Tuesday, December 28, 2010

co-creation in aikido

The distances in the North are very large and it is certainly one of the reasons that wanderlust is not so great.
At the ancestor side has never been cheaper and easier than now to take a plane in the Region.
Aiki OPEN concept is as the word says to seek inspiration outside one's own "Green Zone". Being in his own "Green Zone" is most comfortable and gives us some kind of reassurance and acceptance. Stepping outside our own "Green Zone" is to show interest in it as others do.
Aiki Open is the idea of aikido as an Organic Community and not beurokratisk and political organization.
In the living organism Ki flows freely even if the organism is divided into different organs.
Therefor an idea of "cross training"- "friendship trainings" between the various styles reflect the way of peace - or Aikido.

Imagine studying 5 different manifestations of Shomen uchi Kokyo fester - or 5 Yokomenuchi shihonage and 5 Menutsuki kotegaeshi -
and each technique show the 5 plans, static, flowing, dynamic, simple mind, no mind.
It would be impossible to achieve in an entire weekend; 0)

CO-CREATION BY NORDIC Aiki OPEN

"The Biggest room om world are room for improvment"

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Aikido with out boundaries




Mauryama founder of Aikido Yuishinkai.
Willaims International Chief Instructor, Australia (left)
Okajima, 8 dan.  Successor.( right)

In the evolution of Aikido, many personal impulses have by time been added in the wish  for impoundments.
At the end of  Ueshibas   life,  Mauryama, sensei  was one of his preferred Ushideshi.
When Ueshiba went true transition. Mauryama, sensei saw that the Aikido Tohei, sensei made  were closes in essences of what he had experienced with Ueshiba, and so he joined Shin shin toitsu Aikido.
He became here Chief Instructor of Ki no kenkyukai.
However he had some reservations of the political tendencies in the life of Aikido organisations, and so he resigned  for the purposes of meditation. After 8 years of meditation at a temple in Japan the master of that tempel, gave him permission to take up Aikido again.
The Aikidoka who knew him from his active period with O´sensei and Ki no kenkykai, urges him to make a new branch in the Aikido movement.
The last two years of his stay at the temple was  dedicated to create this new branch.
It seems to me that  instead to take a new step "forward",  he took a step "backward" - making a distend to all that had come to be - or should I say: he went back to the root masters of Ki and Aiki-jutsu.
In that sense I came to see that the Yuishinkai praxis is the closes concept  of Aikido I have seen in the 20 years I have been working with Ki and Aikido.
It is also very nice to see the respect and tolerance, which  are present in Aikido Yuishinkai. Tolerance in words is never enough, and it is  showed be that many senseis and aikidoka are inspired by the attirud of Mauryamas  work and service.

Daito ryu and Aiki

Thank you. 
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Nordic Aiki Open

Every river has a name. However, these names disappear when they flow into the great ocean. Aikido has many styles, many names, but Aikido is Aikido. It is my vision and hope that, like the rivers, they flow together and unite as one.'
Koretoshi Maruyama


The first 7 years of my training Aikido did not think of any thing ells that what came from my first sensei, Nishio.
Aikido is so over whelming for most beginners, that they have more than enough just to perceive what is presented in there own dojo and find space and time to join the training once or twice a week.
The question of other stiles are for most out of question.
However other students are using much time to find out what still fits them best or if Aikido at all is that kind of Budo there are looking for.

G.I. Gurdjieff was a spiritual leader who had a profound understanding of the relationship between the individual person and the group.
To him any kind of inner development with out relating to a group was impossible. So with Aikido and its dojo.
However this subsequently demands that we accept that Aikido is a inner path for development. A Do for Misugi – for purification of body and mind.

Every Aikido dojo have its own collective Ki-body, independent of still ot associations to any union or federations. This is the essence of Dojo according to the old traditions or Ko-ryu. As such a Dojo is a autonomic unity. The Dojo cho or Sensei together whit the member of the Dojo are co-creators. The choice of Shihan - “Master-instructor” determine the faith of the Dojo and its members. Shihan is not some thing which cane be imposed on any Dojo, but is the result of a free choice among the co-creators of a dojo. Shihan is not a title delegated to a sensei, it is a stat of confidence which a sensei/teacher are granted by one or more Dojo Cho or sensei’s or some title automatically used by 5 or 6 dan sempais.
That’s why I prefere never to use the word Shihan in public only in Dojo face to face.

The Dojo Ki-body is a reflection of the realization of the Cosmic Ki in the mind of senseis and shihans. It as a magnetic field which grow more clear and loving as it is used according to the principles found in O´sensies Doka – the essence of the Art of Peace or Aikido.

When it came to the point that my first sensei made the statement “aikido is only techniques” – I instant new I had to find a new path.
G.I. Gurdjieeff was very clear on this subject. No one is asked to leave, but one is leaving because the mind stuff not relates to the collective ki-body of that specific group of people any more. It is not a question of good or bad, but of quality.

The student must be free of the teacher as the teacher mus be free of students. That’s why O´sensei said: “I have no stydens only people by with I share my experiences”

Everything ells would be a waist of time for the individual and for the group as such.

The essence of Aikido is there for not uphold by Unions – but of Unity – that is Love of Aikido. The livings relations among dojos, who relate to each others on the basis of quality and not verifications of techniques.
Respect is not an acceptant of things we already understand, but what we do not understand in our present stat of mind. That’s why respect is most important in the work of unity.

