Aikido Arnis of Farmville

The rest of the world tells Chuck Norris jokes.

2012-01-31T06:55:00.000-08:00

Shihan Sam once had a boomerang. It was too scared to come back.

Fear of spiders is arachnophobia, fear of tight spaces is claustrophobia, fear of Shihan Sam is called Logic.

Ghosts sit around the campfire and tell Shihan Sam stories.

Shihan Sam has a grizzly bear carpet in his room. The bear isn't dead it is just afraid to move.

Shihan Sam is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

We live in an expanding universe. All of it is trying to get away from Shihan Sam.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Shihan Sam.

It's Like Pulling Nails Around Here

2012-01-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

Exactly like pulling nails.

Left and Right

2012-01-24T11:20:00.001-08:00

Just an observation about my ukemi. I can roll adequately out of a kaitenage on the right side. Not so on the left. Landed badly the other night and am still feeling it.

Proof

2012-01-24T05:33:00.001-08:00

Shihan really was once a white belt.

40 Years

2012-01-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

Shihan is 40. We had a special class yesterday to mark the occasion. It would be nice to be that young and know that much aikido.

Following The Dragon

2012-01-17T15:22:00.001-08:00

Shihan was explaining a kokyunage with footwork and position, demonstrating the blending and lead, showing how the elements come together to complete the technique.

Then he stopped and said, "Or you could think about it another way. Imagine you are following the tail of the dragon, chasing the smoke from his nostrils into the purple haze. Either way, pick a partner and give it a try."

I'm not speaking for the whole class, but my efforts at position and timing, feeling the energy of uke as they enter and leading that into a blend was a more effective visualization for me.

My kokyunages should begin improving sometime in the next decade or so.

Ninjas

2012-01-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

They're everywhere. Here is a link to ninjas as they appear in Japanese art. Study them carefully so you will be able to recognize ninjas when you see one. Here is one image from the article, a picture of a ninja walking his dog.

Weapons

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

A jo doesn't look much different from a walking stick or a broom handle. An innocuous 6 foot piece of wood. A bokken is even smaller, shaped like a wooden sword.

I have so much to learn.

History, Dates, and Places

2012-01-04T05:22:00.000-08:00

When was O'Sensei born? What was the name of the religion that he followed? When did Aikido get it's name? When was Sensei Suenaka born? What were his parents names? What year did he meet O'Sensei? What arts did he study? What are his ranks in those arts?

And so on. In addition to the techniques, the history and linage of the art is important. It is a way of looking at where we are by remembering the trail that was blazed for us. Still, I find these historical events, names, and places very difficult to hold on to. When called upon to respond to these questions, I feel like a 4th grader, the answers draining out of my head.

Monday's class began the new year with a lot of energy, and as we worked through the taiso, Shihan peppered the class with questions. A reminder that we will all sit in seiza before the testing board and wishing that they will ask me something I know is not much of a strategy.

Last Class of the Year

2011-12-30T21:26:00.001-08:00

Just two of us. We worked on the taiso and the basic 50. Peaceful, a good time to study and work on our memorization.

A Link To Another Aikido Blog

2011-12-28T08:11:00.001-08:00

Searching for some videos I came across this website. It is called Aikido World Blog. I am sharing it because the articles deal with many of the same ideas I have been thinking about. Here, in no particular order, are a few.

Why do you practice?

The concept of irimi.

Six tips - How to learn a martial art. I especially like this one, there's no magic formula, no easy way, it is study, repetition, and perseverance.

There are lots more worth your time, less about techniques than some sites, but more depth of information on concepts and the philosophy of Aikido.

Teaching

2011-12-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

While working on the 8 step jo kata, I commented that the footwork was the same as happo undo. One of the newer students replied that she did not know the footwork for shiho and happo undo. Since the class was small, we stopped and focused on just the footwork. With plenty of time and no pressure to move to anything else, we worked on the pivots and turns until she felt confident enough to the return to the kata and add the cuts and pokes of the jo to her movements.

As we were leaving class, she turned to me and said, "Well, now you can go home and post that you really taught something tonight."

Cookies

2011-12-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Made with my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe.

Basics

2011-12-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

Our last class before Christmas. Eight of us showed up. Wrist grabs and collar grabs to a series of techniques. The ebb and flow of practice.

It is a gift to know these people. It is a gift to be able to practice Aikido with them.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Tanto waza

2011-12-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

Last night at the dojo was all tanto waza, knife attacks and defenses.

My first learning was that I don't know anything about fighting with a knife or defending against an attacker with a knife.

The other thought I had was that you could be defending against what starts as an empty hand attack and the attacker could bring a knife into play at any time.

Tie those two thoughts together and it seems it would always be better to run.

This may not always be a choice.

The Dojo

2011-12-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

The dojo we currently have is a result of the vision of our Shihan coupled with a lot of work. It was an old auto parts store when we took it over. Practice was put on hold. Truckloads of junk were removed. Walls were built, paint applied, floors scrubbed. From where we started, it is a amazing transformation.

If I arrive early at the dojo, entering the dim and silent building feels special, like entering a grotto or a church. But it is when the class has gathered and bowed in that the dojo comes alive. I found a poem on the Bermuda Aikikai site that reflected how I feel.

The Dojo

A place where the Way of Aikido is practised.

A place for forging the body and spirit.

A place for enlightenment.

A dojo is not a gym for mere "working out".

It is more than just a building.

It is a sacred place that cannot be defined by it's geographical location,

the height of it's walls, or the value of it's contents.

It is defined by the spirit emanating from within it,

individual, collective, and it's universal spirit.

A dojo should be appreciated by seeing it with one's heart.

Shime-waza

2011-12-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

The Japanese word for choke is shime. That's just a term for chokes and strangles in general. Shihan apparently knows quite a few and they all have names. It was the focus of last night's class.

Here, from another style, is a video showing approximately what we were working on with hadaka jime. The entry we learned was different, but this is what I could find.

The last technique shown in the video is not anything we worked on, but starting at 2:15 there is a choke from the rear after the uke has already been taken to the ground. I almost didn't post this video because I am concerned that part might give someone I know some new ideas.

Elsewhere in Wadoki

2011-12-19T05:19:00.000-08:00

One the senior members of our organization, Shihan Sonny, is currently in China and has opened a dojo in Guangzhou. They held testing recently. Here's their FB page and one picture, more at the link.

Christmas Party

2011-12-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

We skipped a class and went out to dinner as a group. Some presents for Shihan, good food, company, a chance for our families to meet everyone. Aikido creates bonds between people. This was a chance to celebrate them.

Life and Beauty

2011-12-15T09:02:00.001-08:00

We live in a world filled with beauty. We experience only glimpses.

Watch it full screen at 720 resolution.

