Learning To Be Silent

Editors Note: This is the third in a three part interview with Seabolt Sensei, chief instructor at the Aikido Center of Jacksonville. The full interview can be found under the Sensei tag.

Jerry: Let’s talk about your students. Since you became chief instructor, you’ve recommended several for black belt. Your thoughts?

Sensei: Actually, I’m really proud of that — that I’ve been able to contribute in some way to their progress.

Jerry: What about testing in general?

Sensei: What you have to remember is that with us, with any USAF dojo, our shihans test us for black belt. And our shihans were either students of the Founder, or have upwards of forty years experience. On top of that, our tests are only held a few times a year…in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Montreal. So they’re a big deal. You have hundreds of Aikidoka watching you at winter and summer camp.

Jerry: Tell me about the black belts the school has produced.

Sensei: Well, before me Chris tested for nidan through the school. And I was the first shodan who came up through the ranks. Earlier this year I was promoted to sandan.

After I started teaching, John tested for nidan. He was awarded his shodan by Clyde Takeguchi. Buck and you were the next two who came up through the ranks. And you’re the first who trained under me exclusively.

Oh, and Joel [Miller - Ed.] tested for shodan while he was with us. He’s at Austin Aikikai now. Also Tonya [Mochocki - Ed.] will test this year at the Christmas seminar in New York.

The Future

Jerry: What are your goals for the dojo?

Sensei: What I want, what I hope to do, is to spread Aikido in Jacksonville. I’d like our new dojo to be a center of Aikido here locally. I’m really proud of what all of us have built.

Also, I want to help bring along the next generation of Aikido students, again here in Jacksonville. Just like what happened to me, when I began teaching. We’re already seeing it in our school, the next wave, who are really dedicated. Some of them are even teaching. It’s exciting.

Jerry: Thank you, Sensei.

Editors Note: This is the second in a three part interview with Seabolt Sensei, chief instructor at the Aikido Center of Jacksonville. The full interview can be found under the Sensei tag.

Jerry: Let’s talk a bit more about the early days. Why did you decide to move from the dance studio?

Sensei: Well, we left Mark Spivak’s [the dance studio - Ed.] because our training time was being cut. The space we rented was also being used by cheerleaders. They would stay during the evenings, which left less time for us.

Jerry: And then where did you go?

Sensei: We moved to the JCA [Jewish Community Alliance - Ed]. They were renting space to community groups.

Jerry: How did that work out?

Sensei: At first it was great — we had a really nice room. The problem was that when the JCA rented space for special events, we would always have to move. And the space we were moved to was really small. It became clear to us that it wasn’t working out.

Jerry: What did you do?

Sensei: Well, at that time I was getting my Masters in Psychology at UNF. I looked into organizing the school as a UNF club and moving there.

Chief Instructor

Jerry: Were you the chief instructor at that point?

Sensei: Yes.

Jerry: What was it like to take on that responsibility?

Sensei: [Laughs] It was a lot of work! When Chris moved, he left the school pretty disorganized. Little things, like a mailbox, our own phone number…these things weren’t really planned out. If we were to keep training, I would have to step up and put things in order.

One of the first things I did was make sure we stayed a USAF dojo. For me, it was never a question, but my fellow students didn’t have the experience I had going to seminars and training in New York. I had to convince them that it was important.

Jerry: At that point were you a student of Yamada Sensei?

Sensei: Yes, that happened when I first stayed in New York for five weeks.

Influences

Jerry: Who are your main influences?

Sensei: [Laughs] All my teachers!

I obviously owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Yamada Sensei. And of course Sugano Sensei. I also owe a lot to my other teachers in New York, especially Donovan Waite, but also Steve Pimsler, Jane Ozeki, and Douglas Firestone.

And of course Peter and Penny Bernath, and Grady Lane. Grady especially has been a great help to me over the years.

Jerry: Who are your influences regarding your weapons training?

Sensei: I’d have to say I learned the most from seminars with Kanai Sensei and Claude Berthiaume. And of course Sugano Sensei’s classes in New York.

When Mike joined the school he also brought a lot of weapons experience, which was very helpful.

Jerry: You’re obviously grateful to your teachers. How important is it to receive this type of personal instruction?

Sensei: Very important. I’ve always believed that if you want to learn Aikido, if you’re serious, you have to put in your time with the shihans. You need to apprentice yourself, over a period of years. If that’s not possible, then you need to find an instructor who has that experience. And then you need to attend seminars. Lots of them. I’m a big proponent of seminars.

Jerry: Is that also your experience with weapons?

