Budo and Thoughts

Today - 28th of May, is the day our beloved teacher Fujita Masatake Sensei 8th Dan passed away at the age of 77, Fexactly a year ago, at his home in Tokyo next to his caring wife Mrs. Fujita Shoko San. Fujita Sensei was a direct student of the founder of aikido for over a decade, and he served as his private secretary and later as the General Secretary of Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Fujita Sensei traveled to many countries around the world to teach aikido and especially to support of development of aikido is poor and remote regions. Israel was the 50th country in his fat passport. We were honoured to host three seminars with Fujita Sensei at our dojo in Rehovot (Israel) which was located at that time on Teler Street near our current dojo. We were saddened and worried when he got ill, and during the years of his illness, two of his close friends kept supporting our dojo - Shimamoto Sensei 8th Dan and Fukakusa Sensei 8th Dan - both his kohai since the time the founder of aikido was...

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...