Take Away One Thing From Every Class

2011-12-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

There's so much going on in every class.

Last night, Shihan called on me to lead the taiso. I could take away that I need to be ready to be called on to lead at any time. I could take away that Fune Kogi Undo comes before Ushiro Tekubi Tori Kaiten Undo.

Last night, the class was on tenkan techniques from a kokyu-ho blend. I could take away relaxing completely as I start the blend. I could take the footwork, stepping in and pivoting to position myself for the turn. I could take away maintaining my position relative to uke, so that I stay shikaku, on the blind side, and do not get hit or reversed. I could take away the best opportunities for the placement of an atemi.

At the end of class, Shihan made some comments and observations. He said that in a class like the one we had last night, where multiple techniques are practiced as they develop from one attack, there is a lot going on. Since it is impossible to learn everything immediately, we should reflect on the class later and try to take away one thing and really learn it.

I learned the art of the one thing. My take away from last night's class is that I am going to try to take away something from every class.

Tenchi-nage

2011-12-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

Here, in different variations from different styles, tenchi-nage on YouTube.

We worked on this technique last night. We normally practice this in such a way that uke takes a back fall. Near the end of class, Shihan demonstrated tenchi-nage where power is developed with a tight hip turn as the upper hand cuts back to the one-point. The closest example of this in the video starts at 0:58. This is a very different outcome, the only way uke can safely fall is to sutemi, if uke does not know how to respond, a hard and potentially injurious fall is inevitable.

Once again, a refinement taught, a slight adjustment that increases power and effectiveness.

Standing Up Front Again

2011-12-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

I had been encouraged to teach on some aspect of the taiso. I chose the pivot that occurs in zengo undo. Focusing on the 4 basic principles, practicing making the pivot and feeling the weight transition. We also practiced it with the jo, as the pivot occurs in the 4 and 8 step katas. Then we looked at how that pivot is used in shihonage and spent time working on making that pivot crisp and balanced.

Things I thought about and tried to share; foot position, stance, balance, weight underside, using the hips to generate the movement. I deliberately chose this to teach because I know it is something I want to improve in my own waza (along with everything else).

If you had asked me about being in the position of teaching an aikido class 3 or 4 years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine.

Zengo Undo

2011-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

"Basics", Shihan Jerome says.
"You're teaching tomorrow", Shihan Sam says.
Okay. It's a plan right there.

When The Internet Overlaps With The Real World

2011-12-05T11:16:00.001-08:00

We get to class and Shihan says, "Your last post inspired me. Whatever happens in class tonight is your fault." I stood there thinking back, what did I post? Then it dawns on me, it's the post on ukemi, with the video from the Yoshinkan.

We did sutemis. We did back falls. We did assisted back falls. We rolled forward. We rolled back. We rolled over each other. We took ukemi to avoid a strike, falling away from the punch.

One thing I definitely learned was that being an inspiration involves a significant recovery time.

Upstairs

2011-12-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Our dojo is an old building, with a bad roof. Leaks that probably go back decades have created areas of rot that extend along the sides. It doesn't take an engineering degree to see the issues. Repairs to at least stop the leaks are currently underway.

Removing the upstairs ceiling to get as much weight off the roof as possible and to expose the damage was in order. We got together and spent the afternoon pulling down tongue and groove boards, breaking them into 4-5 ft. pieces, and loading them on a trailer for disposal.

It was dirty work, but we did it like family. Afterwards we worked on the taiso for an hour.

Taiso

2011-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

The taiso are a set of exercises, developed by Koichi Tohei Sensei to help teach the core movements of Aikido. We normally perform them in a set sequence at the beginning of class. Tonight Shihan put an extra focus on certain ones, stopping to observe and offer specific direction and adjustments. I went to look for a video of the specific exercise, Sayu Kosa Undo, that I was struggling with, and haven't found it yet.

What I did find was an video of Koichi Tohei Sensei performing an early set of the taiso and some other ki exercises. Our taiso has more specific exercises, as did many of the videos I found, but this one caught my attention. It is a look back into an earlier era in the art and the taiso as it was performed by it's developer.

Why Are You Doing This?

2011-12-02T05:07:00.000-08:00

Why are you studying Aikido? The answer may be layered, there may be multiple reasons, and the reasons may evolve. And the question is not really why did you start, but why are you persisting? It is a commitment. You're putting in two to three evenings a week. Going to camp for a week in the summer. Then throw in the weekend seminars along with your personal study and practice. All time that could be used for other things.

It's not any easy art to learn. I doubt I will ever say that I've mastered any part of it. Every time we have a class, even the most basic techniques have layers of complexity hidden within the apparent simplicity.

I started late in life, I'm not flexible, I'm not coordinated. I haven't been in any sort of fight since I was a kid. The likelihood I will use Aikido in a self defense situation seems very small. And learning Aikido so you can beat up bozos makes no sense at all.

So why? One answer is framed and mounted on the wall of the dojo.

"Let us have a Universal spirit that loves and protects all creation and helps all things grow and develop. To unify mind and body, and become one with the universe is the ultimate purpose of my study."
-- Koichi Tohei Sensei

Ukemi

2011-12-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Monday evening we were practicing kaitenage. My ukemi skills have improved over the last couple of years, but I still have much to learn. When thrown to the right, I can roll out of a kaitenage. To the left, however, I still hesitate, resulting in a minor train wreck when I hit the mat. Good ukemi skills are so important in Aikido that I see developing my rolls, falls, and sutemis as one of the most important things I need to improve on, along with everything else.

Here, from the Yoshinkan, is a video of ukemi practice. Their commitment to the ukemi is what I appreciate about this.

Your Focus Needs More Focus

2011-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

Well, mine does anyway. The taiso, the exercises we begin class with, all have names. They are performed in a particular sequence. You are supposed to perform them all. I knew they had names. I knew there was an order to them. I didn't know we are supposed to do them all during each class.

So now I'm paying more attention. I'm working on memorizing the names and the order. I had already been working on doing them as correctly and precisely as I could, although there is always the feeling that I need to see more detail in each and every one.

The underlying thought I had tonight driving home is, what else am I not paying proper attention to in class, what is getting past my focus? The probable answer to that question is everything.

From Here to New Year's

2011-11-27T03:37:00.000-08:00

Somewhere I had read an article about five years ago that talked about why Americans were overweight. There had been a study tracking adults over a long period and they found a very interesting trend. A large number of the people maintained their weight through the year, then gained approximately five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. That became the new normal weight and they would weigh that until the next holiday season where they would gain five more.

Even a guy who counts to twenty by taking off his shoes can see that if that trend continued for a decade, you would be fifty pounds overweight. Everything from today's leftovers, the extra cookies in the break room at work, on out to the egg nog punch at the Boxing Day party are all adding up. Come January you'll be letting the belt out a notch and it's not like most of us are going to lose it when the spring planting season kicks off and we're hitching up the team to plow the north field.

