The 5-step personal protection system

self-defence-personal-protection-1The goal of Personal Protection is your own safety. That is, to stay safe or to regain a position of safety. It is not about hanging tough, engaging, fighting or payback.

With the assistance of Catherine Schnell, a Melbourne based Aikido instructor who runs a very popular Personal Safety Concepts program at her Aiki Centre, and Mike Allen, a Sydney based Target Focused Training (TFT) Instructor, Griffith Aikido has developed its own 5-Step Personal Protection system.

It consists of a series of escalated responses (below), which means you begin at preparation and move through as many of the remaining four steps below, in order, as the situation requires.

  1. Preparation
  2. Awareness
  3. Avoidance
  4. Assertiveness
  5. Escape

You stop when you are either in control of the situation or have managed to escape. Escape is the goal at any stage of the process, so whenever there is an opportunity to escape – take it!

1. Preparation

Have a safety plan! Develop a few simple strategies to increase your personal protection. For example, increase your own safety skills (self defence), learn to assess risk, increase your other safety resources (e.g. mobile phone, friends, family); take a friend with you, organise a lift home; use a friend and a rehearsed ruse to escape a difficult date.

2. Awareness

Awareness is your early warning defence. It takes away the element of surprise so make sure your radar is on. To increase your sense of awareness it is important to reduce distractions (e.g. headphones, mobile phones).

It is also important to monitor your environment and to increase vigilance in high risk areas. Look around you, keep your wits about you and always trust your intuition. Be wary of approaching strangers. Learn to recognise early warning signs and be attuned for the unusual. The aim is to make your self a very hard target.

3. Avoidance

aikido-brisbane-5Not being where trouble resides is always the best defense. Whilst it is your right to walk in any public space at any time, there are some simple things you can do to keep yourself safe.

Walk away from a dispute. If there’s an opportunity to escape – take it. If you see or sense trouble walk away; if you have a bad intuitive feeling – leave; if in doubt cross the street.

Take a wide path around a blind corner, move away from bushes and avoid short cuts through lonely areas. Try to stay where other people are; don’t allow yourself to become isolated. Walk on the outside of the footpath away from darkened doorways.

4. Assertiveness

To be assertive means being confident and direct in expressing your intention. However it stops short of aggressive behaviour. Even where the situation calls for an escalated response, it should still be delivered in a calm and measured way.

The elements of assertiveness are eye contact, voice, expression and other body language. All should be neutral. Staring down, adopting a fighting stance, scowling or shouting abuse only serve to escalate the situation. However, once confronted, never take your eyes off your opponent.

It is important that you maintain an attitude of non-engagement. Therefore it is critical that you maintain distance between you and the aggressor (more than two arm lengths away) and you may have to move constantly to maintain it. While you are keeping distance an assailant will be trying to close it. Don’t allow your ego to take over your mind. Assertive non-engagement is a very powerful weapon if played out calmly.

5. Escape

In a threatening situation, stay calm and keep moving. The direction of movement is not important, provided that it is always towards safety. To escape you may have to break free of a grab or you may have to strike to distract. Pain is the distraction and punching is not the best way to strike unless you are trained. The goal is always to escape, not to fight. So don’t be too proud to turn and run. Staying safe is the goal, not looking cool.

Shukan News 23rd May

1. Koichi Tohei Sensei (1920-2011)

Koichi Tohei Sensei

Koichi Tohei Sensei

The Aikido world suffered a great loss last week with the passing of Koichi Tohei Sensei. Tohei Sensei was the founder of Shinshin Toitsu Aikido (Ki-Aikido). He passed away peacefully at 9:14 last Thursday 19th May 2011. He was 91 years old. His funeral will be held within his family members soon and a farewell reception for the general public will be held in Tokyo, Japan at a later date.

To read the Aikido Journal official online blog go to:

http://blog.aikidojournal.com/blog/2011/05/19/koichi-tohei-sensei-passes-at-age-91/

Koichi Tohei (藤平光一, Tōhei Kōichi) was born on 20 January 1920. He was a 10th Dan Aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society and its style of aikido, officially Shinshin Toitsu Aikido (literally ‘aikido with mind and body unified’), but commonly known as Ki-Aikido.

