Aikido is unique among martial arts in that it teaches calmness and creativity in the midst of aggression .... compassion and non-violent responses towards violence .... and resolution of conflicts without harming others.
Miles Kessler
Miles Kessler
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The Kids and Teens Class Times have now flipped to mornings for the summer. The Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday classes are now 9am to Noon until probably the end of the second week of August.
Saturday July 13th. We had 8 kids and two adults on the mats. Christopher tested for Blue with a White Stripe and Rafa tested for Purple with a White Stripe. Both were successful. Rafa had trouble with techniques I knew that she knew, so I went through the test a second time to verify her knowledge. Sometimes the nervousness is too much. But I keep them going forward. They are moving towards overcoming their fears. We had one new boy this morning. I think he had fun and learned some things about rolling. Rolling is about 80% of the first test. It's important to know how to take falls, which often end in a roll out. Since practice most often is done with a partner and both learn the technique and the way to receive or to handle the take down by taking turns as attacker, then defender. Thursday evening, July 11th. Wonderful night! We had 8 on the mats and conducted a split mat class with Nishio Style for the advanced students and Iwama Style for the junior students with some of the advanced students rotating between the styles to help the junior students. Everybody learned something new, even me. Alex, Joel and Travis were so impressed with practicing Gyaku Hanmi Irimi Nage as empty hand, then with boken (wooden sword) and later with the Jo (walking staff). This was new for Joel, Travis, Judith and Joy. I think they are beginning to understand why I refer to the Nishio Style as building the cathedral. It's so much more than the regular building. Joy said she felt like she was on a roller coaster when she was being thrown. It's different and fun. Alex pointed out that the boken and the Jo stressed different points that enhance the empty hand, which was something I had never realized before. So that was what I learned tonight. Wednesday evening, July 10th. Todd was back from Homestead. He's graduating and moving down there for his first agriculture job. I presented him with his first certificate, then proceeded to blow his mind with Nishio Style techniques. Shaun and Keith came to practice Nishio Style to get ready for the Nishio Style seminar in Virginia the 3rd and 4th of August. Todd's wrists and Keith's hands are sore from house repairs work, so we worked on Irimi Nage. Lots of open hand stuff, easy on the wrists and hands. Todd thought this was terrific that we could incorporate the sword and walking staff and have practically the same movements whether doing empty hand or using weapons. I have been encouraging Todd to try out Stephanie Yopp's dojo in Hollywood when he gets down there. I've probably thoroughly spoiled him, so that's one of the few places he would be satisfied with to practice at. Saturday July 6th. We had 12 kids on the mats that morning. That was pretty good. The little boy who came in last week came back. His family is traveling to Vietnam for nearly a month. So I expect them back in August. We have a very diverse bunch of students. They are all born in America, but their parents are from different countries. Just this morning we had the boy with Vietnamese heritage, two girls with Bangladeshi parents, 3 girls and their mother who is from India, Another girl has parents from eastern Europe. The mother has told me the country, but I'm not positive at the moment. I'm thinking Romania or Bulgaria. They have traveled there this summer. We did have some black kids practicing and progressing well, but not in the past year. Things change and people come and go. I love teaching everybody. Saturday June 29th. Terrific day! We had 18 kids and 2 Adults plus one new girl watching. We also had a new little boy come in. Both new families are new to Gainesville. The June Birthdays party went well. Not many cupcakes today cause the day old cart at Walmart was full of pastries at about half price so I stocked up this morning. We had a tasty party. Afterwards I presented three new certificates for the new Brown belt students. I had another certificate for a new Purple belt student I tested Thursday morning, but his family left just while we were cleaning up from the party. They had another commitment, so I'll present that certificate next time they come. I had the Brown belts and adults working with various groups. and floated around to work some with each group. No stripes given out this week, but good work towards them. I will see what has been remembered next week, so many are primed to get stripes next week depending on what they remember from this week. We will hold the June Birthdays Party on June 29th, this coming Saturday. We will play and practice from 9 to about 10:30am, then set up for the party with cupcakes, ice cream, grapes, bananas, perhaps some other pastries depending on what's on the day old cart early in the morning. For drinks we will have chocolate milk, orange juice and apple juice. There are certificates to present and