Aikido be one borders, still or unions have been introduced in free initiatives such as Aiki-expo, Aikido for Peace or as I have suggested Aiki-Open. Workshops, where related sensei’s and dojos are training together. Sharing positive experience. I do not see any purpose in bringing all kinds of stills together for the sake of some kind of abstract or political unity.

The differences of the many stills among O´sensei ushideshi who later became founders of various stills, is the destiny of a time which influenced the second generations of sensei’s and created competition or revelries among many sensei’s.
We are now going in to the third generation of aikidoka and we do not have to be a part of that karma.

It is in that background and in the spirit from the motto of Mauryama, sensei, that I propose a co-creation of Nordic Aiki Open and it is my hope that this free initiative by time will be a innovative international event for many aikidoka.

Monday, August 09, 2010

throwing or falling

To throw or to fall?

When you see people flying around in the air in aikido, you may have the impression that tori is throwing uke. Most aikidoka surely are throwing uke and both are hawing a swinging time. So it is OK to throw people if it is this you like.
However, it is a different perception of what actualy is going on between tori and uke in we are trying to a chive the quality of Aiki.
When Nishio, sensei, began to study Aikido, his background wad 5 dan Karate and 4 dan Judo. He found rather quickly that the ”throwing technique” in aikido did not work. So he adopted Judo principles in to the aikido to make it more efficient. Also his ”atemi” became inspired by his karate background, as ”hitting”.
However, in the Aikido of O´sensei – we are not ”throwing” nor ”hitting” our opponent. So for many Aikido is practised as a soft form of Ju-jutsu

What you need is a new concept. First of all we must understand the concept of Aikido as an Art of Peace. Knowing this we try to transform our opponent to our partner. We are doing this by trying to be one with our opponent. We try to place our self in his shoes.
If we look at our opponent as a ”thing” or mere ”object” - we easily are adapting ”throwing” and ”hitting” technique – that is control, speed l and power, by witch we manipulate the opponent.

Tohei sensei, introduced this question in the formula: ”Do not throw your partner – help him to fall”.
To do this you need Ki – that is rhythm, flow and timing. In this process you are trying to show uke a alternative way out of his misery of the attachment of the ”fighting mind”. By this you ”lead” him – show him door by which he cane leave the negative situation he by his attack have created, with our hurting others of harming him self. It is a win win situation then, and the is no space for revenge.
So what uke actually are doing is accepting the open door tori is showing to him – and his is surrendering his attack to the power of gravity – and are falling to the ground as a ripe apple in the autumn and relax – leaving his figthing mind and entering the peace of mind.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Hagama og Obi

Hagama er en traditionel japans buksedragt, som blev brugt af samurierne.
Aikido stammer fra Kriger klassen. De uniformer der bruges i Budo viser ofte hvor de kulturet stammer fra. Karates Dogi er almonen eller bøndernes dragt. Kungfu blev udviklet af munkene.
Brugen af Hagama og Bælter har skiftet meget gennem tiderne. I Koryu (den gamle tradition) brugte man hagama og obi (bælte) efter behag eller som udtryk for hvilken klan man stammede fra. Farver på Hagama og Obi blev ikke brugt som tegn på graduering, for der fandtes ingen gradueringer i Koryu.
Da Budo begyndte at tilpasse sig vestlige ”sports” idealer, konkurencer og medljer, skete der en langsom degradering og korumtion af Koryu. Jodo og Jujiutsu var blandt de første der indførte ”farvede blælter” og ”gradueringer” - sidste har Kungfu tilpasset sit pensum og meget andet for at bliver optaget i OL.
Aikido søger at fastholde sine autentiske traditioner, selv om det er meget svært i en tid, hvor ”postmodernismen” gør alt til en stort ”tag selv bord” eller ”frit valg på alle hylder”.
Nu er der mange skrøner om 0`sensei – men en kvinde i buksedragt i 1800-tallets Japan var et ”uskønt” syn. Så for at være ”anstændigt” påklædt bad han de kvinder han trænede med tage en hagama på, selv om det er en ren mandsdragt – kvinden bruger Kimino.
I aikido er traditionen hvis dogi og sort eller indigo blå hagama. Jeg har dig set et foto hvor 0´sensei træner bokken med en ung mand som har hvid hagama og dogi. En kombination som senere blev forbeholdt Shihans (mestre instruktører), som også ses i sort dogi og sort eller gråstribet hagama.
Hele denne ”dres kodex” forekommer nogle antiquieret, men det er nu blevet accepteret og følges alle aikido linier.
Hvad angår brugen af Hagama i kyu graderne begynder man nogle steder i 3. 2. eller 1 kyu. – i nogle linier opnår man først retten til Hagama sammen med storbælte 1 dan.
Alt dette er blot et ”koncept” et valg som er foretaget af Doshu, Shihans og kompetente senseis. Det samme kan siges om pensum. Der findes ikke noget ”objektivt system” – fordi Aikido er en kampkunst og ikke nogen sport.

Alt dette kan meget let bliver degenererede statussymboler eller korumperer det ”lille ego”.
Det sorte bælte symboliserer eller Shodan betyder ”den lille prøve” - Det betyder at man derfra begynder at skulle tage ansvar for egen udvikling, - ”Læreren må være fri af eleven, lige som eleven må frigører sig fra læreren”