Tohei Sensei wrote many books on Aikido and the importance of Ki. The list below is a small sample, which we have in our library:

  • Ki in Daily Life – 4889960716 Oxford University Press, USA
  • The Book of Ki – 0870403796 Japan Publications, Japan
  • Aikido in Daily Life – 0870402218 Japan Publications, Japan
  • Kiatsu – 0870405365 Japan Publications, Japan

There is so much that can be said about the life and teachings of Tohei Sensei; an original student of O Sensei, a soldier and teacher. He was one of the true Masters of Aikido and has had an immense influence on the art. He will be sorely missed.

The video below is one of many available to view on You Tube. This is a small demonstration of his application of Ki to the art of Aikido.

2. Grading next Saturday

700_3887Our May quarterly grading will be held next Saturday (28th) at 10.30 am. It is an important event for those grading, but it is equally important for those of you not grading to come along and support your friends and colleagues. A grading is also the only real opportunity you have to see the grading demonstrations that you will be required to perform in the future.

We always need Ukes at a grading. At Griffith Aikido, we always have many demonstrations on grading day, which requires many Ukes. There is nothing quite the same as taking Ukemi at a grading. It is a great way to improve your rolling skills and your fitness.

You will be able to replenish your energy afterwards with complementary food and drink. Quite a few people have offered to bring a plate, which means a lot of really delicious treats.

For those grading on Saturday, remember to breathe and stay relaxed. Technical proficiency is important but relaxation makes everything go more smoothly and you will conserve energy.

3. Fushimi Inari Taisha

Brisbane-aikido-fushimi-inari-taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Located about 2km southeast of Kyoto station, Fushimi Inari Taisha is without doubt the largest and most impressive Inari shrine in Japan. It is a shinto jinja (shrine) dedicated to the spirit Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Fushimi Inari Taisha is also famous for appearing in the film Memoirs of a Geisha.

It is especially well known for the thousands of vermilion torii lining the paths on the hill on which the shrine is located. The torii gates are all donations from individuals, families or companies. The Inari spirit is considered to be the protector of grains, especially rice, and has thus historically been associated with wealth. Companies often make offerings to Inari shrines in the form of barrels of rice wine (sake) or torii gates.

Fushimi Inari Taisha, like most other Inari shrines, has an open view of the main idol object (a mirror). Fushimi Inari Taisha was founded in the 8th century by the Hata family and is the head shrine of no less than 30,000 Inari Shrines nationwide.

The sanctuary is composed of several buildings, including the Sakura-mon Gate (桜門) and Go-Honden Shrine (御本殿), followed by a 4km tunnel made of thousands of red torii gates making their way through the woods.

Fushimi-Inari-TaishaThe 4km walk through the torii tunnel to the top of the Inari-san hill can be a strenuous one, especially in the heat of summer. That does not discourage some joggers using it as a training ground, to the astonishment of tourists. Two large ponds and several small waterfalls can be found in the maze of torii, depending on which path you decide to follow.

Statues of menacing kitsune (foxes), said to have the magic power to take possession of human spirits, alternate with torii gates. The fox is however reverred to as the god of harvest (rice and cereals), and is often seen carrying a key in his mouth, which is for the rice granary. Foxes are said to love rice balls rolled in fried tofu, which for that reason are called “o-inari-san”. They can be purchased in just about any sushi shop.

Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha in the late afternoon as the sun slowly sets can be a thrilling experience and is definitely recommended for those who believe in the “spirits of the forest”.

4. Thought of the week

“There is no form and no style in Aikido. The movement of Aikido is the movement of Nature, whose secret is profound and infinite. So it is essentially different from some of the other Budo which cling only to forms. When we use the word “form” we mean that the techniques of Aikido are a series of endless spiritual forms. They are unified so closely with each other that they cannot be divided. This is beyond the concept of “form” in the conventional sense. The techniques of Aikido, as we can therefore see, are different from those of Judo, kendo or Karate, but its spirit is in accord with the secrets of these other arts.” O Sensei Morehei Ueshiba

The hakama, its origins and who wears it

aikido-hakamaIn a little over a week, we will have five additional hakama wearers in our dojo. So it is timely to look at the origins of hakama and who wears it.

