May 4, 5, 6, Robert Zimmermann Sensei leads a seminar at Aikido of Dallas. I’m sure AOD will post times and price information soon.

Would be a good thing to go if you can – show solidarity of USAF dojos in the area, as well as appreciation for Mason Sensei hosting these events.

There was a time, during my youth and early adulthood, that I had only a one-word response to any conflict, a loud and forceful “NO.” In a lot of situations, thereâ€s nothing wrong with a strong “NO!” as a means of stopping aggression. Itâ€s a word whose delivery everyone should practice. But while that word had been useful in my formative years, as a boy and young man facing larger bullies, as a response to conflict in other situations, it lacked a certain capacity for nuance.

After all, itâ€s not only bullies looking to humiliate you that result in conflict; you can get into arguments with bosses, significant others, family members and friends, and for many of these situations, a loud, aggressive “no” is not the appropriate response. “No” stops things. “No” puts the brakes on processes that often need to occur in conflict, processes that lead to outcomes which could be desirable for both participants.

But as a young man, I didnâ€t know that. I knew that “no” kept me safe and out of trouble, and that was really the only response I had in a conflict. As a result, girlfriends tended to find me “hardheaded.” Work relationships could become fraught as well. In those days, I worked in a high-conflict profession. Because I had to frequently swallow my “no” to ensure I had a job the next day, long-held frustrations would eventually boil over.

It wasnâ€t until I was well into my study of aikido that I realized what I was learning at the dojo was not just an assemblage of techniques for responding to physical attacks. I was learning an entire philosophy and vocabulary of conflict. I was learning other words in addition to “no” that I could use in disagreements, physical, verbal or emotional.

I was also learning — and this is equally important — a certain selflessness in conflict. And by selflessness, I donâ€t mean it in the giving, loving, kind sense. I mean it in the direct sense of a lack of self, a no-self that allows you to focus in an objective, unemotional way on whatever you feel is attacking you.

When I began training in aikido, I would keep my awareness focused intently on the hand, stick, or sword that was trying to strike me. As I began to master the techniques of coping with the attack, my attention shifted to a slightly broader focus, to that of the attackerâ€s body. By placing my attention there, I became able to incorporate information about my attackerâ€s line of force, speed and direction into my calculations, allowing me to begin blending with the attack in a way I could not before. Most recently, my focus has shifted again — or, more accurately, diffused. I now “see” the attack as I look beyond the attacker with an unfocused gaze, my mind captured by nothing and taking in everything. Now, at last, I have the capacity to meet my attacker on his grounds with my intent.

This corresponded to an increasing range of physical responses. At first, I had “no.” Then I added “left, right or down.” Now, I have “Iâ€m sorry, but nobody is here right now,” along with a host of adverbs and adjectives, modifiers that amend my response, tailoring it to an exact fit for the situation.

Outside of the training space of the dojo or the unlikely occurrence of a street brawl, the importance of what Iâ€ve learned physically is how that has morphed into a more comprehensive emotional response as well. Spousal disputes — and when two people who are warriors at heart marry, youâ€re going to have them — become less emotionally destructive when both of us engage in creative conflict. As do conflicts with business associates, employees and others.

Worst-case scenario

In a worst-case scenario, when a strike reaches its intended target, I can choose to simply not be there. Sometimes being non-reactive to a verbal or emotional attack is the best response, allowing the attacker to expend their energy fruitlessly, and then, the smoke having lifted from the battlefield, negotiations can begin.

Sometimes, however, non-engagement only serves to increase the attackerâ€s ferocity, in which case other tactics are in order. A counter-attack, however, is not one of them. Thatâ€s part of the beauty of aikido, as it has no counter-strikes, no offensive moves. Yes, a punch or a kick may be administered as part of a defensive action, but that is only as a protective measure; and again, techniques may be done with or without such amenities, allowing you to control the level of the conflagration, even in the middle of a firefight.

So you redirect the aggression. Turn it toward the door, or the window, or redirect it back at them, allowing the attacker to experience the noxiousness of their own energy. Help them to leave (literal defenestration is not required) by the exit closest to the aim of their attack, giving them a chance to think things over before resuming hostilities. Often, this will turn down the heat enough that the conflict can then be resolved.

Martial arts alchemy

How do you learn these emotional techniques from training physical techniques in the dojo? Even having experienced the process, I can describe it no better than being some form of alchemy, where the physical activity rewires the circuits of your brain.

Certainly part of it is just being swung at. If you figure that on a typical night in the dojo Iâ€m dealing with anywhere from 50 to 100 shots to the head, at some point being swung at loses its emotional gravity, and itâ€s just another fist in the air.

Another part is a sense of competence. If you feel competent in an activity, your fear of participating will decrease and your need to “prove yourself” will evaporate. This is important, as conflict makes up a small part of most peopleâ€s lives but can consume vast amounts of emotional resources.

The last part comes not simply from training in conflict, but specifically in the martial art of aikido. Aikido opens your mind to a third path of conflict; one where there is no winner, and no loser either. When you throw someone on the mat, you arenâ€t beating him; you arenâ€t somehow superior to her; you are simply taking their balance, which they offered to you in the attack, and moving it a few inches north, south, left or right. And you will have your turn to be thrown as well, a time in which you realize that to roll in response to your partnerâ€s throw is protecting your own integrity, ensuring your safety for yourself. Self-care in the midst of an attack on someone? Well, thatâ€s a novel thought. And there it goes, from your muscles, joints and sinews to the synapses of your brain.

