Griffith Shukan News

Thursday, 28^th   August  2008 

CONTENTS:   

1.     Maruyama Sensei Seminar 2008 – only 4 weeks away

2.     Gradings This Saturday 30/8/08 At Nathan Dojo

3.     Shikaku

1.     Maruyama Sensei Seminar 2008 – only 4 weeks away 

Just a reminder to everyone, that the Maruyama Sensei seminar 2008 is only 4 weeks away.  To register please do so by contacting Thom Hansen, Cleveland Dojo.  The details are below:

Aikido Seminar Programme September 25^th – 28^th                                                                  

Thursday 25^th

      Afternoon                       2:00-4.30pm

      Evening                           6:30-9:00pm

Friday 26th

      Afternoon                       2:00-4.30pm

      Evening                           6:30-9:00pm

Sat 27th

      Morning                       9:30am-12:00

      Afternoon                      1:30- 4:00pm

                                   (Photos after class)

      Evening BBQ/Dinner                    7pm

Sun 28th

      Morning                       9:30am-12:00

            Afternoon         1:30- 4:00pm

Full seminar (incl. BBQ)         $200/$180^*

Early bird (by June 30^th)         $180/$160^*

Casual class fee                          $40/$35^*

Extra BBQ ticket                                $20

^*Concession card & FT students

**10% Discount if travelling over 500km

Cheques or Money Order can be made to:

Cleveland Aikido

53 Richard Street

Lota Q 4179

Location for Seminar

Capalaba Secondary College Assembly Hall

School Road

Capalaba

For Further Information & To Register

Thom Hansen  0419 023 700

aikido@...

2.     Gradings This Saturday 30/8/08 At Nathan Dojo

There will be gradings at Nathan dojo this Saturday, including some Dan grades.  If you are not grading,  please come along and support those who are grading.  You may even get to participate as uke!!!

3.     Shikaku

Choose a stance, one from the repertoire of karate, judo or aikido; any of the budo.  Get set in it; really get yourself as solid as you can be.  Then have a dojo mate give you a little push. Just a gentle shove!  Chances are if your training’s been good you’ll be able to withstand the push. That’s one purpose of a strong stance. But have him continue to give pushes and as he does, have him move around you slowly, pushing from different angles as he circles your stance.  There is no need for him to hurry or to try to sneak a quick push in when you don’t expect it.  At some point in this exercise, your friend is going to topple your balance.  He has found your shikaku, your ‘dead zone’.

Don’t worry your failure to maintain your balance has nothing to do with any flaws in your practice or in the stance.  It has to do with the shikaku that is inherent in any stance in any human’s posture.  At its most basic level, shikaku may be thought of as the angle (or angles) where an upright human is vulnerable in terms of balance.  It is, in a kinesiological sense, his blind side.  The stance experiment described above is illustrative of just a small facet of shikaku.  Rotate 360 degrees around him pushing at every angle of the circle and you’ll eventually strike it.  That however, is a controlled experiment where there is no moving resistance.  Try finding the shikaku against someone who is moving, shifting his balance point constantly along with his stances, closing and lengthening his distance from you and trying to find your shikaku as well. This is the shikaku of real life.

This is an interesting excerpt from Dave Lowry’s book titled ‘Traditions’, a series of essays on the Japanese Martial Arts and Ways.

Gary Weigh

Griffith Aikido Newsletter Editor

Shirin Mohebbi

Email:  shirin(AT)internode.on.net