Issue #5 May/July 1999 Aikido Ki Society Australia · PDF filetunity to be taught directly from Tohei Sensei, the founder of Ki Society Aikido. We are very fortunate that Tohei Sensei

Kiai AikidoKiSocietyAustraliaNewsletter

R.R.P. $ 3.00

Issue#5May/July1999

Breathing and Meditation CD now available. ThisCDcontainstwoguidedKibreathingmethodsandmusicmeditationwithexplanations.BreathinginseizaKiSocietieswaytothegentlesoundofabellsettingtherhythmforbreathinginandoutbuildingupfrom8to20seconds. GuidedVisualbreathingthroughthewholebodyfornearly20minutestotakeawaythestressofdailyliving.Themusicmeditationisespeciallycreatedtotakeyouthroughajourneyofsoundthatwillevokeimagesinthemindandsoul. Thiscombinedbreathing&meditationCDisbeingofferedbydirectorderfromSenseiTonyDeckersorthroughparticipatingDojosforalimitedtimeathalf price.

TheRRPis$54-00.Foralimitedtimeitwillbeavailablefor$27-00.

FordirectorderspleasecontactSenseiDeckerson0738881243.Orsendyourmoneyorder/chequeto147PittRoad,BurpengaryQld4505.Please include an extra $3-00 for postage & handling.

Dojo inquiries are welcome. Dojos will be able to purchase stocks for their Students at wholesale prices. Please contact Tony Deckers for details.

Available Now!Video Tapes from Senseis visiting Australia

Tamura Sensei - 9th Dan Nonaka Sensei - 8th Dan Reed Sen-sei26 - 30 September 1998 19 - 21 June 199819 - 21 June 1998 25 - 27 April 19972 Tapes - Total 7 hours 2 Tapes - Total 7 hours 2 Tapes - Total 6 hours

Cost per Set is $50.00 each + P & H Send a Postal note plus $10.00 P & H per set of tapes, ordered to; ( postage within Australia only )

To: Tony Deckers - 147 Pitt Road, Burpengary 4505 - Queensland Please allow up to 10 days delivery

Front CoverBrad Schnierer ( Byron Bay) - 19 years old and finished year 12 last year. His natural talent for art appeared in his high school years.

He intends to enter one of the main art schools in Australia next year. He has won first prize in the youth section at the Easter Art Classic, first prize in the youth section at the Lismore National and also has entries in the Art Express, which is an exhibition of the

outstanding HSC artworks in Australia. The Art Express exhibition has been exhibited through the David Jone’s stores and is currently on exhibition at Darling Centre in Sydney.

SHIN-KON-DO WAY OF MIND & SPIRITMETHODSFORBREATHING&MUSICMEDITATION.

KiaiAikidoKiSocietyAustraliaNewsletter

A Kiai Publication - Issue # 5

May / July 1999

Thoughts

Making Progress without Practice Breaking Down Belief Barriers

The Art of Choice

Nidan Essay

The Nonviolent Martial Art

Aikido - Physics in Action - Part 1

SHODO - The Way of Calligraphy

Observation Rally

That’s Just Your Opinion

Editorial by Tony Deckers - 4

Sensei Says by Michael Williams Sensei - 4

Shodan at 14 by Vanessa Milburn - Byron Bay - 6

Greetings by Brad McGregor - Caboolture - 6

Words of Wisdom - Jarrah (Byron Bay Mascot) - 6

The Art of Surviving School Holidays - Byron Bay - 7

Beginners Mind by Anna Rose - Byron Bay - 7

To Whom it May Concern byBald Erika Byron Bay - 7

Enhancement of the Mind - by Chris Ball Caboolture - 9

Compunage - For the 21st Century by Alison Lane Byron - 9

Harmony of the Spheres - by Sandra Sytsma Noosa - 9

Aiki Poetry from Byron Bay - 11

Zenponage by Brett King Byron Bay - 13

What am I ? by Felicity Doyle - 16

Aikido & Budo by Fumio Toyoda - 17

Zen Stories - 17

The Art of Being Together by Sean Hickey - 20(From The Iaido Newsletter, #11 March 1991)Maai by Diane Skoss - 20(Aikido Journal #101, October 1994, Vol. 21, no.4) Ki Society Dojo Reports - 22 - 24

Aikido Ki Society Australian Dojo Listings - 27

MAINF EATURES

by Adrian Xavier - Spring Hill Dojo - 5

by Sensei William Reed - 8

by Michael Atma - Logan City Dojo - 10

by A Beginner - Byron Bay Dojo - 11

by Sensei John Ward - Byron Bay - 12

by George Leonard - 14

by Daniel James (London) - 15

unknown - 18 - 19

by Sensei Tony Deckers - Caboolture - 16

Unknown - 24 - 25

OTHERARTICLES

Kiai-AikidoKiSocietyNewsletter Issue#5 Page3

Kiai-AikidoKiSocietyNewsletter Issue#5 Page4

D I T O R I A L E By

Tony

Deckers

Sense i SaysGreetings to all

Aikido Ki Society members,

Ihopethisyearisoff toagoodstartforeveryone.Congratulations to all thosememberswho have graded inrecentmonths.Iamalwayssurprisedatseminartimetoseehowrapidlyeveryonehasprogressed.Speakingofseminartime,plansareunderwayfortheupcomingseminarinMaywithSenseiWilliamReed.Asmanyofthosewhoattendedhislastseminartwoyearsagoknow,heisaverytalentedteacherwithaknackforarticulatingtheconceptsofKiindailylifetostudentsofalllevels.Ireallyenjoyseeingallthefamiliarfacesandgettingtoknownewmemberswhenwegettogetherforseminars. Ofcourse,theotherexcitingeventontheagendaforthisyearisthetriptoJapaninAugust.Thisisarareoppor-tunitytobetaughtdirectlyfromToheiSensei,thefounderofKiSocietyAikido.WeareveryfortunatethatToheiSenseihasagreedtoteachourAustraliangroupina‘privateseminar’format.WewillbejoinedinJapanbySenseiWilliamReedandSenseiNiwaofromHawaii,whowillattendalltheclasseswithus. Iwanttocongratulateseveralofourseniorinstruc-torswhohaveopenedtheirowndojosthisyear.SenseiBradWilkinson, fromSpringhillDojo, opened his own dojo atSandgateinthenorthernsuburbsofBrisbane.SenseiJamesMcGlone,fromByronBayDojo,openedtwodojosinSydneyinthesuburbsofWooloomoolooandGlebe.SenseiAndrewSunter,fromByronBayDojo,openedhisdojoatCrow’sNestinSydney.ItiswonderfultoseetheexpansionofAikidoKiSocietyinAustralia.Ittakesagreatdealofeffortandcom-mitmenttoopenadojoandkeepitgoing.Iwishyoualltheverybestinyournewventures. Speakingtothesethreeinstructorsaboutplansfortheirdojosandfeelingtheirexcitementmakesmethinkbacktohowmanydojoswehaveopenedovertheyears.Alltheconcernsaboutgettingmats,choosingtherightvenue,cleaning,paint-ingandorganisingtheplacerequiresalotofthoughtandhardwork.Igreatlyrespectallthoseinstructorswhohavegotthingsupandrunningovertheyearsandcontinuetoteachsomanypeoplethiswonderfulartofaikido.Ipersonallycannotthanktheseinstructorsenoughforalltheirdedicationinspreadingaikidotosomanyovertheyears. Talking about years passing, next yearwill be the20thanniversaryofKi-AikidoinAustralia.Wewillarrangeaspecialcelebrationandseminarfornextyear! BestwishestoallAikidoKiSocietymembersandIhopetoseeyouinMay.

Sensei Michael Williams

Chief Instructor Aikido Ki Society Australia

Greetingstooneandallonthe5theditionoftheKiainewsletter. Iwouldfirstly like to thank19yearoldBRADSCHNIERERofByronBay for his incredible drawing hesuppliedforthefrontcoverofthisissueofKiai.HeisverytalentedandIamsurewithhisabilityandpassionforarthewillcertainlyprovideourworldwithsomebeautifulpiecesofartwork-manythanksBrad! Many thanks to the dojo’swho are supporting thenewsletterwithalltheirarticlesandinformation.Itisnotonlyappreciatedbymebutalsobyyouthereaders.Youwillseeinthisissuethatthearticlesarecomingfromabroadcross-sectionofaikidopeople.Somehaveonlyjuststartedoutandsomehavesubmittedessaysfromtheirdangradings(many thanks). AsmuchasIenjoyspendingthetimeputtingtogetherthenewsletter,ImustadmitIenjoyreadingthestoriesevenmoreastheycomein,andseeingitgoingouttoeveryoneinprint.Italsoallowsmetheopportunitytobroadenmyplatformofthinking,asthearticlesyousendinshowdifferentinsightsintopeopleandhowaikido,notonlyasamartialart,butasawayofliving,influencesandchangespeople’slives.AsyourliveschangethroughtheunderstandingofAikido,thepeoplethateachofyoucomeintocontactwith,alsochange. Isn’titmagnificenttoseehowduringthecourseofstudyingamartialart,allourlivesaretransformedinsuchapositiveway.Iamsurethatwhenweallstarted“our”daysinAikidoweeachhadourownreasons,whetheritbetogetfit,thediscipline,learningtodefendingoneselforjustsimplytomeetotherpeople. Ioncereadthat,“We are all perfect, it is just that we are all at different stages of not knowing it”.Andwhensomebodywritesastoryaboutsomethingthathashappenedtothem,thentheyareshowingasmallpieceofwhotheyreallyare,andthatmayexposeasmallpieceofwhowereallyareaswell...(Mind boggling stuff eh!) Sotoallthereadersouttheremanythanksforyourthoughtsandexperiencesandsharingthemwithusall.Keepthemcomingin.ForasmuchasImightputallofyourinfor-mationtogether,itisstillyournewsletter,andwithyourinputand support thenewsletter andAikidowill grow,butmoreimportantlyit’sawayforeachofustoalsogrow.Toallthepeopleoverthepastfewmonths,manythanks,foryourkindwordsaboutthenewsletter.IlookforwardtoreceivingnewstoriesfromeveryonefortheAugust“99edition!

Tony Deckers - Editor Kiai Publications

Thoughts AsIwalkalongthewaywithyouallIcan’thelpbutnoticethechangesinmyself.Aikidohasgivenmetheopportu-nitytolearnthingsaboutmyselfandmyenvironmentthatIhaveneverbeforetakeninterest inor justsimplytakenforgranted.ThisyearIhavespentalotoftimereadingandresearchingfromanumberofdifferentsourcestofindoutwhathavingawarriorspiritmeans.Myinterpretaionisafterall,myinterpretation,butIwouldliketosharewithyouacoupleofthingsthatIhavefoundreallyhardtodealwith.Tohaveandmaintaina“beginner’s mind”ishardenough,buttohaveabeginner’smindwithoutjudgingandcomparing,well...... Areminderthatyouareneeded.Nobodyishigherandnobodyislower:nobodysuperiorandnobodyinferior.Everythingfitstogether.... A samurai, a very proudwarrior, came to see aZenMasteroneday.Thesamuraiwasveryfamous,butlookingatthebeautyoftheMasterandtheGraceofthemoment,hesuddenlyfeltinferior. He said to theMaster, “Why am I feeling inferior?

Just a moment agoeverythingwas okay.As I entered yourcourt suddenly I feltinferior. I haveneverfeltlikethatbefore.Ihavefaceddeathmanytimes,andIhaveneverfeltanyfear-whyamI now feeling fright-ened?” TheMaster said,“Wait.When every-one else has gone, Iwillanswer.“ People continued

thewholedaytocomeandseetheMaster,andthesamuraiwasgettingmoreandmoretiredwaiting.Byeveningtheroomwasempty,andthesamuraisaid,“Now,canyouanswerme?” TheMastersaid,“Comeoutside.” Itwasafullmoonnight,themoonwasjustrisingonthehorizen.Andhesaid,“Lookatthesetrees-thistreeishighintheskyandthissmallonebesideit.Theybothhaveexistedbesidemywindowforyears,andtherehasneverbeenanyproblem.Thesmallertreehasneversaidtothebigtree,‘WhydoIfeelinferiorbeforeyou?’Thistreeissmall,andthattreeisbig-whyhaveIneverheardawhisperofit?” Thesamuraisaid,“Becausetheycan’tcompare.” TheMaster replied,“Thenyouneednotaskme.Youknowtheanswer.” Whenyoudon’tcompare,allinferiority,allsuperiority,disappear.Thenyouare-yousimplyare.Asmallbushorabigtree-itdoesn’tmatter,youareyourself.Agrassleafisneededasmuchasthebiggeststar.ThesoundofthecuckooisasmuchneededasanyBuddah-theworldwillbelessrichifthiscuckoodisappears. Justlookaround.Allisneeded,andeverythingfitsto-gether.Itisorganicunity;nobodyishigherandnobodyislower,nobodysuperiorandnobodyinferior.Everybodyisincomparablyunique.Youareneeded.Ifyoucannotfeelthisinmypresence,

Kiai-AikidoKiSocietyNewsletterIssue#5 Page5

whereareyougoingtofeelit? EverydayIbowdowntoyoujusttoremindyouthatyouareperfect,thatnothingislacking,thatyouarealreadythere-notevenasinglestephastobetaken,everythingisasitshouldbe. Judgementmeansastalestateofmind.Andmindalwayswantsjudgement,becausetobeinaprocessisalwayshazardousanduncomfortable.Beveryverycourageous,don’tstopgrowing,liveinthemoment,simplystayintheflowoflife.

ThisstoryhappenedinthedaysofLaoTzuinChina,andLaoTzuloveditverymuch: Therewasanoldmaninavillage,verypoor,butevenkingswerejealousofhimbecausehehadabeautifulwhitehorse.Kingsofferredfabulousprizesforthehorse,butthemanwouldsay,“Thishorseisnotahorsetome,heisaperson.Andhowcanyousellaperson,afriend?”Themanwaspoor,butheneversoldthehorse. Onemorninghefoundthatthehorsewasnotinthestable.Thewholevillagegatheredandsaid,“Youfoolisholdman!Weknewthatsomedaythehorsewouldbestolen.Itwouldhavebeenbettertosellit.Whatamisfortune!” Theoldmansaid,“Don’tgosofarastosaythat.Simplysaythatthehorseisnotinthestable.Thisisthefact;everythingelseisjudgement.WhetheritisamisfortuneorablessingIdon’tknow,becausethisisjustafragment.Whoknowswhatisgoingtofollowit?” Peoplelaughedattheoldman.Theyhadalwaysknownhewasalittlecrazy.Butafterfifteendays,suddenlyonenightthehorsereturned.Hehadnotbeenstolen,hehadescapedintothewild.Andnotonlythathehadbroughtadozenwildhorseswithhim. Againthepeoplegatheredandtheysaid,“Oldman,youwereright.Thiswasnotamisfortune,ithasindeedprovedtobeablessing.” Theoldmansaid,“Againyouaregoingtoofar.Justsaythatthehorseisback...whoknowswhetheritisablessingornot?”Itisonlyafragment.Youreadasinglewordinasentence-howcanyoujudgethewholebook?” Thistimethepeoplecouldnotsaymuch,butinsidetheyknewthathewaswrong.Twelvebeautifulhorseshadcome. Theoldmanhadanonlysonwhostartedtotrainthehorses.Justaweeklaterhefellfromahorseandhislegswerebroken.Thepeoplegatheredagainandagaintheyjudged.Theysaid,“Againyouprovedright!Itwasamisfortune.youronlysonhaslosttheuseofhislegs,andinyouroldagehewasyouronlysupport.Nowyouarepoorerthanever.” Theoldmansaid,“Youareobsessedwithjudgement.Don’tgothatfar.Sayonlythatmysonhadbrokenhislegs.Lifecomesinfragmentsandmoreisnevergiventoyou.” Ithappenedthatafterafewweeksthecountrywenttowar,andalltheyoungmenofthetownwereforciblytakenforthemilitary.Onlytheoldman’ssonwasleftbecausehewascrippled.Thewholetownwascryingandweeping,becauseitwasalosingfightandtheyknewthatmostoftheyoungpeoplewouldnevercomeback.Theycametotheoldmanandtheysaid,“Youwereright,oldman- thishasprovedablessing.maybeyoursoniscrippled,butheisstillwithyou.Oursonsaregoneforever.” Theoldmansaidagain,“Yougoonandonjudging.Nobodyknows!Onlysaythis,thatyoursonshavebeenforcedtoenterthearmyandmysonhasnotbeenforced.ButonlyGod,thetotal,knowswhetheritisablessingoramisfortune.” Judgenot,otherwiseyouwillneverbecomeonewith