The hakama is the skirt-like pants worn in some schools of Japanese based martial arts. It is worn in most Aikido schools as well as in some Jujitsu, Judo and Karate schools. It is a traditional piece of samurai clothing. It is worn over the standard gi which was originally regarded as underclothing.

The hakama were originally meant to protect a horseman’s legs from brush, etc., — not unlike a cowboy’s leather ‘chaps’. Leather was hard to come by in Japan, so heavy cloth was used instead. After the samurai, as a class, dismounted and became more like foot-soldiers, they persisted in wearing horseman’s garb because it set them apart and made them easily identifiable.

There were different styles of hakama. The type worn by today’s martial artists – with “legs” – is called a joba hakama, (roughly translated as ‘horse riding thing into which one steps’). Another type resembles a tube skirt with no legs.

The tube skirt type of hakama also came in a very long version. It was worn on visits to the Shogun or Emperor. It was about 12-15 feet long and was folded repeatedly and placed between the feet and posterior of the visitor. This necessitated shikko (“knee walking”) as their only approach for their audience, and made it extremely unlikely that they could hide a weapon or rise quickly to make an attack.

The hakama has seven deep pleats, two on the back and five on the front. The pleats are said to represent the seven virtues of bushido, considered essential to the samurai way:

  • Yuki = courage, valor, bravery
  • Jin = humanity, charity, benevolence
  • Gi = justice, righteousness, integrity
  • Rei = etiquette, courtesy, civility (also means bow/obeisance)
  • Makoto = sincerity, honesty, reality
  • Chugi = loyalty, fidelity, devotion
  • Meiyo = honor, credit, glory; also reputation, dignity, prestige

Although they appear balanced, the arrangement of the front pleats, (three to the right, two to the left) is asymmetrical, and as such is an example of asymmetry in Japanese aesthetics.

In many schools, only the black belts and / or senior students wear hakama; in other schools everyone does. In some instances women are permitted to start wearing it earlier than men. This is generally done out of consideration for the modesty of women, bearing in mind that a gi was originally underclothing.

Maruyama Sensei

Maruyama Sensei

In Yuishinkai Aikido (our school), students with the rank of 1st kyu and above wear hakama.

It is said by his original students that O Sensei was rather emphatic that everyone wore the hakama, but then he came from a time not too far distant from a culture of wearing hakama as standard formal wear.

Saito Sensei comment on hakama in O Sensei’s dojo in the old days

“Most of the students were too poor to buy a hakama but it was required to wear one. If they couldn’t get one from an older relative, they would take the cover off an old futon, cut it, dye it, and give it to a seamstress to make into a hakama.

Since they had to use cheap dye, however, after awhile the colorful pattern of the futon would start to show through and the fluff from the futon would start to work its way out of the material.”

Shukan News 16th May

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

1. Michael Williams Sensei

Just a quick reminder that Michael Williams Sensei will be teaching again on Saturday 4th June (10:30 – 12:30). And greetings from Hamburg …from Elisabeth Andel.

2. Grading coming up

brisbane-aikido-gradingOur next club grading is coming up on the last Saturday in May (28th May). Excitement is building as class practice becomes just that little more focused and intense. There will be five 1st kyu demonstrations and two second kyu demonstrations, as well as a full progression to 6th kyu. It shows what great depth we have at Griffith Aikido.

Quite a number of former members have expressed interest in coming along to our grading to see old friends progress. All are most welcome to attend. There will be food and drink afterwards and members have been encouraged to bring a plate (a full one for those not familiar with the custom). If you are bringing a plate please advise Jutta so that we can adjust our catering.

3. Other Arts – Iaido (I = being, AI = harmony, DO = way)

Iaido (ee-eye-do) is a Japanese budo art involving a real (or almost real) sword in solo practice. Katas start and end with a sheathed sword, and hence involve the drawing and sheathing of the sword. The fact that all kata begin and end with the sword in its scabbard is because Iaido is a defensive art. Iaido is ultimately practiced without ever drawing the sword from the scabbard.

Each kata requires good posture and movement, correct grip, and proper cutting. Even though practice is against imaginary opponents, it is still critical to understand how the movements apply to real opponents.

The blade is drawn and cuts in the same motion. Each Iaido kata consists of the draw, one or more cuts, cleaning the blade and returning it to the scabbard.

