Aikido World

From the entire AAA/AAI staff and on behalf of ‘Aikido World’, we would like to wish everyone and their loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving!

Martin Katz Sensei (godan, 5th degree black belt), dojo cho of Ryushinkan dojo in San Diego, will be in Slovenia this January 9th through 11th, 2009.

Katz Sensei (an AAA National Teaching Committee Member) will be hosted by Shodokan dojo in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Aikido Center (Shijinkan Dojo) will be hosting Masuda Sensei from Kobayashi dojo this December 5th through 7th.  For seminar flyer, please click here:   Masuda Sensei - December 2008 flyer.  Aikido Center is located in Woodslands, Texas.

This video was created by Gajuki dojo in New Jersery and can also be found at Toubu (the AAA Eastern Region blog).

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Aikido Club at PCC has been changed to Aikido Arizona.  Some of the contact information has changed as well.

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Click here for the flyer for the seminar at Eidokan dojo in Split, Croatia  with Steve Rehrauer Sensei (godan, 5th degree black belt) this November 27th and 28th.

For more information visit:  www.aaa-aikido.com & http://www.aikidobonaca.hr

Thank you for all who participated in the seminar! The group photo was from Saturday afternoon. More photos will become available shortly.

Also, congratulations to both Glen Iwoaka Sensei and Tim Spies Sensei, who successfully tested for their yodan!

Joshinkan dojo will be hosting an Aikido Seminar this January 10th through 11th in Cary, North Carolina.  Bill Bunn Sensei (Southern Regional Director) will be instructing.  For the seminar flyer, please follow this link:  Joshinkan 2009 Seminar

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These pictures are from a seminar taught by Kengo Hatayama Shihan in Palatine, Illinois from November 13-16, 2008. These photos are from Sunday, November 16.

If you have any additional pictures or videos you’d like to share from this event, please send them to the editor.

Click here to see all the pictures.

From October 31 to November 2, 2008 our dojo, Aikido Dojo del Norte, sponsored a seminar with Glen Matsuda Sensei in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The seminar was attended by AAA students in Puerto Rico, representatives of all the major Aikido organizations in Puerto Rico and some martial artists of other styles. We also had an AAA member from a Pennsylvania dojo who attended.

Some of the most interesting moments for me at the seminar were the following:

1. Matsuda Sensei has a unique style of teaching. His ability to explain, breakdown and demonstrate technique was very impressive and allowed us to learn the technique while enjoying the practice.
2. Matsuda Sensei continuously emphasized the concept of “spirit” in the technique. Form is not enough if not accompanied with “spirit”. My understanding of this is that form without “spirit” is only empty movement and my Aikido would be incomplete and lacking substance.
3. Matsuda Sensei explained the use of correct breathing and how this would enhance our Aikido practice and permit us to prolong our practice. As an example we practiced katatekosatori kokyunage using the breathing techniques he showed us and guess what it works!
4. One of the highlights of the seminar was watching the yudansha tests, nidan and sandan. I had the privilege to participate in my sensei’s sandan test and perform Kumitachi with him. I had been learning and practicing kumitachi for eight months in preparation for Sensei’s test. I was nervous when the moment came, but I pulled through and everything turned out right.

Thank you to Matsuda Sensei for the excellent seminar, your explanations, your friendship and the joy you express when you teach and demonstrate Aikido.

Thank you Stephen Toyoda Sensei for always supporting our dojo and Aikido in Puerto Rico.

Alec Rivera is a teenager, 2.5 Kyu, and has been practicing Aikido at Aikido Dojo del Norte, Arecibo, Puerto Rico since the age of 5.