So I've set a goal to hold my weight even from here to New Year's. I'm at 180, give or take a pound or two. If I'm at 180 on New Year's Day, I can work on losing another five or so pounds in the spring. I want to train for my next test at 175.

Grandma's sugar cookie recipe will probably be my undoing.

Another New Teacher

2011-11-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

There are two of us in the dojo wearing brown belts. We joined within a few months of each other and tested for our current rank as partners. Now we have each taught a class for the first time in the same week. Having another person at the same rank, going through the same experiences, is a gift.

Participating as his student in tonight's class gave me a better perspective on my earlier class. He wasn't perfect, he wasn't as confident as he might have been, but I was rooting for him. I could see something of how he chose to put techniques together, what he emphasized. It was a good class.

We both have a long way to go, but we both have come a long way, too. If I can have supportive compassion for my friend, then I should have it for myself as well, and that might be what watching him teach for the first time really taught me.

First Time Teaching

2011-11-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

It came around finally. I had to teach a class. It's a developmental step. I taught ikkyo tenkan, from various attacks, kata-tori, katate-tori, shomenuchi, mensuki, etc. I chose to teach it that way because I thought it would be better for me to focus on one technique. So we started with the more static attacks and worked toward the dynamic. Then at the end, everyone got a turn in a randori where the only response had to be ikkyo tenkan.

It could have been worse, although I found that trying to perform a technique while explaining and discussing it made it harder. However well I can normally perform ikkyo tenkan, I did it so poorly last night that Shihan had to intervene to correct it.

Going back to my earlier post, let's say that it was "just almost barely better than total failure."

Almost Slightly Better Than Failure

2011-11-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

My personal history with rolling is part of this post, so it bears a bit of explaining. Some people get rolling right away. They watch one or two, nod, and fling themselves into a tight sphere, roll and pop back to their feet. I was not one of those people. I spent ~~weeks~~ months struggling with rolls. First kneeling, then standing, back rolls, sutamis, and so on. A painful process to watch, a challenge to my instructors, and still not something that comes easily for me.

So tonight, with one of the newer students, during rolls, I offered a bit of encouragement along with my explanation of position and energy to make the roll smooth. Of course, having talked about it, I had to demonstrate. As I came back up, Shihan was watching.

He smiled, and said, "Good! Good! That was almost slightly better than failure."

If I ever write a book about my Aikido journey, that's going to be the title.

It's About the Journey

2011-11-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

Kayla Harrison was interviewed about her journey to the Olympic Judo competition. Judo is a sport that shares it's roots with other martial arts, including Aikido. Her insights are interesting. Her dedication to her sport is inspiring.

In the Modern World

2011-11-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

In the modern world you think the chances of facing a assailant with a sword are infinitesimal. But civilization is a veneer. Are you prepared to face multiple attackers? Are you prepared for multiple attackers when one of them has a machete?

Makes those bokken attacks take on new meaning. Here's randori for keepsies.

The video is from a restaurant surveillance camera taken on September 10th, 2011.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2011-10-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

A collar grab followed by quick repeated punches to the head. Not your usual attack in an Aikido class. Time your response. Then atami and move. Sensei Suenaka wrote an article for the Journal of Asian Martial Arts about Aikido in response to "real world" attacks. Tonight our class began exploring what that might mean.

A Quote From Tonight's Class

2011-10-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
--Albert Einstein

The Question Again

2011-10-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Shihan Francis Takahashi has been study Aikido for 45 years. He brings a lifetime of experience to his answer, and here is a link to a column where he explores this question for himself. Here's a quote from the opening:

It is my sincere stance, that we should study Aikido primarily as a discipline to undertake, correct and refine our search for meaning within ourselves, and for the pursuit of excellence within our art. We should not study the Aikido of systems, techniques, and martial philosophy, simply to emerge victorious in any confrontation we may encounter. Rather, we should consider using any such confrontation as a self test to measure and appreciate how close, or how far we have progressed towards or from our stated goals of embracing fully the potential of studying this art called Aikido.

RTWT.

Another Answer

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

From another member of the dojo, his first submission for the blog:

“Occasionally ask yourself why you practice Aikido and watch your answer change” is an interesting exercise (with apologies to Richard Bach’s superior writings). It was an interesting discussion topic and great to see where other practitioners are coming.

Currently, my answers focus on learning to breathe better as well as to maintain my balance in all aspects of living-physical, emotional, spiritual, interpersonal, and especially during dynamic interactions with others. Aikido seems to be simultaneously reducible to physical self-defense techniques and expandable to a universal way of exploring life. Like any moment of our lives, it can be an easily forgettable monotonous minute or an immensely profound period of time that alters the direction of our destiny. Practicing Aikido is living life.

Self-control and development are currently my strongest reasons for my practice, what are yours?

Why Do You Practice Aikido?

2011-10-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

We had a discussion at the dojo last night and the question came up, "Why do you practice aikido?"

There is no right answer. There is no one answer. I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about this question today.

One of my answers, one that feels true, is, "The opportunity to practice Aikido is a gift. It is one of the places I feel most alive. I practice Aikido because I cannot see myself not practicing Aikido."

Gathering the Family

2011-10-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

A full day of Aikido. Getting several instructors from different dojos teaching different techniques and attacks, having guests that we don't usually get to work out with, everything came together to make it a special event.

Aikido Seminar

2011-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Wadoki Aikido Seminar in Farmville, N.C..

October 8th, 2011.

9:30 to 12:30
2:00 to 5:00

Dinner to follow.

An opportunity for the dojos in Virginia and North Carolina to gather, work out together, and socialize. If you want to see what Aikido is all about, it doesn't get much better than this.

From Another Art

2011-09-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

An example of the non-violent use of a martial art in self defense. From Tendo Dojo of Berlin comes this commercial for Bujinkan Ninjutsu called Warrior's Eyes.

Trusting

2011-09-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Trust is a process. You have to learn to trust yourself, your own skills, and the techniques as they are taught to you. It doesn't happen all at once. For me, it continues to be a struggle at every step.

Here's ukemi from another art.

Our Deepest Fear

2011-09-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

More than Just The Techniques

2011-09-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Irene just passed though a few days ago. When the relationships between members of the dojo extend like ours do, it was phone calls and email, checking on one another, and even skipping class to be there to help. Sensei Suenaka stresses that Wadoki is a family. This past week I saw it in action. Tomorrow I'll be back on the mats. Come and join us.

