I have no romantic notions of what it means to be a warrior. I served in the United States Marine Corps and worked for ten years as a deputy sheriff. I have seen the dead and the dying, the deliberate and the accidental. I have seen people shot, cut, burned, beaten, strangled, crushed, even literally hammered to death. I understand how fast violence can erupt/interrupt into our everydayness and destroy our lives. My goal is simply that of any warrior/father/husband: to be prepared to protect and defend myself, my family, my community.

One of the ways I choose to do that is through Aikido. I enjoy Aikido because it is hard, because it forces me to change, because it forces me to face myself. My first Sensei was irascible and difficult, but he gave me a solid foundation in some of the basics. His emphasis was on techniques for the world off the mat, especially the breaking and keeping of uke’s balance and in delivering solid strikes.

One day many years ago, I decided to conduct a class focussing entirely on the pivot. People had been moving too straight and too frontally. And so that’s all we did for an hour and a half; pivot.

On that particular day, a new guy turned up. He was heavily bearded with long hair in well neglected dreadlocks and his clothing was rough. He had a good attitude, and as is our dojo policy, he was accommodated ad hoc, with an admonishment to acquire a gi as soon as possible.

We practiced.

I never saw him again. Or did I?

Some years after that, a neat and tidy, clean shaven gentleman with short hair in a suit, turned up and asked for me before class.

Once in a rare while, we are fortunate to be able to participate in exceptional events; the 2010 East Coast Aikido Bridge Seminar made my list. For three days, I had the honor and privilege of sharing teaching duties with some of the finest aikidoka in America. It was a chance to connect and reconnect with old friends, as well as to make new ones.

In keeping with its progenitors, the AikiExpos, and sister Bridge seminars, this event was yet another example of the bright future that aikido in America has to look forward to as the next generation of teachers build personal relationships, bereft of the sibling rivalries that have separated their own teachers. The Bridge seminars are bringing together senior students of the first-generation post-war Shihan, many of whom had previously been prohibited from participating in events outside of their political organization. These are historic events not to be missed. There were members from at least six different aikido organizations in attendance at this Bridge seminar, but an uninitiated observer would never have known it. There was no egotism on the tatami at this seminar; this was one of the friendliest events I have ever attended, a really exceptional happening.

We have been unable to send out our daily newsletters for several days due to a server failure. We estimate that we will have the mail server up and running Tuesday or Wednesday at which time we will be able to resume our normal mailing operations.

Please visit our website—which is running normally—for the latest information.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

Man versus nature conflict is showing itself in full force lately, in different parts of the world. Most recent are the earthquake disasters in Haiti and Chile. Although with a much lower death toll, the usual sparsely-scattered snowflakes and their beauty have fallen intensely from the skies this winter, making everyday life even more challenging for inhabitants in some areas of the United States.

In Miami, a light fear looms over many of us during each hurricane season as we watch low pressure areas over the Atlantic become tropical depressions, then intensify into tropical storms, gales, and escalating hurricanes. Scientists have developed inoculations for certain viral outbreaks, and antibiotics to destroy harmful bacteria. Pertaining to the latter, we must use antibiotics with respect, because mutated bacteria can survive and form an entirely new threat to humanity. All we can do when Mother Nature unleashes Her fury is to try and stay as safe as possible. We do not have a suitable shield against such power, and when She strikes without warning, we have little armor at all. Aikido cannot protect us from Nature directly, but it can help us keep hopeful spirits to rebuild order should we survive.

This may come as a surprise but Morihei Ueshiba never, “Did Aikido.” What he did “do” was to synchretise everything available, all Budo, to efficient action, the ergonomics of combat interaction, if you will. And to act appropriately for any given moment, no two moments being the same.

That he named this, “Aikido” following several other labels, takes nothing away from the sheer genius of his approach.

If we are going to do something, let’s do it well by taking away the forcing, the clumsiness and inefficient movement. This requires clarity. A great deal of it.

On June 12th, Hiroshi Isoyama Shihan will be visiting Southlake, Texas where he will be the leading instructor at an Aikido seminar. Isoyama Shihan currently holds an 8th Dan within the Aikikai and is the Chief Instructor at the Ibaraki Shibu Dojo in Iwama, Japan on behalf of Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu.

Isoyama Shihan started his career in Aikido at the age of 12 as a student of Ueshiba Morihei O-Sensei, the founder of Aikido. During his long career in the martial arts, Isoyama Shihan has been the Chief Instructor of Defensive Tactics for the Japan Self Defense Force Academy, and has been an instructor to the U.S. Army on self defense tactics. Some of his first students were members of the American Military Police, and eventually included amongst others, Steven Seagal Sensei, as well as members of Japan’s armed forces.

For more information about this event please visit www.isoyamaseminar.com.

The customer is always right. If you want his money that is.

The attacker is always right. At least she will believe so.

The salient feature of Aikido is that it does not evaluate, but harmonizes everything that is thrown at it. Well, real Aikido, I don’t know about pseudo-budo.

When you evaluate the “rightness” or the “wrongness” of an attack, you become entangled in the attacker’s unwell, or inventive attacking mindset of conflict, instead of simply dealing with the actuality at hand. Ideas and opinions don’t win fights. Good responses do. Conflict is merely a reflection of the torment the attacker carries in his mind. Adding to it is like adding petrol to fire. Explosive.

I learned in twelfth grade psychology class that the major cultural difference between East and West is collectivism versus individualism. Although I have not traveled beyond the United States and its nearby protectorates, befriending Asian people has reinforced what my psychology teacher and accompanying textbook taught.

There is a tendency in the East, including Aikido’s homeland of Japan, to accomplish what is best for the group. This group may be limited to immediate peers, or branch out to an individual’s entire corporation or organization. It may even become national or encompass the perceived entire world.

Many people forget what it was like to start for the very first time.

So many people would like to make a start, but out of either fear, timidity, unsureness, or a list of other reasons, never do.

If you made it past the wishing and hoping and perhaps occasionally enquiring, and have got as far as actually finding and visiting a dojo; CONGRATULATIONS!

That was the first test, “Grasshopper!” Your warrior spirit is showing! Make no mistake about it, whatever anybody says. Any Budo is a warrior yoga not to be taken lightly.

Simple ink on paper, three figures in a line. Circle. Square. Triangle.

Terry Dobson once asked O Sensei to tell him what the circle, square, and triangle meant in aikido. The master told him to figure it out for himself. I love that, it’s Beautiful.

This is how zen koans work. The answers you arrive at must come from you, must be really yours, not something somebody else has said. They must be authentic expressions of your lived experience, of the living energy of the question interacting with your own experience. They must really be authentic, and if a teacher rolls out his or her understanding too readily, too often, his generosity and helpfulness may displace the student’s work. Too forthcoming, he may actually weaken the learning process, and he may build dependancy and laziness, under the guise of teaching. Such a teacher may wind up with lots of followers and few real students.

Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin is conducting regular classes in Las Vegas on Mondays and Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 pm.

The home dojo is located near the South Point Casino and Iwama Aikido is the style practiced. If you live in the area or are a visitor and would like to stop by you may contact us as described below:

- Go to the following link: http://www.aikidojournal.com/askaway
- Select the “Aikido Training in Las Vegas” topic from the drop-down menu
- Write a brief resume of your aikido training background, if any, describe your training goals, mention the area of town you live in, and provide an email and contact telephone number. We will contact each interested person and arrange a meeting to go over our training procedures and answer any questions you might have.