Many Mahalos (Hawaiian “thank yous”) to the organizers and artists of Kokua for Japan for inspiring a USAF New Jeresy Instructors Benefit Seminar for Japan on June 12, 2011!

Kokua for Japan was a benefit concert held in Honolulu back on April 10 to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross in the wake of Japan’s devastating earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis. The event featured such performers as Willie Nelson, Mick Fleetwood, Michael McDonald, Hawaiian born and raised Jack Johnson, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and many local Hawaiian artists.

While watching the live broadcast of the concert online that lazy Sunday evening, my wife and I discussed what a closely-knit community of Aikido dojo there are throughout New Jersey and wondered whether a successful benefit seminar could be pulled off featuring as many of NJ’s dojo cho as possible.

That week I sent an email out to all NJ chief instructors listed in the USAF dojo directory asking who’d be interested and if so, when available. Amazingly, almost everyone responded and pretty much unanimously settled on the date of June 12. Huge and deep gratitude to Rick Stickles, Skip Chapman, Eran Vardi, Karen DePaola, Jerry Zimmerman, Michael McNally, Alex Vieira, Sergio Cuevas and James Shaffer in joining me to help make the benefit seminar the great triumph it was! All instructors selflessly donated their time and talent to come together through shared practice for the common purpose of aiding in Japan’s recovery and renewal.

The seminar ran beautifully with classes straight through for 10 hours. We wanted to create the feel of a benefit concert or dance marathon and have all participants be responsible for their own breaks as well as feel free to come on and off the mat as needed. And of course food and refreshments were on hand throughout the day.

A big Domo Arigato-gozaimasu to the Aikikai Foundation at Hombu Dojo for extending for us the deadline for receiving donations so that via the USAF we could make our contribution from the seminar’s proceeds.

Also, thanks to Aikido of Red Bank’s Emmy Award-winning dojo cinematographer and photographer Kris Schoenleber for donating his services by taking video and stills all day, producing a great DVD, the proceeds of which we are continuing to send to the Japanese Red Cross as orders continue. To view the photos, please visit our facebook page. If you are interested in ordering a copy, you may do so by contacting Kris through his own website http://www.kgsphoto.printroom.com/

Omedetou again to all the instructors involved for their efforts in spreading our own Aloha to our extended Japanese Family!

The Island Art Center held a benefit on May 21st to raise money to support the USAF’s Japan relief fund. The day focused on a seminar involving students and instructors from many visiting Dojo’s, training together for a good cause. Throughout the day, students from the various children’s programs came suited up to do their part, small but mighty. The children had collected sponsors in the weeks leading up to the event. Their sponsors pledged various amounts towards how many rolls the children could accomplish. 18 children (ages 5-11) did a total of 3,175 forward and back rolls adding to the total collected thus far of well over $1,200.00 More donations are still “rolling” in and we will keep the jar out through our annual student art show and demonstration. More updates and pictures from the potluck community event that capped off a wonderful day spent rocking and rolling for a cause will be posted on our site as we get them.

THANKS ONE AND ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO MAKING THIS EVENT SUCCESSFUL. We will hold other events throughout the year for this cause and keep you updated.

We are sorry to announce the passing of Nick Kraus Sensei, Godan. Kraus Sensei touched the lives of many people in his years of aikido and here is one written by Ray Farinato, Aikido of Fairfield County:

Practicing aikido brings us into contact with many wonderful people, some who we may have missed because they did not draw attention to themselves. Recently the aikido community lost one of its ‘good guys’ and a very dear friend to me. I’d like to offer this small remembrance of my sempai Nick Kraus, who at the time of his passing was the former dojo cho and founder of Vicksburg Aikikai in Vicksburg, Mississippi where lived with his dear wife Kinu.

I had the pleasure of coming under Nick’s wing in the late 1970’s while training at Hombu dojo in Shinjuku. He had been living and training in Japan since the mid 1970’s and well understood my plight of making my way through Japanese culture and negotiating the right mix of aikido training, professional development and simply enjoying life. Nick not only introduced me (and Mike Sheahon) to special training with sensei Seijuro Masuda, but he helped me get a job with the engineering firm where he was employed. It turned out that we had several interests in common and he welcomed me with his characteristic enthusiasm into all of those corners of his life.