As is the case with many internal arts, the greatest of all foes is the Ego. As a true Budo, Iaido is a battle with the self, a cutting away of all redundancies. The practitioner seeks to mobilise his entire being, to unite intention, action, and the sword.

Despite its origins, the goal of Iaido is not to teach the taking of life, but instead to teach how to give life. Iaido instills natural, accurate, and agile body movements that are logical and effective. Students strive to achieve power, precision, and perfection in their form.

4. Thought for the week

Following the hugely successful planning meeting last weekend, here is a timely reminder from page 41 of The Art of Peace.

“All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love. And the Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle. A warrior is charged with bringing a halt to all contention and strife. Universal love functions in many forms; each manifestation should be allowed free expression. The Art of Peace is true democracy.” O Sensei

Sakura by night at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto

kiyomizu-dera-1I just had to share these photos with you. They were taken two weeks ago in Kyoto, at Kiyomizu-dera temple. During the cherry blossom season the temple is open at night and both the buildings and the cherry trees are lit up. It makes for spectacular viewing.

Kiyomizu-dera (meaning ‘the clear water temple’) is the main temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times during its twelve centuries of history. The Shinto Jishu Shrine (below right) is located here also. Note the commanding view across the city of Kyoto.

 

kiyomizu-dera-2The temple is said to have been constructed from 778 by Enchin, a buddhist priest, in honor of the Kannon Bosatsu (Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion). A bodhisattva is one who can achieve enlightenment but decides to remain on earth to assist others in achieving nirvana.

This famous temple received World Cultural Heritage Listing by UNESCO in December 1994. Kiyomizu-dera is one of seventeen World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto.

kiyomizu-dera-3The building stood until 1629 until it was destroyed by fire. The present day roof of the Main Hall (Hondo) is made of cypress, and not of traditional tile, in remembrance of its original inclusion as part of the emperor’s palace.

Most of the buildings still standing today were rebuilt by Iemitsu Tokugawa, the 3rd shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1633.

It is quite a walk to get to the temple, up the steep and narrow Ninnen-zaka & Sannen-zaka walk, past the Omiyage shops which eventually leads to the main gate of Kiyomizudera.kiyomizu-dera-4

Shukan News 9th May

Monday 9th May 2011

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

1. What a great day!

aikido-brisbane-planningWhat a wonderful turnout it was to our club planning day on Saturday. Any lingering doubts about club spirit and connectedness were quickly dispelled.

I am very proud to say that we have an Aikido club in its fullest sense, built on a solid foundation of loyalty and integrity; not just a group of people throwing each other around a mat. The spirit of friendship and human respect is alive and well at Griffith Aikido.

The day started with Janet, our facilitator, asking two simple questions. Over the course of the following hour or so, everyone told us their most memorable Aikido moment and something we didn’t know about them.

For mine, the day was a success right there; as people quietly described their experiences, highlights, great memories and on occasion, the struggles that brought them to Aikido. At times it was quite moving to hear the real reasons why people practice Aikido. So it came as no surprise to hear what was wanted to satisfy their Aikido needs.

There was an overwhelming call for more Ki teaching, mind-body unification and relaxation sessions. Our Everton Hills members in particular want to share in the diversity of teaching that already exists at Nathan, with occasional instructor interchange and occasional emphasis on the female perspective.

There was a clear call for more split classes to allow greater opportunity for students at every level to receive targeted instruction. Middle and senior grades expressed a welcome sentiment of wanting to give back and become more engaged with the club; as role models and eventually as teachers.

The vision of our own dojo still burns brightly. This long term goal was first set at the Murwillumbah planning weekend some 5 years ago. It may take another 5-10 years to achieve it but this goal will be achieved! It was gratifying to see the number of people standing behind our mission, “Aikido for everyone”, as we begin an exciting new era.

To end the day, we broke into smaller working groups and were asked to describe pictorially, in terms of an animal, the club we would like to see in the future. The final presentations were made and I am pleased to say that we will have the hearts of lions, the soaring wings of eagles, with tolerance and compassion for the diverse range of wonderful and delightfully human animals in our zoo.

Thank you everyone! You have made the club custodians very happy. We now know that our future will be in willing, capable and responsible hands.

