Aikido Yoshinkai

Without the slightest opening,
nor the least thought of the enemy…
step in and cut!

- M. Ueshiba

Be grateful for hardship, setbacks and bad people. Dealing with obstacles is an essential part of training.

-Ueshiba

Children’s Aikido at Sokushinkan Dojo
Vancouver Japanese Language School

January 2009

Dear Aikidoka and Parents of Aikidoka:

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!

On behalf of Keith Taylor (dojocho) and all members of the Sokushinkan Dojo at VJLS, Happy New Year to you all.  We hope everyone had a pleasant holiday and we offer our best wishes for a successful 2009.

Autumn Events
The autumn was another exciting time for the children’s classes.  It was a pleasure to have so many students return and to have several new students begin their aikido practice.  Let’s do our best together and enjoy the next term of aikido.

We are pleased to announce that Jamie Clarke and Henry Lagas were successful in, respectively, their sandan (3rd degree black belt) and nidan (2nd degree black belt) tests in November.  Andrew Prest and Bryan Green were achieved their sankyu (3rd kyu) and are now wearing their new brown belts.  Their success is a testament to their hard work and dedicated practice.   Congratulations to them all.  Jamie, Henry, and Bryan are known to the children’s classes, having been guest and assistant instructors several times.

In November, I was in Australia for 3 weeks.  I had the opportunity to practice at three dojos in Sydney and Melbourne.  I had a chance to meet old friends and make new friends and to train with some excellent teachers and students.  They send their regards to everyone here and wish us well in our aikido practice.  If we should be fortunate to have visitors from Australia, please extend every courtesy to them.

O-Soji
On January 2, instead of the regular adult class, several members of Sokushikan Dojo participated in the annual dojo cleaning.  At Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, O-Soji is one of the major events of the year.  While circumstances here in Vancouver do not permit us to make the same kind of event here, O-Soji is important in many ways.

Patrick McCready and Tin Ma cleaned all the dojo areas, including the tatami room, the attached storage room, the hallway, and the washrooms.  Their work has made our training area clean, safe, and pleasant.

Instructors for Children’s Classes
While I was away, several people taught the children’s classes in my place.  I would like to thank them, particularly Patrick McCready and Bryan Green.

With some sadness, I must advise everyone that Bryan Green will be moving away from Vancouver soon, so we will not see him so often.  Bryan is moving to Whitehorse, to take up a new job there as a school teacher.  Please take a moment to thank him for his assistance over the last 3 years and to wish him well.  I am sure that we will see him again from time to time.  Osu!

Parents in Class
Once again, I would like to thank the fathers who attend class with their children and assist me with the classes.  Their help is very important to the success of the classes.  I also thank the mothers and fathers who sit and watch and who help supervise the children before, during, and after class.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu
I am very grateful to all parents for your kind support.  I hope that this activity is good for you and your children.  I want to make aikido safe, fun, and useful to you and your children.  Thanks to all the parents for your support and encouragement of Yoshinkan Aikido and the Sokushinkan Dojo.

I am grateful for your help and welcome any comments or ideas you have.  Please talk to me or write to me.

Osu!

Vancouver Japanese Language School, 487 Alexander St.

About Aikido
Aikido is a purely Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba.  It is
based on the traditional sword.  Yoshinkan style aikido was developed by Ueshiba O-Sensei’s most advanced student, Gozo Shioda.  Yoshinkan Aikido is based on careful and precise practice and methodical use of basic movements, attention
to detail, and repetition of techniques to achieve mastery.  Aikido does not depend on strength or speed and is non-competitive.
Aikido is based on principles of harmony.  The techniques are based on blending
of movement and energy.  We do not use power.  We use connection, balance, and timing.  We do not seek to injure, but rather to carefully control.  Most techniques finish with a pin to painlessly but effectively subdue our partner.  With trained partners, techniques can end with beautiful and graceful throws.
Aikido develops dexterity, timing, and balance.  Aikido is co-operative, so people make new friends and learn how to co-operate with teachers, other students, and society in general.  Aikido develops discipline and focus. Most importantly, we have fun.  For children, aikido offers a safe, playful environment to learn a beautiful martial art.

