Griffith Shukan News

March 22nd 2007

 

Contents:

              

1. Grading - Congratulations
2. Aikikids Grading
3. Hep B Alert
4.  Seminar – Aikido Yuishinkai Adelaide
5. “Tomorrow's Child” by Glenn Thomas
6. Gabby’s News
7. Previous news (but good news) – worth another read!:

 

 

1.        Grading - Congratulations

 

1st Kyu:   Steve Mitchell and Craig Ellis (Logan)

2nd Kyu  Ben Hamley, Daniel Carne (who will shortly join Gabby and Paul in Brazil) and the birthday boy, Chris Cobban

3rd Kyu   Michael and Nadine Waddington (South Brisbane dojo - Friday class) 

4th Kyu:  Angus Hamley and Shirin Mohebbi

5th Kyu:  Keita Hada, Eric Ohlsen (catching up with his son Levi) and William Harper

6th Kyu:  Ross Ebert and Daniel Clancy

and our newest members collecting their first certificate for their 7th Kyu grading were:  Eric Hsu; Mary Leung; Sibylle Rutishauser; Robert Marshall and Luke Vesely.

 

Congratulations to all who graded last Tuesday night!  The instructors were pleased with most of the techniques performed.  There were a couple of mistakes here and there but mainly negligible ones.  Junior aikidokas (4th – 7th kyu) showed good form both at kotai and juntai levels.  Senior aikidokas (1st – 3rd kyu) had flowing ryutai movement which was executed effortlessly.  It was wonderful to know that the dojo was a tight knit social community when everyone sang Chris Cobban a big Happy 17th Birthday song!

 

A note to future grading students to always stay calm and collect when performing their grading since in the moment of stress and panic, techniques can go wrong.  Even at ryutai level, nage should be able to slow the technique down so that there is time to think about the flow of the technique and strength should never be use to avoid ‘jerky’ techniques and to ensure uke’s safety at all times.  Apart from that, just have fun during your grading night since it's your day to shine and excel!  Once again a round of applause to all that have graded to the next level in their journey through this aikido lifestyle.  Keep up the good work!

 

Belt levels, the way I see it during my aikido belt journey:

White belt with 1 or 2 stripes: "Finally I'm one of the aikido gang, not much colour but it's still there even if I need to point it out to people".

 

Yellow belt: "WooHOO!!! Finally a belt with full colour! AND can be called upon as an uke during taninzugake".

 

Orange belt: "What a bright luminous belt, wonder if it glows in the dark. Not really a junior or a senior... like one of them teenage years... have to prove myself worthy to the seniors which pushed me to learn a bunch of whole new techniques but just didn't look right".

 

Green belt: "So this is what a senior feels like, with new colour comes new responsibilities... techniques are more refined and flowing".

 

Brown belt: "More refinement in the techniques and beginner's teaching responsibilities start. Taking ukemi becomes more apparent since you've got so many nage who wants to test you out for taninzugake".

 

Brown belt with hakama: " HAKAMA TIME! Makes you look cool, but it takes weeks just to walk properly, do your techniques in it and take ukemi properly. Now you understand why 'moon shadow lizard-legs' was invented; so that you don't step on your own hakama when doing techniques (which will happen from time to time)... techniques slow down a lot since there are so many things to think like not tripping and correct form (did I mention not tripping?).

 

Black belt: "Took a long time to get here, but it was worth every learning step.  Still have a lot to learn from my senseis and at the same time enjoying helping others with their techniques that I used to struggle with.  Getting better moving with the hakama (if only someone would invent a hakama that would stay in place even after uke-ing for 5 taninzugake).

 

Cheers!

 

Ben Tan

 

 

2.         Aikikids Grading

 

An aikikids grading will be held on Saturday 31^st March at 11am.  I envisage that the grading will take about half an hour.  Those grading are Reuben Ellis, Jonathon Mitchell, Marcus Heah, Rachel Heah, Liam Balton-Harper and Lachlan Kendall. 

 

This is a club grading.  I encourage you to attend the Saturday adults class and take the opportunity to cheer on some enthusiastic children who are discovering our art.  Any grading is important, as the adults who graded on Tuesday will attest, and kids really respond well to recognition of their achievements and I would like them to feel the extensive warmth and support of their fellow club members in their aikido endeavours.  Hope to see you there.