Attentiveness

2011-08-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

It was my first summer camp. I was a sankyu. No air conditioning, no set schedule, meeting dozens of new people. I'm standing on the mat late one evening when the senior instructor in organization, Shihan Chad, along with the senior instructor from my school, Shihan Sam, come up and look at the knot in my obi.

"See, that one's right, it's a square knot and the fold is on the left," Shihan Chad says.

Now, I knew it was supposed to be a square knot. I knew my gi top was supposed to be closed left over right. I did not know there was a correct direction for the knot in the obi.

So I said, "Just lucky, Shihan."

Wrong reply. Shihan Sam has not forgotten. Because, as he reminds me from time to time, I should have known. Whether anyone ever told me or not, if I had been attentive to details, mindful, I would have seen that he and the other instructors always tied their obis the same way.

And even if I had not, I had the opportunity to be mindful to the situation, and once I had been told my obi was correct, I could have said, "Of course, Shihan, that's the way I was taught to tie it by Shihan Sam."

I could have even said nothing.

But noooooooo.....

Aikido in Japan

2011-08-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Not our style, but well worth your time to watch. A National Geographic special on Aikido in Japan.

One Point

2011-08-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of attention paid to the "one-point" in aikido. Located slightly below your navel, at your center, it is the point from which energy and balance extend. It is a point of focus in meditation. It is where your hands cut to when performing techniques. Keeping it in mind is one of the Four Basic Principles of our style.

I was recently reminded of the value and importance of keeping one point from a very different source. I am reading an old book by Roger Kahn on sports. Roger Kahn was a newspaperman in the 1950s and a sportswriter. He knew Willie Mays, one of the finest baseball players ever to play, and interviewed him on several occasions.

In one of the interviews, Roger asked Willie about how he caught the ball. It was different from many ballplayers at the time. Willie, whenever he could, caught the ball with his glove up , with his hands right in front of his belt buckle. Willie's reply was that no one had taught him to do that, he had figured it out on his own, and that the reason he did it was that it gave him the ability to get the ball out of the glove and throw the ball back to the infield faster.

I found this video. At two minutes in there is about thirty seconds of Willie Mays catching and throwing. Each time, he catches the ball as he described in the interview. An individual discovery of a basic principle.

Point of View

2011-08-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

A quote that describes how I feel.

My Aikido sucks, but every day I try to suck at a higher level.
--Janet Rosen, from the Aikikai

A Gathering of the Tribe

2011-08-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Not the whole tribe this time, but Ashland and Richmond Virginia, along with Raleigh and Morehead City North Carolina will be joining us on the mat on October the 8th. If you want to see some Aikido, this would be a good day to pay us a visit. If you want to start practicing Aikido, don't wait, come visit any class and then join up. By October, you'll be a regular.

Advice From Another School

2011-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Linda at Grab My Wrist has posted a couple of interesting columns. Tips for attending a weapons class covers some general information about training with bokken, jo, and tanto. Tips for visiting a another dojo has some observations about the variations in etiquette and customs between schools and how being attentive and following the "when in Rome..." rule will help. Her site is worth visiting as it covers highlights of her personal Aikido journey in another style.

Do Skiers Fall Down For the Mountain?

2011-08-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training, by C.M. Shifflett, has a question and answer section. I want offer one, as it cuts to the heart of the question you often hear asked, "Is it real?"

Q. Isn't he just falling down for her?
A. It depends.

An Aikido throw can look so improbably and impossibly smooth and effortless that it is easy to believe it is faked.

It isn't. it's physics.

The laws of physics are just as strictly enforced at Aikido schools as they are on motorcycles or on ski slopes. If you have ever been a beginning skier, you know from painful experience just how devastating the forces of physics can be. Saying that the attacker fell down "for the Aikidoist is like saying that the beginning skier fell down "for" the mountain. The advanced cyclist or skier has learned to use these forces; a small shift in weight or position is the difference between crashing into a tree or swooshing effortlessly through a turn and down the slope.

An accomplished skier flying across the snow is as wildly improbable to the frustrated beginner as an accomplished Aikidoist flying across the mat - but neither one is faking. Skiing is real and motorcycles are real.

As long as ski slopes are littered with the bodies of fallen and frustrated beginners, as long as motorcyclists drop their bikes and as long as Aikidoists align with the law of physics and the universe, Aikido will be real.

How Long Will It Take?

2011-08-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Our school has a kokyu-nage nicknamed the "Twenty Year Technique". It is so called because Sensei Suenaka says that if you practice it diligently, it will take about twenty years to learn.

That kind of patience in a learning in itself. I have to accept the imperfections. I cannot rush along. It is impossible to force the knowledge or abilities. All I can do is to attend class regularly and practice.
Progress comes to those who train and train; reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere.
--Morihei Ueshiba

O' Sensei

2011-08-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

There is a little bit of old film footage of O'Sensei, the founder of Aikido. Youtube has some. I was looking for video of kokyu-nage and irimi-nage and found this.

Risk and Distance

2011-08-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Dan Inosanto demonstrates the potential risk an attacker armed with a knife poses.

Folding Hakama

2011-08-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Since I don't wear a hakama and my instructors all hang theirs in the dojo, I have never learned the proper method to fold a hakama. In an effort to learn something new, I was watching a video on the process and thought I would share it with you.

Be The Ball

2011-07-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Be round!", Sensei says to the new student, "Be the ball!"

Think about a ball. If you give it energy in any direction, it rolls that way. It's not just round forward and back, it's round from every direction.

I am not a very good ball, but I am a better ball than I was several years ago.

Aiki-cat

2011-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Anticipating

2011-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

When the technique has been demonstrated and you are paired up, both nage and uke have the luxury of knowing what the attack and response are going to be. If you're throwing a shomen-uchi and you know the response is going to be a kokyu-nage irimi, there some mental prep you do, you expect to be turned and fall back along the line of your attack.

If, however, you are called out by the instructor to be the uke and he calls for a shomen-uchi and you have no idea what technique he is going to demonstrate, you may be very surprised at the new direction you take.

I know I yelped.

Basic Principles

2011-07-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

One of our style's basic principles is "keep weight underside". During demonstration of a technique last night, one of the points presented was how nage's posture should look as the technique is completed. Balanced, back straight, weight settled into the one-point.

A question was asked by a newer student about which techniques should end this way. The answer was, "All of them."

How You Think About It

2011-07-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

An attack must be executed with quickness, not speed. Attack with power, not strength. There is a great difference between speed and quickness, power and strength. Think this through carefully. It is the essence of strategy.
--Miyamoto Musashi

Another Word

2011-07-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm betting there isn't any pull, either.

The Words We Use

2011-07-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

The words we use to describe things influences how we think. In aikido we use a fair amount of Japanese, although we translate, or mistranslate, in an effort to understand. Additionally, when techniques are taught there is some description and explanation.

