Aikido Yoshokai - Genyokan Dojo

Osu!

Once again Genyokan held its annual Ostunen-geiko (overnight training) event; a celebration on New Year’s Eve by ending the year with the last training of 2023, and starting the new year with the first training of 2024. This year Akira Sensei guided six students through an exciting an energetic event.

The class started with basic movement study followed by a study the basic movement portion of Kihon-dosa To Waza-no Nagare (basic movements to flow of techniques). Akira Sensei related the history of the basic movements and how Kushida Sensei developed them in part as a way to study both general body movements movements, fine details, and a way to fit to a partner. Even the Kamae stance that Kushida-sensei developed and refined was shown to us to be a chance to study truly open hands and forward spirit. Students then repeated the movements and noted how focusing on improving only one thing, opening hands and fingers, allowed the movements, and the fit to an imaginary partner, to be that much better and more meaningful.

Akira Sensei then shifted to the study of breakfalls, as a way to end the past year, and set the stage for an excellent 2024. Sensei related that a new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on older training that may have been forgotten. For this coming year Sensei would like a renewed focus on breakfall study, both in quality and quantity. He related that breakfall sets were so much a part of every Yoshokai Aikido class in the past, that the study of breakfalls was in many ways synonymous Yoshokai Aikido itself. The benefits of good technique and the physical hardship that is essential to breakfall study allow each student to develop themself to safely study the dynamic techniques that exist in our study, and to also study remaining positive during hard times.

With that in mind, the class did 100 back breakfalls with Akira Sensei directing us to focus good quality falling. Even if we couldn’t completely stand, or having to resort to back breakfall rockers, we were reminded focus on good quality extension and safe head position during falling. After reaching 50 back breakfalls Sensei there was a pause in training. Sensei guided us to focus on the positive aspects of breakfalls with the ideas that they may be physically challenging and uncomfortable, or a student may feel bad when they can’t fully stand or have to transition to rockers, but those are just negative views. There are many more positive aspects to the study. By focusing on each breakfall and making some aspect better, the benefits of break fall study can be realized and enjoyed. With that encouragement the second set of 50 was completed with more enthusiasm and increased quality by each student.

That breakfall set ended the training for 2023, and, after a pause for each student to quietly reflect on the past year and hopes for the new year, 2024 arrived! Training resumed with a study of Happo-giri (eight direction cuts with bokken). Through multiple rounds students were instructed to focus on one aspect; sometimes a single technical aspect for one round, several rounds imagining that with each cut we are cutting our own ego and the clouds that surround our true nature, and a final round focusing on doing our best strikes as if we are doing them for each other, to be the best partner we can be.

And with that, the first training of 2024 was finished. The celebration continued with toasting and good the good warm feeling of being together at the Dojo. Everyone left the event with excitement for the new training opportunities and renewed focus on traditional Yoshokai break fall study that 2024 will bring. And just like last year, before we know it, 2024 Otsunen-geiko will be upon us. Hopefully this year we will have even more students joining the celebration!

Osu!
Steve Edlund

Beginners course 2022

The Genyokan Dojo had the last beginners class for the current year 2022 on November 19th. After a long wait through the pandemic we finally had three 4 week Beginners Courses this year.

It is hard to believe that we are already close to 3 years into the Covid pandemic.
Reflecting back on the years fills me with immense gratitude and respect for Sensei’s ceaseless efforts at adapting in every possible way so that his students would not feel deprived of the bright and positive richness that Aikido brings to our lives.

The Genyokan Dojo, keeping with many rules and regulations, could finally return to a normal schedule for all existing students but was still not open to new students. Finally on May 7th 2022 after a long gap of almost 3 years, the Genyokan Dojo resumed Akira Sensei’s beginners course.

Akira Sensei’s beginners class is one of my favourite classes. It is always exciting to train with new students and be caught all over again in the beauty of the simplicity of basic principles of Aikido as explained by Sensei.
Each beginners class I discover something new and a deeper understanding of movements that we perform daily and repeatedly in every class.

