The Aikido Center of Los Angeles continues to teach their students with a similar flavor and traditional aspect that can be felt in how their teachers and students interact. Along with this the school’s attention to detail and passing on the tremendous legacy their teacher passed on to them is refreshing and touching. Personally I do not think that a teacher could have asked for more. This is what I think great teachers do, which is pass on their ideas, lessons, and experiences and the attentive students (and dojo) pick up these. One day these people may pass them on to their students or just use these teachings in their daily life.

I tend to think life is like this dojo. We try to build of positive experiences and lessons through out our life. These could be things we learn and the trials that we face. With these we mold our perceptions and how we interact with the world (hopefully in a positive way). If we are teachers we should try to live our lives in this positive manor as best an example as we can. This is the best teaching we can give.

This is one of the best things I always get out of coming to this Dojo each year. They are really keeping the “Dojo” going. This is the teachings of their old teacher, building strong relationships with other Aikidoist, and adding their own flavor to always be trying to build the students and the dojo into a strong living thing. I have tried to express this to other people who start a dojo/school that the dojo is more than just the mats, instructors, and students. It is all those things put together and build the legacy of great martial arts that we can teach and learn from each other.

Eventually the dojos become a living thing and pretty much perpetuate going forward. This is always backed up by the instructors that live and teach these principles and teaching day by day. I always think to myself of how am I part of this system as a whole and what can I do to help keep this momentum to move forward. The seminar had a lot of wonderful instructors including Izawa sensei from Tanshinjuku and Ito Sensei from ACLA. There were other instructors from ACLA and their member schools from Mexico and Spain.

What a great time! Aikido and the community. Looking forward to next year!

Andrew Blevins, Kiryu Aikido
©2010

ps. I want to Credit Larry Armstrong from Aikido of LA for the great photos.

The students testing for black belt went through their testing techniques, and I had seen these students test previously. There had been much improvement from their last test and I think they were happy with the results. The testing included open hand, weapons (tanto dori, tachi dori, and jo dori), and randori (multiple attackers). Each dojo’s instructor calls out the techniques for their students especially at the black belt and above levels.  Each dojo has their own flavor of what they require their students to employ during the test, but the fundamental techniques are the same.

I personally enjoy testing with different groups of Aikido students and instructors. This really helps keep the motivation up and also that extra push of wanting to do their best in front of the other students and instrutors. We must think of these testing sessions as the sharpening stone for our own swords. To keep it sharp shows in each of our techniques, preparedness, zanshin and martial spirit. Once we stop trying to always progress there is no need to train anymore. You can see the differing levels of that spark in each of the students eyes. I believe the more we are exposed to this wonderful art (Aikido) that spark continues to grow and this in turns fuels our practice.

I always try to think hard after each test for what I learned and what I want to really push in myself and my students after the test. A lot of times the same lessons that we need to focus on keep popping up again and again. That is probably the nature of Aikido and martial arts. The basic tenants are simple, but not always easy to follow each and every day.

This time I had a thought on basic ettiquite during our testing. I really try to press my students for how to walk up to the testing area, how to bow and what order and other things we should focus on. If we focus on this early (5th kyu and above) then in theory each test this should get better and better. Each school approaches ettiquite during normal classes differently. However, we (Kiryu Aikido) try to work on this every class. It should not be something we force like trying to fit a semester of learning the night before the final. However, this can be a gradual thing we accumulate throughout our daily practice.

The last thing I really want to focus on after the tests is our martial sprit. Aikido is a martial art and should be treated as one. Our attacks should be committed and really show our intent to strike our partner. This gives our partner the true feeling and practice of how to deal with attacks. This again helps us sharpen our skills and our mental focus on our techniques and surroundings. I think this is an important part of our training and we can always refocus after the testing on the things we need to work on even if we do well.

Congratulations  to everyone who tested from the three dojos. From Kiryu good job to (Keith, Benjamin, John, and Jason). For everyone keep up the hard training and lets redouble our effort! Also, thanks to Marquita Izawa Sensei for taking the time to help coordinate the test this time and provide the testing location (Tanshinjuku Dojo).

Kiryu Aikido © 2010

It may seem like a big deal to move a dojo to a new place. There are the tasks of weeding through many potential locations to find one that works, negotiating class times, and finalizing business agreements with the facility. Then packing up and moving hundreds of pounds of mats, hopefully on a sunny day so they don’t get wet, and bowing in and getting back to practice.

But all this is just the external stuff that needs to be done. It’s actually easy to move a dojo, because the dojo — the true place of practice — hasn’t moved at all. It is still, and always will be, kept safely in the hearts and souls of the teacher and students.