Which leads us to ikkyo. As it has been explained to me, ikkyo is derived from a sword cut. This technique is one of the most common moves in aikido. It is the basis for many things. Done well, it is a thing of beauty.

If you've been following along, you can see where this is headed. Let's digress for a moment. Say you were walking up to a closed door. Do you push it open? Perhaps. You might stop, push it open, watch it swing out, and then walk through. But you might just extend your arm and walk, allowing your momentum to contact the door as your hand reaches it and just walk through. The door opens either way.

So, back to the technique. The spacing, the footwork, the way uke and nage interact, all leads to a moment where the technique will be completed. If everything has been done well enough up to this point, ikkyo is a cut with the arms, sending nage to the mat for a pin. What ikkyo is not is a push. Do not push. Do not use the word push. Do not think push.

Remember The Matrix and the line, "There is no spoon."?

Well, in our dojo, there is no push, either. There is orenaite (unbendable arm). There is giri (cutting). There is ikkyo (1st pin). There is tai sabaki(body movement or footwork).
No push.

Every night I try to learn something, even a little thing, so the next time I do a particular technique I do it with more precision. Sometimes that little thing is simply how I think. You could call it ~~a push~~ movement in the right direction.

I Wanted To Know

2011-07-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

When I first heard of aikido I wanted to know what it was, as in the question, "Okay, so show me." He did, and it went remarkably like this:

I had to make him show me just how it worked. Also with this he was remarkably reluctant. When I had repeated my wish over and over, he conceded and showed me one of the simpler techniques, nikyo, wherein my wrist was turned in such a way that I fell to the floor in sudden pain.
My wrist hurt as if it were broken, although it was unharmed, and surely my knees had been bruised from the sudden fall to the floor, but I was overcome by one thing only: the beauty of the technique. Krister had only turned his hand around mine, as simply as the butterfly, when sitting on a straw of grass, gently flaps its wings. That was all. And I fell to the floor as abruptly as if I were hit with a blacksmith's hammer.
It was delightful, in the midst of the pain. It was magical, incomprehensible although it looked so simple. This I wanted to learn.

I didn't write this, it's part of an essay titled Aikido is True by Stefan Stenudd, an instructor under the Aikikai in Europe. While I do not have the decades of experience, his essay rings true for me. I did not want to quote all of it, but his conclusion is interesting. Learning aikido is like rediscovering something that you already knew. The inherent logic, the truth of it, is what is captivating.

Brain Lock

2011-07-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing complicated. We had just done one technique from a wrist grab and another technique was demonstrated. The blend and the lead were exactly the same. Now I'm not saying my execution of the first technique was a thing of beauty. I'm just saying that I got through it. With some instruction and several attempts, it rose into the level of okay.

So, after the demonstration of the second technique, we partner to practice. I brain lock. I look at my wrist like I'd never seen it before. My partner, in an effort to be helpful, says, "It starts just like the last one." Which was true, but useless, information. All brain function above breathing had stopped. It's a wonder I wasn't drooling.

Finally, after he went first, and I went back to the previous technique a couple of times, I got back in gear. It was a funny moment. I'm still wondering what my brain was doing.

Similarities

2011-07-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

If your knowledge of firearms and shooting comes from the media and movies, well, think about people you meet whose knowledge of martial arts comes from the same source. You can say many of the same things about both of them, because they are related.

* You will meet lots of interesting people you will be proud to be friends with.
* You will meet an occasional dud.
* There' no magic about it. If you want get better at it, practice.
* It's not the only answer. It's just another tool in the chest.
* Keep it in perspective. It can be a great hobby, but don't let it take over your life.
* Other people will be curious. You will have to answer questions, usually the same ones.
* People that know you and know you do this will form their opinions based on you. Like it or not, you are an ambassador for the sport.
* One day, for a few chaotic moments, it might be the most important thing you ever learned.

The Secret Knowledge

2011-07-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

When I first walked into the dojo I didn't know anything about aikido. Watching that class, seeing rolls and sutamis, it would have been very easy to just go home and forget all about it. It certainly would have been less painful. But I wanted to to be able to do what I saw that evening and so I came back, signed the waiver, and got out on the mats.

The instructors were so talented, their techniques so graceful and precise, surely they had learned some secrets. Maybe they would teach those secrets to me someday. They did, and without any pain, or even a visit to our dojo, I'm going to share it with you.

Progress comes to those who train and train; reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere.
--Morihei Ueshiba

That's it. Straight from the Founder of Aikido. The secret is there are no secrets. If you want to learn this, you have to train, study, come to class, sweat, fail, practice, and just keep doing it even when you don't feel like there is any improvement.

Taking Ukemi

2011-07-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

This isn't a video from our style of aikido, but it is very smooth, very relaxed practice.

One of the things everyone practices is rolling and falls. To be able to train with the other members of the class, it is important to be able to effectively take falls in all directions. In aikido, the person attacking is the uke. The person receiving the attack is the nage. Having committed to the attack, the uke will have to take the technique that the nage performs. This is called taking ukemi.

Kamidana

2011-07-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

The heart of the dojo. Centered on a raised platform, it serves a focus point for meditation and reminder of those who went before us, leaving the art that we practice.

O'Sensei's Training Guidelines

2011-07-12T09:51:00.001-07:00

* Aikido techniques can be instantly lethal so it is essential to observe the instructor's directions at all times and not engage in contests of strength.
*Aikido is the way that teaches how one can deal with several enemies. Students must train themselves to be alert not just to the front but to all sides and the back.
*Training should always be conducted in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
*The instructor can only impart a small portion of the teaching. Only through ceaseless training can you obtain the necessary experience to bring these mysteries alive.
*In daily practice first begin by moving your body and then progress to more intensive practice. Never force anything unnaturally or unreasonably. If this rule is followed, then even elderly people will not hurt themselves and they can train in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
*The purpose of aikido is to train mind and body and to produce sincere, earnest people. Since all techniques are to be transmitted person-to-person, do not randomly reveal them to others, for this might lead to their being used by hoodlums.
--Morihei Ueshiba (ca.1935)

Beginner's Mind

2011-07-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

Let's take an example from childhood. Learning to ride a bike? No one hops on and rides away. You wobble, seeking your balance, turns are terrifying, stopping is worse. If you persist, though, in a few weeks you can ride. By the following year you forget that it was ever hard.

There's a lesson here for other things. Because we do forget that learning things is hard, or that we ever struggled with them. But learning to walk, to read, to swim, to hit a baseball, to solve a quadratic equation, to build a fire, and so on, were all hard in their turn. When we started to do them, we did did them poorly.

I came across an article titled Am I Tough Enough To Be A Beginner? The article explores this from the point of view of martial arts, but it could be applied to anything that you want to learn.