perhaps we will have some students testing. Monday evening Jun 24th, Judith passed her Brown belt test. That makes three Brown belt certificates to present this Saturday. Martin told me this was an easy test. That makes me laugh, cause that was not what they were lamenting for the first 4 months of practice. All three of them were crying how hard it was for months. So once they understand the techniques, then they become easy. I have started showing them how now they get to learn Nishio Style and there are those long faces again. "IT'S HARD". No, it's just something new to learn. Saturday June 22nd, only 4 kids this morning. This may be normal for summer, one week lots of kids, then the next week only a few. Two came back from a long vacation. Worked with Rafa on some of her most difficult techniques to get her set to test. She is remembering pretty good, but we need to go over more of her test to have an idea she can be successful. Still missing Christopher, he hasn't been able to come for maybe 4 Saturdays. Thursday evening, June 20, Martin passed his Brown Belt test. I was thinking he was not really ready and would have a difficult struggle, but he surprised me and went pretty straight through the test. I had him repeat a few things, but overall it was a good test. So he passed with a lumpy circle. These kids work so hard when there are rewards on hand and there is a bit of competition between siblings or friends. I love it and I am continually proud of them. Saturday June 15th, we had 11 kids and 2 Adults. Back to more normal numbers this week. Everyone except the most advanced students got stripes this week. When Joy, Judith and Martin are here, they are helping the junior students and it's very difficult to get them alone to teach very advanced techniques. They are such a tremendous help in bringing forward the other students, I am so grateful to them. They are directly responsible for so many junior students getting more stripes. This is what teaches the junior students to help the students junior to them as they progress. This week the middle students were helping the new students as well, so we have become a very helping dojo. Thursday Sensei Keith told me his son Alex is coming home from Taiwan in two weeks. Keith says Alex is really anxious to get back to learning more Nishio Style. I am overjoyed to have him back and get him ready for the Nishio Style seminar up in Fredricksberg, Virginia next August 3rd and 4th. This is a video of Saito Sensei teaching a seminar in Japan. Maybe it's a university aikido club or perhaps multiple universities cause the average age looks like college student ages. Probably you won't be able to understand the words, but you can still understand the teaching cause it goes more by demonstration than exactly what he says. I linked it, so you should be able to just click on the url address here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzNa_7uufAs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR16mgTh9-FqDmg1OPowQDP-lUQdXF0CRs8BNq0CbNwYm5rhjcD9VLwAGN0 I stumbled onto an old demonstration by Nishio Sensei. It's the 11th All Japan Aikido demonstrations. I think they are up to around 57 now so this must be back in the 1960's I'm about 85-90% certain the Uke's are Nishimoto Sensei and Masuda Sensei. Everyone is so much younger than when I practiced with them. Nishimoto Sensei was my Uke and tested me for Sankyu at the old Matsuo Dojo. He just called me up near the end of class and had me do techniques. I didn't even know I was being tested. How many white belts have a 7th Dan test and Uke for you at the same time. That was special and I didn't even know it at the time. I was still pretty clueless at the time. This is the link to the video: https://www.facebook.com/senseiaikidocom/videos/544548876016792/UzpfSTEwMDAwMTA0Njg4Njk3MzpWSzoyNDQ4NjUxNTQxODE2OTQw/ Sensei Keith was up in Virginia attending a Fukushidoin (assistant instructor seminar) in April. To expand on Sensei Keith's experience of the weekend, he already knew much of what was being taught while many 2nd and 3rd Deg. blackbelts were seeing things as new. It is always so gratifying to me when my students go somewhere and see that what I am teaching is spot on or even advanced to what others are teaching at the higher levels. I know I'm a good sensei, but it's better when my students really recognize it for themselves. Others may take my attitude as arrogant. No, it's self awareness of what I was taught in Japan and what I continue to expand on and pass on. I received this wonderful Thank You from the woman who requested and coordinated bringing the children with Tourette Syndrome to the Saturday morning classes. She said posting this was great with her. Simpson, Heather N. Mon, March 2019 to Sensei Tom, Thank you so much for welcoming our group this weekend. I know that the children loved it and really enjoyed learning the activities. In particular, while the kids were learning, the parents were bonding and connecting, which was a real bonus to Saturday. I have taken your flyer and will hand it out whenever possible. Your program is truly remarkable and I appreciate your kindness to the group. Most sincerely, Heather Simpson, OTD, MOT, OTR/L Tourette Clinic Coordinator Southeast Regional Centers of Excellence UF Health Rehab Center at Fixel Center