From Sensei

Training, or the process of training, is a reflection of the universe. Aikido is like life, new challenges come with each day. Wading through training is one of the most difficult things you will do in your Aikido life.

The DO always puts up obstacles in your way. "Oh, I am too tired to train tonight, I’ll just stay home tonight," you say.

Then the voice in your head says, "TONIGHT is your training night."

"Yeah, that’s right, I said I would train four nights a week and I can’t miss tonight. Okay, I am going tonight."

You can bet more obstacles will appear before it’s time for class, but you make it. You come to training, and it seems like you never have done this before, everything seems impossible to do, but you hang in there.

The "body mind" learns from repetition. This patterning of movement is the key to integrating Aikido into your body. This is the "do" that teaches the body mind the proper movements. Going to training, doing the techniques over and over will incorporate this patterns into your body mind. This is the key to learning Aikido.

Bonenkai Celebration

Recent Promotions

TAOS and Aikido online

From the Dojo Manager

Fellow students, once more the dojo thanks all of you for your continuing support of our Dojo. As I write this message it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving—you will read this a bit after the start of the Holiday season. The Holidays will continue to the first of the year. Now this is something we all know. So this is where we all are, where is the Dojo? Well what we want to do this time of the year is to give. We will continue to collect can goods and food stuff for The Battered Woman's Shelter here in Sonoma County. We will do this through out the season. When you read this we will already sent the first load of goods to the shelter. This is something I believe we can all get behind The act of giving will only make our Dojo a stronger dojo.

The Master has no possessions.
The more She does for others
The happier She is.
The more She gives to others,
The wealthier She is.

Weapons Classes

What's in a Word?

Another aspect of Aikido that can be quite intimidating, though, are the cultural aspects, including the language. This is especially true for Westerners who have little contact with the Japanese world. In each class there are new terms being used along with the familiar ones that one hears several times in a one hour session. In the effort to master the pronunciation of the words it is easy to forget that they have specific meanings that are integral with the essence of Aikido.

With that in mind it seems that an exploration of Aikido terms is in order, and what better place is there to start than the name of the discipline itself. In the Western world we often attempt to choose names for our sports that are descriptive. Basketball…definition: a game played with a basket and a ball - pretty simple, right?

In that sense the Japanese are not much different than us. They also choose names that describe their activities. In their case, however they tend to take the effort to another level. The names the Japanese choose for their activities typically describe them much more completely than ours. The art of Aikido is a perfect example.

In my research into the meaning of this word, I found that it is really the merger of three words. The first is the Chinese character "ai", which means "to come together, to blend or harmonize". Reading this I could recall the many times that I have heard Sensei tell me that I needed to "blend" more with the body of the "uke".

The second word is "ki", which is the Japanese form of the Chinese character "ch’i". This word evidently has many meanings including "spirit", "energy", or "life force". As with many of the martial arts, Aikido is said to develop the ki of those who practice it.

The third word is "do", which can symbolize either a universal set of philosophical principles or a path that one treads. Taken as a whole the word Aikido probably has as many meanings as there are people who practice it.

In the simplest terms we can say that philosophically it is a way of life in which its practitioners attempt to harmonize their spirit with other people, nature and indeed the entire universe around them. In a martial sense we can say that it is a path taken in order to blend one's energy with that of the "uke" in a manner which will quell or suppress the attack. These ideas are things that we all should keep in mind as we practice.

Basic Attacks

* Katate tori = One hand holding one hand.

* Morote tori = Two hands holding one hand.

* Kata tori = Shoulder hold.

* Ryote tori = Two hands holding two hands.

* Mune dori = One or two hand lapel hold.

* Ushiro ryote tori = As above from the back.

* Ushiro ryokata tori = As above from the back.

* Shomen uchi = Overhead strike to the head.

* Yokomen uchi = Diagonal strike to the side of the head.

Call for Articles

Upcoming Events

Early January - Farewell party for Pat Yarrow. Come and wish Pat well as she leaves for Japan for a new job.

Memorial Day Weekend (May 29-30) 1999 - AANC Gasshukku in San Diego. This will be a fun one. Come and train at Sunset Cliffs Aikido Dojo in San Diego!

April 1999 - Friendship Gasshukku at TAOS