Griffith Shukan News

Thursday, 20^th August 2009

CONTENTS:

1. New Head Dojo Instructor

2. National Aikido Seminar 2^nd October to 8^th October

3. More National Seminar and Grading Information

1. New Head Dojo Instructor

Hi everyone

I am pleased to announce that the club executive has appointed Rod-Nixon-Smith as our new Head Dojo Instructor. This comes as a result of the retirement of Danny Sensei several weeks ago. As I said at the time, Danny has left a significant legacy which I know Rod is keen to build on. For those of you who do not know Rod yet (perhaps there are one or two of you?), Rod holds a Sandan and runs five classes (3 adult and two kids classes) a week at Everton Hills dojo, and often attends classes at Nathan. Rod Sensei has boundless energy and an infectious enthusiasm for aikido. We look forward to continued club success, continued great aikido and lots of joyful training.

Steve Mitchell

2. National Aikido Seminar 2^nd October to 8^th October

Hopefully all of you have heard conversations around the dojos, both Nathan and Everton Hills, about the forthcoming “Festival of Aikido” in Byron Bay from Friday, 02OCT09 to Thursday, 08OCT09. In essence, this is our annual National Seminar.

For those of you who haven’t experienced seminars they are an ideal opportunity to learn more about Aikido. That happens on several levels. Firstly we have had the extreme good fortune to have our Founder, Maruyama Sensei, presenting seminars annually since 2002. Maruyama Sensei was Uchideshi ( rough translation, apprentice) to O’Sensei, the Founder of Aikido. Through him we get teachings and insights from the very source of Aikido. This year that is strongly reinforced  because Okajima Sensei, Chief Instructor of Kansai District, head office in Osaka in Japan, and Michael Williams Sensei, Chief Instructor Aikido Yuishinkai International will also be teaching. Effectively that means that we are able to learn from the top three instructors of our style for the price of one!

On the next level there are senior people from all over Australia at the seminar and that helps to provide an environment of safety, support and encouragement. Don’t be overawed by senior students. Like you they are still learning about Aikido and the seminars provide the perfect climate for that. There are also many more students of more junior ranks attending.  Yet another level is the friendships you develop. As mentioned earlier people come from all over Australia. Sometimes they come from overseas, too. We’ve had people from Argentina, Singapore, New Zealand and even Tasmania and I can tell you from personal experience that you really look forward to meeting up with these friends each year.  Lastly there is the social side. As someone who is silly enough when I’m sober, let me warn you that some of these people party hard. There are several functions planned and, of course, Monday, 05OCT is the joint birthday celebration for Maruyama Sensei and Michael Williams Sensei.

Because we place so much importance on going to the seminar the club executive has decided to close the dojos as follows. Everton Hills for the duration of the seminar ie Saturday , 03OCT, Monday, 05OCT and Wednesday, 07OCT. Nathan will close on Saturday, 03OCT. to allow as many as possible to attend the weekend or even long weekend sessions and this, of course, includes instructors. As a volunteer club, our instructors are usually wage slaves or self-employed and most need to work during the week.  This decision gives all of them the opportunity to attend, absorb some aikido direct from the master of our style, and bring it back to the club.  If you can’t make it to the full seminar I’d encourage you to try to attend some sessions. Even just one session is a great learning experience but the more sessions you can get to the greater will be the benefit.

I must emphasize, this is a great and enjoyable learning opportunity. Don’t worry about not knowing enough because you haven’t been doing Aikido for long. I went to my first seminar two weeks after I started and still remember it with great fondness!

Rod Nixon-Smith

3. More National Seminar and Grading Information

Hi everyone,

This seminar is our yearly national seminar and attended by the founder of our style, Maruyama Sensei, where he will be teaching many of the sessions.  We are not guaranteed that Maruyama Sensei will be teaching again in Australia at the convenient-to-Brisbane location of Byron Bay.  If you love our relaxed and soft style of aikido, and would like to see the master and hear his insights and instruction directly, I'd also highly recommend you try and make it to Byron and participate in as many sessions as you can, even if it's only one or two.  And don't worry if you're a beginner, there'll be plenty of seniors from our club and elsewhere to give you a hand.  Start planning now.

To help more people to get to the seminar  Paul Sensei is looking at car pooling arrangements or even a minibus. Also, as it is being held during the NSW school holidays, if you are keen to go, it is worth arranging accommodation soon. Ask at the dojos because there could be people looking to share accommodation.

Please note that all seminar sessions are naturally counted as classes, so if you do get down to Byron in early October please let one of the admin staff know how many classes you've attended when you get back and we'll include them.  While I'm on the subject of classes, and with August gradings looming, it's worth mentioning that classes are very much a guideline only.  They are a minimum.  It is up to your instructor to recommend you for grading and the Head Dojo Instructor to approve you for grading, and they will not do so unless you are actually ready to grade.  It has been said that preparing for grading is probably as important as the grading itself.   

Steve Mitchell

Shirin Mohebbi

Griffith Aikido Newsletter Editor

Email: shirin(AT)internode.on.net