It is humbling, fascinating and extremely enjoyable to get to experience Sensei’s genius when you see a simple pivot explained in so many new and innovative ways in each new beginners course. Sensei can break down each and every movement in a manner that makes it simple and easy for a new person to perform that movement. Just a basic toe-grinding leg and hip warm up exercise, makes the next movement of pivot easier to understand.

Another very special feeling is to see new students embrace Yoshokai Aikido excitedly and transition from their normal training clothes to donning their first Dogi as they proceed to intermediate level.

This year for the first course of May we had 4 new students Keenan, Courtney, Ana and Christopher.
For the September course we had Benjamin and Elliot and for the November course we had Madeline.
It was very nice to see Keenan, Christopher, Benjamin, Elliot and Madeline transition to the intermediate level.
I got a chance to train with all the new students and I am very excited to have more wonderful people join our very special AYANA family.

For all the students of AYANA, the next Beginners Course begins 1/7/2023. It is a special opportunity to nurture the spirit of Shoshin and to make your Saturday mornings bright, happy and energetic with Akira Sensei’s exciting beginners class.

- Minna K, Genyokan

Osu!

Dan morning classes begin this upcoming week.
These classes are $25 and open to Shidobu and to students who are Dan testing level currently, or plan to be in the next three years.
For this week, class will be held Tuesday, 9/6 ~Friday, 9/9 (6:00-6:45am).

Osu!

The Genyokan schedule for September is as follows.
9/5 (Mon)...1 evening class (6:00pm)
9/10 (Sat)...New Beginner's Course starts (9:30am)
9/10 (Sat)...Dan Techniques Clinic (4:00pm)
9/10 (Sat)...74th Kenshu (6:00pm)
9/11 (Sun)...Sotojutsu Clinic (9:00am)
9/17 (Sat)...Kyu Techniques Clinic (6:00pm)
9/18 (Sun)...2-hr Dan Rehearsal Clinic (9:00am)
9/24 (Sat)...74th Kenshu (6:00pm)
9/25 (Sun)...Sotojutsu Clinic (9:00am)

Congratulations to the new Dan rank recipients from the June 2022 Dan Test.
Ananth Parameswaran (Jokyu Jun-Shodan), Minna Kapur (Jun-Nidan), Eric Rodgers (Jokyu Jun-Nidan), Natasha Novak (Nidan), Jon Dunkerley (Jokyu Jun-Sandan), and Richard Moss (Joto Jokyu Jun-Sandan)
Shidobu Uke: Keiko Kushida Cauley, Steve Spielman, Mark Reitmeier, Steve Edlund, Julia Cu***ng, Denis Novak

Osu!
Intermediate class resumes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Signup online (https://aikidoyoshokai.org/weekly-class-registration/) for the week of June 13-17. Please make note the new schedule with THREE classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings!
Osu!

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Osu!
This Sunday is Dan Test (6/5 starting at 10:00am).
Please come support your Aikido friends who are testing for Dan Rank.
Osu!

Osu! Genyokan Schedule for June

6/4 (Sat)...Aikido Koshukai 6:00pm
6/5 (Sun)...Dan Examination, 10:00am
6/10 (Fri)...Kyu Test Applications Due
6/11 (Sat)...Dan Examination Results Clinic, 6:00pm
6/12 (Sun)...Sotojutsu Clinic, 9:00am
6/15 (Wed)...Kyu Test, 6:00pm
6/18 (Sat)...74th Kenshu, 6:00pm
6/25 (Sat)...74th Kenshu, 6:00pm
6/26 (Sun)...Sotojutsu Clinic, 9:00am

Osu!

The final full week of May brings two classes each evening, morning Dan training classes (Tues - Fri), and Beginner's class on Saturday!

RSVP for evening and Beginner's class online. https://aikidoyoshokai.org/weekly-class-registration/

Message Keiko-sensei for morning class attendance.

Osu!

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Osu!

This past weekend was an exciting weekend of seeing friends from near and far, and meeting new friends as we trained together to commemorate Kushida-sensei's bringing Aikido to the U.S.

Today is Kushida-sensei's birthday. Please take a moment today to reflect on how Kushida-sensei's Aikido has impacted your life, especially if you are training or teaching class. Please feel welcome to share your thoughts as a comment below.

Osu!