Cleveland Aikikai

Chuck Weber Shihan will teach a special weapons class at 5 p.m. on May 22, 2026 for 2nd Kyu and up ranks only, prior to the seminar. The class is included with the full seminar fee, or $35 if paid separately.

Coming soon to Cleveland Aikikai…

🌅 Last Sunset of the Year — First Day of Winter Intensive

As the sun set on the final day of 2025, Saotome Sensei stood quietly by the waves.

He’s happy to be here — surrounded by students, many of whom have walked this path with him for decades. “My students are also my teachers,” he said. “Transmission is not only one way.”

Tonight we say goodbye to the old year, and tomorrow we step onto the mat together to begin again.

Happy New Year from all of us at ASU.

Last class of the 2025 year tonight at 7 p.m. 🥂

Basic principles of growing your art. Worth reflexing on them while training.

Shu–Ha–Ri (守破離) is a traditional Japanese learning framework that describes the natural evolution of mastery in martial arts, arts, and even life practice. It is not a rigid ladder but a living process, guiding the student from imitation to innovation.

Shu (守) — To Protect / Obey
Shu is the stage of faithful learning. The student follows the teacher’s forms, techniques, etiquette, and rhythms exactly as taught. There is no attempt to alter or personalize the art. This is not blind obedience, but deep respect: by repeating correct forms, the body absorbs structure, timing, posture, and spirit. In martial arts, Shu builds safety, discipline, and humility. The ego is quiet, and trust in the lineage is essential. Foundations are laid here, and skipping Shu weakens everything that follows.

Ha (破) — To Break / Detach
Ha begins when the student starts to understand why things work. The forms are no longer copied mechanically; they are tested, compared, and adapted. The practitioner may study other schools, feel variations, and adjust techniques according to context, body type, or situation. This “breaking” does not mean rejecting tradition, but freeing oneself from rigid dependence on it. Mistakes increase, but insight deepens. Ha is a phase of questioning, refinement, and conscious choice.

Ri (離) — To Separate / Transcend
Ri is the stage of natural expression. Technique flows without conscious effort, and form arises spontaneously from principle. The practitioner is no longer bound by styles, yet fully embodies them. Teaching becomes transmission rather than instruction. In Ri, the art is no longer something you do—it is something you are.

Shu–Ha–Ri reminds us that true mastery is a journey from form, through understanding, into freedom.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at ASU!

May this season be filled with peace, gratitude, and connection. We’re deeply grateful for the enduring guidance of Saotome Sensei — and yes, you’ll see him soon at the Winter Intensive in Florida!

http://WinterIntensive.com

(Okay, AI helped bring this festive vision to life 🎅😉)