Like a strong, healthy family, a strong, healthy dojo isn’t the space in which it trains. A good family will remain cohesive and supportive whether they’re living in a tent or in a multi-million dollar home. The form and the physical place where they live doesn’t create the family or make the space “home.” It’s their commitment and honesty and dedication and support of each other that makes the family and creates the home.

A strong dojo remains strong regardless of where the physical space may be. The space — four walls, a roof, and mats — is just that: the outer shell of where practice is held. The real dojo lives inside each person who bows onto the mat and into practice day after day, week after week, with respect and integrity shown from the heart for each other. Together, they take care of the dojo’s needs as if it were a living creature. Because in many ways, it is. The care and dedication shown by its members to each other is reflected in the culture and energy of the dojo.

As author Eckhart Tolle once wisely said, “all structures are unstable.” In the end, any physical place is temporary, and it’s a bit of a risk to become too attached to any such structure or allow a space to define who we are, what we believe, what we stand for, or what we deem important in this short life.

Dojo locations come and go; trappings and accoutrements vary from place to place. No matter what, when we bow in and say Onegaishimasu, nothing else matters but the good people practicing hard, giving it their all, and enjoying a few fleeting minutes doing something they love, and love sharing.

Kiryu Aikido looks forward to the next steps on the path and welcomes you to come practice as we bow in at our new location.

Hobo kore dojo. Each step is our dojo.

For the people watching the test there is a lot to learn also. You can always be critical of others taking the test. It is very easy to do this from the back of the room watching. However, it is better to see what the students did well. Pick up on their mannerisms, techniques and overall attitude. Try to put yourself in their shoes and visualize yourself taking the test and how you would do the techniques. Then take these new views with you to the mat the next week!

As an instructor and one of the people giving the test there is always so much that I get out of each test. This is a different view each time as you have different people testing at different levels and each test has their own challenges. Also, I think one of the most important things as an instructor is that you try to give your students the tools to succeed. This may be having extra classes to refine their techniques, having test prep sessions, or once in a while to just talk to each student and see what you can do to help them.

You also have to see who is testing and see how to best match the nages (throwers) and ukes (fallers). With this one must think of when each student is testing, the skill and power of the nage, and also spacing. With limited number of students (at each level) it is important to not overtire people by having them uke when they may be taking a test. Or on the other side even during the test to give people some time when you see they are having a hard time physically. There is a fine line and some students who you know are very well prepared you can push them even harder. As you are the instructor you are the “team” coach, and sometimes you need to put people on the bench and know when to play your team.

This can be a hard thing to do, and nothing usually goes to plan. I try to assign ukes and nages ahead of time, and also have backups in case things happen. However, the higher the test the nage should be able to go with the flow and employ their techniques on ukes (that are near their level). Again we can not plan for everything, but we can always try. Each testing I learn a lot about my self, my students and also how others deal and work within the parameters that we are given. It is always nice to see how my teachers and fellow instructors handle each situation thrown at us.

With this in mind the Aikido group in Colorado (Tanshinjuku, Kiryu Aikido, Castle Rock Aikido, and Doushinjuku) had a successful test. This was a kyu only test, but we had a few 2nd and 1st kyu tests which really challenge the students to do their best. I mentioned at the testing that it is always great to see people whom you have seen in multiple tests in the past years as you really can see the growth. All is not equal in the Aikido world nor should it be. You can really see the students who put in a lot of effort, and the extra training really pays off in the end. However, I commend every one who came out for testing and the students and family who came down who were not testing for their support. Everyone you could tell put in a lot of work.

The test is over, and the most important thing is that we get back to the mat. Past is past, and only our training and sweat will determine the future. I love training Aikido and one could not ask for a more healthy martial art and friends. Thank you all.

Andrew Blevins, Kiryu Aikido

Yesterday I\we had another great opportunity to attend a special class with Mariquita Izawa Sensei from Tanshinjuku, Lafayette. I have worked out with Mariquita Sensei many times over the past few years and have enjoyed her strength through refined movement and long practice. However, before yesterday I was not able to see her teach. I was very excited to attend the class that she was teaching at Castle Rock Aikido Dojo.

Mariquita Sensei started off sharing her ideas and experiences with Aikido. The big idea I really picked up on in the beginning was that we should not be focusing on our attacker. When we do that we immediately start to think about our preconceived ideas of how to react and can we or can’t we beat them. Instead we need to focus only on our movements in reacting to the attack. She demonstrated this with her fluid movements and as she is much smaller than her uke she still moved them with ease. I also got to feel her power and decisive movements and really felt how she was not moving me with her power/muscles, but with her center. Something that we all should aspire to which is to really focus on using less power and more center and body movements.

With this she explained and demonstrated that this center movement comes from our foot work. She then explained and showed us suriashi (sliding foot movement) and we did line exercises with irimi and tenkan. Her teaching style was also refreshing. She started with very basic movements. Breaking down from our foot work to irimi and off balancing movements with our employing the throw. I know when I start teaching I usually start out with basic “techniques”, but don’t always break it down even further to the different pieces. The beginners really started picking up the broken down movements.

