Griffith Shukan News

Thursday, 16^th July 2009

CONTENTS:

1.   Visiting Japan & Training With The Master

2.   Mizuno youna kokoro - Mind like water

1.    Visiting Japan & Training With The Master

For the last few weeks I was in Japan meeting relatives/friends and going sight seeing, etc, but I fortunately had the opportunity to train under Maruyama Sensei at two lessons and so I thought I’d share that experience.

Maruyama Sensei teaches twice a week at two different locations in Tokyo on Monday and Thursday nights. His classes are not publicly advertised and so whoever wants to train there should first talk to Danny Sensei then contact Maruyama Sensei’s secretary, Kondo-san.

I wasn’t able to go to Sensei’s seminar in 2008 and so it had been about two years since I last met him briefly but it was nice to know he still recognised my face. When I for there I was quite nervous to be training in a Japanese dojo for the first time and so my Japanese deteriorated very rapidly and for a moment Maruyama Sensei thought I could only speak English….

Sensei’s classes are held at public martial arts gymnasiums and surprisingly the class sizes are intentionally kept at a very small size. When I arrived at my first class, there were about seven people training in total, four of which were black belts. Unlike at our dojo, students trained with the same partner throughout the lesson and so it’s great if you get to pair up with a senior. Fortunately for me I was able to pair up with one of the most senior students there named Saito-san.

The structure of the class was generally the same as our dojo but I found that Maruyama Sensei sometimes starts talking about some interesting thoughts he’d come across recently. His teachings had a more spiritual tone to them and before doing actual techniques, we were taught a few different methods using our hands to extend Ki and also to clear the mind. There were also a few yuki exercises thrown in and for those who hasn’t had much experience with them (like me), some of them can seem a little odd…

The techniques covered during that lesson involved that of Yokomenuchi. Yokmenuchi Shihonage was the first technique and this was first practiced at a kotai level with emphasis on footwork (moon shadow, lizard legs, etc). Then we progressed to a more flowing and faster version of the same technique. It reminded me of the fact that at an intermediate level, accuracy of your physical form is greatly emphasised but at a more senior level, one should incorporate more fluidity in the technique without being held up by the rigid accuracy of the kata. That’s not to say that precision and neatness should be compromised. Saito-san who acts as the instructor while Maruyama Sensei is overseas, was capable of carrying out the technique with great neatness and fluidity despite his fast speeds and this told me of the high standard at which the practitioners at Maruyama Sensei’s dojo practiced.

Maruyama sensei who is now in his seventies is obviously not immune to the effects of old age. Off the mat his strides seems to be a little rigid and slow in pace. Something I always find amazing however is the remarkably difference there is in his movements when carrying out techniques. When demonstrating the more advanced version of shihonage his movements appeared to be incredibly agile and fluid. For the Uke receiving that technique it must feel incredible for sure. Overall the flavour of the techniques that I practiced that day was more reminiscent of traditional Ki-style Aikido. Sometimes it’s mentioned how Maruyama Sensei’s teachings alternate between different versions of the same technique and it is my understanding that these represent different points on the same spectrum for any particular technique.

On the second lesson I attended we were practicing the basic Yagyu Shinkage Ryu kata called the Sangakuen no Tachi. It had been a while since I practiced that one but it was a good opportunity to do some revision. Once again, Maruyama Sensei’s sword cuts appeared to be very swift as the sword travels the route in which there is the least waste of movement.

To be able to train at a Yuishinkai dojo in Japan under the founder was a great opportunity to experience the art of Aikido a little more out of my own comfort zone and I sincerely recommend it for anyone who ever has the chance. Despite being in a different country however, there always seems to be a pleasant air of familiarity amongst the practitioners of Aikido Yuishinkai.

Keita Hada

2.    Mizuno youna kokoro - Mind like water