Globetrotting Aikido Report Continued ...
As my travels around the globe take me to the USA, I continue to visit Aikido dojos throughout
and provide a further summary of the Aiki-experiences along the way.
New Zealand
On last month's publication, I was arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, for Auckland Aikikai's 10th anniversary event. This event was held by the highest ranked Aikikai senseis of New Zealand.
Poster for the 10th Anniversary seminar in Auckland
The teacher lineup included Rosso Fernandez Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai (who hosted this event and celebrated his birthday on the same day as the event), Takase Shihan, 7th dan Aikikai, Alan Wade Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai and Andrew Williamson Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai. The event was efficiently organised by Auckland Aikikai and the trainings were held in true Aiki spirit with great didactics
and beautiful movement. All participants (numbering up to 70 persons) expressed their satisfaction to the event. After 5 hours of training, a party and dinner took place at a local pub and
Monogolian restaurant. My thanks to Auckland Aikikai for their kind hospitality and wishing them further success for growth of Aikido in their area. I wish also to thank the friends of Singapore, Stefan and Olga for linking me up with the Aikido group of Auckland. I have to thank Yamashima Sensei also for linking up with the groups of Christchurch and Wellington. On the same day, Takase shihan announced the up coming 40th anniversary event due to take place in 2010. More information about this event coming soon. Together with my visit to New Zealand,
I enjoyed further Aikido practice in the cities of Wellington (under Tashi Sensei and Richard Sensei from Wellington Aikikai) and Christchurch (under Andrew Williamson Sensei). I wish to thank Andrew for giving up his time also to show me a bit of his lovely city. We walked up into the hills around the so-called "bridal path" and further took coffee at one of his student's nationally famous coffee bar, Lucciano's.
Lucciano, nationally famous coffee maker and aikido student.
After morning practice breakfast.
Morning practice with Andrew Williamson Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai
Williamson Sensei standing outside one of his dojos.
New Zealand holds a wealth of Aikido experience and I thoroughly recommend any Aikidoka who might happen to be in the area to get in touch with the Aikido groups of Auckland (Rosso Sensei and Takase Shihan), Wellington (Tashi Sensei and Richard Sensei), Christchurch (Williams Sensei) and Gisborne (Wade Sensei).
The links for these aikido groups are placed here for your convenience:
Gisborne Aikido (Alan Wade Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai): Address, 59 Shelly Rd, Gisborne, Tel. 06 868 7159.
California
My first stop in the land of American dreams was to LA where I recovered from a long flight
and huge time difference from New Zealand with the help of a few a yoga lessons. I rejoined
the Aikido world after having arrived in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I didnt manage to make it
to the 50th year anniversary manifestation of Frank Doran Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai. I managed, however, to get down to the City Aikido Club in downtown San Francisco, the group of Bob Nadeau Sensei, and I enjoyed the trainings of Nick Sensei and Elain Sensei while I was there. For further information see City Aikido's website:
http://www.cityaikido.com/
In the same week, I made a short journey north of San Francisco to Petaluma where Paul Rest
warmly greeted me and took me to the Two Rock Aikido dojo, supervised by Richard Strozzi-Hecker Sensei, 6th dan Aikikai. I had the rare occassion to visit this dojo which is not easy to find. One needs to know somebody from there to find it. The interior and surroundings are impressive and well worth the visit however. For further information, see the following link of the Two Rock Aikido website:
http://www.tworockaikido.com/
Paul Rest, Lawrence Warry, Strozzi-Hecker Sensei
Looking at the dojo from outside.
The dojo bell.
Montreal, Canada
Montreal's Aikdo group is friendly and happy and reminds me a little of the groups that I know in The Hague, Holland and Rehovot, Israel. They have a similar group feeling and it was a pleasure to train with Daniel Laurendeau's teacher. My thanks to good friend Noah Weisboard for getting me in touch with his teacher.
Breakfast after training.
Left to Right: Lawrence Warry, Daniel Laurendeau Sensei (6th dan Aikikai), Pierre Marier Sensei
Pre-examination.
For more information about Aikido in Montreal with the group of Danie Laurendeau,
New York
The New York Aikikai, located on 142 West 18th Street, 2nd Floor, NY is the headquaters of the US Aikido Federation, headed by two world famous hombu shihans,
Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan, 8th dan Aikikai and Seiichi Sugano, 8th dan Aikikai.
It is an opportunity that every Aikido visiting New York should miss to have classes directly
under these shihans. Both shihans teach directly several days per week. See the schedule on the website to see when Yamada Shihan and Sugano Shihan teacher.
The dojo has a friendly atmosphere, similar that of the hombu dojo and,
in the same spirit, has also a very international feel to it. Because people
are training with the best, they raise their expectations about the quality
of Aikido there and efforts are increased in the atempt to try to understand
the teachings of Yamada Shihan and Sugano Shihan.
Therefore, lessons can be spicy. However, I was pleased
and impressed to see that the senior students showed an excellent example
of performing the movements in a calm and relaxed way.
Line up before training.
The beautiful kamiza of New York Aikikai.The dojo is not difficult to miss with this flag.
New York is my final destination of this trip and this Saturday I will be returning to my home
in The Netherlands with fond memories of so many amazing Aikido people I have met along the way. I am thankful for their hospitality and their willingness to share their Aikido experiences with me. I look forward to the pleasure of meeting these people again either during another visit of my own or if they happen to be in The Netherlands some time in the future.
I wish to present particular thanks to the following people who showed me friendship and
kindness:
Justin Marchant (Hong Kong)
Edmund Wan (Hong Kong)
Yehuda Alfasa (Thailand)
Motohiro Fukakusa Shihan (Thailand)
Serge Beraud Sensei (Singapore)
Thierry Diagana Sensei (Singapore)
Olga Esina (Singapore)
Stefan Hauff (Singapore)
Freddy Khong Sensei (Singapore)
Darius Wingate-Pearse Sensei (Australia)
Andrew Cronin (Australia)
Jim Nichollos (Australia)
Bill Haynes Sensei (Australia)
Rosso Fernandez Sensei (New Zealand)
Andrew Williamson Sensei (New Zealand)
Nobou Takase Shihan (New Zealand)
Alan Wade Sensei (New Zealand)
Takashi Shigeeda Sensei (New Zealand)
Richard Halson Sensei (New Zealand)
Rhonda Neuenshwander (New Zealand)
Stefan Neuenshwander (New Zealand)
Jon Chao (New Zealand)
Nick Scoggin Sensei (San Francisco)
Elaine Yoder Sensei (San Francisco)
Paul Rest (Petaluma)
Richard Strozzi-Hecker Sensei (Petaluma)
Daniel Laurendeau Sensei (Montreal)
Pierre Marier Sensei (Montreal)
Yamada Shihan (New York)
Sugano Shihan (New York)
Announcements
Christmas and new year holidays are coming.
That is usually a time for holiday Aikido seminars.
If your group is holding a seminar or you know a group that is, then
why not post an annoucement here? All Aikido seminar posts for December/January
are welcome here.
Wishing all readers happy holidays and a wonderful new year.