IhavebeentraininginAikidoforabout10monthsandfinditextremelyrefreshingandenjoyablediversionfromthepressuresofdailylife.Iwishtoshareashortinsight,intohowinthisveryshortperiodoftimehowaikidotraininghas“movedmymind”forthebetter. AsWesternerswe hold very close the concept ofgoals andmaterial achievements.Theobject in question isthebeltsorKyugrades.Weprogressthroughasweachieveareassuredcompetence.AshorttimeagoImetupwithfriendofmineandduringthecourseofconversationwestartedtalkingaboutmartialartsExperiences.Asmyfriendhadbegantrain-inginanotherstyleofmartialartsaboutfourmonthsagoandinformedmehehadjustgradedtoorangebelt. Nowdearreader,thisiswherethingsgotstrangebe-causemyimmediatethoughtswere“Hangonhe’sbeendoingmartialsartsforhalfthetimeIhave,andhe’salreadyorangebelt.What’sgoingonwithme.Yes,unfortunatelythegreen-eyedmonsterdidrisefromtheabyssandthe“deservetokeepupwiththeJone’s”becameevident. Now,IwishIcouldconfessthatIdismissedthisfeel-ingquicklyandgotonwithmylife,howeverthefeelingofinadequacycontinued.SeveraldayslaterIspokewithsomeonefromhisdojowhohadbeenontheirbeltforsometime.Duringourconversation,Isaid, “Don’tyouwanttogetyournextbelt”!theysimplyreplied,“Yes,butwhat’sthebigrush”.Thisstatementstruckmeasprofound.“What’stheBigRush”!IthenrefocusedonwhyIwantedtodoaikidointhefirstplace.Itwasnotaracetoblackbeltortobreaksevenbrickswithmypinky.No,Itookupaikidoforseveralreasons,butthemainonewastodoagentlestyleofmartialarts,onethatIcouldstillbedoingandlearningwhenIamseventyyearsofage. SowhenIlookedatmyoriginalintentions,mygreen-eyedmonster disappeared andwas replacedwith an innercontentment,inthatIknowthatIhaveimprovedsinceIbegan,andIamstillenjoyingmytraining.WhatIhaveholdingupmygipantsisnotthatimportant. Aikidoisauniquemartialartinit’soutlookandap-proach, and definitely reassures a changingof themind tofullyappreciateit.ThisIamjuststartingtoexperienceanditisconfusingandenlighteningatthesametime. Soinclosingfellownovices,allIcansayistoenjoyandsavorthejourneyanddon’tbeinahurrytogettotheendoftheroad. Brad McGregor – Caboolture Dojo

Goal of training in the Martial ArtsThegoaloftraininginthemartialartsisto

overcomesixkindsofdisease,

the desire for victory, the desire to rely on technical cunning,

the desire to show off, the desire to psychologically overwhelm the opponent,

the desire to remain passive in order to wait for an open-ing, and

the desire to become free of these diseases.

Yagyu Munenori

Greeting Fellow

Enthusiasts

the total.With fragments youwill be obsessed,with smallthingsyouwilljumptoconclusions.Onceyoujudgeyouhavestoppedgrowing.Judgementmeansastalestateofmind.Andmindalwayswantsjudgement,becausetobeinaprocessisalwayshazardousanduncomfortable. Infactthejourneyneverends.Onepathends,anotherbegins:onedoorcloses,anotheropens.Youreachapeak;ahigherpeakisalwaysthere.Godisanendlessjourney.Onlythosewhoaresocourageousthattheydontbotheraboutthegoalbutarecontentwiththejourney,contenttojustliveinthemomentandgrowintoit,onlythoseareabletowalkinthetotal. TherearemanydifferentstylesofAikidoandmanydifferent styles ofmartial arts. Instead of being concernedaboutwhatmartialartyouaredoingorhowitcompareswiththeotherarts I feel it ismore important tosimply juststaycommitted,train,train,trainandenjoythewalkandtheupsanddownsthatitgivesyou. Adrian Xavier - Spring Hill

SHODAN AT 14 YEARS OF AGE IstartedAikidoinJuly1995atGoshinkanDojoinByronBaywithSenseiMichaelWilliams.IfirstgradedwhenIwas11yearsold.Ireceivedorange,greenandbluebeltin1996attheageof12,beingtheyoungesttoreceivebluebelt. IgradedbrownbeltinSeptember1997.Duringtheseyears Ihavemademanygoodfriends.MichaelandValeriehavebeenexcellentmentorsforme.IfeelAikidohashelpedmeinmanyways.Myselfesteemimprovedimmenselywhichenabledmetobemoreoutgoingandhavemoreconfidenceinmyself.Ithasalsohelpedmewithmyschooling,makingmemore settledwhen startinghigh school andenablingme toconcentrateonmyschoolwork. InearlyDecember1998at theageof14, IgradedShodan,whcihwasahugeachievement.Iamnowtheyoung-estShodan inAikidoKiSocietyAustralia thanks toSenseiMichaelWilliams. Vanessa Milburn age 15 - Byron Bay Dojo


Aikido and the Art of Surviving the School Holidays

So,it’sbeenrainingenoughtodoaworkshoponarkconstructionandtheKidsarefightingwithnuclearcapacity.Nowisthetimetoseriouslyconsiderhowallthosehoursonthematcanhelpyousurvivethosewondrousweeksofcalamityandmayhem.Sometimes,IreallythinkholidaysaresomethingtheEducationDepartmentdreameduptokeepparentssilentandcontentnomatterwhatthequalityofeducationtheypro-vide.Belowaresomehelpfulsurvivalhints.ThinkofholidaysasjustanotherKitest-anopportunitytoputallthattrainingtouseonthereal-timematoflife!

1.Breathing-anAikiversionoftheoldcounttoten.Thiscanbedoneanywhereanytime-whileonchaufferduty,whilehidingoutinthetoiletorwhilewaitingupwhencurfewhaslongsincepassed. 2.Misogi -anAikiversionoftheold*#!*#!.Shoutlongandloudandhopethatitscaresawayanyoftheextraneighbourhoodkidswhomightbehangingaround.Thefamilymightthinkyou’vefinallygonearoundthetwistandbookyouintoapeacefulclinicsomewhere. 3.Immobilisation techniques-Perfectforthoseirrec-oncilabledifferencesbetweensiblingsthatevenaprofessionalrefereecouldn’tmediate.GreatfortantrumsinthemiddleofWoolies,overdosesymptomsfromtoomanylolliesandforbrieflystoppingthecyclonewhirlingthroughyourhouse. 4.Sankyo-Greatforremovingchildrenunwillingtorelinquishtheirallottedtimeslotonthecomputer,gettingthelittledarlingsfrompointAtopointB(frominfrontoftheTVtobed)andherdingthekiddieshomewardafteralongdayatthepark. 5.Yonkyo - Thinkofitasinstantkarma.Thistech-niquecanbeexecutedanywhere.Ifinpublicitisbestdonewithareallystraightfaceandplacidsmile.Everyonewillthinkthekidjustgotstungbyabee.Ifalltheabovefail,youcanalwaysescapetothedojo,throwyourselfrepeatedlyatthematwhilelaughinghysterically.You’ll returnhomecalm,centredandrefreshed.Whocaresifeveryonethinksyou’reonProzac..

Valerie Williams - Byron Bay Dojo

To Whom It May Concern: I’djustliketosayhowhonouredIamtobeapartofawonderfulorganisation.SenseiMichaelWilliamstomeismorethanjustaninstructor,heisamanofimmenceintegrity,love,compassionandhonourandheextendsthisandhisex-tensiveknowledgetoeachofhisstudentsanditshows. Istudiedkarateforyears,butthebrutalityofitall,especiallybytheinstructorsonlypromotedmorefearwithinme.Theirattitudewas,‘Ifyoucan’ttakeit,doaerobics.”Icome froman abusive childhood and thekarate instructorsonlymademyhealingmore difficult, beatingme up on aweeknightwasnotmyideaoffun. ButwithaikidoIhavefunwhilstlearning.IloveknowingIcangoalloutonthosehakamasandknowfullwellthatIwillnotbehurt.IamstilltothisdayastoundedatthesincerewarmthandcareIfeelfromeachhakamathatIpracticewith.SenseiWilliamspromotessomuchgoodnessandlovetoastylethatissopowerfulwhendonecorrectly.Bybeinggentleandcalmwithin,I’mabletocurbmypanicattacksthatsodistortmysenses. SenseiWilliamsisalsohelpingmetoovercomemyfearstowardsmen.Iwishallmencouldbeasheis,thentheworldwouldbesopeacefultolivein.I’dalsoliketotakethisopportunitytosayhowsorryIamifIcomeacrossasaggres-sivetoanyoneIpracticewith.Itisnotmyintentiontohurtbuttolearntobringoutthebestwithineachofus,especiallyme.Bypracticinghard,IlearnittheNeanderthalway.Thewaythebruteswoulddoit.Inthisway,IcanfullyfeeltheflowofKithrougheachpersonIpracticewith.Italsoallowsmetoseeandfeelthepowerofaikidotechniquesandkiprincipleswhenbeingukeforeachperson. AspecialsincerethankstoeachofSenseiWilliam’sstudents fromwhom each and everyone, I have learned atremendousamountandwhohavetreatedmeverygentlyandcourteously.Itrulylovecomingtotraining,knowingIwillnotbehurt.Tomethisisvitallyimportant.Thankyoutoeachofyou.

Sincerely, Bald Erika - Byron Bay Dojo

BEGINNER’S MIND I’venoticedanautomaticreactionoccurswhenIhavedifficultydoingsomething.Immediately,Ithink“Ican’tdoit”,asiftoconvincemyselfitisso.However,whilstplay-ingwithayounggirloneday,Iwasinspiredtochangemyperceptionofsuchchallenges.Whenstuckonaproblemthisgirls’initialresponse,‘Ican’tdoit’showedherfrustration. Butafterpausingforasplitsecond,shecontinuedsaying,“NO, Icando it!”, I justdon’tknowhow’. Iwasstruckby the insightsheportrayedwithsuchhonestyanddetermination.Thetoneofhervoiceexpressedthebeliefinwhatshesaidwhencorrectingherself.Andtothinkwiththatonestatementsheopenedherselftothevaluableopportunitytolearn. Anna Rose - Byron Bay.

Words of Wisdom from Jarrah’

The Goshinkan Dojo Mascot

We give thanks for our friends, Our dear friends

We anger each other, We fail each otherWe share this sad earth, this tender life,

this precious time, Such richness, such wildnessTogether we are blown about,

Together we are dragged alongAll this delight, All this suffering

All this forgiving life, We hold it together

Leunig


verhavetroublefindingtimetopractice?Youmay betoobusytoattendclassesatadojoonaregularbasis,butthereisnoneedtostoppracticing.Aik-idomaytakelongertolearnthanotherthingsthatrequire lessmental andphysical participation, but it alsotakeslongertoforget.Youhavetostaygroundedalongtimetoforgethowtorideabicycle.Aikidostickswithusnotjustasasetofphysicalskills,butalsoasanattitude. Ifyoureallyhaveforgottenhowtodosomething,youmayneverhavelearneditproperlythefirsttime.ToheiSenseisaysthatwhatyoulearnoneday,youcanteachan-other.Thebestwayistolearnitsothoroughlythatyoudoitunconsciously.Thistakestime(practice),butwhenyouareputtothetestyoumaysurpriseyourselfthatwhatyouhavelearnedtendstostickwithyou. AlthoughIobtainedateacher’slicenseinbrushcal-ligraphy,andforabout12yearspracticedreligiously,workcommitmentshaveinterferedtothepointwhereIhadnotheldabrushinthepast3years.LastmonthIwasinJapanonbusiness,andpaidavisittomycalligraphyteacher.Naturally,hewantedtoseehowwellIcoulddoafterbeingawayforsolong.Iwasassurprisedashewasthatthefeelingwasstillverymuchinmyfingertips,as if Ihadneverstoppedpracticing.Hewas delighted and exclaimed that I couldstillpaintasaShihan.Thismademethinkthatperhapsweover-emphasizetheimportanceofpractice. ToheiSenseireachedahighdan-gradeinJudobeforehetookupAikido.HequitpracticingJudowhenherealizedthatsizeandstrengthalwaysseemedtogive thewinningadvantage.Disappointedthathecouldnotthrowstrongerandlargerpeoplethanhimself,helefttheartandconcentratedonmisogitrainingattheIchikukai.Afterayearofbreathingandmeditation,butnomartialartstraining,hewentbacktohisoldJudodojo,andsurprisedeveryoneincludinghimselfbyfindingthathecouldeasilythrowopponentsmuchlargerthanhimself.His old trainingpartners shook their heads

wonderinghowToheicouldimprovewithoutpracticing. Thereisanoften-citedstudyinwhichpeoplewhopracticedshootingbasketsforamonthentirelyintheirmindsperformedaswellasotherswhospendtimeactuallyshootingbasketsonacourteverydayforamonth.Apparently,afteracertainbasicskilllevelhasbeenobtaineditispossibletomakeprogresswithoutphysicallypracticing,atleastnottotheextentweassumeisnecessary. Whatisrequiredthentobeabletomakeprogresswithoutpracticing?Youwillnotdoanyoneafavorifyoubecomeconvincedforwhateverreasonthatyouarebeyondthe need to practice.However, if you can do two thingswell,youwillnotneedtopracticenearlyasmuchasyouthinknecessarytomakeprogress.First,youmustmaintainanessentialcontinuitybycoordinatingmindandbody inyourdailylife.Thisisthethreadthatholdsseparateactivi-tiestogether,andensuresthatyourmindandbodyarefullyengagedwhenyoudoperform.Secondly,youmustremainenthusiasticandinterestedintheart,whetherornotyouhavethetimetodevotetoitthatyouwouldlike.Therearelotsofwaystodothis,reading,talkingtopeople,watchingvideos,writingarticles,supportingthedojo.Physicalperformanceisneverfarawaywhenyouarementallyengaged.Thenthereisnopractice,onlydoing.However,ifyouloseinterestintheartyoumayhavetroublerememberinghowtodoit,andwillbecomeboggeddowninminorpointsoftechnique. Ofcourse,theabilitytomakeprogressalsoassumesthatyouhavemasteredatleastcertainfundamentals.Imaginehowfaryouwouldgetplayingtheviolinorlearningaforeignlanguagewithoutatleastacertainamountofpractice.WhyshouldAikidobeanydifferent?Nevertheless,themostimportantpartofpracticeisgainingthefeelingofKithroughtheart.Thisissomethingwhichyoucantakewithyouonandoffthemat,somethingwhichyouarenotlikelytoforget.Itisalsowhatyouneedtomakeprogresswithorwithoutpractice.

MakingProgress without Practiceby

Will iamReed

E


COMPUNAGE....AIKIDO FOR THE 21st CENTURY

Here’s something to consider......how do you ex-tendKi electronically?A ridiculous question youmay ask,and yet nowadays it is becoming increasingly rare to actu-ally communicate person-to-person.All those negotiations,discussions, transactions and dissertations that theAikidokacouldfeelsmugabouthandlingsowellwiththeirmind-blowinginterpersonal skills are nowconducted to the humof theCPUratherthanthemurmerofvoices. Andyet, ultimately, theprinciples are the same.Evenwhenyouraudienceappearstobeafigmentofyourcomputer’simagination it is still possible to communicate effectively.TheAikido principle of “putting yourself in your opponent’splace” can be translated as “consider how the other personwillfeelaboutyourmessage”.Howwouldyouliketobedealtwith?....Whatapproachwouldmakeyoufeellikeco-operating?Yourattitudewillstillbeapparentinyourmessage,andhopefullyyouwillstillbeabletofeelsmug....andallwithoutmovingfromthecomfortofyourofficechair!

Alison Lane - Byron Bay Dojo

EnhancementoftheMind Inaikido,itisfrequentlyreinforcedabouttheimportanceofaclear,focusedmind.Thisiswhatallowsustobecomenotonlyflexibleinwhereweleadourfriends(wether they know it or not) butinourabilitytocoverfromtheunexpected.IwillshowyouanexcercisewhichIhavefoundusefulforenhancingmymindthatyoucanstartusingrightnow.Itisasimple,buteffectivetoolthatyoucanusetotuneyourmindwhereverorwheneveryouhavesomefreetime.Maybeyoumighttryitwhenyouarehavinglunchorthenexttimeyouarewaitinginaline.Togetthemaximumoutofitthough,Irecomenddoingitstraightafteryouwakeupinthemorning.Allyouneedtodoisthefollowing: Close your eyes and look up at about a forty fivedegree angle.Now see and say to yourself the number 100.Now count down to the number 1, seeing and saying toyourself each number. Enjoy the feeling of serenity you get.(optional but highly recomended)When you reach number 1,imagineamoviescreenabout2minfrontofyoutakingupthewholefieldofvision.Nowimagineanobjectinasvividandrichdetailasyoucan,seeit,hearitinsomeway,imaginewhatitfeelslike,whatitmightsmelllike,perhapseventastingit. Ifyoucankeepthisupeverydaythenafteraweekyoucanreducethenumberto50,thenafteranotherweekto25,thento10andfinallyto5.Onceyougettobeingabletoobtainingthesamefeelfromcountingto5,youhaveaverypowerfultooltoquicklycalmandfocusyourmindwheneveryouwant.Ifyoucan’tdoiteverymorningthendoitsomeothertime,regularlyifpossible,butanythingisbetterthannothing.Whenyoustarttogetgoodyoumightwanttotryusingthiswithyourtechniquesandweapon/kitraining. IfyouwanttoknowmorelookforabookcalledtheSilvaMindConrolMethod,byJoseSilva.Mostimportantly,havefun. Chris Ball - Caboolture Dojo

Have you ever considered that aikido is a natural harmonic?