Sensei: Absolutely. With weapons there’s a lot of subtlety which you really can’t see unless it’s personally demonstrated. And again, you need this experience from a shihan or shidoin. When you’re receiving instruction from someone with thirty or forty years experience, over time it informs your technique a lot.

My job as an instructor is to bring these insights back to Jacksonville, to my students.

To Be Continued…

We were pleased and surprised yesterday to welcome two special visitors to the dojo. Ariff Mehter Sensei, 6th dan and USAF Shihan, and his wife, Angela Lotito-Mehter, 2nd dan, dropped by during Jose’s class. They were in town on vacation and were visiting the local sights. We were thrilled to make their list!

Mehter Sensei began his study of Aikido in 1962 in Myanma (Burma) under U. Thaung Din, who was a senior student of Murashige Sensei, one of the first instructors O-Sensei sent outside of Japan to teach Aikido.

In 1968 Mehter Sensei moved to New York where he became a student of Kanai and Yamada Sensei. He founded Aikido of Central New York in 1970, which is still headed by his brother, Yousuf Mehter.

In 1978 Mehter Sensei moved to Ashland, Kentucky, where he started the KYOWVA Aikikai, now headed by Tom Berry. Then in 1989, he moved to Louisville, where he started the Kentuckiana Aikikai, currently overseen by Pat Hardesty.

In 1998 he began teaching at Aikido of Cincinnati, one of the largest Aikido dojos in the country.

We hope to see you again, Sensei!

Mehter Shihan and Seabolt Sensei, Winter Camp 2009

Editors Note: This is the first in a three part interview with Seabolt Sensei, chief instructor at the Aikido Center of Jacksonville. The full interview can be found under the Sensei tag.

Jerry: When did you start training?

Sensei: In Aikido? I began in 1996 with Chris Rozette. I had actually tried a little Hapkido before joining the dojo. And later on, when I wanted to try grappling, I enrolled in San-Jitsu for a bit.

What I wanted back then was to learn a martial art. A coworker had taken some Aikido lessons with Curtis Rosiek, who started our school. He suggested I give it a try.

Jerry: What was the school like in the early days?

Sensei: For me, it was incredible. Back then we were training in a dance studio. But it didn’t matter! I just loved training. Chris and I would travel to every seminar we could. I probably attended a seminar every three weeks or so my first two years. I wanted to learn everything.

Jerry: What seminars did you go to?

Sensei: [Laughs] Every one I could! Boston, Montreal, Atlanta, New York, Fort Lauderdale…

Jerry: OK. How many students were in the school back then?

Sensei: Around six to eight, on average. After Chris left, our black belts were Mike [Sands] and Brett Jackson.

New York Aikikai

Jerry: Tell me how you first met Yamada Sensei.

Sensei: I first met Sensei in Atlanta, at Dogwood Aikikai. Yamada and Kanai Sensei were teaching. I had asked Chris to make the introduction, because I knew I wanted to train in New York. Chris introduced me to Edwin, who was a deshi in New York. Edwin then introduced me to Sensei.

Jerry: And then you stayed in New York?

Sensei: Well, the first time I went to New York, I stayed for one week. This was in December 1996. I then went back in April 1997, and stayed for five weeks.

Jerry: What was it like for you in New York?

Sensei: It was amazing. I was in awe of everyone. You have to remember, when I first went, I was just a 4th kyu. I was 35 years old. I worked out a lot with the deshis, who were in their early twenties, and male.

The talent there is unbelievable. Not just the instructors, but the students as well. When I first went, I didn’t want the deshis to think  I was a wimp. I wanted to be tough, so I trained hard. I would take, on average, three classes a day, and on Tuesdays I would take five. And of course I would never miss class when Yamada or Sugano Sensei was teaching.

Soft Ukemi

Jerry: Is that where you learned soft ukemi?

Sensei: I was first introduced to soft ukemi through Joey Turner. But yes, my real education was in New York, with Donovan Waite Sensei and his students.

Jerry: It must have been thrilling learning a new way to take ukemi.

Sensei: It was. I was so excited about all the new things I had learned. I couldn’t wait to bring it back with me.

Jerry: What happened when you did return?

Sensei: [Laughs] Well…It was difficult.

Let’s just say that my reception wasn’t all positive. The ukemi I was taught was different than what my fellow students had been practicing here. It was something new and different. Some even refused to learn it.

Jerry: A lot has changed though, right?

Sensei: Yes. Now, soft ukemi, the kind I learned from Waite Sensei and his students, is very common. But when I first brought it back to Jacksonville, that wasn’t the case.

I’m happy that it’s become a standard type of ukemi here locally.

To Be Continued…