Sokushinkan Dojo at VJLS
Our chief instructor is Keith Taylor (6th dan) who has 3 decades of martial arts experience.   All of the black belt students teach the adult classes from time to time.  All have international teaching licences issued from the Yoshinkan Hombu Dojo (headquarters) in Tokyo.  All instructors are volunteers and receive no payment for their services.  Our dojo fees are used entirely for the purposes of the dojo, like room rental fees and to bring guest instructors to Vancouver.

Children’s Aikido at VJLS
The main children’s instructor is Gregory Pun (3rd dan) who has practised aikido for over 10 yeas in Canada and Japan.  We offer two classes: 60 min. for older children (age 7-13) and 30 min. for younger children (age 3-7).  No special equipment is necessary.  It is traditional to wear a judo-style outfit (dogi).  It is not necessary that children have a dogi, although correct uniform is encouraged.  For beginners, gym wear will suffice (e.g. sweat pants and t-shirt). Fees are due for 3 months in advance, for the term.  Trial lessons and drop-in fees are possible.

Saturdays:
Jan. 10 – Mar. 28             1 child (age 7-13): $100/term
1:30-2:30 (age 7-13)      1 child (age 7-13): $100/term
2:30-3:00 (age 3-7)        Parent/guardian may practise with child for free

Yoshinkan Aikido Training
Classes will include warm-up exercises, break-falls (ukemi), and the 6 basic movement exercises (kihon dosa).  We will also teach several of the 150 standard
techniques (kihon waza) that are suitable for children.

More Information
For more information about Yoshinkan Aikido, or about the Sokushinkan Dojo, please visit our website at www.aikidobc.com.

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art that is practiced worldwide by both men and women, from children to seniors.  The Yoshinkai style of Aikido is one of the most prevalent styles worldwide.

Aikido develops dexterity, timing, and balance.  We practice in a cooperative learning environment, which we believe promotes positive interactions between teachers, other students, and society.

Classes are focused on principles of cooperation and harmony, not aggression.  Aikido employs graceful movements to perform subtle yet powerful techniques where timing and control are more important than strength.

Yoshinkai Aikido is based on careful and precise practice, methodical use of basic movements, attention to detail, and the patient repetition of techniques to achieve mastery.  This foundation of fundamental movements supports the development of basic techniques leading to a very powerful means of self-defense without unnecessary aggression.  Although good training requires discipline and focus, we consider it equally important to have fun.

All of our black belt students are internationally accredited instructors with licences issued by the Yoshinkan Hombu Dojo (headquarters) in Tokyo, Japan.  Our chief instructor Keith Taylor (6th Dan) has over four decades of martial arts experience.  All instructors are volunteers and receive no payment for their services.  Our dojo fees are used entirely for the purposes of the dojo, like room rental fees and bringing in guest instructors.  We are non-commercial and non-profit; this allows us to offer very competitive fees for our training.

We offer children’s classes for boys and girls age 3-15.  Children are taught traditional Yoshinkai Aikido, including basic movements, techniques, and break falls in order to promote mental and physical development.  Our patient instructors encourage and enable students to do their best.  For children, Aikido offers an extremely safe, playful environment to learn a beautiful martial art.  As with adult classes, we think that fun is equally as important as discipline.

Sowakan Dojo (Maple Ridge) and Sokushinkan Dojo (Vancouver) offer associate membership.  You are free to train at both dojos for no additional cost.

Children’s Aikido at Sokushinkan Dojo,
Vancouver Japanese Language School

September 2008

Dear Aikidoka and Parents of Aikidoka:
Issho ni tanoshinde aikido o shimasho!