After the students started to see the pieces and basic movements we started slow with some basic techniques. We then ended up with a little more advanced movements using all the lessons we worked on from the earlier classes. You could see the “light bulbs” on the students faces and that was great to see.

I really learned a lot from this one class. For me it was nice to hear her ideas and mature Aikido experience in our short classes. Also, to see a nice approach to teaching and breaking down advanced movements into more manageable pieces for the newer students. All in all it was a great day and always good to sweat and learn from a great teacher. We all hope that we have more classes with her in the future. On a lighter note, with Mariquita Sensei’s accent the way she says “tenkan” is my favorite :).

If you have time you should go train with Mariquita Izawa Sensei and Kei Izawa Sensei up in Lafayette Colorado at the Tanshinjuku facility. They are both great teachers and you can experience their experience and Aikido teaching for yourselves.

Andrew Blevins, Kiryu Aikido

About 10 students from Castle Rock Aikido, Kiryu Aikido, and DoushinJukubowed onto the mat for the June 6 ukemi seminar, with experience ranging from Nidan to several having started Aikido just a couple weeks ago. One of the great things about ukemi (and Aikido) is that there is always something new to learn or something to refine and improve. Ukemi truly is one of those things that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Andrew Blevins Sensei began by sharing that, to him, the most important components of Aikido are: ukemi, weapons, techniques. Note that techniques is last, which is not what a lot of students might expect. After all, techniques are the exciting part of Aikido, right? Being thrown as Uke is just something to be endured until it’s your turn to be Nage again, right? …

Hmmm, not so much. As Blevins Sensei explained, ukemi is the most important thing for several reasons. First, good ukemi allows us to practice at higher and higher levels as we’re ready with less risk of injury. Second, if a technique is done four times before Nage and Uke switch roles, we have four more times to learn the technique through feeling it (if we’re paying attention). Third, good ukemi allows us greater opportunity to be used as Uke by Senseis when they’re teaching, which provides priceless first-hand experience practicing with these teachers and feeling what it is they’re doing so we can learn from it and mimic it.

A side benefit to learning good ukemi is that it can protect us if we trip and fall in the real world. Through the practice on the mat, the body knows how to roll or fall safely, and it’s less likely we’ll be injured. And to add my own editorial comment, ukemi is simply a lot of fun. There’s nothing more fun than being thrown hard by an experienced Aikidoist you trust. Weird, but so true.

Another thing Blevins Sensei shares is his belief in *teaching* ukemi rather than letting students figure it out on their own. When we learn how to fall and roll and protect ourselves from our first day of class onward, we develop good skills that get stronger with proper practice over time. Rather than learning a “beginner” style of ukemi first and then having to relearn a more advanced style of ukemi later on, learning correctly how to place our feet after a fall or how to slap or how to roll where we’re thrown helps us develop better skills earlier.

>>Rolling

With the importance and value of ukemi clearly in mind, we started with rolling practice — first from a kneeling position.

One rough spot many students have with rolling is staying round through their arm so the energy dissipates along the arm, over the shoulder, and out the opposite hip. Until we learn to keep that arm extended, but not locked, we tend to collapse and put more strain than necessary on our elbow or shoulder — which feels much more like we’re trying to roll a square block than a round ball.

Blevins Sensei offered great tips to help this, like bringing your front arm to meet the mat and getting low before starting the roll, keeping both arms in a circle with fingers pointing toward each other, and looking behind you as you start to roll, which tucks your head out of the way.

These tips apply to standing rolls, too, which we did next.

From regular front rolls, we progressed to side rolls, then facing frontwards while leaning backward and at the last second going into a side roll. It’s good to have a variety of options available so if we’re ever thrown hard or in an unexpected direction, our body will take care of itself without us thinking, “Uh, maybe a side roll would be good right now.”

Something all students practiced was stepping and rolling with the same hand, same foot, at the same time. So if we’re rolling on our right side, we step with the right foot and roll on the right arm, and not take an extra step (or two or three) getting ready to roll. Also, we need to be mindful of not bringing the arm way up and then bringing it down to roll on it. Just keep it low to begin with.

>>Jo Nage

Blevins Sensei and Steveson Sensei gave students a taste of Jo Nage, where Nage has a Jo and Uke grabs it and is thrown into a front roll. One important point to this is keeping a connection to the Jo until your body is past it; otherwise, the result can be a thunk on the head or a pop in the nose. Yes, Virginia, it does happen.

>>Falling

Most falls in Aikido are side falls from a variety of techniques. We can take a side fall from Shiho Nage, Kote Gaeshi, Irimi Nage. Back falls are a bit less common, and we can take those from Juji Nage or Ago Ate, for example.