Rico & Fabian

Rico & Fabian

2. Rico is a Dad

Rico was one of our seniors who many will remember fondly. He trained with us for a couple of years which culminated in his Shodan grading. Rico is now back in his home country, Germany and recently married. He has sent us his best wishes together with a photo of his recently arrived son Fabian. Also he sends a message to say he is ‘still thinking of all us at the dojo and hoping everyone is going well.’

3. From the library

We have a new book in the library. It is titled “BOKKEN Art of the Japanese Sword” by Dave Lowry.

  • Dave Lowry Sensei
  • About Dave Lowry

dave-lowry-sensei2Dave Lowry is an author and a swordsman of the 21st generation of the Yagyu Shinkage tradition. Of the classical martial arts schools, the Yagyu is one of the most venerated, with a close connection to Zen and the politics of feudal Japan. Dave Lowry began his training in the classical art of Japanese swordsmanship in 1968 under the tutelage of Ryokichi Kotaro of Nara Prefecture. Lowry’s martial arts experience also includes training in Kodokan judo and karate-do.

Back cover summary

dave-lowry-bokken1In “BOKKEN Art of the Japanese Sword”, Dave Lowry focuses on the techniques and history of the bokken – the wooden training sword used by both ancient samurai and today’s swordsmen. According to Lowry, training with the bokken is important on two levels for the modern practitioner: “On one, he builds the physical stamina, rhythms, and adroit body movements of traditional swordsmanship. On the other, he achieves something of the animating spirit of the traditional swordsman. He is, through the refinement of his practice, linked in a very real way to his past, for it is from the principles of swordsmanship that the budo of today have based their teachings, no matter what their present form.

4. Thought for the week

“Your spirit is the true shield.” Morihei Ueshiba

The Japanese art of Kendo

Exploring martial arts Brisbane …

kendo-doguKendo is the Japanese sport of sword fighting where the Shinai replaces the katana and bokken that feudal Japan was famous for. The Shinai is a flexible weapon made of lengths of bamboo lashed together. Practitioners wear protective armour to prevent injury from strikes to the head throat, upper body and arms.

The Shinai has no curvature like the bokken or the katana and also weighs far less. This allows Kendo practitioners to hit at lightning fast speed rather than cut.

Kendo is a very popular sport in Japan, Kendo evolved from the fighting art of Kenjutsu, which dates back to the 11th century and was the most important martial art of the Samurai.

The purpose of Kendo is (amongst other things) to mold the mind and body, to cultivate a vigorous spirit, and through correct and rigid training, to strive for improvement in the art. The purpose is not dissimilar to that of Aikido.

The basic rules of Kendo are fairly simple. The aim is to strike one of a handful of targets (head, throat, chest, wrist) with the Shinai before the opponent strikes. The strike must be delivered with correct form and power, such that the proper part of the Shinai makes contact with the target area and must be accompanied by your shouting the name of the point you were aiming for.

There are many more rules and protocols but here is an example of Kendo you might enjoy.

Shukan News 2nd May

Monday 2nd May 2011

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

1. May beginners course starts tomorrow night

martial-arts-brisbane-beginners1The May beginners’ course commences tomorrow night, Tuesday 3rd at our Nathan dojo. If you want to learn the subtle art of Aikido you are welcome to come into the dojo to watch or join in. To join, either pay online 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.

Our congratulations to the four students who graduated the April beginners course last Thursday night with their 7th kyu certificates. Well done Jasmin, Natalie, Oliver and Vasilje. We look forward to training with you on the main mat.

2. Golden week in Japan

kamigamo-shrine-kyoto1

Kamigamo Shrine, Kyoto

The period from the end of April through to May 5th is called “Golden Week” in Japan. There are many Japanese national holidays during this period and most offices close for between 7 to 10 days, depending on the calendar.

Golden week is a time when people take holidays and travel locally and abroad. It is no surprise that airports and tourist attractions in Japan become very crowded over this period.

The first national holiday during Golden Week is April 29. This day is now called Showa Day (showa-no-hi). It honors the birthday of the Showa Emperor Hirohito, the reigning Emperor from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito’s reign.