Inthemultipledimensionsofspace/time,concentra-tionsofenergycanhavetheeffectof‘bending’otherenergiesthatcomeintotheirspheresofinfluence,inthewaythatthemooncirclestheearthorthearmsofagalaxyspinroundacore. Simplyput,iftheenergiesarealike,egbothpositiveorbothnegative,aunisonicflowstateisexperienced... lovemeetsandgrowslove,angerbegetsanger.However,ifthereisadifferential,egonepositiveandonenegative,theenergyoflesserintensitywillfallintotheoneofgreaterintensityuntilaneutralstasisisreached...angercanbe‘cancelledout’byloveandviceversa,butthatmakesnomusicintheend.Inreallife,thebalancingactismoredynamicallycreative...themoonisnotapermanent‘given’aroundtheearth;neitheristhemagnetofopposingenergieslikeloveandanger.Musicisinthemaking. Insettingoffaflowofrepulsiveandattractiveenergythrough everyperception/thought/feeling/action, there is thepotentialtogeneratedissonanceorharmony.Consideranai-kidokameetinganaggressorinwhichpositivekiismetwithnegativeki.Therecouldbeaclashofattraction,momentarilycancellingtheeffectsofopposingki,butwiththeuniverseasitis,thestudentofthenature’swaybecomesamovingcentre,leadinganger’skisoitfallsintoacircularalignment,thusturn-ingdissonanceintoharmony. Andinthequietofzanshinthatfollows,therecomesamomentofbalancewhichcanbe transformative,negativeki becoming positive through love’s forgiveness.Harmonybecomesthesilentsingingofunison. Nexttimeyoupractiseaikido,whetheritbeineverydaylifeorinthedojo,beawareofyourki,asessenceofstardust,doingwhatcomesnaturally...makingbeautifulmusic. Sandra Sytsma - Noosa Hinterland Dojo

On the harmony of the spheres...

“Though there are many paths

at the foot of the mountain,

All those who reach the top

See the same moon. ”


Whichsayingdoyouconsidertobemoreaccurate,“see-ingisbelieving”,or“believingisseeing”?Amorecynicalandskepticalindividualorsocietytendstoleantowards,“I’llbelieveitwhenIseeit”.Thisattitudecreatesrigid,intolerantandsmall-mindedattitudes.Ourlivesareconstantlybeinginfluencedbywhatwecannotsee.Theairwebreathecannotbeseen,yetstillitexists.Thewindthatcoolsourbodiescannotbeseen,yetstillitexists.Ourthoughtsarepowerfulunseenforces,yetstilltheyexist.Everycellofourbodyismadeupofsubatomicparticlesthatgounseen,yetwithoutthem,wedonotexist.Last,butcertainlynotleast,“ki”energyflowsunseenwithin,throughandbeyondourbody,yetstillitexists. Thesefactsandinfinitelymorelikethem,revealtousthereisfarmoretolifethanmeetstheeye.Theothersideofthecoinisthatwhateveryoubelieve,youwillsee.Ifyoubelievethatlifeisunfair,thenyourlifewillbefilledwithinequality.Ifyoubelieveinjudgmentandblame,thenyouwillfindit.Ifyoubelieveindoubtandfear,thenyouwillcreateit.Ifyoubelieveinhappinessandjoy,thenyouwillhaveit. Lifeisreallyquiteasimpleprocess.Itarrangesitselftoaccommodateyourneeds.Yourneedscomefromthebeliefsyouhaveaboutyourselfandtheworldaroundyou.Beliefscanbelongtoanindividualorbeconnectedtosocialconsciousness.Eachculturehasitsowntraditionsandbehavioursthatarepasseddownfromonegenerationtothenext.Thesemassbeliefscreatelimitedawarenessinwhoweare,whatwecandoandwhowecanbecome.Onlythosethatbreakdownthewallsoftheirpersonalandculturalbeliefbarriersgettoexperiencealifeunlimited.Ifyoureallywanttoimprovethequalityofyourmental,physical,personal,businessorspirituallife,thenlooknofurtherthanchang-ingyourlimitedbeliefsaboutyourselfandtheworld. Forexample,ifyoulookatsomeoneyouloveandbelievethatyouknowthembecauseoftheirbody,voiceorbehaviours,thenyouhaveneverreallyknownthematall.Itisnotpossibletoknowanotherhumanbeinguntilweknowourselves.Youmayevenbelievethatyouknowyourself(ifitisjustabelief,thenallyouknowisthecostume,nottheactor).Youmaybelievethatyouareabeggaroraking,butthesethingsarenotwhoyouare.Youareneitherrichnorpoor,youngorold,manorwoman,blackorwhite.Thesethingsarepurelyanidea.Thewayyoucanknowthisforsureistoconsiderwhathappenswhenyoumoveintodeepsleep. Indeepsleepyouarenolongeridentifiedwithanylim-itingattributeofyourmindorbody.Eventerminallyillpeople

forgettheyaredyingwhileindeepsleep.Ihavewatchedpeoplewithsevereheadandchestcoldswhocoughandsplutterbeforefallingasleep,totallyrelaxandresumenormalbreathingassoonastheybecomeunconscious.Whatdoyousupposeishappening? Thishappensbecauseindeepsleepyournormalattach-mentstoyourmindandbodydonotexistandyourconsciousnessmergeswiththeuniversalsourceofexistence.Youcancallthissourcewhateveryoulike.Wordsandlabelshavelittlemeaning.Whatmattersisthatintheunseenworld,whereevenlightanddarknolongerhaveanymeaning,thereisanon-dualornon-separatereality.Inthisrealitywestandnaked,undivided,unlimitedandrevealed.Thisiswheretheknown,unknownandunknowableallcometogetherasone. Tome, thewholepurposeof thehumanjourneyis toenterthisplacewithoureyesopen.Tofallintotheplaceofdeepsleep,yetremainawakeandalert.Icallthisthepathofamystic.Othersmaycallthisfantasy.Whateveryourinclination,thefactremainsthatthedepthandbreadthofexistenceiswaybeyondourwildestdreamsorimaginings.Ifyouwanttohaveamorefulfilling,consciousandtruthfulappreciationoflife,thendropallbeliefs.Thebestwaytodothisistosay“YES”tolife.Intheawarenessof“yes”energy,allthingsbecomepossible,allthingsaretrueandnothingisbeingdenied.Thisdoesnotmeanbecomecompliant.Itmeanshavethecouragetoexploreyourfears,yourvulnerability,yourresistancetochangeanddiscoveryourinnerstrengthamongstyourapparentweaknesses. Thedeeperthe“yes”,themoregenuineyourexistence.Aworldwithoutbeliefswouldbeaworldwithouttension.Foreveryone thatbelieves theyare“right”, someoneelsemustbe“wrong”. For every “wrong”, there is judgment. As long asjudgmentexists,thenpainandsufferingremain.Itonlytakesonepersontoagreewithanothertobegintheendofallconflictandtensionontheplanet.Itmaynothappenovernight,butifwedon’tstartnow,itwillneverhappen.Someonehastotakeresponsibilitytobethefirstonetostoppassingthebuck,onlythencanpeacebeareality. Asafinalthought,justkeepinmindthathoweveryourlifeisforyourightnow,itisonlyareflectionofyourinnerbeliefs.Ifyouareunhappyorunfulfilledinanyarea,thentakeacloserlookatwhatthesebeliefsmightbeandthenwhenyoufindout–letthemgo.Thenyouwillknowinnerpeaceandhappiness.Untilthen,mayyourvisionbecomeclearer,yourheartbecomepurerandyourmindbeatpeace.

Breaking down belief barriers...

…by Michael AtmaLogan City Dojo


. Taking pride in fame is not as interesting as avoiding it. Cultivating hobbies is not as peaceful as minimising interests.

from Reflections of the Tao

Aiki - PoetryWhen I started Aikido it was in the kid’s classes,

But now I’m learning from great teachers and masters.In the children’s classes it was really fun,

When we could always play around and run.But the senior class needs discipline and Ki,

And when I started I really began to see.You can go to many arts with punches and kicks,

But I don’t think any other art can cover all these tricks.You learn from zenpo and kotegaeshi

And from kirikaeshi to udefuri.My sixteen year cousin fell down some stairs so straight,She did an aikido roll, she learned when she was eight.

You probably won’t be attacked in all of your life,But you can always practice with your wife.

Hayley McGlone Age 12 - Byron Bay Dojo

Aikido is not just a martial art,It makes you think from the heart.So, it’s not just about self defence,The principles make a lot of sense.

It has helped me in many ways,In my schoolwork throughout the days.

It has made me concentrate,And be more focussed in all I create.

When you walk into the training place,You meet many interesting people face to face.

Learning aikido is great,And if you are destined in your fate,

To practice aikido.Remember one thing, Ki, and you will see,

It’s not just a martial art.

Kira Williams Age 12 - Byron Bay Dojo

The Art of Choice

ThiswasthedescriptionofAikidogiventometwentyyearsagointhegymofanoilplatforminthefarreachesoftheNorthSea.Iwas25yearsoldatthetime,practicingkataforms in preparation for a brownbelt inShotokanKarate.Everysecondeveningaftera12-15hourdayatwork,Iwouldbeinthegym.Iwouldliketotellyouaboutanincidentthatoccurredacoupleofdaysearlier. Havingjustfinisheda12hourshift,ithadbeenalong,coldday.Ihadjustcomefromanicehotshower,hungry;Iwasheadingforfood.Servingmyselfalargefeed,Ilookedaroundthecanteenforaquietspotorafamiliarface.IsatdownatatableatthebacksectionwhereitwasquietandIcouldseeeverythingthatwashappeningaroundme.Eventually,slow-ingmyeating,I’mabletoobservewhat’sgoingon.Noticingtomyrighttwoguyshavingagoatthistallquietguy,smilingandhavingsomefood.Thesetwowereabusingthisfellow.Tomethiswasnotfair,soIdecidedtobeasuperheroandstepinandhelptheguyout.Itwasn’ttoolongortoohardbeforetheloudmouthsleftthisguyalone. Twonightslater,aloneinthegympracticingblocksandpunches,thedooropensbehindmeandglancingaround,Iseeitsthequietguyfromtheotherevening.TheoneIthoughtIwasprotectingbegansomestretchingandthenstartedrollingaroundthegym.Havingneverseenanyonedothisbefore,Ithoughttomyself,‘What’sthiswankerdoing?’Itseemedstupidtomeatthetime.Afterawhile,Iaskedhimwhathewasdoing.Hetellsme‘Aikido’,themartialartthatgivesyouachoice.‘Whatdoyoumean’,Iask. Heintroduceshimselfas‘Tom’,andthensaysitisbestifheshowsmeandasksmetopunchhimwithoutholdingback.Ijustwentforhimtosurprisehim,butwasthiseverawrongmove?Withinasplitsecond,Iwasonmyarseandinpain.Hewasholdingmewithonlyonehand.ThemoreItriedtogetaway,themorepainIwasin.Tomthentookmeforaguidedlowangletourofthegym.Asheledmeonmykneesacrossthelengthandbreadthoftheroom,heeventuallytellsmetorelaxandstopfightingthehold.Thatnotresistingwouldstopthepain. Mybrainhadjustspentthelast5minutesinnotcom-putemode!Standingmeup,heexplainedaboutthechoiceshehad-toletmegoorapplymoreKi.Asheappliedmore,itfeltasthoughmywrist,elbowandshoulderwereabouttosnap.HeexplainedthatwithKi,youcanapplyalittleoralot,holdorthrow.Tomalsopointedouthowgentlyhewasactuallyholdingmeandhowkiwasactuallymoreusefulthanstrength.Thelast15minuteshadconvincedmeofthat. Its takenme20yearsof travelling throughvariousmartialartssystemstorealiseIwouldhavebeenalotwisertostartaikidoandstaywithitoverthelast20years. Newbeginningattheendofacircle.Aikido.

A Beginner - Byron Bay Dojo


owriteanessayonwhatAikidomeanstomeatthis stageofmylifeis,asI’msuremanyhavefoundinthe pastandmanywillfindinthefutureaparticularlyon eroustask.Fartootemptingtoattempttoencapsulateamyriadofactions,techniqueandcounters,abitlikeAikidojointhedots.Butwhatifthevitalcomponent, thenucleusandkernel isomitted in thatcompart-mentalistmethodology.Perhapsalesscircuitousrouteismoreappropriate;irimi-esque,straighttotheheart,fromtheheart,swiftandconcise,anessaydistilledasaKiaionpaper,onewordsaysall.Thisprocessofintellectualmasticationandponderingonthechoiceofmethod,letalonethecontentisanarduousandtaxingone.Itwasduringaperiodofrespitefromthesementalgyrationsthatthisstorybegins,fromapointofnothingness,fromwhenceallthingsspring. Teainanenamelcup,completewithobligatorycindersfromthefire,duskonasmallcoastalpromitory.Aspiderexcavatesahomeforthenight,ephemeralandtransient,economyofeffort,ahomeandmeansoffillingitsbelly.Theprocessofexcavationbecomes an intrigue, a spiral of dirt being scooped out, anticlockwise and relentless.Severalminutes are spent captivatedbytheprocess,sparkingtheimaginationtoponderthedanceoflife;birth,death,loveandfear.Thespider’shomeisaseeminglyinnocuouspileofsoilamidstthegrandeurofthesouthernforests.Andforthatmoment,theforestmovesinthesamespiralpatternasthespider’s,ablueprintofeachother,withtheirownindividualexpression.Thetreeshavegrowninthesameanticlockwisepat-ternspiralingupwards,aflockofcockatoosmoveon,lightningstrikeshavescarredthebarkoftrees,electricalcurrentsspiralingandconnectingwiththeearthinthesameanticlockwisefashion.Theforestinmorningandeveningreflectstheteemingoflife,thetendertransferenceofgrowthandlifeandbackagain,theserenityofstillness,thetravellingwithin,itcrackleswiththemovementoflife. Andasenchantingandaweinspiringasthissmallso-journofthesoulhadbeen,theactofobservationandperception,thatcouplingofthesensesandtheworldaroundusbecamethemomentofreflection,forareflectionit is;ofmyself.Tosit tosit,nottorelaxortoeatortoread,butsimplysittingtosit,todonothing,thatwasthedeceivinglysimplecatalystthatinitiatedthepanoramaofthesensesjustexperienced.Todonothing,tobe.

ThequintessentialZen.Thatmomentarydecouplingfromthefogandfuzzofdailythought,thederailingofanalyticalthoughtallowsamightilychangedperceptionofoursurroundings.Andhowseeminglyrarelydowesurrendertothegiftofemptiness.Atthatpointintimetheobjectivityofperceptionwassurpassedbytheexperienceofsimplyperceiving,ofsimplybeing:asenseofconnection,ofbreathingwiththeforest,belonging,asharingofKi. Todonothingdoesnotimplydoingnothingatall.Ratheritmeanstosurrendertotheheart,notjustactinresponsetothemind.Thatisnottosayweforgetthebasicpreceptsoflife,themoralsandethicsthatbindusasaspeciestogether(bothinterandintra),theessentialactofsurvival,ourbiology.Whenwedoactthough,itisinresponsetointuition,tospontaneity,toKi,ratherthanself-consciousdeliberationora societal setofconscripts,parametersandprescriptions.TheChineseTaoistssuchasLaoTzuandChuangTzucallthiswuwei,andinmanyrespectspar-allelstheteachingsofO’senseiandToheisensei.ThegeniusofbothO’senseiandToheisenseihasbeentheirabilitytointerpretamuchcontemplated,butdifficulttoverbaliseconceptofwuweiandplaceitintotherealmsofthetangible,thepalpableandthephysical;i.e.Aikido.Sowhilethedeliberationofessaymethodol-ogyisstillunresolved,atleastthesubjectmatterhasbeenclarified:AtthisstageofmyAikidotrainingtheconceptofdoingnothinghasbecomeamajorpointoffocus,acontemplationandinquiryforasO’senseistates: “If you have not linked yourself

to true emptiness, You will never understand the Art of Peace.”