You can't learn to do something well unless you're willing to do it badly.
--Katherine Derbyshire

The Test is Today

2011-07-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

In our style you cannot ask to test. Conversely, if you are called on to test, you cannot refuse. While it may not be my time next year, I cannot presume, so I have started working now, memorizing history and vocabulary, practicing the taiso (exercises) and the katas (forms). Additionally, I have started doing some cardio and am working on losing a few more pounds. All with an eye toward next year or the year after when I will test.

Last week I talking with my Sensei about what I got from summer camp. I said that I had really enjoyed this camp. I was relaxed. I learned a lot, feeling like I was much better prepared to see what was being demonstrated. I offered that next year would be different as I would have to be ready for the possibility of testing.

His reply has been in my thoughts.

The test is today. It is always today.

It might be an actual physical test, where your fitness and skills determine life or death. But that's not all that he meant. The test is today. Am I practicing aiki in all things? Am I mindful of my interactions with others, at work, at home, in the dojo? Am I awake to the possibilities that life offers me today?

If I do these things, then it will not matter when or if I am called out on the mat, for I will be ready everyday, because the test is today.

Aikido Is For Everyone

2011-07-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Aikido is not just for the young, the tough, and the fit. I'm proof enough of that. I'm 54, mildly overweight, and prone to all sorts of small, but nagging injuries. But beyond myself, at camp there were all sorts of people, in all different shapes and sizes. Aikido is a way, we each have our own unique response to it.

Family

2011-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Throw a committed strike at another aikidoka and a number of things happen. You have offered your physical energy, your ki, to this other person. They respond, in one of myriad different ways, and for a moment they harmonize energies with you, and then separate as the technique is completed. Then it is your turn to receive the attack.

There is physical touch involved. There is a element of great trust. The lurking potential for an injury is always there. Doing aikido, class after class for months and years, has changed me in ways I would not have expected. It seems to change everyone who practices. For the local group that you work out with regularly, it builds bonds of friendship and shared experience.

Sensei Suenaka gave a talk last week about the Aikido community as family. Specifically, the word he used was the Hawaiian word ohana. The word means more than "family" does in English. It means the extended family, to include family we build by our intentions and actions. Family binds us by ties of love and trust and obligation. This, then, is a picture of my family.

Before We go Too Far With This

2011-07-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am not an expert. I don't have decades of experience. If you're looking for information on techniques and someone with a vast martial arts background, the best I can say is, "Hey, I know some of them." I'm just a 4 year student that has been regularly coming to class. I'm a nikyu, a brown belt. I still struggle with some of the rolls necessary for good ukami. If you're going to start following this blog, you'll be following me on a journey.

Some of the posts will be mine alone, some will be written with input from others in the dojo. Your comments are welcome. If you're in our area, visit our dojo. The only way to learn Aikido is to participate.

Going Live

2011-07-06T19:03:00.002-07:00

This has been a static blog, just sharing our contact information. Today marks a change. Even though there is no one to read it, this is the first post. I hope to have new posts here every week, with observations about our journey in Aikido. There is now a Facebook group for our dojo as well. Pictures from our recent adventure at summer camp are posted. Here's a couple.

The full set can be viewed here. If you have found us, leave a comment. If you're ever in the Greenville/Farmville NC area, come and visit us and get out on the mat with us.

2009-10-06T17:28:00.009-07:00

Wadokai Aikido

Martial Biography of Morihei Ueshiba

Martial Biography of Roy Yukio Suenaka Sensei

What is Suenaka Aikido?

Modern Arnis

Grandmaster Remy Presas

History of Modern Arnis

Contact Us

Class Schedule and Location

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History of Modern Arnis

2009-10-06T08:34:00.001-07:00

The origins of Arnis are difficult to trace, primarily because there are nearly as many styles of Filipino stick fighting as there are islands in the Philippines archipelago-more than 7000. The people who settled in the islands came from India, Southwest Asia, China and Indonesia. These people were very diverse in culture and beliefs. Over the centuries their cultures mixed and they developed a common method of employing sharp swords, daggers and fire-hardened sticks in combat. These highly sophisticated fighting styles have grown in popularity in the international martial arts community.

One of the earliest known forms was called “tjakalele” (Indonesian fencing). “Kali” is another term familiar to stick fighters around the world today. When the Philippines were invaded by the Spanish, the invaders required guns to subdue their fierce opponents. The deadly fighting skills of Filipino warriors nearly overwhelmed them, and they dubbed the native stick style “escrima” (skirmish). Escrima was subsequently outlawed, but the techniques did not disappear. They were preserved in secret, sometimes under the very noses of their conquerors, in the form of dances or mock battles staged in religious plays known as moro-moro. These plays featured Filipinos, sometimes costumed as Spanish soldiers wearing “arnes”, the harness worn during medieval times for armor. The blade-fighting forms and footwork were identical to those used in escrima. The word “arnes” soon became corrupted to “arnis” and the name stuck.

Historically, arnis incorporated three related methods: “espada y daga” (sword and dagger), which employs a long blade and short dagger, “solo baston” (single stick), and “sinawali” (to weave), which uses two sticks of equal length twirled in a weaving fashion for blocking and striking (the term is derived from sinawali, the bamboo matting woven in the Philippines). At age 6 Grandmaster Remy Amador Presas (Filipino arnis master and founder of modern arnis) was already learning the fundamentals of kali, the forerunner of modern arnis de mano. In Cebu, Presas studied arnis under Rodolfo Moncal, Timoteo Marranga and Marranga’s instructor, Grandmaster Venancio Bacon, all experts in arnis and the “Balintawak” style of stick fencing. In addition to arnis, Presas became proficient in Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Karate. When Presas first traveled his country, he took what he considered to be the most effective principles of each island style and combined them with his own knowledge of other martial arts.

Modern Arnis, as Presas terms his system, incorporates empty-hand moves based upon the same motion used in solo baston and sinawali. Unlike Kali, his system also uses low kicks and takedowns for a more well-rounded approach. Presas also insists on modernizing a particular training aspect traditional in arnis: that of hitting your opponent’s hand or arm instead of his stick-a painful practice that was tolerated because the rattan canes used in arnis were considered sacred. Presas does not merely combine techniques, he encourages the individual student to adapt arnis principles to his own feel for each technique. The method should suit the person, not the other way around. This is known simply as using the “flow”.

Reprinted with permission of Guro Roland Rivera

Grandmaster Remy Presas

2009-10-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Man Behind Modern Arnis

Remy Amador Presas was born in the fishing town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on December 19, 1936. Scion of a middle class family, Remy was born to Jose B. Presas, a businessman and the former Lucia Amador. His father and mother wanted Remy to pursue a career other than sports, like business where the family was then comfortably ensconced. But business was not for Remy, for he was a true lover of sports. Exposed at an early age by his grandfather a true lover of sports, Remy developed a special love for the physical art that will one day find him one of its stalwarts.