Blevins Sensei shared tips for side falls no matter what the technique, including:

*look to the outside

*slap at a 45 degree angle

*slap as you’re falling, not after you fall and not before you fall

*keep your slapping hand sort of tucked into your body as you’re falling; this prevents you from reaching out to find the mat and taking the fall on your outstretched hand. This is a real-life benefit that will help avoid broken wrists.

*fall right where you are without taking a step back; you should land close to Nage, not three feet away

For back falls, keep your stomach tight and your head tucked, and slap.

>>Putting It into Practice

The next hour or so, we practiced a variety of techniques. Our intent was not to have perfect techiques, but to have the opportunity to practice our ukemi. From Kaiten Nage to Shiho Nage to Irimi Nage to Kote Gaeshi and more, we practiced rolling, falling, being mindful if our feet were in the right position and fixing them if they weren’t, tucking our head, slapping, not reaching back with our hand.

>>Breakfalls

For the last 15 minutes, students who wanted to practice breakfalls lined up for a few rounds. Blevins Sensei explained one of the most important aspects of a good breakfall: relaxation.

We need to keep a good grip but let the rest of our body relax so it will rotate slowly. Blevins Sensei showed us the difference and there is a noticeable difference in air time when he tightened up versus when he relaxed. One way he described taking breakfalls is floating like a cloud.

He also talked about counter pressure and “posting” off Nage to get more energy or to create a rotation point, etc. Blevins Sensei also cautioned about taking breakfalls from someone who’s not very experienced.

>>Other Tips for Good Ukemi

*The number-one rule: Tuck Your Head. It gets easier, but build the habit from the very beginning.

*Be strong AND relax. This is a huge paradox. We’re supposed to keep a tight grip on Nage, and keep our neck tight from our ears to our shoulders, and tuck our head as we fall, but everything else needs to be relaxed. Much like rubbing our stomach and patting our head, this is one of those muscle differentiation things that takes a while to get (and a while longer to really do with any consistency), but it will help everything.

*Fix your position every time, and before too long your body will do it for you.

*Pain is no big deal. Pain is different from injury, and pain goes away with practice (or the brain doesn’t register it). Either way, it gets easier.

My only regret with the ukemi seminar is that it didn’t last longer. Next time, could we have a half-day practice, kudasai?

Kara L. Stewart

Along with this some of my students asked me to write a little about this move and what and if I thought about it. Kiryu Aikido has moved a few times in the last 5+ years, and usually it does not phase me too much. To me the dojo though important is a place to train our Aikido. If we have a nice, safe, comfortable dojo that is a bonus. However, I was taught a long time ago that every step that we take in life is our dojo, not just on the mat. At the core our Aikido training must be the main component.

Along with the idea of the physical dojo (mats, facilities, etc) the dojo also really is the students (sempai\kohai), the teachers, and the dojo culture. This we bring with us where ever we go. In this case there is already a nice group of students and teachers that we get to share and build this non-physical dojo component together. The tree with strong roots can survive a lot of things! I have seen a lot of people get pulled in by the exterior and physical aspects of a dojo without really looking at the core. Sometimes you have to judge the book by the cover. However, you must look deeper (as much as you can) to see the culture, the people and the instructors when making your choice to join (or try) a dojo.

So I am exited that we have a very nice facility that really helps get the students into the Japanese mindset and can focus on training. Along with that we can build the core non-physical dojo together and see where that takes us. It will be a nice journey. Come join us for practice some time!

Andrew Blevins
Kiryu Aikido

Image via Wikipedia

If you are traveling near Osaka (south/central) Japan you may end up in the great city of Nara.

This is near Kyoto (the old Japan capitol) or Osaka (2nd Largest City in Japan and has the Osaka International Airport). The city of Nara has a lot of temples and one famous temple I remember clearly was Tōdai-ji. This temple housed the great Buddha. The great Buddha was created out of iron and this was one of the reasons the government at the time used as a reason (along with spreading Buddhism) why the non-samurai had to give up their swords. Which was to help create this huge statue of iron. I believe the temple building that houses this statue is the largest wooden building in the world (according to wikipedia).

Another fun aspect in Nara is the free roaming deer. The ones with antlers have them filed down and there are a lot walking all over. All throughout the city are vendors selling rice cakes and other treats people can feed the animals. They are pretty aggressive, but not mean. Food! My wife took my son last year and he is a pretty small kid, I can see how deer looming over him could be intimidating. Here is a pretty fun picture of him retreating from the hungry deer.

This city has also areas (and a museum) inside and near by that were run by the Yagyu clan. These were famous swordsman from the Yagyu shinkage ryu style. I will try to get some other pictures of other areas and pictures of these locations.