Ofcoursetomakemanifesttheprincipleof“Do Noth-ing”inthecontextofthisessay,theimplicationcouldeasilybemadetositanddonothingatall.Eventhoughwehurtletowardsanageofvoiceandvisualrecognitionincomputers,thedaysarestillfaroffforKitranslation,sobesttostumbleforwardandat-tempttoputsomesemblanceofstructuretothisruminationanditsapplicationindailylifeandonthemat. ThewordKihasnorealinterpretationintotheEnglishlanguage, theglueof theUniverse isprobably thebest Ihave

Nidan Essay - 1998

by Sensei John Ward B y r o n B a y Dojo

There are only two fee l ings . Love and Fear

There are only two languages . Love and Fear

There are only two act iv it i es . Love and Fear

There are only two mot ives , two procedures ,

two frameworks, two results.

Love and Fear, Love and Fear.

(Michael Luenig)


heard,soisitanywonderthatweintheWesthavetroublegrap-plingwithwhatKiis,letaloneincorporatingKiintoourdailylives.IntuitionisbutoneofthewindowsofKi,atwo-wayconduittotheuniverse,yetonethathasbecomestifledandatrophiedinaworlddominatedby logicandrationalism.Theworldof therationalandlogicalhasajustifiedandvitalrole,particularlyintheempiricalworldofscience that I inhabit. It is just that thependulumhasswungtoofar. Certainlymostofushavelostcontactwithourintuitiveside,thosesubtleramblingsandfeelingsthatsimplyindicategoright,goleft,go,stopetc.Sometimesprofoundbutmoreoftensubtleandsubverted.WithouttherecognitionandacceptanceofintuitionandthereforeKiinourlivesIbelieveweliveinastateof extremepolarization and a profounddilemmaof diametricopposites.Ontheonehandtheintellectandemotiondrivethemajorityofouractions,asdoourtaughtbehavioursandsocialprecepts thatmeddle in innocence.Activityforactivitiessake,strivingforhappinessoutsideofourselves,theHolyGrailandmantraofconsumptionasapanaceaforall,self-aggrandizement,fearandloathing. OurlivesareimmersedinandencapsulatedbyaCar-tesianpolemic.Weconsciously liveour livesasa setof lineswith abrupt beginnings and ends, a continually expanding setof linearcoordinatesespousedasgoalsandachievements.Butlivinglifeonlyinsuchalinearmodeputsusinconflictwiththenaturalworld.Aworldofcirclesandcycles,spirals,rhythmsandpulses,aworldwherebeginningmeltsintoend:thecircleoflife.Biologicallyweinhabitaworldofcircles,intellectuallyweliveinaworldoflines.Thelossofconnectionbetweenthetwoisnotsurprising. ThedevelopmentofKiinoneslifeallowsthejuxtapo-sition,anexus,ofthetwospheres,similartothecircle,triangleandsquaretrilogyofO’Sensei.Thecirclerepresentsserenityandperfection,thesquare(orlines)representssolidityandcontrol,thetrianglestabilityandcreation.ThepracticeofAikidoandKitrainingmakesKi a palpable entity, tangible andquantifiable.Andjustasimportantly,regularpracticeprovidesasubconsciousshift,aprofoundchangeinselfesteem,sensitivity,compassionandcourage,asthoughweareimbuedwithasenseofvastnessandavailabilityofthesehumanistvirtues. LivingwithanawarenessofKiisanalogoustohavinganinfinitenumberofrubberbandstiedaroundoneswaist.Andeachoneofthosebandsisinturnconnectedtoaninfinitenumberofentitiesbothanimateandinanimate,andthoseconnectedtoeachother.Eachmomentintimerepresentsatensionononethread,aslackeningofanother-adynamicfluxofexpansionandcontractionwitheachandeveryoneofusatthecentreofaninfiniteuniverse.ThreadsofKIconnectustotheentiretyoftheuniverse,it’suptoeachandeveryoneofustodevelopasensitivitytocomprehendthis. Anobviousconsequenceofanymartialartistodeveloptheskillandcouragetoprotectourselves,familyandhumanityfromactsofviolenceandaggression.Certainlyanoblecause,onethatentailsmuchstudy,practiceandfunandonewhereAikidoisparticularlyeffective.Thechallenge,however,formeatthisstageofmyAikidotrainingistodevelopthecouragetoletgo,tounleashthe intuition, tosurrenderandtrust in theKiof theUniverse,toDONOTHING.Asfarasthewhysandwherefores;Ihavenorealidea,simplyacommitmenttoseek,listenandadapt.AsLeunigsaysthereisonlyloveandfear.Ifcourageisobviouslytheantithesisoffear,perhapscourageequatestolove.I’llsitheretosimplysitandaspidermaygivemeahint.

Zenpo Nage Itwasarainy,busynightinthehostelwhereIhadbeenstaying.Ihadgonetobedearly;feelingverycongestedwithacold.Itwasabout2:00AMwhenIawoketotheravingsofwhatIcouldmakeoutwasadrunkenmadman.Thisguywouldjustnotshutup.Thatwouldhavebeenallrighttoapoint,however,thecontentofhisoutburstswereveryupsetting. Itseemedtomethathewasn’tjustafewslicesshortofaloaf,butmoreontheevilsideofmad.Ihadtogoandseethesecurityguywhofortunatelywasnearby.AsIwasexplainingthe situation, theguycameupbesidemeand started to arguehispoint.Whenhesawhewasn’tmakingagoodimpressionhechangedgearandjustchargedmefulltilt. Now,I’mnotcompletelyalientoaschoolyardscuffle,asithashappenedtomebefore.Anyonewhohashadasimilarexperienceunderstandshowterrifyingaconfrontationofthisna-turecanbe.ThatispartofthereasonIundertooktolearnaikido.Yearsbefore,IhadbeenbodychargedbyarathersolidfootballplayerandIendedupinhospitalforacoupleofdayswitheightstitchesundermyeye,adislocatedlittlefingerandafracturedelbow.Thatdidn’thurtasmuchhowever,astherealisationthatIwaspowerlesstodoanythingaboutit. Myaikidopracticedevelopedforanumberofreasons,notallrelatedtoself-defence.Thestyleoffitnessthat‘mindandbodyunification’Aikidocreates,isuniquecomparedtoanyotherphysicaldisciplineI’veencountered. At the time of the confrontation in the hostel, I hadreachedgreenbeltlevel.Learninghownottoreceivesomeone’skiwassomethingI’dbeenpractising.Havingbeenbodychargedbefore,Iknewzenponagewasprobablythebestthingtodoatthetime.Thismanplayedukeformeandthezenpo’sweresoeasyIcouldn’tbelieveit.Sincethen,Ihavetocometoreverethebasicsofzenpo.Itissosimple,butnotsoeasy,onedefinitelyhastopractice.Asitwas,Ididdamagemyarmmuscleononeofthezenpo’sbecauseIwasn’tunifiedenoughtoflickhimoffatthecompletionofthethrow. AnequallyremarkableoutcomeofthatmeetingwasthatIreallyonlygotangryonce,andthatwasforaveryshorttime.Igotangrywhenhelandedapunch.IwenttopunchhimbackbutsomebodypushedhimoutofthewayandinstantlyIlostpowerandmy ‘ki’wasdissipated. Ipulledmyselfup, rememberingwhatStevenSeagalwoulddo,having‘maai’,projectingforwardandturning180degreesforthezenpo.Afterthat,eachtimehebodychargedmeIthrewhim.ThemoreIthrewhimthemoretiredhegotandtheattacksbecamelessfrequent.IknewIhadtocontrolmyangerandnotletitgrabme(formyownsurvival).IalmostfeltcompassionforthisguyratherthanangerandI’msurethattheaikidoprincipleoftreatinghisenergyjustsimplyasthat,‘energy’,wasfundamentaltoexecutingthezenpocorrectly.Humanbeingsaresocomplexattimes. Two thingsstandout formeabout theencounter thatnight.Firstly,Igainedaveryrealappreciationofthetechnique,knownas‘zenpo’.Secondly,Irealisedhowdebilitatingangercanbe.InAsianculture,angerisrecognisedasthefirstsymptomofmadnessandIreckontheyareright. Brett King - Byron Bay Dojo


The Nonviolent Martial Art Aikido,“the way of harmonizing with the spirit of the universe,” isperhapsthemostelegantandsophisticatedofthemartialarts.Itisalsothemostdifficulttolearn.“Itsdemandsforskill,grace,andtimingrivalthoseofclassicalballet.” Inspiteofthesedemands,aikidoisgrowinginpopular-ity.Thoughitisadirectdescendantofbushido-“the way of the warrior” -aikidoisareformoftheconventionalmartialarts.Itsdeeperpurpose-expressedineverytechnique,everymovementistocreateharmonyratherthandiscord,reconciliationratherthanvictory. Modern aikidowas founded in the lateTwenties byMoriheiUyeshiba,amasterofjujitsuandswordfighting.Athisdeathatageeighty-sixin1969,MasterUyeshibaleftbehindarichmind-body-spiritartandalegendofextraordinaryfeats,someofwhichwerecapturedonfilm.Butheleftonlyafewwords.Amongthem:

“The secret of aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself. He who has gained the secret of aikido has the universe in himself and can say, ‘I am the universe.’” “Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat the enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.” “The only opponent is within.”

It is practically impossible tomaster aikidowithoutinternalizingitsphilosophy.Anditisaratherradicalphilosophy:To loveandprotect theattacker; tocooperatewith rather thancompeteagainstyourfellowaikidoists(contestsareforbidden,butexaminationsarequitechallenging);totranscendconventionalconceptsoftime,spaceandcausality;andtosensetheintercon-nectednessofallexistence. Aikido can be practiced by people of every age butcanbeasdemandingphysicallyasitisphilosophically.Halfthetimetheaikidoistplaystheattacker;inthisrolenopunchesarepulledandtheattackerisgenerallythrownorpinned.Theseem-inglyeffortlessqualityofaikidodisguisestherigoroustraininginvolvedintakingafallsafelyandgracefully.Thisaspectoftheart,learningtotransformthefearoffallingintothejoyofflyingisasrewardingandvaluableasisthethrowingandpinning. Since its power does not come from sheermass orexceptional upper-body strength, aikido is an especially goodmartialartforwomenandsmallermen.Toomuchrelianceonarm,shoulder,andchestmuscles, infact,canpreventgracefulandeffectiveperformanceonthemat.Thestartlingforceoftheaikidothrowderivesfromthelongmusclesthatareattachedtothepelvis.Duringthrows,theaikidoist’sarmsandhandsareoftenextendedlikeswords.Thisisaccomplishedbysensingki(en-ergy)flowingthroughthearmsandoutthefingertips.Whatevertherationalexplanationforthismysteriousphenomenon,thefactremainsthatitworks;theaikido“unbendable or energy arm”isrelaxedyetremarkablypowerful.Inaikido,themysteriousandthecommonplaceoftenseemtojoin. GettinginvolvedinthisartisaseasyaslookingitupintheYellowPages—aikidoisgenerallylistedunderJudo,Karate,orMartialArts.Phoneandaskifyoucanobserveaclass.Ifnot,somethingisprobablywrong;thebestdojoswelcomevisitors.Watchthetraining.Seeifitmanifeststheoriginalideasaffirmed

bythefounderoftheart.Thendecideifyouarewillingtodevotetime,money,andefforttoyourpractice. Consideringthecomplexityofthetrainingandthefactthatclassesaregenerallyofferedtwiceaday,fivetosevendaysaweek,feestendtobequitereasonable.Youshouldprobablynottakeupaikidounlessyoucantrainanabsoluteminimumoftwiceaweekonaverage;threetosixdaysaweekwouldbebetter. Aikidotrainingisanongoingprocess.Youbeginsimplybyputtingonyourgi(traininguniform,generallyavailableatthedojo), tyingaknot inyourwhitebelt (emblemof theultimatelearner,thebeginner),andsteppingonthemat.Themoreexpe-riencedstudentswillhelpyou,aswillyoursensei(teacher). Nevertheless,you’llgothroughaperiodoffeelingquiteclumsy.Takeitasanaturalandnecessarypartofthelearningprocess.Getting a blackbeltwill probably take three or four years ofdedicatedtrainingfortheyoungerperson;fiveyearsormoreforothers. Sodon’teventhinkaboutthat.Juststayonthemat.Keeptraining.Youcaneventuallygainphysicalconditioning,flexibility,graceunderpressure,confidence,asenseofcommunity.Andthemomentwillfinallycome-justwhenyouleastexpectit-whenathrowworksperfectlywithnoapparenteffortonyourpartandyourattackergoessailingthroughtheair.Atthatmoment,you’llrealizethereareabsolutelynowordsthatcanadequatelydescribewhyyou’repracticingaikido.

George Leonard

Aikido ClubBrisbane YMCA - 1980

Have you seen any of these people asks Jutta Dowdy?.

(3rd row in the middle - from Griffith University Aikido)

HavingstartedAikido19yearsagowouldliketoknowiftherearestillanypractisingaikidoistouttherefromtheinitialmembersoftheBrisbaneYMCAdays.IfsopleasecontactJuttaviatheGriffithUniAikidoClub-Brisbane

Jutta Dowdy - Griffith University Dojo


ThefollowingisacollectionofmythoughtsasIhaveprogressedinmystudyoftheartofAikido.Thisarticlerepre-sentspartofmystruggletoresolvetheconceptsoftheartwiththatofmybackgroundasphysicist.Throughoutmy training Ihavetriedtokeepanopenandreceptivemind,puttingasideanybaggagefrommybackground.HoweverIstillfindmyselfunableto clearly resolve these different perspective’s withinmyself,letaloneconveymyideastoothers.Thisessaydiscussesanap-proachtothetechniquesofAikidofromanalternativepointofviewusingphysics.

The culture of Aikido and Ki Anewstudententeringthedojoisconfrontedwithmuchoftheeasterncultures,whichisincorporatedintothebasicethosoftheclass.ThisusuallyincludeslotsofbowingandvariousphrasesofJapanese.Andwhileinitiallythisisallquitestrangeitturnsoutthereareverygoodreasonsforthisritualbehaviour.Thebowing for instance is not some strange religious act buttoencouragerespectfortheartanditsfounder,theSenseiandfellowstudents.(I think also a mention of the fact that we are taught that this ritual helps us to clear our mind or get us in the right frame of mind would be worth a mention.)CentraltothetechniquesofAikidoaretheconceptsofKiandliberaluseofthewordismadeinatypicalclassinbothamartialandphilosophical/spiritualsense.ThisdiscussionwillcentreoncomparingtheKiparadigmwiththeparadigmsofphysicsforperformingthevarioustechniquesofAikido.Thephilosophical,spiritualsideofKiisnotdealtwithinthisdiscussion,thoughthedevelopmentofthemindisanimportantandintegralpartoftheart. OneofthefirstthingsstudentshavetodealwithistheconceptofKiandofcourse itsapplication toAikidoandper-hapstheirwayoflife.Explanationshererangefromareligiousexperiencetoexplanationsasmundaneasthemomentumofanopponent.TodaytherearemanydifferentstylesofAikidosomeplacingmoreemphasisonKiandKidevelopmentthanothers,thisseemsinsomewaytobeareflectionofdifferentinterpretationsofKi.ToheisenseidefinesKias“cosmicpower”andstatesthat“Kiisaverycomplexword…andevenmoredifficulttotranslatetowesterners”[1].WestbrookandRatti[2]speakofthedifficultyofdefiningKiinapurelyphysicalormentalsense. TheconceptofKiisofcourseJapaneseandmoreeasilyinterpretedinthecontextoftherootsofJapanesesociety.How-evertoawesternerthisissometimessomethingofastruggletograsp(though it appears that many Japanese also have trouble with the concept),thisiscompoundedbyhavingnotusuallyin-ternalisedmanyofthepreceptsofJapanesesociety.IdeallythenonewouldstudyallfacetsofJapanesesocietyincludingsomeofthevariousreligionsandphilosophies(suchasShinto,Zenetc.)tofullyinterpretKiinitsculturalcontext,unfortunatelythoughthisisaseriousundertakingandwouldrequireasignificantin-vestmentintime.Thetranslationcan,howeverbeassistedifwelookatsomewordsthatincludetheKicharacterasitappearsinthecalligraphyforAikido.(InterestinglythereareanumberofdifferentcharactersthatrepresentKi-alludingtoithavingawider

usewithin the Japanese society [3]).While there isaplethoraofJapanesewordsthatincludethischaracterforKiwhichhavedeeplyphilosophicalmeaningstherearealsomanythathaveamorephysicalmeaning.Someexamplesthathaveamorephysicalmeaning(togetherwiththeiraccompanyingEnglishtranslation)includedenki(electricity),petrol/gasoline(sekiyu)andkiryoku(force).WhilethismethodoftranslationisatbestasuperficialoneitdemonstratesthegeneraliseduseofKiinJapaneselanguageandsociety.ThisisperhapsinlinewithToheiSensei’steachingsofKipervadingallthings.