At the tender age of 6, while learning his alphabet and prayers from his mother, Remy was already learning the fundamentals of “kali”, as Arnis was then called, using finely carved wooden canes shaped like swords and daggers. This developed in Remy an immense love for sports, which will become an indelible mark of his nature. At the age of 14, Remy went to the different cities like Cebu, Panay, Bohol, and Leyte, where he pursued his athletic career. Studying in Cebu, under the masters of the deadly “Balintawak” style of stick fencing, he sharpened his abilities in sports.

Remy finally returned to his hometown an expert in Arnis and other sports like Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, and Karate. After his marriage to the former Rosemary Pascual, he set up a gymnasium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental and started the wheels of his obsession to revive the dying martial art of Arnis.

In 1969 he moved his family to Manila, and established the National Amateur Karate Organization (NAKO). The popularity of Modern Arnis continued to grow, and in 1970 was asked to go to Japan and before the Itago Police Academy he introduced Arnis. So intrigued and fascinated were the Japanese Police authorities of the art that they exclaimed in admiration of its effectivity.

Modern Arnis today is practice all over the world. The International Modern Arnis Federation (IMAF) is the organization that Professor Presas put into place to carry on his legacy and teaching of Modern Arnis. It is headed by the Masters of Tapi-Tapi and they travel internationally continuing the Professor’s teachings.

Grandmaster Remy Amador Presas, lost his battle with cancer on August 28, 2001 at 7:40 p.m. He faced his illness as he did all aspects in his life, directly, powerfully and with all his heart. It is the goal of the Academy of Aikido and Arnis to carry on the teachings of Grandmaster Presas under the guidance of the International Modern Arnis Federation.

What is Suenaka Aikido?

2009-10-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Simply put, Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho (Suenaka style, philosophical way) Aikido is a synthesis of Founder Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei's Aikido and that of Shin-Shin Toitsu Aikido founder Koichi Tohei Sensei. It is a system of self-defense designed to be street-effective, while paying equal attention to spiritual, mental and moral/ethical development.

Aikido, says Suenaka Sensei, is a subtle art. O'Sensei alone possessed the command of ki (spiritual energy) required to perform Aikido technique in the seemingly effortless and often preternatural manner which was the Founder's hallmark. His martial prowess and spiritual evolution, well-documented in numerous films, has earned him the distinction, even among practitioners of other budo, of the greatest martial artist who ever lived. Confronted by O'Sensei's daunting example, many discount or dismiss the existence of ki and its essential role in Aikido, and subsequently often regress to techniques similar to those found in Daito-ryu ju-jitsu, which relies largely on strength and mechanics alone for efficacy.

Aikido, insists Suenaka Sensei, is neither expressly physical nor spiritual – rather, it is both. Aikido should be as the Founder envisioned it: a way to effectively and decisively defend oneself from attack while preserving and respecting the attacker; a path both martial and spiritual, not one or the other.

Following his disassociation from both the International Ki Society and the Aikikai Hombu, Suenaka Sensei created Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Aikido in order to reunite the martial and the spiritual elements of Aikido, returning it to that which he learned under Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei. Today, Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Aikido incorporates both the martial techniques (waza) and spiritual teachings of O'Sensei and the practical ki-development exercises developed by Koichi Tohei Sensei. To this, Suenaka Sensei has added techniques drawn from his decades of experience in kendo, judo, ju-jitsu, kempo and karate-do, plus more esoteric ibuki breathing and misogi ritual purification meditative practices. The style is clean, economical and street-effective, the atmosphere joyful and respectful, the goal physical and spiritual betterment.

The true purpose of Aikido, as expressed by Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei, is "the loving protection of all things." This simple and honorable guiding philosophy resides, as it should, at the heart of the Wadokai Aikido organization, as do the final words spoken to Suenaka Sensei by the Founder, three months before his death: "Make Aikido better, but don't change the principles. Whatever you do, don't stray from the path of Aiki."

Roy Yukio Suenaka Sensei

2009-10-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Martial Biography of Roy Yukio Suenaka Sensei

Roy Y. Suenaka Sensei, founder of Wadokai Aikido, began his martial study at age four under his father in their birthplace of Honolulu, Hawaii. This early tutelage in judo, ju-jitsu, kempo and boxing was soon augmented by instruction in Kodenkan ju-jitsu under founder Henry Seishiro Okazaki, kendo under Shuji Mikami, and Kosho-ryu kempo under the renowned James Masayoshi Mitose.

Following Koichi Tohei's inaugural visit to Hawaii in 1953, at age twelve Suenaka Sensei commenced what was to become his lifelong study of aikido. Suenaka Sensei studied under Yukiso Yamamoto until 1958, when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Following his initial service in Sacramento, California, where he became one of the first instructors to teach aikido on the U.S. mainland, in 1961 Suenaka Sensei was assigned to Tokyo, Japan, and later to Okinawa.

– From 1961 until 1972 – interrupted only by a mandatory two-year assignment to Honolulu Suenaka studied extensively with aikido founder Morihei Uyeshiba O'Sensei, son Kisshomaru Uyeshiba Sensei (then doshu), and Koichi Tohei Sensei, serving when military duties permitted as uchi-deshi (live-in disciple) at the Aikikai Hombu (headquarters), during which time O'Sensei presented Suenaka Sensei with a menkyo-kaiden certificate of aikido mastery. At age 21, Suenaka Sensei became the first person to open a successful aikido school in Okinawa, in Kadena. While there, he also commenced private study in Matsumura Seito karate-do and kobudo under the legendary Grandmaster Hohan Soken Sensei, with emphasis on Hakutsuru Shorin-ryu technique. He also continued his study of judo and ju-jitsu at the Kodokan world judo headquarters, particularly under Kyuzo Mifune and Kazuo Ito, the latter of whom sponsored Suenaka Sensei's promotion to sandan in judo and ju-jitsu.

Following O'Sensei's death in 1969 and Koichi Tohei Sensei's subsequent separation from the Aikikai, Suenaka Sensei allied himself with Tohei Sensei's then-infant International Ki Society, receiving from Tohei Sensei an okuden certificate of advanced Shin-Shin Toitsu Aikido proficiency and serving as an International Ki Society shihan (chief instructor).

In 1972, Suenaka Sensei was assigned to Charleston, S.C., where he opened the Southeastern U.S. Ki Society dojo. Disillusioned, however, by the escalating factionalism within both the Ki Society and the world aikido organization, particularly the political and philosophical conflicts between Koichi Tohei and Kisshomaru Uyeshiba Doshu, in 1975 Suenaka Sensei resigned from the Ki Society and created his own organization, the American International Ki Development and Philosophical Society, under which he taught Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Aikido and Hakutsuru Shorin-ryu karate-do. Suenaka Sensei devoted himself to full-time teaching upon his Air Force retirement in 1978. In 1996, he changed the name of his umbrella organization from the AIKDPS to Wadokai (the peaceful way) Aikido.