The second holiday is Constitution Memorial Day (kenpou-kinen-bi) on May 3. It is the anniversary of the new Japanese constitution which was put into effect on May 3, 1947.

carp-streamer1

Celebrating Boys Day Koinobori – Carp Streamer By Keigetsu (1876-1963)

The following day, May 4, is called Greenery Day (midori-no-hi) during which is a day for showing appreciation for nature. In practice however, it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week holiday period.

The last national holiday during Golden Week is Children’s Day (kodomono-hi) on May 5th. This holiday was originally called Boys Day or Festival (tango no Sekku). Families with boys would celebrate by flying carp streamers (koi nobori) and May dolls (gogatsu ningyo).

Now all children celebrate this holiday with their parents and enjoy special foods such as rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and mochi wrapped in oak leaves. Oak and bamboo symbolize longevity and strength.

Girls Day (Hinamatsuri) is celebrated on March 3 and is not a national holiday, although there are many that feel it should be.

3. Learning is only the second step

kodo1The following passages are two excerpts from ‘KODO Ancient Ways, Lessons in the spiritual life of the warrior/ martial artist’ by Kensho Furuya, (p45)

Excerpt 1 “In the case of the martial arts, teaching an art is much more difficult than learning for one important reason. In most cases, the student seldom realises that learning can only take place when the correct conditions are present.

Past masters prepared their students physically, mentally and spiritually to properly accept and understand their teachings. Today, when students receive their first degree black belt, they often assume this is the first stage of mastery.

Earning a first degree black belt, however, only means that a student has taken the first critical step towards learning how to learn.

Students need to be prepared to learn before the actual process of learning can take place. Once a student understands the proper state of mind and an appropriate manner of behaviour, he then begins to progress at his own rate according to ability and effort.

Learning is only the second step in training. The first step requires a student to harmonise himself and try to understand the proper conditions that will allow his training to overcome obstacles – be they mental or physical – and to finally bear fruit. If a student is not given the opportunity to understand this, frustration inevitably sets in. The teacher may lose a student and the student may lose everything the martial arts have to offer.”

kensho-furuya

Kensho Furuya Sensei 1948-2007

Excerpt 2 ”Students new to the martial arts typically make the mistake of deciding beforehand how they’re going to learn their chosen art. Trapped by his / her own preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, the student begins his / her training by wondering “How long will it take me to get good enough to earn a black belt?” Questions like this indicate that the student has already imposed limits on learning an art that he knows nothing about. The only thing he does know for certain is that a black belt is exactly what he needs.”

Read a review of KODO Ancient Ways by Ze’ev Erlich (Israel Aikido Association) at the Aikido Journal http://www.aikidojournal.com/bibliography_details?id=34

This book is in our library

4. Aikido & The Happiness Institute

The Happiness Institute is a Sydney based Australian organisation. With the aim of teaching as many people as possible to be happier, The Happiness Institute offers a range of services based on extensive research, particularly from the growing field of positive psychology. Positive psychology is one of the fastest growing and most exciting areas of health and well-being and is based on the premise that it is not enough just to manage stress and depression.

Every Monday morning, The Happiness Institute delivers a free eNewsletter packed full of happiness tips and stories, updates on positive psychology and strategies for living a great life.

Here’s last Monday’s mail out on the subject of Aikido. To read the full article go to:

http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com/blog/article.aspx?c=3&a=2896

5. Thought for the week

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido is for everyone

o-sensei“A vision begins with intuition and dreaming, a cohesive image of an ideal to strive for. Ueshiba Sensei’s vision resulted in the creation of Aikido as a path to universal harmony and world peace. It is hoped that the maxim of ‘Aikido without boundaries’ will promote greater unity and strength amongst all aikidoka, thus encouraging Ueshiba Sensei’s dream to be realised.”

The foregoing is an excerpt from Michael Williams’ Aikido Yuishinkai Student Handbook and a reminder of why we practice Aikido.

The late Master Gozo Shioda, founder of the Yoshinkan style of Aikido, is famous for saying that ‘Aikido is for everyone’. And indeed it is! Men and women of all ages, size and fitness levels practice Aikido for a variety of reasons including health, self defence, balance, concentration, friendship and more.

From our own experience with martial arts in Brisbane, we know that females and older people are attracted to Aikido because there are no competitions. With no reliance on size or physical strength, a high level of competence in aikido can be achieved by men and women alike.

