1. Editorial
I don't quite know what happened but all of a sudden one day, I woke up to this blog not having the pictures on it anymore. I believe some of the wiped out pictures were from Picasa (which could have had a broken link) but other pictures were simply uploaded. I'm still trying to work out what happened. So, for the moment, some of the previous months' posts are missing some pictures. I'm working on solving this problem so I hope you can bear with me and I do hope, at least, that this month's post keeps the photos there!
Have a good Aiki-February!
- Lawrence Warry
2. Kangeiko (Winter Practice)
Kangeiko literally means "winter training/practice". It is traditional in Japanese budo arts to have a short intesive training period in the height of the winter.
Since the beginning of February, the cold spell has truly hit Europe and The Netherlands and it is with perfect timing as the CABN lent school (which happens every February) arrives at our doorstep. From the 17th of February until the 21st of February, a group of about 100 enthusiastic aikidoists will set foot on the northern island of Ameland to practice with Japanese 7th dan sensei from Tokyo, Takeshi Yamashima (assisted by 6th dan Ernesto Ladavas sensei and 5th dan Armando Braat).
Facing the cold in the morning is one way of starting the kangeiko training day. On the island, there will be the opportunity to join an even smaller group of "potentially crazy" people at 07:30 each morning for a 20 minute jog and stretch at the beach. Facing the cold this way allows us to overcome our mental and physical obstacles as one allows the nature into the system, without fear of it. It should not be taken on as a task of suffering but rather, once moving and warmed up, one does not feel the initial confrontation of being up at a crazy hour in sub-zero temparatures. Instead, one is relieved of initial prejudice and one starts to be calm in the mind. This is the same calm we need when we encounter all kinds of confontations in life. So, already with the calm mind, it becomes even a pleasure to be in the nature and to accept nature's ways.
So, are you ready to take the challenge and overcome that confrontation? Shall you join us in the cold at 07:30 each morning in Ameland? It is simply a matter of a strong mind and a convicted choice? but, if finally, you decide that staying in bed is your choice, then do so without regret because you can lie there snuggly, warm and cosy, knowing that the challenge of nature awaits you again, the following day, and every day thereafter.
Lawrence Warry
I don't quite know what happened but all of a sudden one day, I woke up to this blog not having the pictures on it anymore. I believe some of the wiped out pictures were from Picasa (which could have had a broken link) but other pictures were simply uploaded. I'm still trying to work out what happened. So, for the moment, some of the previous months' posts are missing some pictures. I'm working on solving this problem so I hope you can bear with me and I do hope, at least, that this month's post keeps the photos there!
Have a good Aiki-February!
- Lawrence Warry
2. Kangeiko (Winter Practice)
Kangeiko literally means "winter training/practice". It is traditional in Japanese budo arts to have a short intesive training period in the height of the winter.
Since the beginning of February, the cold spell has truly hit Europe and The Netherlands and it is with perfect timing as the CABN lent school (which happens every February) arrives at our doorstep. From the 17th of February until the 21st of February, a group of about 100 enthusiastic aikidoists will set foot on the northern island of Ameland to practice with Japanese 7th dan sensei from Tokyo, Takeshi Yamashima (assisted by 6th dan Ernesto Ladavas sensei and 5th dan Armando Braat).
Facing the cold in the morning is one way of starting the kangeiko training day. On the island, there will be the opportunity to join an even smaller group of "potentially crazy" people at 07:30 each morning for a 20 minute jog and stretch at the beach. Facing the cold this way allows us to overcome our mental and physical obstacles as one allows the nature into the system, without fear of it. It should not be taken on as a task of suffering but rather, once moving and warmed up, one does not feel the initial confrontation of being up at a crazy hour in sub-zero temparatures. Instead, one is relieved of initial prejudice and one starts to be calm in the mind. This is the same calm we need when we encounter all kinds of confontations in life. So, already with the calm mind, it becomes even a pleasure to be in the nature and to accept nature's ways.
So, are you ready to take the challenge and overcome that confrontation? Shall you join us in the cold at 07:30 each morning in Ameland? It is simply a matter of a strong mind and a convicted choice? but, if finally, you decide that staying in bed is your choice, then do so without regret because you can lie there snuggly, warm and cosy, knowing that the challenge of nature awaits you again, the following day, and every day thereafter.
Lawrence Warry
3. Thanks from Ze'ev sensei
Dear friends - fellow aikidoka from the CABN.
A few weeks ago, I received a wonderful greeting card and a present from you. The words in the card congratulated me for my promotion to 5th Dan.
Our friendship and the endless number of things that I learned from you friends is a treasure I will always cherish, and I hope it will always grow. I am so thankful to you friends, and to Fujita Shihan who linked us together. As Lawrence said, this year, the number five is celebrated twice. Once for me personally, and second, but most important for me - our 5 years of friendship.
Last year, Paul sent us a bottle of champagne for children (with no alcohol). It waited until a few weeks ago, when we opened it after the kids class to celebrate the promotion.
Dan promotion is not important. As Fujita Sensei says - we have to be careful of godan (5th Dan) - because our ego can change it from "godan" to "go down" :)
I wish us all many many years of friendship and continuation of the construction of o-sensei's vision - a golden bridge connecting people from different countries.
Sending my love and gratitude,
Ze'ev.