for Neurological Diseases I received this great email complement from Nathaniel after his first class in Jodo, walking staff, last Thursday evening. It's so nice I asked him if I could post it on the website. He said he would be honored. Dear Sensei, Thank you for writing and for teaching a wonderful class. Having dabbled in various martial arts and numerous dojo’s over the years I have developed a good sense for quality instruction and found it in abundance on Thursday. And I feel very fortunate to be able to receive such a level of instruction within a small class (although I do not expect the class to remain small for long). The commute is a challenge but is what it is. I look forward to seeing you again on Thursday. Best regards, Nathaniel This video explains how to perform the first kata of the Aiki Toho Iaido developed by Shoji Nishio Sensei. I also explain about the cutting draw I was taught right from the start of my practice of Iaido. I did not need to change anything when I was introduced to Tasaburo Tokutomi Sensei, master of the Morinaga line of the Toyama-Ryu style of batto-jutsu, cutting of rolled rice straw matting. Here is the URL of the first Aiki Toho kata https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBuEw99f3CE The senior Kids students are not asking to play games at the beginning of class anymore. They now realize that the Aikido is the "play" and they have graduated to a higher level of play. I'm hearing "I love this technique." or "This is my favorite Bo kata". And just a few months ago the statements were "This is hard." Now it has become "This is fun." I have decided to offer extra discounts of extra classes for parents or students who help clean the dojo while their kids or teens are in class. I'm swamped so much of the time with keeping track of the dojo financially, keeping up the websites, doing maintenance, processing new videos and such that the cleaning is not up to snuff. I think this can work out as a win-win for the dojo and the parents. The Aikido of Gainesville Dojo will be closed on Tuesdays during the day. I might be there to do maintenance, but I will not be teaching on Tuesdays. There will regularly be a Free Community Service Aikido Class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8pm. Tuesday Evening practices may not always be open. Please call ahead of time to determine if there will be a class that evening. Call first Jun Evangelista 352-222-0872. If no answer or Jun is not teaching, call Keith McInnis rd352-258-4725. |
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The primary question: What constitutes a good dojo? How do you recognize a good dojo?
1. The Sensei (instructor) is knowledgeable, helpful and safe. 2. The techniques work and can be powerful, but don't always need to be powerful. 3. The senior students look out for and help the junior students and keep things safe. 4. Everybody is learning a lot and having fun. |
There are Dojos that stand a lot on visual image and ritual because they can't stand on knowledge and there are Dojos that forego a lot of ritual and may not look like much but they have an abundance of knowledge. We are in the latter group.
TEST US! There is an overwhelming abundance of knowledge here.
TEST US! There is an overwhelming abundance of knowledge here.
To see and learn more about the dojo, go across the top menu to "About". On the drop down menu click on "Location". On that page there are 10 videos showing the dojo with explanations of what I have on the walls.
Under the videos menu I have added instructional videos for both Iwama Style and Nishio Style. I will begin showing how I teach the techniques, as time allows. You may find them very informative.
If you want to get in contact with me, email; sensei@aikidoofgainesville.com or 352-494-7816.
Under the videos menu I have added instructional videos for both Iwama Style and Nishio Style. I will begin showing how I teach the techniques, as time allows. You may find them very informative.
If you want to get in contact with me, email; sensei@aikidoofgainesville.com or 352-494-7816.
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The more time spent in class becomes more learned which means the faster the advancement.
Free Saturday classes will remain in the mornings until further notice. Kids 9am to 10:30am and Teens 10:30am to Noon AOG web sites with information about Kids classes are; Aikido Kids of Gainesville, Stop the Bully Using Aikido and Bully Defense Using Aikido These sites have more information about what to expect in Kids and Teens classes and Anti-Bully techniques. Thursday Free Class times are 6:30-8:00pm. There is now a weapons class from 8:05 to 9:00pm following the free class. |
The Nishio Sensei videos shown above here are advanced techniques. I start practically everybody in the Iwama Style to build knowledge and a foundation of basic techniques. After you have the knowledge to pass the third test, then you will better understand and appreciate the Nishio Style techniques which are strong and fast.
Calendar of all Aikido of Gainesville Events
Classes will be tracked by the use of a punch card. The number of classes purchased will be written on the punch card and when the number of punches are completed a new card may be purchased. There will be no time restrictions on the cards.