Eastern and Western Sciences It shouldbenoted that thedevelopmentof thephysi-cal sciences in Japanwas in conjunctionwith its contactwiththewest (though this is perhaps an ethnocentric observation) howeverdevelopmentoftheinternalmindandphilosophieswaswidelyprevalentandadvancedintheEastbeforethisWesterninfluence[4].Ifaphysicalscienceapproachwasnotavailablefordescribingthephysicalworld(priortocontactwiththewest),maybethenamorephilosophicalexplanationhadtosuffice.Thiswouldexplain the tendenciesof theJapanesepeople tofavourthesesortsofexplanationstodescribecomplexobservedevents.HenceperhapstheexplainationforthephilosophicalratherthanscientificapproachofAikido.Anadditionaladvantagewasthatthepeopleofthelocalcultureandtimemoreeasilyunderstoodthisapproach.Idonotthinkawesternerorpurelywesternmindaseasilyassimilatesinformationinthisway.Aswesternersthenwe can then try to understand the techniques ofAikidousingwesternmodelslikephysicsasaformoftranslatingtheconceptsandmeaningofKi.Possiblythoughthisisanon-trivialtaskgiventhecomplexityofmodernphysics.MainlythisisbecausetousemodernphysicsathoroughgroundinginNewtonianmechanicsisanessentialrequirementaswellasanunderstandingofmathemat-icstocalculuslevelandsomeunderstandingofbiomechanicsisessential.Thisrepresentsaconsiderableinvestmentintimeandenergy.

A physical look at the techniques of Aikido Aconversational levelof ability inphysics allowsustodescribetheuke-nageinteractions, thoughtopursueamorerigoroussolutionisconsiderablymoredemanding.ForexampleNewtonianmechanicsallowsus tocalculate the interactionofparticlesandshapeseasily.Herethepositionofanypointinarbi-traryspacecanbedescribedusingonly3numbers(x,y,z).Tothendescribethatpoints’movementsinspaceanother3numbers(forvelocity)arenecessary.Tomodeltheinteractionof2peopleweneedtodescribepositionandvelocityinspaceoveraperiodoftime,thisbecomesaconsiderablymorecomplextask.Amechanicsequationisrequiredtodescribethemotionofeachindependentbodyforagivenmovement.Forexampletorepresentthemotionofapersonbydescribingonlythemajorinterconnectingbones,wearedealingwithapproximately20equations (oneforeachjoint),eachoftheseequationswouldthencontaindescriptionsforposition(3variables),velocity(3variables)andacceleration(3variables)say.Ifwetrytodescribetheinteractionofukeand

Aikido: Physics in Action? - Part 1by Daniel A. James


nageoverevenashortperiodoftime,sayathreesecondtechnique,andweanalysethemotioneverymillisecondweend updealingwiththeorderof2x20x9x3000=1,000,000variablesorunknownvaluestocompute.Clearlythisbecomesanon-trivialtaskevenontodayscomputers,assumingyoucouldfindsomeonetowritetheprogram Incontrasttheanalysisofavarietyofjointcontrols(ni-kyo,sankyo)atthefinishofatechniquehasbeendemonstratedpreviously[5][6].Thoughtheinteractionofuke-nageduringoratthestartofatechniquehasnotbeenanalysedtechnicallyintheliteratureoradequatelyexplainedotherwise.Thiswouldseemalsotobebeyondthescopeofthisdiscussion.InsteadletusexamineasimplerinteractionliketheunraisablebodyKitest.ThisisanexerciseperformedtoaidinKidevelopment/testingofastudent,onemayalsoarguethatitisanessentialskillforperformingmanyofthetechniquesofAikido.Thisdiscussionwillusesomebasicphysicstoexplainsomeoftheforcesnecessarytoraiseabodyandtopreventabodybeingraisedandthenshowhowanaikidokamanipulatesthesetotheiradvantage.

Interlude The Physics of lifting Beforewebeginwithlookingathowunraisablebodyworksletsfirstlookatliftingandhowthebodydoesthis.Imag-ineyouareholdingaheavybagaboveyourhead.Whilekeepingyourarmstraightrotateyourarmattheshouldersothatyounowbegintolowerthesuitcasesothatitisoutinfrontofyou,atfirstthebagisveryeasytocontrol.Butastheangleformedbyyourbodythearmbeginstochangeitbecomesincreasinglydifficulttohold.Whyisthis,surelythemassofthebagremainsthesame? Itmay seema silly question to ask, as the answer isobvious–butisiteasytoexplain?Inmovingthebagthroughthisarctheefforttoliftitchangesfrombeingsolelydevotedtoholdingtheweightofthebagtoexpendingincreasingenergyinmaintainingitatitscurrenthorizontaldistancefromthebody.Atthispointthebodyisbecominglessefficientastheenergythatwasinitiallydevotedentirelytoliftingthebagisnowbeingredirectedelsewhere.Lightbulbsmaybegoingoffaboutnow-whatifwecanmakeuseofthisknowledgeinourAikido.Moreonthatlater. Physicallywhatishappeningistheweightofthebagalwaysactsinadownwarddirectionandwhenthearmisverti-calthat’sOK.Howeverwhenthearmisnotheldverticallythenmuchmoreenergyneedstobeexpendedtoholdthesameweight–becausethearmsstrengthisnowdividedbetweenholdingnotonlyaverticalpositionbutalsoholdingithorizontallyaswell. By Daniel James - London - Part 2 next issue

What am I ? Iammadeofahardsubstance,anddonotbendeasily.IamlongandatoneendIseparateintoourpointypieces.InthemiddleIhaveaslightcurve,andItaperabitinthedirectionofthe four points.Whenheld in the center, there is a noticeableheavierside.Thebalancepointisinthetaperedarea.Idon’thavemuchofataste,exceptperhapsslightlymetallic.Ihavenoodor,andIamoftenonthecoolside.Whentappedonwood,thereisaslightringingintheair.Whentappedonmetal,Imeetwithaloudnoiseandaresoundingring.Ifcooled,Istaycoolforalongtime.Ifwarmed,Ialsostaywarmalongtime.Whenbitten,thereisdefiniteresistance.Theareaofmethatseparatesintofourpointsisalsoflatandwide,whiletheothersideofmeislongandthin,withaslightflatness.Thepointysideiseffectiveforpokingorpiercingsomething.Theothersideisverydull.Iamasilverygreyincolor,andhavefinestreakswhichaddtotheshinyness.

Can you guess what I am?

Howoftendowelookatobjectsinthisway?Howoftendowejustexaminethefacts,insteadofjustgoingbywhatwefeeltobetrue.Sooftenweoverlookthingsbecausewearenotreallypayingattentiontowhatisreallythere. Achild,perhaps,wouldlookatthisobjectforthefirsttime, andexamine it in thismanner.Theyputobjects in theirmouth, theysmell them,touchthem,hit them,use themtohitsomethingelse,andthelistgoeson.Dotheygetabettersenseoftheobjectbecausetheyfindallpossibilitiesfortheuseoftheobject,whileweonlyusetheobjectforwhatitwasmadefor? Itisimportanttolookatthingsinanopenanuncondi-tionedway,sothatweseeallofthepossibilitiesandperspectives.To be close-minded or conditioned to see things in a limitedperspective,preventsthis.

Try this activity sometime with an ordinary object:

1.Inspect the object closely.Observe its shape, color,texture,weight, odor, taste, temperature, etc... Jot downall ofyourobservationsuntilyouhaveanexhaustivelistofqualities. 2.Experimentwiththeobjectinallthewaysyoucanthinkof.Treatitasthoughitwerealaboratoryspecimencontinuingtouseallofyoursenses.Describetheresultsoftheprocess. 3.Nowputalloftheinformationtogetherinalogicaldescriptiveway.Describetheobjecttosomeoneasthoughtheyhadnever seen it before.Useanalogies ifnecessary.Strive tomakethingsperfectlyclear.

Trydoingthisactivityfrequentlyinyourlife,asitshowsthepotentialofanyobject.Itoftenshowsusthingsthatwewerenotawareofbefore,andopensourmindstothepossibilities.Likelookingattheaboveobject,whichwasafork.

DidyourealizethatthatiswhatIwasdescribing?Haveyoueverlookedataforkinthatway?Ifyouweretodescribeaforktosomeonethathadneverseenonebefore,howwouldyoudoit?

By Felicity Doyle

“ If you knew the time it took me to gain my mas-tery, it wouldn’t seem so

wonderful. ”

- Miche l ange lo


Aikido &BudoBudohas itshistoricbeginningwithfight-ing.Itwasfirstconcernedwiththepracticalquestions of physical and psychologicalpreparationforconflict,andactioninfight-ing.Howdoesonewinafightorbattle?Howdoesapersonprotecthimself,hisfamily, his clan, or his country duringtimesofenemyattack?Atthecenterof these questionswas the inescap-able problemof death and life. (In Japanese, the phrase is put this way, not “life and death” as in the west.)

Thisproblemwastheessential,emo-tionalandspiritual,concernofBudotraining;thereali-

tiesofcombatguaranteedthatitwasperceivedasanimportantpracticalmatter.TodaymanyofussaythatwestudysomeformofBudo,butisthistrueifweconsiderwhatIhavejustsaid?Thequestionmustbeasked,canwetrulystudyBudowithoutfighting?Cantherebemartialartswithoutlife-threateningconflict? IbelievethattoanswerthesequestionsonemustincludemorethanjustthewarandviolenceinthehistoricalbackgroundofBudo.TherolethatreligionandartplayedinthedevelopmentofBudoisextremelyimportant.ThefactthatZentrainingoftenbecameamethodforwarriorstoapproachtheproblemoffearofdeath,indicatesthatanswerstotheproblemoftranscendencecouldcomefromplacesotherthanthebattlefield.Thistrainingdoesnotdependonfightingandisnotrestrictedtowarriorsalone. TheFounderofAikidocametotranscendentexperienceinManchuriaastheresultofbothhismartialartsbackgroundandhisShintoreligioustraining.Therearemanyexamplesofpeoplewhothroughtheirinvolvementinspiritualandartisticdisciplinesexperienceatranscendenceofdeathandlife.Warandviolencearewithoutadoubtanoccasionfortranscendentexperience,butitmustbekeptinmindthatthesearenottheonlyconditionsunderwhichapersoncanbecomeenlightenedaboutdeathandlife. Today’sBudostudentmustrememberthatcreativeaswellasdestructiveactivitiescanleadtodevelopment.Theim-portantthingistobeclearaboutwhatwearedoing,tobeseriousaboutit,andtobepositiveatthesametime.Weneednotonlytokeepourmartialartreasonableandeffective,butalsototryandseeamorecreativesocialaspectofourpractice.Eachstudenthas their own reasons for doingmartial arts. Somemaywantself-defensetraining. Othersareinterestedindevelopingtheirconfidencesothattheycanenjoyalargerexperienceoflife.Traininghasitssocial sideand the family-likeatmosphereof thedojoattractsstudents.Mypoint is that these are all acceptable reasons forstartingBudotraining.However,theyarenotanacceptablegoaloftraining.Atsomepointeachstudentmusteventuallydealwiththequestionoftranscendence.Insomewaythefactofdeathandlifemustbefaced.Ifwedothis,wearepracticingBudo. Fumio Toyoda

THE THREE BROTHERSA rich man was dying so he called his

three sons and said to them.

‘I wish to leave my fortune intact so I will set each of you the same task to see which one is the

most capable at managing money.’

‘In my warehouse there are three large storerooms, all the same size. Here is a bag of silver each. Your

task is to each fill one storeroom with as much as your silver will buy.’

The first son bought sand with all his money

and filled a third of his room.

The second son bought soil with all his money and filled half his room.

The third son spent only a small portion of his money & bought some candles and matches

to fill his room with light.

Zen Story

The Gift of Insults There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him. One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the vil-lage. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weak-ness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move. Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed. Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the in-solent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. “How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?”

“If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it,” the master replied, “to whom does the gift belong?”

Zen Story


Shodo,ortheWayofCalligraphy,isstudiedbyamultitudeofJapanese,fromcollegeprofessorstohousewives.However,eveninJapanfewfullygrasptheconnectionbetweenbudoandshodo,orhowJapanesebrushwritingcanbeusedasanexceptionallyeffectiveformofsupplementaltrainingforthebudoka.Thisholdstruedespitethe fact thatmanypastmastersof themartial arts andwayswerealsomastersofshodo.Well-knownmartialartistssuchasMiyamotoMusashi;aikido’sfounderUeshibaMorihei;andMutoRyukenjutsu’sfounder,YamaokaTesshu,areallheldinequallyhighregardascal-ligraphers.Yamaokaisafineexampleofamasterofthedualwaysofshoandbu.TerayamaKatsujowrites: YamaokaTesshuwasanoutstandingfigureoftheturbulentera thatmarked the birth ofmodern Japan. In the public sphere,TesshunegotiatedwithSaigoTakamoriandarrangedforthepeace-fultransferofpowerfromtheoldordertothenew;asanindividualstudentoftheWays,Tesshuattainedprofoundenlightenmentattheageofforty-fiveandrealizedtheinnerprinciplesofswordsmanship,Zen,andcalligraphy.Thereafter,TesshuwaslikeMiyamotoMusashi,‘passingone’sdayswithoutattachmenttoanyparticularWay”(BookofFiveRings). Tesshu toobecameanextraordinaryversatileandprolificmaster..apeerlessswordsmanwhoestablishedtheNo-SwordSchool,.awiseandcompassionateZenteacherintheTekisuitradi-tion;andanunrivaledcalligrapherwhogatheredallthingsofheavenandearthinhisbrush.Eventoday,nearlyacenturyafterhisdeath,Tesshusincrediblevitalitycanstillbediscernedinhisbrushwork.(‘)

The Ki in Shodo Justastheactionsoftheswordinkenjutsucanbeconsideredareflectionofone’smind,inshodothedynamicmovementoftheartist’sspiritualforce,orki,becomesvisibleintheformofjet-blackink.Liketraditionalbudo,shodg-whichisderivedfrom3000-year-oldChinesecharactersadoptedbyJapan-canbepracticedasameansofcultivatingKi.InZenandtheArtofJapanesecalligraphy,OmoriSogenRoshiexpressesthisidea: TheworkofZenartist,ontheotherhand,ispermeatedbywhatHakuincalledthe“overwhelmingforceofenlightenedvision.”Thatforceiskiai.Ki,theenergyofthecosmos,isalwayspresentbutremainsdormantifnotcultivated.Kiaiistobefullofki;itisincorporatedintheinkasbokki. Setsudosaidaboutthis:“Bokki is not, as most people believe, the colour of the ink, and does not depend on the quality of the brush, ink, and paper If one’s ki is not extended into the work, the bokki is dead.”Theclarityofthebokkiisnotseenwiththeeyes,itissensedwiththehara,thephysicalandspiritualcenterofone’sbody.Bokkirevealsthecalligrapher’sinnerlight.Manyfollowersofbudo,espe-ciallyaikidoandaiki-jujutsupractitioners,placeasimilaremphasisonthecultivationofki,kiai,andharaintheirowndisciplines,justasshodoisviewedbyitsdisciplesasanequallyeffectivemethodofdevelopingonespiritually.Aspontaneouscreativegesturethatmuchin commonwith abstract expressionism, shodo ismore thanmerewriting,anditsskilledpractitionersbelievethatthe“visiblerhythm”createdbythebrushisa“pictureofthemind”whichrevealsthecal-ligrapher’sphysicalandmentalcondition.ForhundredsofyearsinChinaandJapan,leadersinanyfield,includingbudo,wereexpectedtodemonstrateapowerful,composedscript.Recently,majorAmeri-canandeuropeancorporationshavestartedtoemployhandwritinganalyststohelpthemselectfutureexecutives;however,thestudyof

