing some moves as I entered. Around 6:30, a steady stream of students had entered and were suddenly lined up in seiza. I thought, wow, we still have a half hour. Everyone must be really serious on Thursdays. Then all of a sudden the instructor came in and class was underway! I knew this wasn't Fujimaki Sensei, nor was it the correct starting time. I was puzzled. A few seconds into the class, the instructor walked over to me and asked if I were a member of the aikido academy (a special class offered at Hombu). So that's what happened -- I had wandered into the totally wrong class. I apologized and quickly left. I felt like such an idiot.

The class I had in mind is taught by Fujimaki Sensei. He also teaches the 6pm women's class, so he doesn't get much of a break between classes. It was my first time to be taught by him. Apparently I wasn't the only clueless Westerner tonight; as we entered the dojo, Sensei made a light-hearted comment to a student about the student's wandering into the previous women's class. I felt a little better after hearing that.

We started with standing (rippo) katate-dori kokyu-ho ura. This is something we normally don't practice on Sunday mornings, so I was glad to work on it a little. In gyaku-hanmi stance, uke does tenkan and then makes an outward arc with his arm, downing uke. Next was suwari-waza ikkyo. I noticed that I wasn't very fluid in my knee walking (shikko). Before my next exam, which is still in the distant future, I really need to practice this. I don't want to fail because of it.

One of my uke tonight (a Westerner) told me that it's hard to do ikkyo on me because of my long arms. He had to cut down to the side with my arm instead of straight back. I didn't realize how he felt until I saw my next uke who was about the same height as me. We were doing yonkyo, and I wasn't accustomed to executing the move on a person with such long arms! So now I can sympathize with all of my uke from now on.

It always seems to happen when we do yonkyo: When I am uke, my partner needs help from Sensei with the pin. I brace myself for the flood of pain to wash over me as Sensei applies the technique to the inside of my arm, right above the wrist. My wrist is still in pain, and it's been four hours since the end of the class. I sometimes wonder if yonkyo can cause permanent injury. Surely it can't since the instructors always apply it so effectively on us...

Somebody's Blood

2006-01-29T14:12:00.000+09:00

A little over a week ago, I injured my left shoulder somehow. I guess it wasn't too serious since I don't recall how it happened. It could have been from shomen-uchi ikkyo; that seems reasonable. So, I decided to take a week off in hopes that my shoulder would improve a bit. It still causes me a little discomfort, but I went to class this morning nevertheless. It didn't seem to get aggravated this morning, though.

There was a bilingual (Japanese/English) notice on the bulletin board about repairs on the 4th floor dojo in March. For three weeks, the Sunday beginner's class will be held on the 2nd floor. I got a bit excited: Maybe they are going to enlarge it! That would certainly be nice, considering there were close to 40 students today. But we will see...

We did a lot of sitting techniques (suwari-waza) today; it seems that Irie Sensei likes to focus on them in his classes. That's fine because we don't seem to do those a lot in the weekday classes that I attend. We did suwari-waza ikkyo, nikyo, irimi-nage, and kote-gaeshi. My uke (partner) for nikyo was much shorter than I, so I had trouble applying the pin because his arm was too short for me to get a good grasp. But it's good to practice with people of all shapes and sizes; I can adapt the technique as I go.

We also did standing techniques: irimi-nage and kote-gaeshi. Due to the large number of students, Irie Sensei sometimes tells one half of the class to practice while the other half sits in seiza and watches. This is good because we don't have to worry too much about restricted space. However, it's bad because we have to sit out. My uke for irimi-nage was a yudansha (black belt). He was quite good. I got frustrated because as he entered, he would totally stop and force my torso sideways. A few times he didn't even enter and break my posture; he just downed me. I thought about this later, and I finally realized that maybe he was trying to show me how to do proper ukemi: I think I needed to go in more sideways instead of facing him with the entire front of my body. I'm not sure if this was the reason. I'll check next time.

While I was changing in the locker room after practice, I noticed somebody's blood on various parts of the topcoat of my gi (uniform). I knew the blood wasn't mine after quickly scanning myself. What's good about the heavy judo-gi that everyone wears is that blood usually washes out completely after laundering. A few people wear thin karate-gi, and I'm not sure if stains come out of them as easily. If one looks closely at the mats in the dojo, one will see all the faint bloodstains. It's not as bad as it sounds: Usually people bleed because they scrape their feet or fingers on the semi-hard "tatami"-style mats repetitively. That's usually what happens to me. At the end of each class, the students sweep, clean, and vacuum the dojo. When there is fresh blood on the mat, that means a few people have the privilege of scrubbing/blotting until most of it comes out. Not an easy task.

