TOLEDO AIKIDO

New Classes at the Dojo!

2008-07-03T23:15:00.007-04:00

I am pleased to introduce some new classes into our weekly training schedule:

Gentle Aikido - For those who are at or near retirement age, this class meets every Monday and Friday from 5pm to 6pm.

Advanced Aikido - For Ikkyu and above, this class meets every 3rd monday of the month from 7:15pm to 8:30pm.

Morning Zen Meditation - This newly added Toledo Zen Center practice is each Saturday morning from 8AM to 8:50 AM. It is open to any Toledo Zen Center or Shobu Aikido Dojo member who has learned the practice of Zen meditation at one of the Toledo Zen Center Wednesday evening practices at 7:15PM to 9:15PM. The hoped for $5.00 free will offering to the Zen Center will go into the 'new Zafu fund!'

Misogi (Purification) Keiko - This Saturday Morning class will focus on Kototama chanting, Ki breathing exercises and centering practices. It is open to all Shobu Aikido Dojo and Toledo Zen Center members, and meets from 9AM to 9:45AM.

- Jay

Vic's Gasshuku Refllections

2008-07-02T21:07:00.009-04:00

This weekend's Gasshuku was incredibly beneficial to my practice. We focused specifically on kokyu practice and with Sensei's guidance we all had a more in-depth experience with the breath. We started our breathing practice on the cushion and progressively applied this to Ikkyo practice. As I recall what we were introduced to this weekend I begin to realize how the breath has been an untapped gateway for the majority of people in Western culture. For us to take such an intimate look at the life "force" that all of us share and to use this gift as a teacher is truly a blessing.

Sensei helped us to see that when we released our breath completely (in the exercises we we were working on) our conditioning wants us to immediately inhale as much air as we can as fast as we can. So we were instructed to take our time with this experience and inhale while keeping the breath smooth and controlled. We began to research this practice just as we would with any of the techniques we practice on the mat, keeping our mind in our center and maintaining verticality with the relationship between the "third eye" and the "one point". When we took our practice to the mat and applied it in our Ikkyo technique, my experience was unlike any I've had up until now. I was ACTUALLY having an experience of receiving Uke's attack into my center with the breath, my body was moving harmoniously while staying vertical, I could feel Uke's weight in my center as I moved, and I was beginning to understand the space around me.

All in all, I feel Sensei was maintaining his transmission of what Aikido is truly about in "feeling" rather than letting us get tripped up by intellectual conceptions. I am very grateful for my experience and encourage those people who didn't make it to ask Sensei about the breathing exercises, they are helpful. In fact, I am going to go practice right now.

Bows,
Vic

Summer Class Schedule Changes.

2008-07-01T10:19:00.003-04:00

Ne-Waza (Ground Techniques) class on Friday evenings at 6pm has been 'paused' for the month of July. Mike Mulvaney Sempai will resume the classes in August.

The 6:30am Morning classes are on 'pause' as well. If there is enough interest we will resume them in the fall.

We are looking into adding a 'Seniors Keiko' for our students who have crossed the 50 year old mark, look for updates on this soon. Possible times are Monday at 5pm or perhaps friday either in the late morning or at 5pm. If you have input on this, please leave a comment below.

Thanks,

- Jay

Gasshuku

2008-06-29T23:37:00.002-04:00

This time, as always, a treat, but different than all the rest of the gasshukus. As always.
A small crowd, as has happened at times, but a good crowd, eager.
For those of you who missed it, we learned to breathe, and to listen, and to move with the breath. Well, maybe we didn't LEARN it, but we understood what we need to work on, I think. A very worthwhile weekend.

Happy 7th Anniversary!

2008-06-28T16:12:00.003-04:00

My deepest gratitude to Jay Weik Sensei and all Shobu Aikido of Ohio students for your generosity, sincerity and hard work in pursuit of the way. Here's to the next seven years being even better! -Danny

2008-06-26T02:17:00.001-04:00

Spring Gasshuku June 27-28-29th

2008-06-10T00:23:00.002-04:00

7th Anniversary Gasshuku with Jay Sensei at Shobu Aikido of Ohio

Friday June 27 6-8pm
Saturday June 28 10-noon & 3-5pm with Party!
Sunday June 29 10-1:00pm

All Classes will be taught by Jay Weik Sensei
Fees: $100 for the weekend, $50 per day.

The Dojo Anniversary party will be held at Black Oak Farm from 6:00pm till late. We will have a bonfire, please bring a dish and drinks to share! Friends and Family are welcome!

Interview with Saotome Shihan

2008-06-08T23:54:00.002-04:00

I have received a number of contradictory opinions depending on whom I have asked this question. Do you think that hard training should be done at the beginning level?

"That depends on the age at which one starts training. It is difficult to say clearly what is hard training and what is not. If you tell someone in his 60s to train hard from the beginning, he can’t do it, and it is not necessary. That kind of person is already very experienced physically so they don’t need to expend energy that way. Young people are, in a biological sense, very aggressive, and you must make them train vigorously. It won’t work to try to put a damper on young people bursting with energy. Smog is produced by car engines with poor combustion. So I have young people train hard and consume their energy. But that’s not all there is to it. It’s better to wear them out quickly. The purpose of hard training is to make them quickly aware of their own physical limits. You cannot enter into the world of the spirit unless you go beyond your physical limits. That’s why I make them completely exhaust themselves and have them practice rough techniques."