byohitsu,or“sickstrokes,”isnotnewtoJapan.Itisbelievedthatthesubconsciousmindisunmaskedatthemomentthebrushisputtopaper. Itisalsofeltthatone’ssubconsciouscanbepositivelyinflu-encedbycopyingmasterpiecesofJapanesecalligraphyexecutedbyexceptionalindividualssuchasYamaokaTesshu.Likebudo,shodoisultimatelyameansofcultivatingthepersonalitybydevelopingposi-tivesubconscioushabits.MartialartsauthorMichelRandomwrites,“Itissaidthatinternalserenitydrivesthebrush.Thebrushineffectinterpretsthedeepestpartofthesubconscious.The‘wisdomoftheeye’iswhatrelatesthecharacterstoeachotherasthoughassemblingthemoveableandtheimmutable,theegotothe10,000thingsintheuniverse,thepresenttothetimeless.” EachbrushstrokeinJapanesecalligraphymustbeperfectlyexecutedsincetheartistnevergoesbacktotouchupanycharacter.Eachmovementofthefude,orbrush,isideallyperformedwiththefullforceofone’smindandbody,asifone’sverylifedependeduponthesuccessfulcompletionofeachactionwithouthesitation,sothatperhapsthisattitudemostclearlyconnectsbudoandtheartofJapanesecalligraphy.RandomfurtherstatesinTheMartialArts: “Forisnottheabilitytomakethestrokeflownaturally,toletthebrushmovefreelyacrossathinpieceofpaper,alsoasuperiorstruggleofthemosttestingkind?Thespontaneousstrokeofthebrushisreminiscentofthequickfreethrustoftheswordorthefreedomofthearrowfiredeffortlessly.Whereverthereisdistress,worryoruneasiness,therecanbenoperfectfreedomorswiftnessofaction”. Inshodo,allmistakesarefinal,justasinthemartialartsamistakeultimately,oratleastsymbolically,resultsinthebudoka’sdeath.Forthisreason,manybeginnersincalligraphylackthespiritualstrengthtopaintthecharacterdecisively-Eachstrokemustbedeliv-eredliketheslashofthebushi’ssword,yetthebrushmustbeheldinarelaxedmanner,aswellasmanipulatedwithoutalossofcontrolledcalmness.Throughrigoroustraining,akindofseishintanren(spiritual forging),thestudent’smentalconditionisaltered,andthischangeinconsciousnessisexpectedtobecarriedintotheindividual’sdailylifeaswell.Forthebudoka,theaddedstrengthandcomposure,whichiscultivatedbyJapanesecalligraphyallowshimorhertomoreinstantlyrespondtoanopponent’sattackwithouthesitation.Inonesense,theshujigami,orcalligraphypaper,whichissosensitivethattheinkwill“bleed”throughitinseconds,isone’sopponentandthebrushone’ssword.Everykanji,orcharacter,mustbepaintedwithaperfectasym-metricalbalance,whichlikeaperson’sbalanceinjujutsu,mustbedevelopeduntilitismaintainedonasubconsciouslevel.(Infact,theauthorhasfoundhispriortraininginaiki-jujutsutobeinvaluableforsensingbalanceinshodo,andovertheyears,hisstudyofcalligraphyhasenabledhimtomorepreciselysee,andcorrect,alackofbalanceinthebodiesofhisaiki-jujutsustudents)Shodorequiresabalanceduseofthemindandthebody,aswellasastateofmentalandphysicalintegration. Asmanyvoices in themartial artshavediscovered, it issometimesratherdifficulttomakethemindandbodyworktogetherasaunit.Tosimplypaintastraightlinecanbeasurprisingchallenge,onethatcanbeaccomplishedonlythroughacoordinationofone’sfaculties.InJapanesepaintingandcalligraphy,astronglyconcentratedmindmustcontrolthebrushtoactasanexactreflectionofthemind’smovement. Shodo, asmuch as budo, demands this coordination.Through calligraphy practice, themartial artist has an additionalmeansofrealizingtheessentialharmonyofthoughtandaction,andavisiblemeansof illustrating this stateofunificationat that. It isthisenhancementofconcentrationandrelaxationthatmanypeople,includingJapanesepractitionersofthemartialarts,findsoappealing.

Taking Up the Brush Justasjudobeginsbygrippingtheopponent,andiaidobe-

Shodo - The Way of Calligraphy


ginsbygrippingthesword,sotoodoesshodostartwiththestudent’sholdonthebrush.Unlessthepropermethodofholdingismastered,norealprogressispossible.Someteachersinthepasttriedtosud-denlypullthebrushfromthestudent’shandasameansoftestingthegrip.Anink-coveredhandwouldrevealanimproperlyheldbrush.However,squeezingtightlyisnottheanswer,becausethisdoesnotproduceflowing,dynamiccharacters.Limplygripping,ontheotherhand,resultsonlyinalossofbrushcontrol.Itwas,andis,thereforeessentialtolearntoholdthefudeinawaythatisneithertensenorlimp,withakindof“alive”gripinwhichone’skiisprojectedfromdownward-pointingfingersthroughthebrush,outofthetip,andintothepaper.Thissamesupple,yetfirmgrip,isvitalinmostformsofbudo,andithasbeencharacterizedaskidetoru,thatis,holdingwithki. As an individual prepares to paint, he or shewill noticeifthetipofthebrushisstillorshaking.Awobblingbrushnotonlymakesitdifficulttopaintstablekanji,butitalsoindicatesanunstable,nervousmentalstate.Inshodo,andbudo,thebodyreflectsthemind.Therefore,thebushiwouldalsonoticeifhisopponent’skissaki(sword tip)begantotremble,forthiswasoftenanindicationofsuki-abreakintheopponent’scomposureandconcentration,andanopportunitytoattack.Inshodo,asinbudo,asindailylife,themindandbodyareinter-connected. Inbothshodoandbudo,one’sspiritcontrolsthebrushor,inthecaseofbudo,one’sbody.Theshodostudentneedstostronglyfocusonthecharactertobepaintedforasplitsecond,andthenwithouthesitation,movethebrushinarelaxedmanner.Inthisway,theshodoartistendeavorstosucceedmentallybeforethebrusheventouchesthepaper,inmuchthesamewaythataskilledbudokawillspirituallywinbeforeengagingtheopponent.Japanesecalligraphydictatesthatthemovementofaperson’skislightlyprecedesthebrushasitdrawsthecharacter. Shodohasa“visible rhythm”;inotherwords,thekanjisitinreposeonthepaper,buttheymustlookandfeelasiftheyaremoving. (This is the state of dochu no sei, or “stillness in motion,” that is often alluded to in esoteric densho, or manuals containing a school’s most profound teachings. Its converse is “motion in stillness.” It is the unity of these two conditions that results in skilled shodo and budo.) Tocreatethisdynamic,yetbalancedfeeling,thebrushmustflowinafreeandeasymanner.Eachkanjihasasetnumberofstrokesthatmustbebrushedinapreciselydefinedorder.Withintheformofeachcharacter,thebrushshouldmovesmoothlyfromonestroketothenext.Thiscreatesarhythm,whichmustnotbebrokenifthecharacteristotakeonadynamicappearance,andunlessaconstantflowofconcentrationismaintained,thisrhythmwillbebroken. Manypeoplehaveanunfortunatetendencytocutofftheirstreamofattentionat thecompletionofanaction. Incalligraphy,this oftenhappenswhenfinishing a single character or at the endofalineofwords.Itisvitaltomaintainanunbrokenflowofkiandconcentrationthroughouttheartisticact.Inbudoaswellasshodo,thisisknownaszanshin(literally “remaining mind”),anditindicatesakindof“mentalfollow-through”andunbrokenconditionofcalmawareness.Bothbudoandshodohavebeencharacterizedasformsof“moving meditation.”MichelRandomeloquentlydescribesthisuniquemethodofmeditationwiththebrush: “The sign is repeateduntil total spontaneity is achieved,completely free from thought. . . spontaneity andnot automatismofmovementwhichiscontrarytotheobjectoftheexercise.Incal-ligraphy(as in the martial arts),thespacebetweenthelinesiswhatmatters.Itisthisspacewhichgivesthesignstheirbeauty.InZenpainting,wefindthesameneedforpressureandspontaneity.Here,weseetheresultofthemovementofthebrushandinkonthepaper.Thebrushdippedinencredechine.Thespecialqualitypaperisfineandabsorbent.Thebrushhardlyneedstotouchthepapertomakealargeblob.Therefore,thehandmustshimorflyacrossthepaper

withoutstopping”.

Thought is free. Few realize thatmanyof the brush strokes in shodo aresimilar,orthesameas,thelinesofthefudeinJapaneseinkpainting(sumi-e).BoththeJapaneseandtheChineseusepictographsaswellas thousandsof ideograms in their languages,eachwithaspecificmeaning,producingavirtuallylimitlesscombinationofexpressions.Alargenumberofkanjiareactuallyabstractandabbreviatedpictureswhichcanevokeemotionintheviewer,justassomepaintingsdo,owingtotheirvarietyanddepth.Forthisreason,itisnotuncom-montofindthatsomeJapanesecalligrapherscanactuallypaint,andsomesumi-eexpertscanexecutecalligraphy,asthetwoartsoverlapconsiderably. ShodoisthusanartthatcanbeappreciatedjustasmuchbyindividualsthatcannotreadJapaneseorChineseasbythosethatcan,justasitispossibletoenjoytherhythmandsoundofmusic,withoutbeingabletoreadthenotes.Inthedynamicbeautyofshodo,onefindstheessentialcomponentsthatmakeupallart-balance,rhythm,grace,andthebeautyofline.Theseaspectsofshodo,whicharealsofoundinproperlyperformedbudo,canbeappreciatedbyallcultures. DaveLowry,theauthorofAutumnLightning,describeshisimpressionsasayoungAmerican,observingthecalligraphypaintedbyhissensei: “...SenseiwaswritinginthemucholderkanjicharactersofJapanesescriptwithinkandasoftbristledbrush.Thereisamaximinthebujutsu,ken,sho,ichi,areminderthatthekatana(sword)andthebrushareoneandthesameinpracticeandtheswordsmanmustwield his bladewith exactly the accuracy and artistrywithwhichheemploysabrushtorendertheintricatecharactersofcalligraphy.Sensei’scharacters,likehisswordsmanship,wereadroitandflowing,unconsciouslyexpert”. It is the author’s hope that this articlewill encourageAmericanmartialartiststolookbeyondbudo’smoreobviousphysicalaspects,torealizethatitisaWaybornoutofthearts,religions,andhistoryofJapan;thatitisaculturalartliketeaceremony,shakuhachi,shodo,andothers;andthatultimately,itisnotpossibletofullyremovebudofromJapan’sculturalmatrixwithoutalteringbeyondrecognitionitstrueform. Infact,itmayhelpindividualsnotfluentinJapanesetoreal-izethatshodoisoftenpaintedinancientandhighlyabstractscripts,suchastenshoandsosho,whichtheaverageJapanesecannotevenread.Shodois,however,anenjoyable,stimulatingmethodoflearningaJapaneselanguage-theinternationallanguageofbudo.Perhaps,throughthepracticeofshodo,Westernmartialart-istscanalsocometounderstandtheotherso-called“impenetrable”Japanese cultural arts that thebushi considered an invaluablepartofhiseducation,andwhicharesorarelyexploredbybudokatoday.

“WhatisitthatmakestheBudoka?”Itisthisquestionthatbeginsarecentcolumnby“BlackBelt”’sDaveLowryanditisthisquestionheaddresses.Lowryattributesthedefiningqualityofabudokaas“sabi-shiori”-“solitaryaloneness”.Sabi-shioriisthatqualitywhichseparatesbudokafromeachother,thatqualitywhichbringstherealizationthatmartialarts(budo)areinessenceasolitarypursuit.ItiswhatbringsaloneIaido-katodohisformsinanemptydojo,orakarate-kahiskataaloneinafieldsomewhere. Certainly,everyonerealizesthatitisnotthephysicalsidethatmakesbudodifferentfromsports.Boxerspunch.Wrestlersthrowandpin.Fencerswaveswords.ButtheyarenevermistakenforKarate-ka,Judo-ka,orIaido-ka. But,Ifeelthatthereisawholeattitudetobeingabudo-kathatgoesbeyond,butdoesnotinclude,sabi-shiori.Thereisabalancetobeachievedthatcreatesalifestyle,andawareness,awayofthinking.Ifyouwatchafootballgame,youwillcertainlyspotoneplayerwhohasthatconcentrationandthought,thatsep-arateness,thatmarkssabi-shiori;butyouwillnotmistakehimforabudoka,forheisstillmissingmuch. ProfessorKano,thefounderofJudo,stressedtheideaof“mutualwelfareandprosperity”,anideaabsentinsports.ThisideaisstronginJapan,whereitisnotuncommontoseerivalcompaniessendingeachothergiftsforbeingsuchgoodcompetition.Theyrealizethatwithoutcompetitiontheiredgewouldbelost. Thisfiguresprominentlyintheexperienceofthebudokaaswell.Withoutothers,ourtrainingwouldbringlittle.“Mutualwelfare and prosperity”means that as your partner’s attacksimproveitforcesyourdefencestoimprove,whichforcesyourpartnertoimprovehisattacks.Whilesabi-shiorirecognizesthesolitaryinthebudoka,“mutualwelfareandprosperity”recognizesthesocial.Aswetrainforourselves,wetrainforothers,whointrainingforthemselves,trainforus. Thereisawholerangeofattributesthatmakeabudoka.Awarenessdevelops through theyearsof training.Budokaaremadesensitivetobodylanguagethroughtheirtimespentrecog-nizingattackfromfeint.Thisawarenessgivesyouasplitsecondedgeifsomeonehostileisthreatening.Ifyouarean“Aikidoka”orJudoka,payattentiontohowyougetupfromkneelingorhowyouturnaround.Mostlikely,youusethesame“taisabaki”inregularlifeasinthedojo.Traininghasincorporatedcertainthingsintoyourdailylifeandmadeyouawareofthemechanicsofyourbody. Inaveryrealsense,budo,istrainingforlife.Youde-velopawarenessofbodyandspirit,yourselfandothersthroughbudo,andyesthoughitsoundsacliche,aswestrivetobebetterfighterswestrivetobebetterpeople.Ititledthis“theartofbeingtogether”partiallytotocontrastitwithDaveLowry’stitle“theartofbeingalone”.Butby“beingtogether”Idonotmeanasinagroup,butin“havingitalltogether”.Beingtogetherisbeingabletodrawinthoseinfluencesandaspectsthatarepartofbeingabudokaandstrikingabalancebetweenthem—thebestbalancepossible.Thereisbothphysicalandmentalinbudo,neithercanbeneglected.Neithercansabi-shiori,thealoneness,and“mutualwelfareandprosperity”,thesocialnoranyoftheotherdiverse

elementsthatIcouldn’tevenbegintoname.Whenitallcomestogether,andisbalanced,isthetimewelookandsay“thisiswhobudoisallabout”.

by Sean Hickey (From The Iaido Newsletter, #11 March 1991)

The Art of being together

Maai Mycousin,whorunsakarateschoolinSanJose,Califor-nia,saysthattheonewhocontrolsthedistanceinanencounteristheonewhocontrolsthesituation.OneoftheshihanoftheJapanAikidoAssociation,whenaskedabouthow,usingaikido,todealwithakaratepractitioner,repliedsimply,“Maai.” We’veallheardsimilarstatementsandallhavebeenad-monishedduringtrainingtobeawareofthemaai,oftentranslatedascombativeengagementdistance,butperhapsmoreaccuratelyrendered“combativeinterval.” WhenIfirstheardthewordinaTomikiaikidodojointheU.S.,Ithoughtitreferredtoasimplespatialrelationship—thedistanceatwhichIcould,inasinglemovement,reachanopponentwithmyattack.Conversely,Ialsodiscovered,itwasthedistanceatwhichanattackercouldreachme! WhatIdidn’tquitegetatfirstwastheextenttowhichthiswasnotone,buttwo,sometimesvastlydifferent,distances.Whenmythentrainingpartner,MeikSkoss,casuallyremarked,overcoffeeanddonutsafterjukendo(bayonetWay)trainingonemorning,“Ofcourse,youknowthatmymaaiinrelationtoyou,willalwaysbedifferent fromyours tome—even though thedistancebetweenusisconstant,”Inodded,andpretendedtohavethefoggiestnotionofwhathewastalkingabout. ItbecameclearersoonafterwhenImetmyfriendBill,whoisoversixfeettall,inthecompanyofhisgirlfriend,whoisfivefootnothing.Ifthetwoofthemweretostandside-by-sidefacingme,at(Bill’s)armslengthaway,IwouldbefullywithinBill’smaai,andjustoutsideofhisgirlfriend’s.Theywouldbothbeinmymaai.IfBilltookonestepback,hemightverywellbeoutofmymaai,yetIwouldstillbewithinhis.Thesedifferencesarenaturallybasedonthelengthofeachindividual’sarmsandlegs. Twomoreelements,speedandtiming(hyoshi)canalsoaffecttheeffectivecombativeinterval.Whatitalladdsupto,isjudgingtheconstantlychangingmaai,differentforeachindividualandeachtypeofattack,isincrediblycomplicated.Andofcourse,ourteacherstellus,wemustlearntomakethisevaluationvirtuallysubconsciouslyandinstantaneously. Onemajorbenefitarisingfromtrainingsimultaneously,atleastforatime,inanumberofdifferentweaponssystems,isacertainmentalflexibilityregardingmaai,whichIbelievetakeslongertodeveloptoanequallevelwhenstudyingonlytaijutsu.Forexample,inaikidoeachencounterisutterlydifferent,becauseeachindividual’sbodyisunique,andwemustmakeaseriesofminute adjustments to takeutmost advantageof themaai andmakeitwork. Thisisvirtuallyimpossibleforthebeginningstudenttograsp,andmanysystemshaveimplementedamorebasic,staticstyleoftraining,sothatstudentscangetthehangoftechniquesbeforebeingconfrontedwiththefullcomplexitiesofmaai.Train-


inginaweaponssystem,however,introducesaweapon,whichisgenerallyofauniformlength.MynaginataisthesamelengthasMeik’snaginata,andwhiledifferencesinreachandabilitytocoverdistancestillmatter,theymatterlessandareeasiertoisolate.Thecompensationsonemustmakeareclearertoseewhentrainingwithvariouspartnersbecauseoftheconstantoftheweapon. Studyinginseveraldifferentweaponssystemsthen,givesonethechancetoworkondifferentmaai,asdefinedbythelengthofeachweapon.Moreimportantly,itteachesflexibilityandaware-ness.Earlierthisyear,IbegangoingtojotrainingimmediatelyafterpracticingToda-haBuko-ryunaginata.Atfirst,whenIbegantousethejo,Iwouldfindmyhandslidingofftheend-Iwantedmore jo - and Iwoulddroponeendofmyweapon. Iquicklydecidedthiswasabadidea,andratherthanrelyingonaphysicalmemory,orlapsingintohabit,Ibegantoturnonaconstantmaaimonitor—beforedoinganytechnique,Iwouldmentallycheckthelengthofmyweapon.WhenIstartedtolearntanken(shortsword)afterseveralyearsofjukentraining,mythrustingattackwassimplytooshallow.Mybodyknewquitewellhowtodoathrust—butonlywithaweaponthelengthofabayonet. ThesedaysItraininempty-handedtechniques,andwithtanto,tanken,tachi,jo,juken,naginata,andyari,andIcanswitchbetweenthevariousmaai(which are really all the same, but that’s another story for the future, when I figure it out) withareasonabledegreeofaccuracyandefficiency.Asaresult,Ifeelmuchmorecomfortableandconfidentindealingwiththeeverchangingmaaioftaijutsu. Maai by Diane Skoss, Aikido Journal #101, October 1994, Vol. 21, no.4

Instructions for Life?1.Givepeoplemorethantheyexpectanddoitcheerfully.

