Kyoto Aikido Aikikai: Follow Koyama San to heaven

An elderly woman with shiny eyes and a charming smile approached me right after warming up exercises ended. In a dojo, it is quite common that the senior members make sure that the beginners and the guests are receiving the best possible attention and care.

It was my first time to practice with the Kyoto Budo-Center Aikido Dojo. Training was great, Yoshida Sensei was great, but my most memorable and heart warming experience there, was training with Mrs. Koyama.

Although she looked so thin, and much older and smaller than me, as soon as we began practicing together, I realized how quickly and smoothly she moved, and how easily she adopted herself to each and every movement I made. While I hardly managed to control breath, she remained calm and she even whispered questions and friendly comments.

I am sure she has at least a couple of decades of aikido training experience. She told me that it is the first time an Israeli Aikidoka is visiting their dojo, and that she never traveled to Israel...

When the class ended, I went to thank her for training together. She showed interest in Israel, and I asked her about the idea to visit us, train with us, and teach. When she heard it, she smiled and said "The only thing I can teach or show, is the way to heaven, because soon I will be there, I am 80 years old".
80? unbelievable.

Whenever I remember her, I see in my mind her beautiful aikido and her bright and charming personalty. Training with Mrs. Koyama is one of the most inspiring experiences I ever had in Aikido, and I will never forget it.
I think I'm not the only one who wishes to see men and women, young and old, training together with such joy and care.

I am looking forward to seeing her again this summer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Torifune and Furitama exercises in Aikido

Image
Please enjoy this very interesting instruction and meaning of Torifune and Furitama. As we were taught in Aikido, these exercises prepare us before conducting Misogi (Shinto purification of body and mind). Founder of Aikido considered Aikido as a kind of Misogi, and therfore regularly performed Torifune and Furitama before every Aikido practice. Thank you Tsubaki Shinto Shrin e for this clear explanation: AME-NO-TORIFUNE-NO-GYO Sometimes called  Fune-kogi-undo.  Ame-no-torifune is one of the Misogi Jumbi Taiso or exercises to prepare the mind/ body/ spirit for the activity of Misogi Shuho. These exercises have been widely adopted as Aiki Jumbi Taiso. Torifune (Bird Rowing) 1. Stand straight and put your left leg forward 2. Clench both fists with your thumbs inside 3. Lean forward and move your arms as though rowing a boat starting from your left knee and ending near your *armpits. As you "row," shout "Yie". 4. Perform this 20 times...
Read more

Nanso - Hakuyu and Hakuin's healing method

Image
Initial Steps in Aikido Eighth Keiko 軟酥鴨卵法 nanso One of my most cherished memories from the dojo in Kyoto, is the special feeling I had just before the end of each aikido class, when we used to sit for a few minutes, and practice an ancient meditation method called nanso . Nanso helps us to relax our body and mind. It is said, that it can relieve us from pain and that it helps to overcome physical or emotional difficulties. As well as I know, nanso meditation is not part of aikido classes in most dojos in the world. Perhaps it is something unique to my old sensei's dojo in Kyoto where I began my aikido training in the year 1992 and practiced there until my return to Israel in 1999. As I found nanso significantly helpful and pleasant, it was just natural for me to continue practicing it at the end of each class also here at Masatake Dojo in Rehovot. About 300 years ago, lived in Japan a zen -buddhist monk called Hakuin . He is one of the most important and in...
Read more

Misogi and Aikido

Image
Misogi 禊 “Polish the heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your entire body and soul will glow.” Founder of Aikido “Aikido is misogi” said the founder of aikido. One definition of the term “misogi” is purification. As a matter of fact, many aikido practitioners talk about a special feeling of mental freshness they sometimes experience after an aikido practice. Sometimes we arrive at the dojo with a tiered body, worries or stress. Sometimes when we arrive, our head is occupied with thoughts, troubles and conflicts we sometimes all have during our day. As we bow in at the entrance to the dojo, we let our daily matters drop off from our back. They wait for us outside the dojo, but at the end of class, when we "pick" them up, we often realise that their dimensions are reduced to a more reasonable size, and so, our heart gains more space for constructive and calm thoughts that help us deal with those worries. Aikido pract...
Read more