Full article is Here.

o

2008-05-24T09:26:00.001-04:00

Aiki-Ken

2008-05-23T10:52:00.006-04:00

May 24 & 25 Shobu Aikido of Ohio will be hosting a weapons seminar focusing on Saotome Sensei's Kumi Tachi (or Aiki-Ken) katas #6-10.
Saturday 10-12 & 3-5
Sunday 10-12

Aiki Scribe?

2008-05-12T13:48:00.003-04:00

I need help in transcribing some of the talks that I gave at the last two Shobu Okugyo Aikido retreats. If you would be able to volunteer some time to help with the project please let me know. I'm hoping to shape some of these into a more formal book format over the summer.

Thanks,

- Jay

The Virtue of Non-Doing

2008-05-10T10:36:00.002-04:00

New Drinking Gourd Podcast

Jay Rinsen Chikyo Weik presents a talk and leads a discussion at the Toledo Zen Center on March 5, 2008.

"The wise have nothing to do, while the unwise tie themselves in knots." —Relying on Mind, Seng-ts'an

This talk works with some of the similarities of Taoist teachings and those of Zen.

hi from israel

2008-05-07T14:59:00.001-04:00

the dojo is getting darker

2008-05-05T15:52:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to our two new shodans - Mike Mulvaney and Robert Jacoby who tested this weekend and lived to tell!! Next time you see me, remind me and i'll pass on the secret teachings of the death octagon of doom strike dragon.... panther.

Oberlin Update

2008-05-02T18:29:00.002-04:00

Anyone that is interested in the Oberlin Ikeda seminar and would like to Carpool - We are planning to meet at the dojo tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 7am. We plan on leaving by 7:30am.

Most are planning on returning to Toledo on Saturday night and then leaving Sunday morning for Oberlin to attend the 10am - 1pm closing keiko.

-Bob

carpool

2008-05-01T17:14:00.001-04:00

anyone interested in carpooling for saturday and sunday at oberlin? gimme a holler.

Oberlin Seminar

2008-04-30T14:51:00.002-04:00

Come out and show your support for Mike and Robert during their shodan test.

Article on Japanese Sword making, and more

2008-04-29T12:52:00.003-04:00

I thought this was a good article...enjoy!

also this about Musashi

and this about "togishi" (sword polishers)

World T'ai Chi Day: April 29th

2008-04-28T18:37:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is World Tai Chi and Qi-Gong Day! If anyone is interested in learning more about this internal martial art of the Chinese, the Wolf Creek YMCA appears to be holding a T'ai Chi event at Wildwood Metropark on Central Avenue in Toledo at 10am tomorrow (Tuesday - see link above).

Wish I could skip work to check it out...

Condolences

2008-04-22T16:04:00.004-04:00

Condolences go out to Gary Laderach and his family for the loss of his father, "Bill" Laderach, on Monday.

class schedule change

2008-04-18T12:40:00.004-04:00

to accommodate more students' schedules, keiko on tuesday and thursday mornings will now be from noon to 1. class will be the regular format.

Jo Seminar March 08 Part 3 - Tsuki, Shomen.

2008-04-16T09:37:00.000-04:00

Morning Keiko

2008-04-08T11:16:00.006-04:00

In an attempt to make morning keiko accessible to more students, I suggest we move the tue/thurs morning keiko to a different time. Please let me know if an 11-12 slot (or other suggestions) would benefit anyone. Thanks, Danny

Gasshuku with Gleason Sensei

2008-04-05T20:40:00.023-04:00

Last week we had a very successful Gasshuku. Forgive the cliche', but for the few of us who have been training at the Chikyokan Dojo long enough, the experience was "like the good ol' days" as it has been about four years since Gleason Sensei last visited us for a weekend seminar. Sensei was very impressed with the turnout as this was probably the largest Gasshuku we ever had. He was also pleased with the amount of progress that this dojo has made since his last visit. Thanks to everyone who made the extra effort to clean the dojo before his arrival and to everyone who attended the seminar, especially those who made it through the entire weekend. Furthermore, our dojo would like to thank our friends from Canada (www.seikokan.com), Cleveland (http://pages.prodigy.net/clevelandaikikai/), and Columbus (www.aikidoschool.org) for visiting and training with us. And of course, a special thanks to Gleason Sensei for his brilliant teaching and demonstrations. We sincerely hope that he will return to our humble dojo on a regular basis.

Gleason Sensei and Jay Sensei are continuing to conduct the special Okugyo retreats. The next one will be held at Vermont on April 23-27. There is another retreat to be held here at Ohio from July 30 to August 3. For more information, please visit the Shobu Okugyo website at www.shobuokugyo.com.

And for those who still can't get enough of Gleason Sensei, you can purchase his book The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido at our dojo store or his video Aikido and Japanese Sword at http://www.shobu.org/DVD.php

And now here are the photos from that weekend.

After the first class on Friday night, we went out to Sakura, a hibachi-style Japanese restaurant in Toledo.

After a few Guinness and Ichiban beers and some sake served in a pink bottle(?), we decided it was Bob's birthday. And so the restaurant staff came, sang him a song, and gave him a birthday cake. Banzai!!!

Okay, now here are the photos from the mat. I tried to get some good action shots, but it was difficult when you don't have the type of camera that Roy uses. (http://roykatalan.blogspot.com/)

Aiki Jo Seminar Part 2

2008-04-01T00:23:00.001-04:00