23rd Oct 2007
Aikido in America
by Maite Sensei
Translated from Spanish
Tomorrow has been one week since I’ve returned home.
I haven’t has a chance to sit down.
Honestly, it was a month that left a deep impression. 95% of everything was different.
The electrical plugs, the houses, the walls, the vehicles, the streets, the streetlight signals and the food. The people, the way you relate to other people, even the names of the Aikido techniques and I’m not referring to “how you say tanto” in Spanish (ha ha ha).
It has been a great effort to attempt to learn everything and I hope I didn’t create an uncomfortable situation or cannot be corrected to the cultures.
I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Toyoda Shihan, but I have seen his spirit and dedication in each and every person. Honestly you do a grand job to spread Aikido, and in the margins of political and economical questions, I want to say I feel very content to be part of AAI.
I want to thank you for the effort to see the sensei and kyu ranks and for transmitting all the techniques to me. Also thank you (Toyoda Sensei) for making me feel at home. I hope I contributed in some manner the advancement along the path that we come together, on the path of Aikido.
It’s hard for me to express in words all the wonderful experiences, including the injuries, exhaustion, and lack of sleep, the blisters on the feet, and the lack of understanding the language. But I feel the best expression for me was Kenshusei, the poem I wrote and placed in the announcement board at Tenshinkan.
WHEN THE BODY I SET FREE FROM THE BODY
WHEN THE MIND CEASES TO THINK
THE SPIRIT REJOICES AND THE SOULS BECOME ONE IN OUR DAILY TRAINING
Sincerely,
Sensei Maite
Maria Teresa Fuertemoreno Manero holds the rank of sandan and is the dojo cho of Aikisur dojo in Madrid, Spain.