2.Memorizeyourfavouritepoem.3.Don’tbelieveallyouhear,spendallyou

haveorsleepallyouwant.4.Whenyousay,“Iloveyou”,meanit.

5.Whenyousay,“I’msorry”,lookthepersonintheeye.6.Beengagedatleastsixmonthsbeforeyougetmarried.

7.Believeinloveatfirstsight.8.Neverlaughatanyone’sdreams.

9.Lovedeeplyandpassionately.Youmightgethurtbutit’stheonlywaytolivelifecompletely.

10.Indisagreements,fightfairly.Nonamecalling.11.Don’tjudgepeoplebytheirrelatives.

12.Talkslowlybutthinkquickly.13.Whensomeoneasksyouaquestionyoudon’twanttoanswer,smileandask,“Whydoyouwanttoknow?”

14.Rememberthatgreatloveandgreatachievementsinvolvegreatrisk.

15.Callyourmom.16.Say“blessyou”whenyouhearsomeonesneeze.

17.Whenyoulose,don’tloosethelesson.18.RememberthethreeR’s:Respectforself;Respectforothers;

Responsibilityforallyouractions.19.Don’tletalittledisputeinjureagreatfriendship.

20.Whenyourealiseyou’vemadeamistake,takeimmediatesteps21.Smilewhenpickingupthephone.Thecallerwillhearitinyourvoice.

22.Marryaman/womanyoulovetotalkto.Asyougetolder,theirconversationalskillswillbeasimportantasanyother.

23.Spendsometimealone.24.Openyourarmstochange,butdon’tletgoofyourvalues.25.Rememberthatsilenceissometimesthebestanswer.

26.ReadmorebooksandwatchlessTV.27.Liveagood,honourablelife.Thenwhenyougetolderandthink

back,you’llgettoenjoyitasecondtime.28.TrustinGodbutlockyourcar.

29.Alovingatmosphereinyourhomeissoimportant.Doallyoucantocreateatranquilharmonioushome.

30Indisagreementswithlovedones,dealwiththecurrentsituation.Don’tbringupthepast.31.Readbetweenthelines.

32.Shareyourknowledge.It’sawaytoachieveimmortality.33.Begentlewiththeearth.

34.Pray.There’simmeasurablepowerinit.35.Neverinterruptwhenyouarebeingflattered.

36.Mindyourownbusiness.37.Don’ttrustaman/womanwhodoesn’t

closehis/hereyeswhenyoukiss.38.Onceayear,gosomeplaceyou’veneverbeenbefore.

39.Ifyoumakealotofmoney,putittousehelpingotherswhileyouareliving.Thatiswealth’sgreatestsatisfaction.

40.Rememberthatnotgettingwhatyouwantissometimesastrokeofluck.

41.Learntherulesthenbreaksome.42.Rememberthatthebestrelationshipisonewhereyourloveforeachotherisgreaterthanyourneedforeachother.

43.Judgeyoursuccessbywhatyouhadtogiveupinordertogetit.44.Rememberthatyourcharacterisyourdestiny.

45.Approachloveandcookingwithrecklessabandon.

Someinterestingrulesoflife-Receivedviatheemailsomemonthsago.

Tony Deckers - Caboolture

Thanks Sensei

To the Master who’s touch, I cannot feel.To the Master I listen, He makes no sound.To the Master who plays, All over the WorldTo the Master with Ki, Energy and light

I enjoyed practice tonight.

To Ueshiba with love, Alex - Byron Bay Dojo


Whentheworkingsofthemindarestirred,areflectionofabowmaybe

mistakenforaserpent,alargerockintheunderbrushmaybeseenasacrouchinglion;hereisallkillingenergy.

Whenthoughtscease,eventheviolentcanbecomegentle,theordinarycanbecomeelegant;everywhere

youseetruepotential.

Reflections of the Tao

KiSocietyDojoReports.

GreetingsfromGoshinkanDojo

Onthe1stofMarch,GoshinkanDojocelebratedthe10thanniversaryofAikidoinByronBay.Duetoflooding,wehadtocanceltheoriginalcelebrationandrescheduletheeventon13thofMarch.Thecelebrationincludedagradinganddemonstrationandwasfollowedbyalightsupper.About70peopleattendedthedemooftaigiarts,weapons,kidemonstrationsandIaido. The dojo is busywith several new classes this year.Children’sclassisinfullswingonThursdayafternoonsanda2ndclassisplannedsoon.TwoKiatsucourseshaverecentlyfinishedwithplansfora3rdtobeginsoon.SenseiTonyDeckersvisitedforaweekendrecently,tocommencefilmingavideooftheAikidoKiSocietyAustraliagradingsyllabus.Thisvideowillbeaveryusefultoolforthosefarflungdojosandforstudentstorefertowhenpracticingforagrading.FitnessandKiTrainingforseniors(50+)willcommencesoon.Thisclasswillbeagentlefitnessclassforolderpeoplewithoutthechallengeoftumbling.TherearelotsofenthusiasticnewbeginnersinthegeneralclassesonTuesdayandThursdayevenings. Iwouldliketocongratulateallthestudentswhohavegradedover the last fewmonths. Iunderstandand respect thetimeandeffortyouallhaveputintoreceiveyourpromotionsatGoshinkanDojo.Itwasgreattoseethehighstandardachievedbyall.AspecialmentiontotherecentDangrades:MikeLoran(nidan),JimNichols(nidan),MargaretStoddart,JadeWashington,JamieTuddingham,GraemeOlive,VanessaMilburn,BrettKingandPeterNicholson.Jamie(15),Jade(15)andVanessa(14)aretheyoungestevertoachievethelevelof1stDan.Wehaverecentlyhadthefirstgraduatesofthechildren’sclass,HayleyMcGlone(11)andKiraWilliams(12)tomeettheseniorgradingsyllabusof2ndkyuandtheyarenowproudlywearingtheirhakamasintheadultclasses. Preparationsareunderway forSenseiWilliamReed’sseminaronthe15th,16thand17thofMay.SenseiReedisinterest-ing,dynamicandfulloffun.HopetoseemanyofourmembersonthematatGoshinkaninMay! Sensei Michael Williams - Byron Bay

LoganDojoNews Interestings things havehappened in theLoganDojosince the last newsletter.With somegradings and newmem-bers,oursmallbutenthusiasticgroupareverymuchfullofKi. FirstofallIwouldliketocongratulateMarkGibbonsandJo-AnnTrojowskionthereengagementannouncement.Wewishthemboththeverybestfortherefuturemarragetogether.AlsomycongratulationsgotoJoseTaiaandGrainneHooleontheirengagementannouncement.(If Jose wants to marry the Sensai’s daughter then he will have to get his yellow belt first!) SorryJose. Thefollowingpeoplehaverecentlypassedtheir5thKyuyellowbeltgradingsandShokyuKiexams,JamesGatley,RyanGatley,WayneFrancis,MichaelAtma.Alsotherehasbeena1st

Kyubrownbeltgrading.MarkGibbonsCongratulationstoyouallandwelldone. Itwas really great to see SenseiRobbie Feasey dothemarathon and obtain his Nidan (2nd) black belt.With5 very fit and youngUke’s, they hadRobbie on his toes allnight.Lucklyhehadhis‘’go-go’’ juicewithhimorhemaynothavelastedthedistance. Hewastoldhewouldhavetosubmitabloodtestandaurinesampleafter theeventbutherefused(don’t blame you Robbie).More congratulations go to SenseiGraemeBrownfor receiving theAssociate lecturer inKi andQualifiedEx-aminer certificates.All not before time.Hopeyou enjoyyourholidaydown inSydneyGraeme, also thoseAiKiKai classes! OneofmynewstudentsDaveColemanlentmeabookonAikido . It is called“The Essence Of Aikido” by Bill Sosaand Bryan Robbins. Published byUniquePublications. I canrecommend it as it good readingwith step by step photos.Forthestudentthatmayhavesomedifficultywithsometech-niques,thisbookwillbeveryhelpful.CanbeobtainedfromQBDbookstores. IwouldliketowelcomesomeofthenewstudentstotheLoganDojo, they areCameronReed, ShannanClancy,CraigWeeks,ChazHolton,andAdamDanawi.(Atthetimethiswaswritten).LoganDojoinfo.Where-CnrJacarandaandWembleyRds.When~Monday7.30-9.00pm.Wednesday7.00-9.00pm.Saturday9.30—11.00am. I’llleaveyouwithsome‘’RandomThoughts’’takenfromtheUlyssesClub..Loganmotorcyclegroup.

Merv Hoole Sensei. - Logan City Dojo

*IfpeoplefromPolandarecalled‘’Poles’’whyaren’tpeoplefromHollandcalled‘’Holes’’?*Whyareawisemanandawiseguyopposites?*Whyisn’t11pronouncedonetyone?*Ifloveisblindwhyislingeriesopopular?*WhyisthemanwhoinvestsallyourmoneycalledaBroker?*Doinfantsenjoyinfancyasmuchasadultsenjoyadultry?*’’Iam’’isreportedlytheshortestsentenceintheEnglishlanguage.Coulditbethat‘’Ido’’isthelongestsentence!*Ifapiglosesitsvoice,isitdisgrunted?*DoRomanparamedicsrefertoIV’sas‘’4’s’’*Whyisitthatifsomeonetellsyouthatthereareonebillionstarsintheuniverseyouwillbelievethem,butiftheytellyouthatawallhaswetpaint,youwillhavetotouchittobesure!!

ClevelandDojoNews Thelastfewmonthsseemtohavebeenverybusyatthedojoaspreparationsforgradingshavebeenthefocusoftraining.InearlyMarchwesawTony(bear)Nealgradeto1stkyu,hisperformancewasonlybetteredbyhisdedicationtotheart,whichshowedinthegradingitself. Twoweeks after this eventColinStaples showedusall a very good1stDangrade, video available soon,with hisenthuasiumColinwill prove to be a very good anddedicatedInstructor.UnfortunaltleyAndreaChevelier,duetoillhealthandDavidRoberts,duetoworkcommitments,wereunabletogradeto1stDanatthesametimeasplanned,howeverAndreawilldo


Howtimeflieswhenoneishavingfun.TheendofFebru-arysawmembersoftheUkiKiSocietydojocelebratetheirsecondbirthday,or thecommencementof their thirdyearof training,whichevermakesmoresense.Theeveningwaswellattended,withapproximatelytwentystudentsparticipating,followedbyarousingmisogisessionwhichsawtheimmediatesurroundingsoftheUkicommunityhallresoundtothesoundsofbellringingandchanting.ThiswasthefirsttimethatmostoftheUkistudentshadexperiencedthisaspectofAikido. Followingtheconclusionoftheclass,acelebratorysup-perofsharedplatesandtheoccasionalrefreshingalewasheldatmyhome.OurcelebrationswereassistedbyanumberofGoshinKanstudentsandtheclasswasledbytheChiefInstructoroftheAikidoKiSocirtyAustralia,SenseiMichaelWilliams.Misogiaside, SenseiWilliams spent the bulk of the class devoted toelementalaspectsofkatatekosatoritechnique,withemphasisonirimiandtheuseofonepoint. TheUkigrouphasgrownslowlyoverthelasttwoyears,butfromsmallbeginningshasflourishedintoathrivingAikidodojo.Oursmalltrainingarea(7x5metres)isoftencrowded,somuchsothattheacquisitionofmorematsisnowfirmlyontheagenda.Thediverseinterestsandbackgroundofstudentsareacontinuingsourceofstimulation,anddiscussionsononetopicoranother(butusuallyabouthowbesttomakeourworldabetterplace!)sometimeslastuntilwellaftertheformalclasshasended. My thanks toSenseiMichaelWilliams and the otherGoshinKanpeople(Peter,BJ,ElizabethandJohnW)forhelpingtomaketheeveningsuchamemorableone.IwouldalsoliketothankthegrowingnumberofstudentsatUkifortheirsupport,commitmentandencouragement. Sensei Steve Phillips - Uki

hisgradingonthe26thAprilandDavidinamonthorso. WehavealsoseenthereturntotrainingofBradGodfreywho,whilstatwork,fellandbrokehislegquiteseverely.Bradwasmissedattrainingandallaregladtoseethathehasnotlostmuchatall(believe me I know how it is to get back to training after such damage). AsforPeterFortune (once a month) wellwemightjusthavetochangethatnicknametothriceamonth.OnyaPeter.Don’tforgetthat1stMondayofeachmonthisweaponstraining,thisclassisheldbySenseiMurrayLoaderandallwhowishtoattendarewelcome. NormaltrainingisMonday&Thursday6.30-8.30pmandSaturday2.00-4.00pm.SaturdayclassesareusuallyinformalandtakenagainbySenseiMurrayLoader Sensei Thom Hansen - Cleveland


GriffithDojoNewsGriffithUniversityDojohasmovedafter17years.

GriffithUniDojowassetupbySenseiMichaelWil-liamsaroundseventeenyearsagoandhasforthelastelevenyearsbeenrunbySenseiMichaelStoopman.NearlyallofthecurrentInstructorsortheirStudentswhohavebecomeInstructorshavebeen taughtorhad theirbeginning’s in thisDojo.GriffithUniDojohasbeenoneofthelongestrunningDojo’sinAustraliaanditwaswithabitoftrepidationthatwewereadvisedthatwehadtomove. Luckilythemovehasbeentoamorepleasantenviron-mentwithmuchmorespace.Thephotosdonotdojusticetotheextraspaceandcleanerenvironmentthatisnowenjoyedbyall. GriffithUniDojostilloperatesonTuesdayandThursdaynightsfrom6-30pmto8-30pm.TheDojoisnowlocatedinthelastbuildingontheleftinRecreationRoadwhichisthefirstroadimmediatelyonyourrightwhenyouentertheUniversitygroundsfromKesselsroad.ThefirstTuesdaynightofthemonthisstillaKinightandallarealwayswelcome. GriffithNews:SenseiRobbyFeaseyhascompletedhisNiDangradingatGriffithduringApril(welloverdue),congratula-tionsRobby. Newmatsatlast,themainmatareahasbeenreplacedwithanewtypeofmaterialthatwon’tcrumbleandisabout80%lighterinweight.Theimpactabsorbingandreboundabilityofthesenewmatsisenjoyedbyallandwhenthesmellgoesitwillbeevenbetter. Sensei’s Michael Stoopman & Phillip Kohn .

Uki dojo celebrates two years

of training.


