Archive for category: Griffith Aikido News

BEGINNERS COURSE STARTS 2nd AUGUST

If you are looking for a martial art in Brisbane and you are interested in the art of Aikido you are welcome to come into our Nathan dojo next Tuesday night, either to join in, or just watch if you prefer.

Aikido is a subtle and somewhat mysterious Japanese martial art, where size and physical strength mean nothing. You don’t need to worry that you have no previous experience or you are not fit enough. This is the martial art where you can be you! All movements are natural.

We don’t do crunches and pushups on our knuckles. Our art is based around relaxation and blending. You will get to try many exciting things including the use of a (wooden) Japanese sword and the wooden staff.

For the duration of the 4 week Beginners Course, you will have your own experienced instructor on your own mat. You can work at your own speed.

To join, either pay online ($70 adult / $50 student) or pay at the door when you arrive. Please arrive by 6.30pm. It takes a few minutes to complete the application / membership process. You don’t need a uniform or equipment to start. Just wear comfortable clothing, and bring a water bottle.

Check out our class times at our Nathan dojo.

Come give Aikido a try and combine effective self defence with a great night out! For more information check out this site or email Ben at aikidogriffith@gmail.com.

Monday 25th July 2011

If you have any contribution for the Shukan News (story, photograph, video), please send it via email to gary@garyweigh.com

1. Murray Loader seminar this coming weekend 30th & 31st July

A reminder that Murray Loader Sensei will be holding a weekend seminar at Griffith Aikido Nathan dojo this coming weekend 30th & 31st July.

Murray Sensei has just returned from two weeks in Japan training at various dojos including Maruyama Sensei, Ki Society and Aikikai. We very much look forward to the information and techniques he will share.

The seminar will consist of three (3) classes as follows:

• Saturday 10.30 am – 12.30 pm (followed by lunch)
• Saturday 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
• Sunday 10.30 am – 1.30 pm

This is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

• Griffith Aikido members $10 per class.
• Visitors $15 per class.

You are welcome to pay at the door. Saturday lunch of soup and sandwiches will be provided by Griffith Aikido courtesy of the Kendall family.

2. The unity of calm and action

This is an excerpt from Chapter 17 of Ki in Daily Life by Koichi Tohei. This book is available from our library.

“We must be able to instantaneously move with great speed even though, to outward appearances, we remain perfectly calm. We are able to move most rapidly and violently when we are most calm. If even when you confront your opponent’s naked sword you remain clear-minded and as calm as the surface of a lake, you can immediately move in accordance with any action your opponent makes. The man who fusses with tricks and frantic devices is not worth mentioning. The man who is so calm that his opponent cannot predict his next move is formidable indeed.

Maintaining a profound calm within even the most violent action is also essential. Like the sea whose lower depths are always peaceful whatever tempest furrows its surface and like the eye of the typhoon around which the violent winds howl, we must always retain our own calm. Strength of action is born from inner calm. For this reason, if we have that calm, regardless of how rapidly we act, we will not upset our breathing. A person who has not mastered this calm will disrupt his breathing, and even a little activity will dull the action of his limbs. Though a man may be ordinarily highly skilled at his techniques, if his breathing is uneven he cannot perform them. If he is facing one man, his opponent will lose control of his breathing too, and everything will be alright. If, however, he is fighting four or five men, if his breathing is rough, he will soon find himself unable to move at all. We must always be conscious of the great importance of preserving our calm in action and of controlling our breathing.”

3. Aikido in everyday life – distance matters

Aikido is all about managing distance. Once you understand distance and its effect on human behaviour then you can blend effectively with your training partners.

Ma-ai is the combative interval between two or more people. It is a critically important martial concept because correct Ma-ai has a big influence on the outcome of any encounter. It takes a lot of practice and experience to judge correct Mai-ai because engagement distance is different for every person; and the matter is complicated by movement, and even further by weapons.

Our Mai-ai in Aikido in everyday life outside the dojo is our interpersonal space. That is, the invisible, self-protective zone of comfort that each of us establishes to navigate our way through everyday life. Funnily enough, like the Mai-ai interval, this is a constantly changing distance as well.

Personal distance, or interpersonal space, is what anthropologists and sociologists might define as the distance consistently separating members of non-contact species.

To read the entire article go to Aikido Secrets

4. Thought for the week

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” Martin Luther King

When you visit Japan, the event that should be on the top of your to-do list is Sumo wrestling. The current Sumo stadium is the Kokugikan in the Ryogoku district. It is 2-3 minutes walk from Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line and can be seen from the station platform.

Sumo is an ancient sport steeped heavily in Shinto tradition. Most of the Shinto that can be seen occurs symbolically. The sand that covers the clay of the ring (dohyo) is itself a symbol of purity in the Shinto religion. The canopy above the ring (yakata) is made in the style of the roof of a Shinto shrine.

