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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Saturday May 18th. Terrific week! We had 8 people for the last Community Education Bo class Thursday evening. Two people from that class are going to sign up for the next Community Education class for Iaido the Way of the Japanese Sword running on Mondays and Wednesdays starting on June 3rd. Then we had 7 people for the Community Service free class Thursday evening. Saturday morning we had two new kids and a returnee from flag football season end. All total for the morning, we had 13 kids and 2 adults. Kinnera tested for her Purple with a White Stripe belt. She passed with mistakes, a triangle grade. Reshi and Bharathi received their belts and certificates for last weeks tests. Then after the kids left at Noon, there was a new student for Iaido. For his first class we did mainly how to draw the sword and how to re-sheath it. These actions are the most fundamental and those movements are something you just want to be able to do without thinking very much about how to do it. So that is the first step of the Zen in Iaido. Learning to draw and re-sheath the sword naturally, without thinking about it.
We will have the May Birthdays party the last Saturday of May on the 25th. We will have small cupcakes, grapes, bananas, ice cream, chocolate milk, orange juice and apple juice. Depending on what's on the day old cart, early in the morning, we may have some other pastries. Saturday May 11th. Similar start as last week, but Christopher arrived actually ahead of time, so we were going through his Blue with a White Stripe test techniques. I thought he was doing OK, but I keep telling him to slow down and do things precisely. When everybody showed up about 9:50 we played some dodge ball then started at 10. We started with presenting Sorin his 1st test certificate. I think he was a bit excited about that. I went through the techniques for the Purple with a White Stripe techniques for the Purple belts cause 4 people are ready to test. At 11 we started a test for Christopher, but he's just not remembering enough. So we will review some more and try again next week. Bharathi and Reshi passed their Purple with a White Stripe test, but there wasn't enough time to test Arohi and Kinera, so they will try next week. I really wanted them to go right after watching Bharathi and Reshi, but there just wasn't enough time. Saturday May 4th. Slow start this morning, but when the kids stared showing up, they all seemed to come in at once around 9:40. Total of 8 kids and 2 Adults. Morgan got another stripe this morning. He still needs the drink-the-soda-look-at-the-rainbow throw and the wrist warmups. He's much closer on the wrist warmups. He knew a bunch of them while we were warming up. Noah go two stripes for rolling this morning. Kinnera, Arohi and Reshi got their purple and silver stripes for Sankyo's on the Purple with a White Stripe test this morning. Lamyaa practiced a bunch on Sankyo Ura take downs and Rafa practiced on the Sankyo Omote take downs for her test. I teach a very definite path for the hand in both the Sankyo Ura and Omote take downs. It brings the attacker around and down, destroying his or her balance without any undue pressure or hard cranking. For both takedowns it's a matter of understanding the "path" and how to hold the hand and twist it a little as it comes around or loops down and up for the takedown. Saturday April 27th. Not such a big turnout today, 8 kids and one adult. Nevertheless, we had a good time for the party. Unfortunately there were no April birthdays among the 8. Almost always somebody has a birthday in the month. The purple and purple with a white stripe belts were working on Sankyo's. Morgan was working on rolls for his yellow belt test. He got 5 stripes today Tai-no-henko, low forward and backward rolls, standing forward and backward rolls, bull dogging (run after and grab a ball and roll) and run-and-jump-over-the-big-ball-and-roll. He still needs to know the wrist warmups, the Drink-your-soda-look-at-the-rainbow throw, and the forward-to-backward roll. He's sharp. He learns very quickly. Exceptional for a 5 year old. This weekend coming, April 27, we will have the April Birthdays party. We will have cupcakes and ice cream, bananas, grapes, chocolate milk, orange juice and apple juice. Depending on what's on the day old cart Saturday morning there may be some other pastries. Come and celebrate classmates birthdays and learn some Aikido. Easter Weekend April 20th & 21st. We had 10 kids and two adults for Saturday morning. I worked with the purple belts and went through practically all the test to reinforce knowledge primarily for Lamyaa. Near the end of class she tested for Purple with a White Stripe. She knows the techniques, but was very nervous and experiencing "brain freeze" during the test. I passed her with a triangle. Circle is good. Triangle is pass with mistakes. Square needs more practice. (The geometric figures of Aikido) Lamyaa has taught me that the Sankyo technique is more complex and needs to be taught in pieces, which is easily do-able. Sensei Keith worked with the white and yellow belts and Michael with his new purple belt. He is pulling along Zachary to the purple belt test. Sunday afternoon the weather was beautiful again, so I taught the Bo kata weapons class out front, under the trees. This was the 6th class for these students and all of them have been outside cause the weather has just been too nice to stay indoors. I think they have the 4th kata, Shimagiri no Kun Ichi, Bo 7, pretty solid now, so hopefully I can introduce them to the 5th kata, Sakugawa no Kun Ichi, Bo 9 Thursday evening. The katas 3 & 5, 7 & 8, 9 & 10, 11 & 12 are pairs. So to prevent confusion, I teach the odd ones first, then come back and teach the even ones. Nobody has gotten to the even ones yet. Maybe next year. 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 Saturday March 2nd. We had 24 kids plus 3 adults, so counting me, there were 28 on the mats. Five of the kids and teens who were trying out Aikido, suffer from a malady called Tourette syndrome, which I'm calling a brain malfunction that can cause various muscular movements or sounds or even ADHD. Apparently these maladies can often go undiagnosed, which could explain why I didn't notice anything I have not seen or heard before. One boy spoke up a lot, but this was nothing I have not seen before. At any rate, they fit right in and had fun just like everybody else today. I am convinced that the practice of Aikido can have miraculous healing and expanding effects on the brain. The challenge is getting people to keep coming to the point the healing really happens. The body movements of Aikido build new, multiple neural pathways in the brain which may bypass limited areas. The PTSD training down in Ocala was interesting. This varies from no touch to light touch and no fall standing pins to just deflect and disengage. The variables of personal reactions to various techniques or movements are limitless. I bought a book by the man who did this training with veterans for about 20 years till he died of cancer. It's a kind of blog about what he was doing and reactions or break throughs that he witnessed. The instructor, who is a therapist and teaches this, stated it's best to have a trained therapist with whatever group is being taught. My thought is to try helping veterans and others with PTSD here in Gainesville. 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.