With few exceptions, Aikido is not a boy’s club, mainly because Aikido is the universal art of peace. The ultimate aim of Aikido is not to fight or even to compete. It is to blend together mind, body and spirit into one.

As O Sensei said, “Your spirit is the true shield.”

The regimen of Aikido is simple. Through regular practice, we aim to improve ourselves with the help of our Ukes (training partners). We practice together at our own pace, trying not to compete with or out-do each other, but to constantly strive for improvement in technique.

paul-restThe following is an interesting article from the Aikido Journal. It is titled “A low impact Aikido program – Aikido for Everyone” by Paul Rest. Please follow the link below.

http://www.aikidojournal.com/blog/2008/09/02/a-low-impact-aikido-program-%E2%80%94-aikido-for-everyone-by-paul-rest/

Shukan News 25th April

Monday 25th April 2011

ANZAC DAY lest we forget!

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

1. Cherry blossom time in Japan

kyoto-sakuraIt is cherry blossom time in Japan, a country recently stricken by earthquakes and tsunami.

A cherry blossom is the flower of the cherry trees known as sakura. It heralds the arrival of spring. Sadly, the flowers last only a few days and then they fall from the trees and are swept away with the wind.

Cherry blossoms flower at different times throughout Japan. The cherry blossoms begin blooming in January in Okinawa and they are at their peak in late March to April in Honshu region. In Hokkaido, cherry blossoms usually become in their peak in May.

As part of the nightly weather forecasts, the Japanese Meteorological Agency tracks the sakura zensen (cherry-blossom front) as it moves northward up the archipelago with the approach of warmer weather.

sakura-tokyoHanami (cherry blossom viewing) has been a Japanese custom since the 7th century when the aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful sakura and wrote poems. Sakura is a symbol of Japan.

It is said that there are over four hundred varieties of cherry trees in Japan. The most popular kind of sakura which can be viewed everywhere in Japan is somei-yoshino (Yedoensis). Japanese cherry trees do not yield fruits like other cherry trees.

2. Human Echolocation – is seeing believing?

One of the many benefits of Aikido is the sharpening of awareness and sensory perception. Blindfold work is quite difficult but it makes a noticeable difference. But this is nothing compared to what you will see in this video.

But this excerpt from Horizon – Is seeing believing? makes me feel quite humble about my small achievements. Daniel is totally blind with no visual memories. Incredibly, he has taught himself to navigate (in this case riding a bicycle) by echolocation.

Echolocation is inbuilt biological sonar used by bats and dolphins to navigate. In this case, Daniel makes a clicking sound with his tongue. The sound waves bounce off the surrounding objects and creates an image in his mind.

The entire Is Seeing Believing? program aired on SBS a week or so ago. I enjoyed it then and I hope you enjoy this 10 minute segment now.

To see the full article and video – follow the link below:

http://www.aikido-secrets-to-calm-success.com/human-echolocation-%E2%80%93-is-seeing-believing.html

3. Beginners course starts Tuesday 3rd May 2011

martial-arts-in-brisbaneIf you are looking for martial arts in Brisbane, then give Aikido a try at Griffith Aikido.

Arrive at 6.30pm on Tuesday 3rd at our NATHAN dojo

Enjoy your 4-week introduction to the Art of Peace. Quiet location, plenty of parking! For directions go to https://www.griffithaikido.com.au/locations/

We know what its like to be a beginner so you will have your own mat space and your own friendly instructor for the duration of the course.

What is Aikido? Check out the action videos on this site. For everything you need to know to start, download “A Beginner’s Guide” on the right hand side panel of this page.

Please visit the ‘Payments’ page on this site https://www.griffithaikido.com.au/payments/ to pay by Pay Pal. The Beginners Course costs $70 for the month ($50 for students), the same as regular training.

We are a big club with lots of friendly helpful people and excellent instructors. We are open to everyone and encourage females and older people to learn Aikido.

CONGRATULATIONS to our April Beginners Course graduates!! Our 5 new (and very keen) members who undertook the March Beginners Course will graduate next Thursday night with their 7th kyu grading.

4. Thought for the week

To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace. Morihei Ueshiba