The four tassels on each corner of the canopy represent the four seasons, the white one as autumn, black as winter, green as spring and red as summer. The purple bunting around the roof symbolizes the drifting of the clouds and the rotation of the seasons. Even the referee (gyoji) resembles a Shinto priest in traditional robe.

Even though very little time is actually spent grappling the atmosphere inside the stadium is electric. Rikishi spend most of their time performing pre-bout ceremonies steeped in Shinto tradition. Once the actual bouts begin, the two rikishi spend several minutes before their match lifting their legs high in the air and stomping them down, a practice said to scare away any demons.

They also throw several handfuls of salt into the ring, which is said to purify the ring. Many rikishi will also sprinkle salt around their bodies as a means of protecting them from injury.

The object of Sumo is to force the opponent out of the (dohyo) or to make any part of his body (excepting the soles of the feet) touch the surface. A referee and several judges watch each match and call the winner.

The bouts are very brief, averaging only a few seconds, although some matchups can go on for two or three minutes.

Like any other social group in Japan, there are strict rules and traditions that are observed throughout the sport. The combatants cannot pull hair, gouge eyes, or strike with a closed fist. Therefore injuries are rare inside the ring however the dohyo is raised a few feet above the floor of the stadium and rikishi often tumble hard out of the dohyo and over the edge.

Pushing, tripping, slapping and various body throws are commonly seen in Sumo. Sometimes rikishi slap each other in the face, trying to break the concentration and force the opponent to make a poor move.

Much of Sumo wrestling is a mental battle. Rikishi will stare at each other to try and gain the advantage before the actual physical contact. Often the bout is won before the first move is even made.

So if you want to see traditional Japanese martial arts spirit in action, just watch Sumo wrestling!

The following are extracts from pp.56-59 Aikido Shugyo; Harmony in Confrontation by Gozo Shioda. This book is available in our library.

In Aikido there are various kinds of throwing techniques, but of all of them, shiho nage is the one that is particularly important. The reason is that shiho nage forms the base for all the other throwing techniques.

Ueshiba Sensei used to say, “Shiho nage is the foundation of Aikido.” Therefore if you train sufficiently and are able to master shiho nage, the rest simply become adaptions. Sensei would say, “All you ever need to master is shiho nage.”

Let’s consider for a moment what is we should learn from practising shiho nage. It’s actually quite straight forward if we begin by resolving some of the doubts that outsiders have about shiho nage. You often hear things like, “Is it really possible to tuck in the opponent’s arm and bring him down to the rear?” Their point is: “Nobody’s going to stand still while the technique is applied to them, so even if you want to spin around, won’t the opponent just resist you? Won’t it be you who is defeated?”

The important thing however, is not your form when you throw the opponent. It’s how you force him into a position where he can in fact be thrown. To put it bluntly, the problem is how you break your opponent’s balance; in the end, it really doesn’t matter what method you use to throw him.

Shioda Sensei (1915 – 1994) is the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido. He studied judo and kendo as a youth. He entered the Kobukan Dojo in 1932 where he studied for eight years under Morihei Ueshiba Sensei through to 1941. Shioda Sensei established Yoshinkan Aikido in 1955.

It is interesting to see how different styles of Aikido evolved over the life of O Sensei. In many ways they reflected the teachings of Ueshiba Sensei at the time. Shioda Sensei was a first generation student of O Sensei about three decades earlier than Maruyama Sensei, the founder of our style, Aikido Yuishinkai.

Being taken by surprise is the one thing you don’t want to happen. If you are out anywhere, even at the shops or going for a walk in your quiet neighborhood streets, you need to keep your radar on and keep your mind free of all distractions. Awareness is your best self defence.

Distracted people are the specific targets of muggers and thieves. People who walk along with their head down, or who shuffle along, or who appear deep in thought are prime targets.

There are some common external distractions that also rob people of their awareness. They include listening to an Ipod, talking on a mobile phone, searching for a purse, searching for keys and attending to small children and babies.

As soon as your attention is distracted your awareness is reduced and you become a target for assault or robbery. Sometimes criminals work in pairs and one of them becomes the distraction that the other needs. They will distract you by engaging you in conversation, asking for directions, by bumping into you then apologising profusely or by spilling something on you.

Beware of anyone trying to coax you to go with them. They could well be trying to move you to a less public location. It is our trusting nature that gets us into trouble. So stay aware!

High risk locations include shopping centres, car parks, office car parks, public parking lots, deserted streets, stair wells and rest rooms. For young people it includes locations with large groups of people where there is access to alcohol and drugs.

There are many early warning signs that you should be able to recognise. These include:

• Unusual movement or noise
• Someone following you
• A person sitting alone in a car
• Large vehicle / van parked next to your car
• An approach by a stranger
• An appeal for assistance or an offer of help
• Someone staring at you or who suddenly avoids your gaze
• The noise stops and the room goes quiet
• A sense of the mood changing
• A sudden sense of impending danger

So next time you are out, walk with purpose and keep your head up and your hands free, so you can see what is going on around you. Rid yourself of all external distractions and be proactive about your personal safety.