Sidewalks of Ice

2006-01-22T17:50:00.000+09:00

The streets and sidewalks this morning were icy and treacherous due to the snowfall yesterday. I walked from Wakamatsu-Kawada Station (on the Oedo subway line) to the dojo at a snail's pace. Irie Sensei passed me on the side street that leads to the dojo, walking his bike at a normal pace! I was so surprised at his nonchalance. As he passed me, we greeted each other with "Ohayo gozaimasu (good morning)" and then he said something like, "It's safer at the dojo!" And then I was left to fend for myself on the ice. I actually made it without being late, though.

It was so cold during class this morning that my feet remained frozen although the rest of my body was drenched in sweat from the workout. My mind soon forgot about my feet as we finished our customary warmup of katate-dori tenkan and moved on to groundwork like katate-dori ikkyo. I was glad when we eventually did kote-gaeshi because it had been awhile since we practiced this in the Sunday morning beginner's class. I guess that was because of the small size of the 4th-floor dojo and that particular move requires a lot of mat room. But we still had to do it at about half the regular speed, which was okay; I needed the chance to work on my technique.

The last thing we usually practice is kokyu-ho sitting (za-ho). Sensei helped me with my technique; I wasn't moving my hands and forearms in an upward motion before attempting to move uke's arms. It helped a lot. I usually start executing the move as soon as uke grabs my wrists, but this morning I wanted to try it with uke holding my wrists down and using more force. I've seen some Hombu instructors easily throw their uke (sometimes around 100 kg) while uke is pressing down with all his might. I can see firsthand that breath power (kokyu-ho) is real and effective.

At the end of class we always finish with a back stretch (haishin undo). Two people stand back-to-back and one is lifted onto the other's back. Well, today my partner misjudged my weight and I rolled off his back right onto the floor. To make matters worse, we were the last pair doing this, so the whole class had already lined up in seiza at the end of the dojo and were watching us. It was pretty embarrassing.

After class, Toshi gave me an omamori (lucky amulet) from Kishibojin Shrine in Tokyo. The amulet is to ensure the birth of a safe, healthy baby (my wife and I are expecting a little one in early March). It was so nice of him to be thinking of us. He couldn't stay and chat because he had to go and meet a student of his shortly after aikido class. By the way, Toshi teaches shamisen, a traditional Japanese musical instrument. His website is listed in the links section of this weblog.

Yuki Tsubaki

2006-01-21T17:11:00.000+09:00

Tsubaki (camellia) flowers on a rare snowy day in Tokyo

Lungs of Ice

2006-01-18T22:48:00.000+09:00

Tonight I went to the 5:30pm beginner's class. I prefer it to the 7:00pm weekday class because there are fewer students and we can do the full moves, swinging and throwing our uke around without worrying too much about hitting the pair next to us. There is no way we can even think of doing that in the Sunday morning beginner's class!

The class tonight was taught by Kuribayashi Sensei. I remember the first time I attended his class last year. Here is why I remember it so well: At the beginning of class, he demonstrated a move and then we proceeded to practice it with partners. I was tori and Kobayashi Sensei walked over and said to me in English, "What are you doing?" With the stern look on his face, I knew something was wrong. I answered with the name of the particular move that I was doing (it happened to be the omote version). He said, in quite good English, "I said to do only ura. Why didn't you listen?" I felt pretty pathetic, so I apologized. As he walked away, he said, "Wake up!" It was the first time I was scolded for making a mistake. Needless to say, I learned to pay more careful attention after that.

Tonight we did some new variations with ai-hanmi that I hadn't practiced before. We started with katate-dori shiho-nage, but it was ai-hanmi stance, as opposed to the usual gyaku-hanmi stance. It's really interesting to see the different variations; it reminds me of just how practical aikido can be. We also did katate-dori ikkyo and irimi-nage, both ai-hanmi. My partner for ai-hanmi ikkyo was a fairly big Western guy. It's unusual for me to have an uke who nearly matches me in size (I am 192 cm [6'5"] and about 100 kg [220 lbs]), so I had to get my technique corrected by sensei in order for it to be effective.

After my first class last year, I began to see sensei's sense of humor and his passion for aikido. His explanations are very thorough, all the way down to the smallest details such as proper shomen-uchi movement of uke. Also, Kuribayashi Sensei is the first instructor at Hombu who sometimes gives full correction to me in decent English. I have yet to experience any private instruction or correction from any of the other shihan in English. Interesting. But I haven't attended every day of the week, either.

As a side note, Hombu Dojo doesn't have any heat in the dojo in winter or air conditioning in the summer, so we really learn how to adapt to the different seasons. No one takes showers in the winter because there is no hot water. So tonight the cold air was like ice in my lungs as I was gasping for breath towards the end of class. It was rather exhilarating!

Sakura

2006-01-16T11:03:00.000+09:00

Cherry blossoms on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

Kagami-biraki

2006-01-16T10:59:00.000+09:00

Kagami-biraki demonstration at Hombu Dojo, January 2005. Kagami-biraki is an event held at the end of the Oshogatsu (New Year) holiday period.