These days, in this world, it is increasingly hard to avoid conflict. Hard not to provoke others or be provoked by them, while weâ€re all involved in a game of high stakes poker that determines the fate of ourselves and the larger world. We cannot end conflict, nor can we avoid it; in truth, conflict is a necessary tool for advancement, but only works if wielded wisely.

————

For more essays on aikido, follow Dr. Avery Jenkins at https://medium.com/@avery.jenkins

by Avery Jenkins

Litchfield Hills Aikikai

When:
April 29th

Where:
Breckinridge Park in Richardson
5300 Renner Rd and N Brand Rd

See you all there!

More info at:
www.usafsummercamp.com
http://usafaikidonews.com/summer-camp-2018/

United States Aikido Federation
Summer Camp 2018

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

We are excited to once again host Yamada Sensei, Osawa Sensei, the USAF Technical Committee and Instructors for our 2018 Summer Camp

from Sunday, July 29th to Saturday, August 4th.

We will be returning to the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, located at 401 South New York Road, Galloway, New Jersey. To accommodate Aikido camp participants, their family and friends, the hotel has blocked off a number of rooms at a discounted rate, including a very limited number of rooms for arrival prior to camp on Saturday, July 28th.

You are encouraged to register for a Camp Package and book your hotel room as soon as possible. Although you will have to pay for your Camp Package

in full

at the time of registration, you will not incur charges for your hotel reservation until your actual stay. The DEADLINE for registration is Friday, June 22nd but the blocked off USAF discounted hotel rooms may be fully occupied prior to the deadline. Information about purchasing day fees can be found through the registration link below.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: DAN TESTING WILL BE HELD MID-WEEK (WEDNESDAY). IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON TESTING AT CAMP, MAKE SURE YOU BOOK YOUR PACKAGE ACCORDINGLY. TESTING AT CAMP FOR DAN RANK REQUIRES AT LEAST 1/2 WEEK CAMP ATTENDANCE.

Each year, the USAF allots scholarships to 10 recipients for the aikido-portion of camp. We need your help in insuring that all USAF members are aware of this opportunity, and encourage you to share the information with all members at your dojo. The application and information can be found here: Scholarship Application

Our new on-line site has simplified the registration process, and allows you to register more than one person at a time and complete your payment without leaving the site.

For more information and to proceed with your registration, click here:

www.usafsummercamp.com

We look forward to seeing you at camp!
Sincerely,

Laura Pavlick and Karen De Paola

Peter Bernath shihan, and Penny Strake Bernath shihan lead a seminar at Austin Aikikai.

April 13, 14, 15

O-Sensei Memorial seminar at Aikido of Austin with David Halprin sihan, Barbra Britton shihan, and Josef Birsdong shihan.

April 28, 29

USAF O-Sensei Memorial seminar at Midwest Aikido Seminar in Chicago with Yamada Sensei.

May 4, 5, 6

Robert Zimmermann leads a seminar at Aikido of Dallas.

June x, x

Skip Chapman (usually) leads a seminar at Aikido of Denton.

September 1, 2

Donovan Waite shihan leads a seminar at Aikido of Austin.

October 1, 2

Peter Bernath shihan leads a seminar at Aikido of San Antonio.

October x, x

Harvey Konigsberg shihan and John C. shidoin (often) lead a seminar at Austin Aikika.

So this weekend, we had our last classes at the “old” dojo, then moved our practice floor and the rest of the dojo to our new location at Texas Champion Gymnastics.

Damon Vargas – 2rd Kyu

Deryck Huynh – 3rd Kyu

Minh Le – 3rd Kyu

Altynay Karatayeva – 4th Kyu

Greg Barton – 2nd Kyu

Angel Monarrez – 5th Kyu

Aaron Williams – 3rd Kyu

Congrats to everyone!

In March 2013 we had three students take and pass their 5th kyu test, which is great! So congratulations to Robert, Minh, and Abu.

Also, in April, Damon passed his 4th kyu test. We are very proud of him!

Everyone just keep practicing. It’s all about the practice.

Your goal should be that when Sensei calls out a technique, for instance “Shomenuchi Iriminage”, you should be able to go into that technique smoothly and without much hesitation.

Many students initially find the terminology difficult to master, since it is Japanese language terminology.

This page is intended to help you through this, and demonstrate that the terms for your 5th Kyu exam are, in fact, quite simple.

In order to learn the terminology for this test,  it might help to just break down the techniques you need to know, and first commit to memory the “attack” part — in other words – the attack you are responding to.  I have bolded them below, to show you that really there are not that many terms you need to know… not overwhelming.

So as you can see, there are actually only 7 attacks that you are responding to in this test. That’s not too bad. So you need to know what each of these 7 is:

1. Shomenuchi
2. Katatetori
3. Ai-Hanmi Katatetori
4. Ryotetori
5. Tsuki
6. Ushiro Tekubitori
7. Morotetori

Then, you need to understand what the techniques are with which you “reply” to the attacks. As you can see below, there are only 7 of them. So that’s not bad.

1. Ikkyo
2. IrimiNage
3. Shihonage
4. Tenchinage
5. Kotegaeshi
6. Kokyuho
7. Kokyunage

Every Aikido technique is some combination of these words (and others you will learn later), in this order:

Attack — Defense — Modifier (for a few there may be no Omote or Ura modifier)

Examples:

• Shomenuchi Ikkyo Omote
• Katatetori Ikkyo Ura
• Katatetori Kokyunage Omote
• Tsuki Kotegaeshi (there may not be a modifier for this one)

In the 6th and 5th kyu exams, you begin to build the framework on which your future Aikido will exist. Until 1st Kyu (right before black belt), all you exams will be similar to this, but of course you’ll be adding new terms and techniques.