Roy Y. Suenaka Sensei is ranked nidan (second dan) in kendo, sandan (third dan) in judo and ju-jitsu, and rokudan (sixth dan) in Matsumura Seito and Hakutsuru Shorin-ryu karate-do and kobudo, the latter rank awarded by Grandmaster Hohan Soken himself. He is recognized as hachidan (eighth dan) in aikido by the International Black Belt Federation. In addition Suenaka Sensei was awarded an aikido menkyo kaiden (master certificate) by the founder, Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei. Suenaka Sensei also saw active combat duty in Vietnam, where he taught unarmed combat skills to Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs and others.

Suenaka Sensei is the author of Complete Aikido: Aikido Kyohan, published by Charles E. Tuttle Company. He currently resides and teaches in Charleston, S.C., where he is at work on his second book.

Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei

2009-10-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Martial Biography of Morihei Ueshiba
by Roy Yukio Suenaka Sensei

The Great Master, Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, was born in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, on December 14, 1883. He started the study of the Nine Chinese Classics under Priest Mitsujo Fujimoto of Jizoji Temple, Shingon Sect Buddhism, at the age of seven. At the age of ten, he studied Zen Buddhism at the Homanji Temple. Blessed with an extraordinary intellect and undying effort by nature, he would come to master numerous martial arts and create one of the most integrated martial arts of our time, Aikido.

Despite his concentrated efforts and study of Zen, O'Sensei (Great Teacher), looked weak and his short stature added to his frail appearance. But his spirit was strong and his ambitions quite different from that of the other youths his age.

When he was about twelve years of age, his father, Yoruku, a member of the town council, was roughed up by blackguards. They were the enforcers of his father’s political opponents. This continued quite frequently thereafter, said the Master. From that point on he swore to become as powerful as he could, to avenge his father’s beatings.

Over the years, he studied Kito-Ryu Jujitsu, Shinkage-Ryu, and Daito-Ryu Aikijutsu. Once, during his training, he contracted beriberi and had to return home. In recovering, he began to walk for miles, then running and weightlifting. He was not yet satisfied despite the tremendous strength he acquired, and he began to study Yagyu-Ryu fencing, Aioi-Ryu, and Hozoin-Ryu Jujitsu, Judo, Kenjitsu, Kendo, bayonet and knife fighting arts, even modem gymnastics. He wandered from town to town seeking various teachers, eventually covering many of the territories of Japan, India, China, and other areas of Asia. He virtually practiced all the existing martial arts. The Master was always full of vigor and possessed an unyielding spirit. Whatever others did, he would do four times as much. He was only five feet one inch tall, but built like a tank, weighing almost two hundred pounds. His former weak body became a powerhouse of muscles.
With only a wooden sword, he traversed Japan and, upon discovering one superior to him, stayed as a student and trained until he learned all that he could learn, then continued his journey. He became the most proficient martial artist in all of Japan.

In 1911, in Hokkaido, he met Master Sokaku Takeda of the Daito-Ryu school of Jujitsu and became his student. Daito-Ryu has a long tradition; it was originated by Prince Sadazumi, the sixth prince of Emperor Seiwa of the Ninth Century, and has been in constant development up to the present.

Master Sokaku Takeda was a man of short stature like Master Ueshiba, but of violent spirits and very severe with his students. Nevertheless, Master Ueshiba had a reverent respect for him, including cooking for him and bathing him. The Master built a house for him and concentrated all his energies on his studies. Five years after his introduction to Master Takeda, he received the precious certificate (Menkyo-Kaiden), signifying his mastery of all the studies.

In 1918, the Master received a message telling him of his fathers grave condition from an illness. He gave all of his worldly belongings and property to Master Takeda and left Hokkaido. On his journey home, he happened to hear of Reverend Wanisaburo Deguchi of the Omoto Kyo religion. The desire for his father's recovery was reason enough to change course to Ayabe, Kyoto where the Omoto Kyo headquarters was located, and to ask for prayers for the recovery of his father.
After listening to the prayers of the priest, he became awestruck by his profound insight. But, after arriving home, he learned that his father had passed away. At that point, his life took a great change. He became almost fanatical in his meditation and quest for enlightenment. Then one day in the spring of 1925, as he took a stroll in his garden, he felt as though the universe suddenly quaked and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled his body and changed it into a golden one. At the same time, his mind and body became light, and he was able to understand the chirping of the birds, and was aware of the imminent spirit of the Supreme. He had become enlightened. He realized that the source of all martial arts is God's love, the spirit of loving protection for all beings. This revelation may have been only one of many, but was the first such experience since his birth, thus revolutionizing his life and giving birth to Aikido. From that time, he asserted: "It is the way of budo to make the heart of the universe our own and perform the mission of loving and protecting all beings with a grand spirit. The techniques of budo are only a means to reach that end." That is, the Master, having thoroughly studied budo and acquired its essence through his struggle, first set up a goal of spiritual guidance above all, and then fused the techniques of Aiki (Aikido) into the stream of spirit, spirit power or soul power. He gave life to the highly technical and spiritual side of Japanese budo within the society of man. The Master is the first one who ever indicated clearly the world of Aiki and revealed its aim. From that moment on, he extended the study of Aikido to everyone. It became very popular and spread throughout Japan and, by 1960, the rest of the world.

Master Ueshiba founded and remained leader of Aikido's international organization, the World Aikido Federation until his death on April 26, 1969. He was 86 years old.

Class Information

2009-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Style:
Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho ( Suenaka style, Philosophical Way )
Modern Arnis (International Modern Arnis Federation)

Affiliations:
Wadokai ( the peaceful way )Aikido
International Modern Arnis Federation (IMAF)

Location:
The dojo is located at 3725 West Wilson St, Farmville NC 27828(Click map to enlarge)

From Hwy 264, take Exit 66 toward Farmville. Turn right on Moye-Turnage Rd. At the "Y" split in front of the high school, take the left fork onto E. Wilson Street. Follow E. Wilson St into the downtown. After passing through the light at Main St., the dojo is the first business on the left that faces W. Wilson St.

Phone

252-531-8476

Email us at:

aikidoarnisoffarmville@gmail.com

Class schedule for Aikido:

Monday 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Wednesday 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Friday 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Class schedule for Arnis:

Monday 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Wednesday No Class

Friday 8:00 - 9:00 PM

Class Dues:

Students $55 per month

Non-Students $60 per month