New Year

2006-01-15T17:25:00.000+09:00

This morning was my first practice of the new year. I have been sick since Christmas, so this is the first time that I've been to the dojo since mid-December. I hate being out of commission like that, but oh well. It's better to fully recover first and then resume training.

Every Sunday, the beginner's class is in the fourth floor dojo, which is very small and cramped. There are usually about 25 to 30 students on average. This makes for shoulder-to-shoulder practices. But it's something that everyone, including me, seems to deal with. Most of the time, we have to slow down the moves to avoid hitting others around us.

Every Sunday we are taught by Irie Sensei in the beginner's class. Today, Irie Sensei came over and helped me with shomenuchi yonkyo. I was using the wrong hand to apply pressure on the artery inside of my partner's wrist. My partner ("uke") for this move was a black belt ("yudansha"). Yudansha always seem to be impeccable with applying the technique on me; I usually dread having yudansha as my uke when we practice yonkyo (pin #4). But they are good at helping me.

A friend of mine, Toshi, was present today. I haven't seen him in a few months. He lives very close to the dojo, and he usually comes during the week to train. It was good to see him today. He told me that he passed his nikyu (2nd kyu) test last month! I was happy for him.

One of my uke this morning helped me with katatedori shihonage. When he grabbed my wrist and I started the move, I wasn't twisting his wrist and moving in close enough to him. It's always great to get little tips like that from my uke. Everyone is pretty good at helping each other out.

Irie Sensei has invited me a few times to come to his aikido class at a university in Tokyo, which happens to be one of the universities where I work. I finally summoned the courage to approach him after class to get more information. He referred me to a student in the class who is also a member of the particular university aikido class. We exchanged e-mail addresses and I told him I'll come when school resumes in April (the school year is ending now and regular university classes have finished). Since I am officially on winter/spring break until April, hopefully I can spend more time with aikido.

June 2003: The Beginning

2006-01-15T17:15:00.000+09:00

Above: Test results posted at Hombu Dojo showing my current rank of 4th kyu

Since I'm just now starting this weblog, I would like to briefly write about the very first time that I practiced aikido. I remember arriving at the dojo with no uniform or anything; I had planned on buying my uniform and belt at the front desk. After figuring my size, I bought the full uniform and paid 5,250 yen for a Sunday membership. (The Sunday membership means one can attend classes only on Sundays, which is about four classes a month. One can always pay a small fee to practice at other times during the week, however. At the beginning of each month, membership dues are paid.)

Hombu Dojo has technically five floors. The front desk is located on the first; the beginner's dojo and women's locker room are on the second; the main dojo and men's locker room are on the third; a small dojo (where the Sunday beginner's classes are held) is on the fourth; and the fifth floor is just a small area where people can store their uniforms.

In each class, the instructor demonstrates a move on his partner ("uke") while the students observe. Afterwards, students practice the move with partners. I remember watching the instructor, but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking, "Wow! I'm actually in an aikido class in Japan!" When it was time for everyone to practice what they had seen, I just stood there looking at my partner while he was waiting for me to execute the move. I had to tell him in Japanese, "I'm sorry. This is my first day." He understood and helped me.

I also remember on my second day of practice, my partner, a middle-aged man, suddenly hurt his back and fell directly on top of me, unable to move. He had to be carried out of the dojo, and we never saw him again. After class, as I was leaving the building, Irie Sensei saw me and said in English, "Next week, please come back." He was afraid I would get scared and quit after what I experienced that day! It was sort of funny. I bet he was glad that I returned the following week.

Introduction

2006-01-15T16:29:00.000+09:00

I have decided to start a weblog detailing my experiences as a student at Aikikai Hombu Dojo (Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World Headquarters) in Tokyo, Japan. I began practicing aikido on June 15, 2003 at Hombu Dojo and have been practicing there ever since; I have never trained at any other aikido dojo.

I have been living and working in Japan since May 2000. Before moving to Japan, I had little interest in devoting my time to martial arts training. Thanks to my brother-in-law and a few acquaintances in Japan, I decided to pursue something that I never dreamed of doing: practicing martial arts regularly in Japan, the birthplace of aikido.

After moving to Japan for my career, it took me a few years to develop an interest in martial arts; to find the right one for me; and to summon the courage and ambition to carry through with it. I settled on aikido because it has a very spiritual basis and is non-aggressive. Aikido has no competitions or tournaments; rather, it teaches how to effectively "receive" attacks. Aikido, loosely translated as "the way of harmony," relies on natural, circular movements to enter and use the opponent's energy to gain control of the situation, usually with a throw or joint lock.

I regret not having started this weblog when I first began practicing aikido; but since I'll be training for hopefully years to come, now is as good a time as ever to start, I suppose.