On behalf of Keith Taylor (dojocho) and all members of the Sokushinkan Dojo at VJLS, I  welcome everyone for another school year of Yoshinkan Aikido.  We are very glad to see so many students and parents return and to see new students and parents join us.

Thanks to all the parents for your support and encouragement of Yoshinkan Aikido and the Sokushinkan Dojo.

To start a new year of practice, I would like to write this letter to everyone to advise you of some new information and to remind you of some old information.

Summer Events
In May 2008, Keith Taylor, Greg Pun, and Chris Kearney went to St. Paul, Minn., USA, to attend a special training session with Yasuhisa Shioda Kancho and Amos Parker Shihan.  Shioda Kancho is the son of the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido and the current kancho (head of all Yoshinkan Aikido).  Parker Shihan (8th dan) is from Texas and is the highest ranked person in North America.  Taylor Sensei received a promotion to 6th dan and Greg received his level 3 teaching certificate, which allows him to grant black belt (shodan).

In August 2008, members of Sokushinkan Dojo and Sowakan Dojo (of Maple Ridge) did a demonstration at Powell Street Festival.  Also, Parker Shihan visited both dojos for 4 days of training.

Instructors for Children’s Classes
Last year, several members of Sokushinkan and Sowakan dojos served as children’s class instructors, including Jamie Clarke, Chris Kearney, Patrick McCready, Tammy Bowen, Bryan Green, and Jonathan Denney.  Thank you to all of them.  This year too, some of them, and others, will attend to assist or substitute for me.  (I will be on vacation November 1-15).

The most frequent additional instructor will be Henry Lagas, who is a shodan.  Henry has trained for more than 6 years and he has a teaching licence from Hombu Dojo in Japan.  He will be at the young children (age 3-7) class with his son and nephew, and will also help in the older (age 7-13) class when possible.

Parents in Class
I would like to thank the fathers who attend class with their children and assist me with the classes.  Their help is very important to the success of the classes.  Thanks to Stewart Muglich, Michael Hey, and Takayuki Ono.
I also thank the mothers and fathers who sit and watch and who help supervise the children before, during, and after class.

Clothes and Hair
A dogi is not necessary, but it is useful so that all children are dressed the same.  However, it can be expensive and children grow quickly.  Therefore, we do not require dogi for children.  But, please make sure that children wear proper clothing, especially long sweat pants (to protect knees).

Jeans, dresses/skirts, or clothes for other activities (like ballet or soccer) are not good for aikido.  Plain colours (white, grey, black) are best.

Long hair must be tied so that it does not get into eyes, for safety when doing ukemi (rolls).  Also, some techniques make the hair lie on the ground and there is risk that another child will step on the hair, accidentally injuring the long-haired child.

I ask parents, please, to tie hair before the child arrives at class, because there is not enough time for me to do this myself at the start of class.

Young Children (toddlers)
I have had several requests to allow very young children – under age 3 – to join the class.

Most martial art instructors, including Yoshinkan instructors, do not accept children younger than 7 year old as students.  Usually, children under 7 cannot perform martial arts activities safely and correctly (since they do not even know left from right!).  I have accepted age 3-7 students because of strong requests from VJLS staff and parents, because so many parents help (as I have said above), and because I think that martial arts and aikido can be good even for children under 7 years old.

I have even allowed some children younger than 3 years old to attend, if a parent is in the class with me and the child.  However, there are now many more children in the class, so, with regret, I must therefore refuse all future requests to allow children under age 3 into class.

For those children who have already been permitted into the class, I think that, to be fair, I must continue to allow them to attend.  But this is on the basis that a parent must be in the dojo at all times to supervise their child.  If the parent is not assisting in the class, then the child cannot participate at all.  I thank you for your understanding.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu

I am very grateful to all parents for your kind support for me and for Yoshinkan Aikido.  I hope that this activity is good for you and your children.  I want to make aikido safe, fun, and useful to you and your children.

Parker Shihan taught me that budo is about “becoming better