After a year in Japan I returned to the US, Nick and Kinu remained in Japan for several years, and we had only occasional communication. He had to cease aikido training due to his physical situation, and recast his unflinching effort into weapons training and his professional life as a costal engineer. Twenty years later we reconnected and unsurprisingly Nick had made significant positive contributions in both those facets of his life. He was lauded by his academic colleagues for his contributions in coastal research and engineering, and grew a dedicated group of martial artists in his hometown, where he established Vicksburg Aikikai. Both of those communities benefited greatly from the life he breathed into them.

Nick brought a spirit of budo to everything he did. He was fearless about challenging people to consider whether what they were doing made sense. This guiding principle, which he applied to himself even more so than to others, honed the spirits of those people who were willing to hang on for the ride and rise to the challenge. He always gave me good advice since I knew he had my best interests at heart. I cherish the strength of his committed and kind personality, and will miss him dearly.

Students from New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Canada, of course Massachusetts, and even Florida, were in attendance at the June 11 & 12 weekend seminar at New England Aikikai.  The mat was full of energy and excitement with intensive training and focus on the powerful, dynamic, and beautiful world-class Aikido of Donovan Waite Shihan…instruction delivered with the love, warmth, patience, and kindness as embodied in the spirit of Aikido!

View the album of seminar photos

On Saturday, 16 April 2011 Darrell Tangman, Rokudan, and Lamar Sanders, GoDan, conducted a seminar and a promotional exam for the members of the Georgia Southern University Aikido Club.  Seven students earned promotion.  Two guests from the Aikido Center of Savannah and one guest from the Augusta Aikido Club also attended.

The Georgia Southern University Aikido Club trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM and on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to Noon.  Any Aikidoka visiting the area are welcome to train with the Georgia Southern University Aikido Club.  Please contact the instructor for arrangements:  dslater@georgiasouthern.edu .

I was in the dojo the other day, sitting in seiza waiting for Sensei to start class.  I looked around and on the mat with me were the usual regulars. I know them all.  We’ve spent hours and hours training together in the dojo.  These are the same people I’ll be sharing a pizza and good conversation with after class. These are my friends.

When I first started in Aikido, I read a great deal about Aikido being filled with very nice people.  I’ve experienced this first hand.

Many people come to Aikido for many reasons.  Some may come for the fitness.  Some may come for the self defense aspects.  Whatever reason they may have, one of the by-products of a successful life in Aikido is the friendships that are created.

I was at a recent Aikido Summer Camp.  While walking around, I observed the many friendly greetings that were exchanged amongst old friends.  I’m really new to Aikido compared to the others but I also recognized people I’ve trained with at other dojo.  It was nice seeing them and sharing the experience with them.

This is such an interesting part of Aikido that I sat down to analyze why this happens.  These are some of the factors that I’ve found.

• There is always close physical contact with others during regular Aikido training.
• There is a shared commonality between the training partners, Aikido.  This allows for easy conversation and is ideal for social interactions.
• There is mutual respect for others.  Aikido is naturally structured and stresses respect of others.  We train with one another and our intent is to train safely, creating no injuries in the process.  We are always reminded to care for our training partner.
• Good people are at the core of Aikido.

If you ask me what about Aikido I value the most, my answer is the friendships I’ve made.

This article is dedicated to all my Aikido friends I’ve had the honor of training with.

“The Art of Peace is based on Four Great Virtues: Bravery, Wisdom, Love, and Friendship, symbolized by Fire, Heaven, Earth, and Water”.    Morihei Ueshiba, O’Sensei

By Rey N. Robles (Southern Maryland Aikido Center)

2011 Yudansha Seminar

With Yamada Sensei and Konigsberg Sensei instructing throughout the last weekend of April, yudansha from around the country traveled to the Midwest Aikido Center’s annual Yudansha Seminar.  The dojo, the hospitality, and the amazing pot-luck party all contributed to the outstanding reputation of this annual event.