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O'Sensei Memorial
Class
Morihei Ueshiba, the
Founder of Aikido, passed away on April 26, 1969. To honor
his life and Art, on Saturday, April 26, Sensei held a memorial class,
which was well attended by the school.
Website Zen
We've added a new navigational feature to our website – Google search. Turns out,
we've got quite a bit of information tucked away in our orbiting
satellite, which we thought ought to be made more accessible to you,
our readers. So, whether you're looking to define an obscure Japanese
term, or just want to download mad pics of yours truly, simply point
your mouse to the bottom of any web page, and ready yourself for search
engine bliss. Namaste!
Brevard Aikikai Seminar
Brevard Aikikai will be
celebrating its move to a new training space with a friendship seminar
on Saturday, May 17. The featured instructor will be Grady Lane
Sensei, and the cost is a very reasonable $30. Other scheduled instructors include Alan Drysdale Sensei of Enmei Dojo, Randy Beck Sensei of Sand Drift Aikido,
and Bill Vintroux Sensei of Melbourne Aikikai. Additional details
can be found on their website.
UNF Aikido
Demonstration
The Asian American Heritage
Celebration for 2008 is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 from 1:00
– 4:00 p.m. in Building 14. Our demonstration is set for 12:45 on
the Green. The celebration is sponsored by the Intercultural Center for
PEACE, which I suppose makes sense, since this month's newsletter
is beginning to remind me of one big hippie love-in.
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Editors Note: This month Dee, our most
merciful Sensei, was kind enough to unchain me from the dojo linotype
and permit Sam McCrea, a fellow student, the honor of writing the June
column.
Aikido at
UNF: A Healthy, Interesting Avocation
After studying
Karate for three years and then moving to Jacksonville, I arrived at the
University of North Florida as a post-baccalaureate student in the Fall
of 2007. At that time, I did not know much about Aikido, although I
had a sensei back in Gainesville, where I am from, who informed me that
Aikido study was amenable for somebody who knew Karate. My name is Sam McCrea and I am a high school math
 teacher here in Jacksonville. When I first set foot in the dojo, I did not know much about Aikido, but I did know what
not to look for
in a school: pretense, grandiosity, and promises of “a black-belt within
X number of years.” Instead I knew that one should look
for a simple, dedicated school with inhabitants dedicated to their art.
I found that at UNF.
My maturation as an Aikido student has been very gradual.
During the fall semester last year I generally went to a lesson once a
week. Now I usually go two or three times a week and I can sense a
growth in my abilities. For somebody like me, Aikido study is an
excellent way to put my concentrative powers and self discipline to the
test. I am famous for not being able to pay attention, but Aikido
forces me to do it. I am also impressed by the martial ability of
the instructors and students. I attended a seminar hosted by Brevard
Aikikai in January where Tonya was promoted to 2nd kyu, a rank she now shares with Oscar. I have also recently been
made aware of the rank status of our “Aikido Family,” including Karl, Leslie, and
David, who are all 4th kyu. In addition to being
impressed by their artistry, the members make the dojo a place
where I feel welcome. I am comfortable here and feel I am among
friends. If I ask Sensei to demonstrate a technique for me, I can
rest assured she’ll do it gladly, even if I’m literally asking her for
the hundredth time. I say hats off to the Aikido Center of
Jacksonville; as long as
I’m a student at UNF, I will continue to train here.
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Non-Violence
Workshop: A Tranquil Affair
On Thursday, April 24, Tonya
and Jerry conducted a non-violence workshop for the students of Professor
John Maraldo, a UNF Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy
at the University of North Florida.
Professor Maraldo, an expert in Buddhist aesthetics and the Japanese
Kyoto school of philosophy, and a lifelong Tai Chi practitioner, has
incorporated Aikido into his course on Asian philosophy.
Accordingly, Jerry discussed the metaphysical, as well as martial,
components to irimi (entering), and drew a connection between the
practice of kokyu-nage (breath throw) and Shinto belief, as taught
by O'Sensei. Tonya and Jerry also performed jiyu-waza
(free-style) from a variety of attacks.
The demonstration attracted
a large turnout, and was a great success. Special thanks also to
Carl, Ryan, and David, who answered questions from the students
following the event.
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