Poster for the seminar

Kyoto Budo Center

Jun 9th, 2011 – Tissier Sensei gave many good points all relating to understanding Uke‘s ‘one point’. He showed us not so much waza, but principles. In fact, he talked about principles a lot. He said that the addition of new principles should not replace old principles, but they should stack on top of each other. Briefly, he talked about four principles: attitude (posture), vision (looking at Uke), distance (spacing), and economy. He said that once we know a principle, we cannot violate it in our techniques. For example, looking at Uke is important because spacing and posture will be affected. We are not ants, he says, so we should not be looking at the ground.

He also talked a lot about economy of waza. I am very interested in this because he says waza may not be “incorrect”, but the economy might be poor. For example, a technique that needs to change legs is susceptible to a judo leg sweep, for example. So now instead of saying a technique is wrong, we can intuitively measure the economy of a technique instead.

I will talk about these in separate entries. This is just a hint at the knowledge gained at this seminar that cannot be found in his videos. He is a wonderful, kind person in real life. Below are two clips from Aikido Odessy which are similar to the theme of day 1.

Jun 10th, 2011 Today he started with shihonage and explained that we don’t stop or pause. If we pause then Uke can adjust because there is no such thing as Uke staying twisted if he doesn’t have to – it is an unnatural position and it doesn’t exist, he says.

He then talked about kotegaeshi. He talked about similar points in his video An Aikido Odyssey, but he explained to not focus on one point. That is, he says to keep thinking about the next point, not the current point.

Jun 11th, 2011 There was review from the previous two days. There were too many people at the Budo Center, so my partners and I only did up to kuzushi for many techniques. There were clearly more foreigners than Japanese on this day.

Tissier Sensei explained that once the job of one arm is done, we can use the free arm to do something else like continue a technique. There is no need to force a stopped arm to continue. That’s crazy, he says. We did a lot of shomenuchi ikkyo and explained some variations on how to do it relating to taisabaki. He said that Uke should not flinch or be afraid. Tissier Sensei says that if Uke is afraid, he should not attack.

More details will work their way into future entries.

Tissier Sensei, Kyoto

[Above photo source: Olga Esina, June 9, 2011, Kyoto]

Date

May 28 (Sat)
12:00-17:30 (Doors open at 11:00.)

Place

Nippon Budokan

Access

5 min. walk from Kudanshita Station, Shinjuku Line/Tozai Line/Hanzomon Line

Fee

Free admission

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Directions from Hombu to Nippon Budokan:

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Date: Sun., April 10, 2011

Time: 14:00-17:00

Location: 3rd Floor, Hombu Dojo

Fee: 3,000 yen

Themes:

1. Kokyu-ho: Development of ‘KI’
2. Basic footwork
3. Basic techniques and ‘ma-ai‘
4. Basic techniques for multiple attackers
5. Image training and practicality
6. Unconscious reaction

Tada Shihan

第16回多田宏師範特別講習会を下記の通り開催します。奮ってご参加下さい。

■日時
平成23年4月10日(日)14時～17時

■場所
本部道場三階道場

■会費
3000円

■稽古内容
(1).呼吸法による気の錬り方
(2).足さばきの基本
(3).基本技と間合について
(4).多人数取りの基本
(5).連想行と実技
(6).技の自動化

■申込方法
当会受付にて、事前に所定の申込用紙に必要事項をご記入のうえ会費を添えてお申込下さい。

■締切
4月5日(火)まで1

1. From http://www.aikikai.or.jp/jpn/info/2011/tada_seminar.htm [↩]

Here is another huge seminar by Doshu in Paris 2004. How come these are so massive in many countries?

2004 Doshu seminar in Paris

I really take it for granted that I can be in Doshu’s class up to 8 times a week. This just blows my mind how respected he is all over the world.

One of the great things about living in Tokyo is the amazing opportunities to learn Aikido from the masters. Today I was lucky enough to attend the 15th Special Seminar by Tada Hiroshi Sensei (9th Dan), held at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, Tokyo. I also attended the previous seminar in April, but quickly forgot the finer details of what he taught. This time I thought I’d try to record some of what I remember about the seminar in the hope that I’d be able to retain a bit more.

I wrote up some of the details on my blog.

I’m pretty sure the descriptions of the exercises and techniques are going to be hard to understand, but maybe they make at least a little sense.

Ben Lim Sensei performed a beautiful wadaiko song near the end of the Calgary Aikikai 30th Anniversary Seminar dedicated to the late Inaba Shihan for whom the seminar – his dream – was held.

Original source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKOJVtAD3Y8

Ben Lim Taiko drumming for Calgary Aikikai 30th

Someone coerced the poster to remove this YouTube video.1

It was an honour to have Ben Lim Sensei drum for an event which hosted seven Aikido shihans. If you are interested in having Ben Lim or Midnight Taiko perform for your event, please contact him at info [at] masakokoro [dot] com.

