Photographs and Memories from Fukakusa Shihan's seminar at our dojo - December 2012 - Masatake Dojo ISRAEL
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In December 2012, we had the pleasure and honour to host a seminar here in Israel with Fukakusa Motohiro Shihan, an Aikido master 8th Dan Aikikai from Renbukan Dojo - Thailand.
2. A peace seminar (between Arabs and Jews in Israel) - to introduce Aikido to a very special organisation called: "Budo For Peace".
Fukakusa Shihan teaches Arabs and Jews for Budo For Peace
Together with Fukakusa Shihan, came from Japan and from Holland many many guests, among them, Mrs Fujita Shoko - our dear teacher's wife. Fujita Masatake Shihan 8th Dan Aikikai leads our dojo since 2006. In 2009, unfortunately, he became ill, and since then he is at his home in Tokyo, being taken care day and night by his wonderful wife. This year, Mrs Fujita asked to visit us during this aikido seminar, to enjoy watching how well Fukakusa Shihan helps taking care of our dojo and aikido organization.
Mrs Fujita Shoko- the dear wife of Fujita Masatake Shihan 8th Dan
Also came to train with us: Lawrence Warry Sensei and Paul Jungschlager Sensei both 4th Dan from Holland, and from Japan: Fukushima Sensei 6th Dan, Urushihara Sensei 5th Dan (with Mrs Urushihars who came to watch the seminar and travel in Israel), Kigen Nakagawa Sensei 5th Dan, Kazuko Watanabe Sensei 4th Dan, Midori Takajo Sensei 4th Dan, Ichizaki Sensei 4th Dan, and Ayumi, Maiko and Tomoko - three aikido friends who practiced with us joyfully and helped so kindly with the kids classes.
A group photo with all the distinguished guests
Getting ready for the seminar, is always a celebration of friendship and team work. Many dojo members worked hard happily together to clean the dojo and to prepare each and every corner and detail. Many members volunteered to head the seminar managing teams: hosting, cleaning, registration desk, caring for guests from abroad, driving and more...
preparing, cleaning, dusting, polishing and even shining the ceiling
Happy team work preparations at Masatake Dojo
Early in the morning, on December 11th, Fukakusa Shihan landed after a very long flight (over 12 hours) from Bangkok to Tel-Aviv. We picked him up, and he looked happy to be here. After some coffee, we drove him to his hotel in our little and peaceful town Rehovot (about 30 minutes from the airport).
Welcome to Israel Fukakusa Shihan
At the end of the seminar, waited for us black belts examinations to some of our dojo members. Before the seminar started, all the exam candidates gathered at the dojo office to listen to advice from Fukakusa Shihan. Shihan told them to execute the techniques in the same way they practice regularly at the dojo. He told them not to worry about making mistakes: "Just practice as usual, this is what I want to see. The most important thing is to show the basic techniques in the most precise way, because once you have your black belt, your big responsibility is to assist the beginners at the dojo, and to teach them the basics in the best possible way."
Black belt exam candidates listen to advice from Shihan
Please enjoy the following photos from the seminar:
Seminar in Rehovot - Masatake Dojo Israel
seminar postcards
registration table team
shihan teaching
timing and kiai
thank you
showing o-sensei's fan tai sabaki
always teaching in a pleasant mood
showing a waza
Shmulik and Slava
weapons class
yokomen uchi
flowers for shihan
with Mauricio who hosted shihan in the Golan last year
Budo For Peace seminar for friendship between Arabs and Jews
on the way to the north of Israel, to the Arab village Kefar Salem where the Budo For Peace seminar took place.
Shihan and Mr Danny Hakim Sensei the head of Budo For Peace
Shihan meets Mr Shimane from the Japanese embassy. This peace event became a part of many events that commemorated this year - 60 years of relations between Japan and Israel.
Shihan and Lawrence Sensei
Kazuki and Ze'ev
Shihan gives instruction
Budo For Peace Seminar group photo
Miho teaches girls
Shihan introduces Sankyo wrist control
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that was celebrated on the same day as the seminar. All holidays are respected and celebrated between Budo For Peace members - Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist etc.
Happy Hanukkah and O-Sensei - Founder of Aikido
Happy Hanukkah and a great peace seminar
Back to Masatake Dojo - Rehovot: Dan Examinations at the end of the seminar
Fukakusa Shihan gave at the end of the exams many comments and instruction, and it was a great opportunity not only to grade our students, but also to receive useful feedback and profound teachings from Fukakusa Shihan. Here is a video clip showing Shihan's comments and explanations after the exam:
If you wish to see more photos from the seminar, please click here for our facebook photo album. Also, please visit this page again if you wish to watch the videos taken during the seminar. The link will be posted just bellow this message in a few days from now.
Thank you for reading, I hope you had a great seminar here, and if you missed it, I hope you at least enjoyed the stories and pictures. Thank you Fukakusa Shihan for a most memorable and fruitful seminar. Thank you Mr Danny Hakkim and all the people of Budo For Peace. Thank you my dear wife Miho and my dear son Kazuki. Thank you Masatake Dojo members and friends - for hosting guests, for taking care of the dojo, for showing best hospitality to our guests from abroad and from Israel. Special thanks to Shmulik and Harel for your kind help with planning and managing the seminar and to Yoav for taking the guests back to the airport and waving goodbye to them until the last person was not in sight anymore... until next time here :-) Hoping for many such events. Sending prayers for Fujita Sensei's fast recovery.
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
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
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 practice
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