 

Steve Mitchell

 

 

3.         Hep B Alert

 

There was an item in ‘The Australian’ newspaper recently regarding a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which reports the transmission of Hepatitis B via sweat amongst a group of Turkish wrestlers.  We similarly train in a full contact sport in which participants can often sweat a lot, even if the contact with the sweat of our training partners is not so constant and not in such close proximity.  This news may have strong ramifications for sporting organisations with a possibility that all participants in contact sports may eventually need to be vaccinated.  I would like all members to be aware of this news, and I encourage you to carefully consider what this means in terms of your own health and the steps you can take yourself to minimise risk of exposure, and if you are not sure, to seek vaccination.

 

Danny James

 

 

4.         Seminar - Aikido Yuishinkai Adelaide

 

I wanted to give our aikido colleagues in other states preliminary notice of the forthcoming Adelaide seminar with Minoru Oshima Sensei and Yoshitake Hashimoto Sensei.

 

Yoshitake Sensei resides in Osaka and has been a student of Maruyama Sensei since the Ki Society days.  Oshima was one of the chief US instructors for the US and many say one of Toheis’ best aikido students. Of course there is a long association with Maruyama Sensei and since he arrived in the US in 1974 as chief instructor, I assume Oshima was also practicing with O’Sensei at Hombu. 

 

Cost will be $130 for a full weekend of training with both sensei.  Billets and accommodation can be arranged.  Please find dojo details at aikidoadelaide.com.  For more information, you can contact us by:       Ph 08 8303 8685 or e-mail john.ward@...

 

John Ward

Aikido Yuishinkai Adelaide

 

 

5.         “Tomorrow's Child” by Glenn Thomas

 

Without a name; an unseen face

and knowing not your time nor place

Tomorrow's Child, though yet unborn,

I met you first last Tuesday morn.

 

A wise friend introduced us two,

and through his shining point of view

I saw a day which you would see;

A day for you, and not for me.

 

Knowing you has changed my thinking

for I never had an inkling

That perhaps the things I do

might someday, somehow, threaten you.

 

Tomorrow's Child, my daughter-son

I'm afraid I've just begun

To think of you and of your good,

Though always having known I should.

 

Begin I will to weigh the cost

of what I squander; what is lost

If ever I forget that you

will someday come to live here too.

 

Glenn Thomas, © 1996

 

Submitted by Simon Russell

 

 

6.         Gabby’s News

 

Hey guys,

 

Congrats on your gradings - wish I could have been there!  Anyway, I know you would have done a great job.  Please let me know how you went personally.  We feel like we're missing out over here!

 

At the moment I am in a very posh retreat centre for executives called Amana Key.  They run a week long course about alternative attitudes/methods in business and aikido features strongly in this.  There are about 60 people here for the retreat.  We did a demonstration last night and it was interesting to feel (because I couldn't understand what the audience was saying) the response to the demonstration.  The demo included a 5min silent aikido demo with Bueno Sensei, me, two other black belts and a 13yr old girl from the favela who has been practising aikido with Bueno Sensei for 5 years.  It was followed by an hour and a half of discussion (including demonstrations) from Bueno Sensei.  I was blown away last night because as soon as we finished the demo people started calling things out and discussing their observations - a really engaging group.  This week we are here every morning for aikido practise & breakfast and at the moment the exec group are starting to discuss how aikido principles can be used in business.  Amana Key have trainers who use the aikido model all week in their seminars.  The retreat costs about R$5000 (about AU$3600) and most of the execs pay this themselves.

 

Anyway, more on the blog (when I get around to it LOL).

 

Miss you guys (heaps!)

 

Gabby xx

p.s. a good friend from my old Ki Society dojo is trying to raise money to go the Ki Society seminar in Cairns.  He has just finished his massage certificate and is offering 1hr massages for $40 (including gift certificates if you want to give one to someone else).  If you are interested please email me on gabrielle.paynter@... straight away as he needs to know how much is pledged money to tell whether he can afford to go.  I'll get you in contact with him in Bris.

 

 

7.         Previous news (but good news) – worth another read!:

  

Aikikids Class Helpers

 

The aikikids class on Saturdays is currently experiencing significant growth, which means there is space to include an extra helper.  If you would like to help with Aikikids class on Saturday morning from 10.30am till approx 11.30am, please let me know soon.

 

 

Club Sponsorship

 

We have a sponsorship arrangement with Brisbane based residential home loan manager, Direct Credit Home Loans Australia.   As part of an ongoing relationship, Direct Credit Home loans has made an attractive home loan offer to our club members, their family & friends.   In addition, they have offered to pay us a spotter’s fee on each home loan referred through the club.    Just let one of the Executive know if you think you know someone who may be interested.

 

Danny James

 

 

 

Steve Mitchell

GUAC Secretary

Mob.  0432 269 534

Email:  stevemitchell@ecn.net.au