1. Under Canadian and provincial law, you may record most public demonstrations even if you are verbally told not to do so, and it is illegal to force someone to delete or remove such a video which falls under the Criminal Mischief Act of Canada. This demonstration occurred at an event that was free to the public. [↩]

To celebrate the late Inaba Sensei’s (6th Dan) close friendships and life-long commitment to teaching Aikido, Calgary Aikikai is honoured to bring together some of the world’s foremost instructors in Aikido including three of O-Sensei’s remaining uchi-deshi. This weekend seminar is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please join us in Calgary on August 13, 14 and 15th as we celebrate 30 years of Aikido.

August 13, 14 and 15 – 2010

* Kobayashi Sensei – 8th Dan (Japan)
* Asai Sensei – 8th Dan (Germany)
* Igarashi Sensei – 7th Dan (Japan)
* Kubo Sensei – 7th Dan (Hawaii)
* Arai Sensei – 7th Dan (Japan)
* Shirakawa Sensei – 7th Dan (Japan)
* H. Kobayashi Sensei – 6th Dan (Japan)

Register today! http://www.calgaryaikikai.com/events

Like yesterday we worked on basics. Here are most of the techniques we worked on today, with emphasis on footwork and hand movement:

• tai-no-henko
• tai-no-henko with nagare
• katate-ryotedori kokyunage with sinking and both feet brought together
• katate-ryotedori kokyunage with tenkan
• katate-ryotedori yonkyo kara kokyunage kaeshi waza
• katate-ryotedori iriminage sotomawari
• katate-ryotedori kotegaeshi
• aiki-otoshi
• aiki-otoshi from shomenuchi
• ushiro tekubitori saisho
• ushiro ryokatadori kokyunage

I would like to thank Kenji Yoshimi, Hideo Ono, Jason, Tom, Brad, Bonnie Fujimoto and others for making the seminar a good experience. Some black-belts don’t like to work with white-belts, but a handful remember what it is like to be one. To them, I thank you.

Today went from 10:30 am until about 3:30 pm with an hour for lunch.

We started with basic tai-no-henko practice. Kawahara Sensei emphasized that the palm be faceup, and when we tenkan our fingers should point in the direction of Uke‘s extended arm.

We then went into tai-no-henko with nagare for a short period of time. No general comments from Kawahara Sensei.

Now doing uchi tai-no-henko, Kawahara Sensei had a good point to help everyone: For uchi, we do not let Uke grab our wrist. As he comes to grab out wrist, we retract it by bending it inward toward our hara. This is basic. What he suggests is to not only bend it, but to bend it and present your elbow so Uke cannot grab your forearm (or sode) after a failed wrist-grab attempt. Also, when you retract your forearm to your hara, go past your hara. I noticed that Kawahara Sensei bends his arm, presents his elbow and retracts his arm so that the wrist is well on the other side of his body, beyond his hara. In fact, his elbow becomes closer to his hara than his overshot wrist.

Building on uchi tai-no-henko, we did katatedori kotegaeashi. Sensei had good advice for this was well: After Uke‘s hand is grabbed from the top and after you have done the first tenkan, you have a choice to make: send Uke‘s energy back into himself or outward in the direction he is already going. Beginners stop after the first tenkan and curl Uke‘s fingers and wrist back into him so he falls. The better version is to do another tenkan (not blocking Uke!) so that when you apply the kotegaeshi it is in the direction that Uke is moving already. However, if after the first tenkan Uke is adamant about resiting, you can do the so-called beginner way and blend with Uke‘s pulling toward himself. This is according to Sensei, today.

This time it was katatedori koshinage. Right away we are supposed to extend Uke‘s arm out using an atemi, extend up and tenkan in to get Uke‘s center of gravity raised, then continue the koshinage. Sensei goes on to say that atemi is 90% of Aikido.

Next, we went to zagi ryokatadori nikyo osae. Both arms need to be addressed simultaneously to prevent you from being hit by an unattended arm. From the outside in, one arm needs to be cut down toward the horizontal middle of both of you (cut down toward your hara). At the same time, from underneath the second arm needs to be raised and directed upward in a circular motion. This will cause Uke to begin twisting his body, as well as guard your body in case he lets go to strike you. Next, tenkan maybe 90 degrees so you are perpendicular to Uke when he comes to rest; you should guide his shoulder in between your legs for the nikyo pin.

The old way of doing the above pin was to pop Uke‘s elbow (i.e. break it), then strike the back of his head or spine. “We don’t do that anymore.”

Kawahara Sensei then talked about lining up in seiza. Specifically, in the Aikido world it is not important who is on the left of whom. We are all humble. What is important is for everyone to hurry and line up for the next demonstration. However, if someone like Ueshiba Sensei comes to visit, then out of great respect we line up by rank.

We worked next on yokomenuchi nikyo via irimi. What was unique is that Kawahara Sensei wanted the shoulder pin of nikyo. That is, we are to hold Uke‘s arm upright from a standing position, press down on the back of his palm to lock his arm and apply pressure to his shoulder, then push his arm toward his head more to accentuate the pressure on the shoulder.