Activity Reports - RenoAikido: August 2009

Sunday, August 30, 2009

CAA Training in San Leandro

Here are some pictures from the CAA Training in San Leandro. One is of the entire Gang with Pat Hendricks Sensei. Plus everyone needs to congratulate Chad on his test. He did an amazing job!!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Name__________youth/adult__________Rank
Sheri ........................youth....................2nd kyu
Joe...........................youth....................6th kyu
Eva...........................youth....................8th kyu
Liberte......................youth.....................8th kyu
Kyra..........................youth....................9th kyu
Azelia........................youth...................10th kyu

Betsy Kreidberg..........adult......................1st kyu
Doug Heim.................adult......................1st kyu
Alex Salvatore............adult.....................2nd kyu
Mike Ashley...............adult......................4th kyu
Caleb Woolman..........adult......................5th kyu
Susan Cameron.........adult.......................5th kyu
Chad Brotherton........adult......................5th kyu
Sam Esquivel............adult.......................6th kyu

Dojo Awards Ceremonies

Aikido of Reno aikidoka recently enjoyed receiving special recognition awards from Vince Sensei. These awards included: completion of a six month deshi program during which the committed group created the dojo's new website and studied conflict resolution; honoring our fantastic uchideshi from years past; acknowleging sempai who teach a regular weekly class; and a tea ceremony where participants recieved their dan certificates. Congratulations to all of the recipients for their hard work and dedication to the dojo!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Interview with Greg Olson Sensei

Greg Olson Sensei from Big Sky Aikido in Bozeman, Montana taught a seminar at Aikido of Reno August 8 and 9, 2009. He took a few minutes to answer some questions at the conclusion of the seminar.

Already a third degree black belt in judo, Olson Sensei switched to aikido after observing it for just one hour. When asked what it was about aikido that affected him so strongly, he said, “It was a demonstration by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, specifically his iriminage technique.” The underlying philosophies of judo and aikido are similar, but they are manifested differently because of different constructs. From his judo perspective, Olson Sensei was drawn to the subtleties of aikido as demonstrated by Ueshiba. He was just watching as a guest from the back of the dojo, and decided in one hour to change the direction of his life. Before even beginning, he was already following one of the principles he said is important in aikido – being open to possibilities.

Olson Sensei commented that contact with a bully can help us to grow. When asked to elaborate,
he said, “When a bully enters our space or our environment, it allows us to examine ourselves and react appropriately under this kind of pressure.” We can learn that in aikido. The power of knowledge is like a sheathed sword, and when the bully sees it’s there, it protects us.

Olson Sensei also talked about similarities between aikido and ballroom dance. When questioned further, he responded, "They are similar in regard to rhythm, distance, and timing. Rhythm is the most important of the three, because it allows the unfolding technique to create harmony between two individuals, making it possible for them to come together. Mechanics are important for this to happen, but feeling controls mechanics. Although the qualities of dance movement are similar to aikido, there is a philosophical difference between the two. Dance is more cooperative. While aikido is not competitive, it is more so than dance. Also, generally speaking, dance is more constrictive in terms of partner choice, and aikido is more open that way."

Finally, when asked what one piece of advice he would like to share with aikido students,
Olson Sensei smiled and said, “Easy. Train with joy. If I couldn’t have that, I wouldn’t train.”