“”That’s Just Your Opinio”’’’’’’n.”“an opinion is a judgment or belief resting on grounds insufficient to produce certainty”-AmericanCollegeDictionary

“That’s just your opinion” isastatementthatmakesmepauseandthink.IhaveafriendwhosaysthistomeeverytimeIamtryingtotellhersomethingimportant.ItseemstobeherwayofnotlisteningtowhatIamsaying.Iwouldliketosaytomyfriend“Justlistentome,thisiswhatIamsaying,isittrueorfalseorjustanopinion.Letslookatittogethertofindout.” Inotherwords,Iwouldliketostartadialoguewithhertofindoutthetruthofthematter.She,however,isneverinter-ested.Herviewisthateveryoneisentitledtotheiropinion,andweshouldjustrespecteachother’sopinions.ThisideaIfeeliscounterproductiveto learning.Ifweallkeepourownideasasourownandneverexaminethemtofindthetruth,thenwedonotlearn. Opinionshaveapersonalandaglobaleffectonthewayinwhichwelearnandbehavetowardeachother.IfeltthisverystronglywhenIattendedaprivatepartygivenbypeopleworkingintheUnitedNations.Atthispartytherewerepeoplefromallovertheworld.Everyonewasenjoyingthemselvessinginganddancingandlearningabouteachother’scultures.Isawsomanypleasant and friendlydiscussions aboutworld issuesgoingonamongsttheUNpeople. ThenextdayhoweveritwassadtoseethisatmospherechangewhentheseverysamepeoplewereseatedintheUNas-semblyhall.Inthathalltheywereactingasdelegatesrepresentingtheopinionsoftheirparticularcountry.Thejoyandhappinesshaddisappearedandnoweachdelegatewasentrenchedindefendingtheparticularopinionoftheircountry. DuringabreakintheUNsessionIrememberhearingtheexpression“That’s just your opinion” statedoften,andIfeltthatthedelegateswerenotcomingtothesameeaseofunderstandingtheyhadhadthenightbefore.Thenightbeforetherehadbeena

CabooltureDojoNews Fromupthenorthsideagreetingtooneandall.TherecentmonthshavebeenquietinCaboolture,butthingsareabouttochange.Asoftheof30thAprill‘99IfinishmycareerintheQldDiveIndustryafter11yearsofgoodtimesandexcit-ment. OnMay1st,IwillbegoingfulltimeintoteachingandworkingonpromotingAikidofromthenorthernsuburbsofBrisbaneuptothesunshinecoast.ClasseswillbeonMondaynightsattheCaboolturePCYC,WednesdayThursday&FridaynightsatBurpengary.Classesarefrom7to9pm.Asaturdaymorningclasswillalsobestartedfrom9:30-11:30amalso.AsIalreadyhavestartedtakingnamesfordayclassesforshiftworkers,itlookslikethingsmightbecomeabitbusierinthisarea.Aseveryoneisalwayswelcome,IhopethatIwillhavetheopportunitytoseesomeofyouupourwaysoon. Currently I am alsoworking on some communityprojectswiththelocalPoliceOfficer(Sgt Richard Clarke)attheCaboolturePCYC.Wehopetohaveaself-defenseprogramavailblebytheendofMayandalsoaprogramforsomeofthelocalschools. Evenwithourclasses,beingabitquiet,Iamproudtoannouncethatwewillhave3peoplegradingwithinthenextmonth.Daniel&BrettEdwardswillbegradingtoorangebelt.BradMcGregorhasgradingtoyellowbelt.Congratulationstoeveryoneonyourgradings,especiallytoeveryonefromtheotherdojo’swhohavegradedthroughallthevariorsranks. IwouldalsoliketowelcomeanewmemberwhohasjoinedtheranksatSetsudodojo,ScottMitchell-Welcome.

Sensei Tony Deckers - Caboolture

SydneySceneDojoNews

AndrewSunter openedSeishinkan— the“pure heart” dojo-inCrowsNestinSydneyjusttwomonthsago.Thefirstclasswasheldon26February1999withfivestudents. Classes tend to follow the JapanesemodelwithanhourofKitrainingfollowedbyanhourofAikido.Studentsaremostlyfirst-timerswithoneortwostudentsfromotherstyles.ClassesareheldonFridayeveningsfrom7.00to9.00pm. JamesMcGlone’s classes have been going a littlelonger.Jameshasopenedtwodojos,oneinWoolloomoolooandoneinGlebe.TheWoolloomooloodojoisoneofthenic-estinSydney—the“Rene Rivkin Judo Room” atthePCYC.Thematsarealmost-newtatami,certainlythesoftestI’veevertrainedon. Training is atWoolloomooloo onMondays andWednesdaysandatGlebeonThursdays:soyoucannowtraininSydneyfournightsaweek. Sensei Andrew Sunter

NoosaHinterlandsDojoNews

KatewasreallyexcitedaboutNishioka’sandArai’svisitduringthelastweekofApril.NishiokaSenseitaughtKatejodotoshodaninJapan,soourJodoseminarof24-25Aprilwasawonderfulreunion.AraiSenseitranslatedandassistedSenseiindemonstrations.Thedozenorsostudentseachclassverymuchappreciatedtheexpertisetheybothbroughtinjoandswordwork.Ofcourse,therewastimeforrelaxationandenjoymentofthelakeenvironswithsailingandaBBQ. Theyoungerstudentsaredoingwell,withsomeprac-tisingunderKate’shouseatBoreenPointnow.Severalattainedtheir2ndkyurecentlyandtheteenagers(the‘jellybabies’)are‘working’ontheir3rd. Of theadults,TonyhurthisbackatChristmasandIanisoftenontheroadwithwork,sothere’sjustTrevorandItoentertainwithour‘bisonbitesthedust’act.Trevisasurfofsolidstatureandbendinghisarmortwistinghisshoulder...well,IthinkIneedthekiofO-Senseitogetanywhere!Aswell,Richardisbeingintroducedtothefineart(ohwell,Itry!)ofAikidoonSaturdaysashegraciouslytakesontheroleofukeforexampractice. (And a big thank you to Tony Deckers for his help with this too.)

Sandra Sytsma - Noosa Hinterland Dojo


Two Families Onefamily,whichhademigratedfromJapanandsettledattheturnofthecenturynearSanFrancisco,hadestab-lishedabusinessinwhichtheygrewrosesandtruckedthemintoSanFranciscothreemorningsaweek. TheotherfamilywasanaturalizedfamilyfromSwit-zerlandwho alsomarketed roses, and both families becamemodestlysuccessful,astheirroseswereknowninthemarketsofSanFranciscofortheirlongvase-life. Foralmostfourdecadesthetwofamilieswereneigh-bors,andthesonstookoverthefarms,butthenonDecember7,l941,JapanattackedPearlHarbor.AlthoughtherestofthefamilymemberswereAmericans,thefatheroftheJapanesefamilyhadneverbeennaturalized. In the turmoiland thequestionsaboutinternmentcamps,hisneighbormadeitclearthat,ifnecessary,hewouldlookafterhisfriend’snursery. Itwassomethingeachfamilyhadlearnedinchurch:Lovethyneighborasthyself.“Youwoulddothesameforus,”hetoldhisJapanesefriend. Itwasnot longbeforetheJapanesefamilywastrans-portedtoabarrenlandscapeinGranada,Colorado.Therelocationcenterconsistedoftar-paper-roofedbarrackssurroundedbybarbedwireandarmedguards. Afullyearwentby.Thentwo.Thenthree.While theJapaneseneighborswereininternment,theirfriendsworkedinthegreenhouses,thechildrenbeforeschoolandonSaturdays:andthefather’sworkoftenstretchedto16and17hoursaday.Andthenoneday,whenthewarinEuropehadended,theJapanesefamilypackedupandboardedatrain.Theyweregoinghome. Whatwouldtheyfind?Thefamilywasmetatthetrainde-potbytheirneighbors,andwhentheygottotheirhome,thewholeJapanesefamilystared.Therewasthenursery,intact,scrubbedandshininginthesunlight-neat,prosperousandhealthy.SowasthebalanceinthebankpassbookhandedtotheJapanesefather.Andthehousewasjustascleanandwelcomingasthenursery.Andthereonthediningroomwasoneperfectredrosebud,justwaitingtounfold-thegiftofoneneighbortoanother.Diane Rayner from A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul

If you have any . . .

ideas, articles,

stories or information

that you would like

to share with us, send

them off early to the

Editor to get

them in for the next issue !

Next Issue come out August ‘99

Thought for the day !

Only when you have no thing in your mind and no mind in things are you vacant and spiritual, empty and marvellous. Te-shan / Tokusan (780 - 865 )

livelyinterestinfindingoutthefactsofanissue.Nowduringthedaytherewasareinstatementofeachcountry’sopinion. Canwe come to any real awarenessof a situation aslongaswearenotconcernedenoughtofindoutthefacts?IfmyfriendtellsmeIamonlystatinganopinion,thenshedoesnothavetofindoutwhetherwhatIamsayingistrue.Shecanremainuninvolvedinarelationshipwithme.Howeverifsheweretosaytome,“Letslookatthistogetherandfindoutwhetherwhatyouaresayingistrueornot”,thenwebegintobeinvolvedinagive-and-takerelationship,andthereforearebothreallyinterestedinseeingthetruthofthematter. Our perception of life is distortedwhenwe rely onopinionstoguideus.Howcananopinionguideuswhenitisnotbasedontruthandisonlyanassumption?Itisinterestingtonotetherelaxedmannerinwhichthedelegatesbehavedtowardseachotherwhentheywerenotdefendinganopinion.Theywereabletolearnagreatdealabouteachotherandappreciateandunderstandtheirdifferences.Theminutehowevertheywererepresentingtheircountriesself-interestedopiniontheyhadlostthedesiretolearnandtogrow.Thislackoflearningobviouslyleadstoconflictonagloballevel. Iwonderwhoisreallyinterestedinexploringthedangersofopinions?InmylifeamIreallyinterestedinfindingoutthefacts?Orisiteasierandmoreself-servingtorestonmyopinions.ConsiderthedelegatesfromtheUN.Aretheygainingpowerbymaintainingtheiropinion?Howmanypowerfulinterestgroupsintheworldmaintaintheirpowerthroughopinionbyassertingonlywhatwillfurthertheirinterests? Opinionscloudourmindsanddirectobservationofreal-ity.Nexttimesomeonesays“That¹s just your opinion,” findoutwhatisreallyhappening.Opinionsaredangerousroadblockstoperceptionofreality. Perhapswecouldstartbyholdingouropinionslightlyandbegintoseewhethertheyaretrueornot.Awarenessofrealitycannotcomethroughopinions;itcanonlycomethroughdirectobservationofthefacts.NowiswhatIjustsaidanopinionorisitafact? Unknown


An“OBSERVATION TRIAL”isgoingtobeheldearlyinJuly1999intheCabooltureandDeceptionBayarea.ThedayistohelpraisefundstoassistSenseiMichaelWilliams-ChiefInstructorfortheAikidoKiSocietyAustraliatogetovertoJapaninAugustthisyearforthepresentationofhis5thDan.HistripwillenablehimtobringbackfirsthandteachingsfromToheiSensei(Founder of Ki Society)andthatwillalsoallowSenseiWilliamstogradeseniorDanstoahigherlevel.

Theobjectiveofanobservationtrial isforadriverandnavigator to,throughaseriesofclues,findtheirdestination.Alongthewaytherewillbemanyobservationsmadeand itemscollected inorder tocompletethecourse.Thefinallocationwillnotbeknownuntilyouhavearrived.Outsideofcollectingalltheinformationtheobjec-tiveistohaveawholelotoffun,andhopefullynotgetlost

alongtheway.(if you do you can always blame the navi-gator!!)

Onarrivaltothedestination,therewillbeasausagesizzleandsoftdrinksatveryreasonbleprices(so please support our efforts by purchasing munchies on the day).

TROPHIES WILL BE AWARDED FOR 1ST & 2ND PLACE & a few Booby prizes also!!!Trophies will be awarded for 1st & 2 Therallywilltakeapproximately2-1/2to3hourstocompletethecostwillbe$10.00anadult,$5.00forchildren6-12yearsandunder6yearsoldfree.Sofillyourcars,themorepeopleyouhavelookingforcluesthebetteryourchancesareofwinningatrophy.Askyourfriends,workmates,neighbourstocomeandjointhefun

Therewillalsobevariousrafflesavailableatthepicnicsite,soifyoudon’twinaprizeintheRallyyoualwayshaveanopportunitytowinotherprizesintheraffles.SoremembertobringyourownchairsandblanketsetctomakeyourafternoonmorecomfortableThedayshouldbecompletedby3pmontheday,soforpeopletravellingshouldallowyouplentyoftimetogethomesafely.

Informationwillbesentouttoeachofthedojo’ssoforfurtherenquiresandentryforms,pleasecontacttheeditorofthenewsletteroryourinstructor.Driversandnavigatorswillhavetobeenteredontheentryforms.SopleasegetyourentryformandpaymentsinearlysothatwecancatertothecorrectamountnumberofStarterkitsandfoodontheday.Youcanenteronthedaybuttherewillbea$5.00acarlatepenaltyfee.

Alsocheckwithyourdojoinstructorastherewillbevariousotherraffleshappeningduringthecomingmonths

For further details contact your dojo instructor OR the Editor of Kiai - See you all then !

Observation Trials

Aikido T-Shirts - Polo Shirts

& Polar Fleece jumpersWhite T-Shirts, silk screened with Logo and Aikido on it $16.00 (limited numbers at this price.)

Grey Marl Polo shirts with Navy collar and Navy/White embroidery on chest $25.00Polar Fleece jumpers with draw cord around the neck, large logo embroided on chest $39.00

( the polar fleece jumpers are an order item - minimum numbers apply when ordering )

Please include an extra $3.00 for postage and handling.

10% Discounts available on minimum orders of 12

For orders or further details please contact Tony Deckers on (07) 3888 1243Mobile 0419 77 8486 or Email - [email protected]

AikidoKiSocietyDojoDirectory

NEW SOUTH WALESAikido Ki Society - BYRON BAY Dojo Australia National HeadquartersChiefInstructorforAustralia-MichaelWilliamsPOBox412ByronBay,NSW2481Phone:(02)66856389e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - UKI Dojo - NSWHeadDojoInstructor-StevePhillipsPhone:(H)(02)66795091(M)015586583e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - WOOLOOMOOLOO- SydneyHeadDojoInstructor-JamesMcGlonePhone:(02)93880816or0407892204

Aikido Ki Society - GLEBE - SydneyHeadDojoInstructor-JamesMcGlonePhone:(02)93880816

Aikido Ki Society - CROWS NEST - SydneyHeadDojoInstructor-AndrewSunterPhone:(02)[email protected]

QUEENSLANDAikido Ki Society - MAREEBA DojoHeadDojoInstructor-AlfioLaSpinaPhone(07)40937237

Aikido Ki Society - CAIRNS DojoHeadDojoInstructor-RobyKesslerPhone:(07)40982722(M)015159447

Aikido Ki Society - MOSSMAN DojoHeadDojoInstructor-RobyKesslerPh/Fax:(07)40982722(M)0148750005

Aikido Ki Society - COORAN DojoHeadDojoInstructor-KateCoupePhone:(07)54853028

Aikido Ki Society - HERVEY BAY DojoHeadDojoInstructor–FrankGrahamPhone:(07)41282649

Aikido Ki Society - BOREEN POINT Dojo


HeadDojoInstructor-KateCoupePhone:(07)54853028

Aikido Ki Society - CABOOLTURE DojoHeadDojoInstructor-TonyDeckersPh/Fax:(07)38881243(M)0149778486e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - CITY HALL DojoHeadDojoInstructor-MatthewSmartPhone:(H)(07)32642199(M)018184599

Aikido Ki Society - CLEVELAND DojoHeadDojoInstructor-ThomHansenPhone:(07)32061772(M)0419023700e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY DojoHeadDojoInstructor-MichaelStoopmanPhone:(07)38414848(M)0418782259e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - LOGAN CITY CITY DojoHeadDojoInstructor-MervHoolePhone(H)(07)32005390e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - SANDGATE PCYC DojoHeadDojoInstructor-BradWilkinsonPhone:(07)32840807

Aikido Ki Society - SPRING HILL DojoHeadDojoInstructor-JohnHurleyPhone:(07)38321671e-mail:[email protected]

SOUTH AUSTRALIAAikido Ki Society - PORT AUGUSTA DojoHeadDojoInstructor-MikeLoranPhone:(086)423877e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society - WHYALLA DojoHeadDojoInstructor-MikeLoranPhone:(086)423877e-mail:[email protected]

Aikido Ki Society Australia Newsletter Copyright

A Kiai Publication - Queensland Australia

Documents

Issue #5 May/July 1999 Aikido Ki Society Australia · PDF filetunity to be taught directly from Tohei Sensei, the founder of Ki Society Aikido. We are very fortunate that Tohei Sensei