Dojo Closed Friday and Saturday
The dojo will be closed Friday the 31st and Saturday Nov 1st. Classes will resume as normal as of Monday.
We will be meeting at the dojo Saturday morning at 8am to drive to Oberlin College to train with Bill Gleason Sensei, and everyone is welcome to join in.
- Jay
We will be meeting at the dojo Saturday morning at 8am to drive to Oberlin College to train with Bill Gleason Sensei, and everyone is welcome to join in.
- Jay
carpool
if anyone is interested in carpooling to oberlin tomorrow (i'm planning to stay the weekend there) let me know asap. thanks -danny 419.494.8058
Gleason Sensei Visits Oberlin, Oct. 31-Nov. 2
The last time Gleason Sensei visited Ohio was at our own very successful Gasshuku back in March. This weekend he returns to the Buckeye State for the gasshuku in Oberlin College. According to Jay Sensei, the dojo will be closed during that weekend so that everybody can have the chance to travel to Oberin and study under Gleason Sensei. Afterwards, both Gleason Sensei and Jay Sensei will be leading another edition of the Okugyo retreats from Nov. 12-16 in Vermont. Gassho.
Interview with Jay Sensei
In honor of the first anniversary of the Drinking Gourd Podcast, Jay Rinsen Chikyo Weik gives an interview at the Toledo Zen Center on October 22, 2008. Topics include Jay Sensei's history, Zen, Music, and Aikido.
"When I finally got to see a full-out Zen monastery, I was hooked. It really helped me by providing a specific way of working on this, and working with this whole contemplative intelligence, that I couldn't find in the Western approach."
Listen Here
"When I finally got to see a full-out Zen monastery, I was hooked. It really helped me by providing a specific way of working on this, and working with this whole contemplative intelligence, that I couldn't find in the Western approach."
Listen Here
2 ç
One last piece of instruction to all of the testing candidates...
All of you that I have been able to oversee have shown a terrific effort in preparation for this weekend and I encourage you to prepare right up to the last. Once the time for study has passed and your test time is upon you, it is essential to keep a clear mind, unclouded by judgements about how you are doing. If something doesn't go the way you expect or you make a mistake, don't allow it to show. Just let the thought pass and bring your mind back to your center. This is essential to maintain the martial spirit that will energize and guide you through the experience. I'll see you Saturday, Danny
All of you that I have been able to oversee have shown a terrific effort in preparation for this weekend and I encourage you to prepare right up to the last. Once the time for study has passed and your test time is upon you, it is essential to keep a clear mind, unclouded by judgements about how you are doing. If something doesn't go the way you expect or you make a mistake, don't allow it to show. Just let the thought pass and bring your mind back to your center. This is essential to maintain the martial spirit that will energize and guide you through the experience. I'll see you Saturday, Danny
Vladimir Putin Teaches Judo in Instructional Video
From Time.com:
"First, it was shirtless pics of a ripped Vladimir Putin fishing peacefully. Then, stories emerged of Putin reportedly saving a Russian film crew from certain death by shooting a vicious tiger with a tranquilizer dart. And now this — a judo training video in which Putin flips a guy every which way but loose. If it wasn't official before, it is now: Vladimir Putin is unstoppable."
(For link to entire article, click on above title.)
"First, it was shirtless pics of a ripped Vladimir Putin fishing peacefully. Then, stories emerged of Putin reportedly saving a Russian film crew from certain death by shooting a vicious tiger with a tranquilizer dart. And now this — a judo training video in which Putin flips a guy every which way but loose. If it wasn't official before, it is now: Vladimir Putin is unstoppable."
(For link to entire article, click on above title.)
keiko
I've been researching lately the feeling of staying in free space when uke makes an attack. Sometimes, we get caught by an attack and don't have the option of moving to a better spot to receive (that's where a good rooting in kanage can help) but when possible, I've been working on maintaining a free mind as well as freedom in the space around me. The simple act of stepping omote with accurate foot position (the main focus of Sensei's last gasshuku), if done with sharpness and clarity, should be effective enough to unbalance uke completely. This beginning has shown me of late how light nage's touch can be after that. Gleason Sensei always says you only use a few ounces of pressure to express technique. I'm learning not to seek the fight but maintain the freedom.
An observation...
10/20/08
Lately, my personal practice has really focused on entering with my hips, while at the same time trying to maintain my verticality. This helps. Additionally, I personally have noticed that in the past when I added strength training to supplement my aikido, it didn't help me understand my ki body and its expression in the techniques. Since I hurt my shoulder (for those of you who don't know my name, I'm the guy with the yellow tape on his right shoulder), I have not been doing any extra strength training, and my personal feeling has really changed. I don't rely on muscling through the techniques, er... hopefully not muscling. I don't feel as cumbersome on the mat and this helps my aikido.
Lately, my personal practice has really focused on entering with my hips, while at the same time trying to maintain my verticality. This helps. Additionally, I personally have noticed that in the past when I added strength training to supplement my aikido, it didn't help me understand my ki body and its expression in the techniques. Since I hurt my shoulder (for those of you who don't know my name, I'm the guy with the yellow tape on his right shoulder), I have not been doing any extra strength training, and my personal feeling has really changed. I don't rely on muscling through the techniques, er... hopefully not muscling. I don't feel as cumbersome on the mat and this helps my aikido.
Zen Humor from the road
Hey All,
I have been on the road with a fabulous chamber orchestra. One week to go. How do you get to Carnegie Hall, practice, practice, practice! We have been practicing and performing and we will be performing in Carnegie Hall on Tuesday which will be exciting. We just arrived in NYC and heard some Zen Humor that I wanted to share.
What did the Zen Master say to the hotdog vendor?
Make me one with everything!
Just wanted to share. Hope to be back on the mat soon. Practice hard and look forward to seeing y'all soon.
Peace to all,
The Maestro
I have been on the road with a fabulous chamber orchestra. One week to go. How do you get to Carnegie Hall, practice, practice, practice! We have been practicing and performing and we will be performing in Carnegie Hall on Tuesday which will be exciting. We just arrived in NYC and heard some Zen Humor that I wanted to share.
What did the Zen Master say to the hotdog vendor?
Make me one with everything!
Just wanted to share. Hope to be back on the mat soon. Practice hard and look forward to seeing y'all soon.
Peace to all,
The Maestro
Encountering the Ancestors Retreat this Sunday Oct 19th.
"My Mind is like the Autumn moon
shining clean and clear in the green pool.
No, thats not a good comparison.
Tell me, how shall I explain?"
- Han-Shan
Please join the Toledo Zen Center for our monthly retreat day this sunday. We will sit zazen from 9am to noon and then look together at the teachings of Han-Shan from 1:30 to 4:30pm. Everyone is welcome to join us for all or any part of the day.
- Rinsen
Yamaguchi Shihan videos
Here are some new arrivals of vintage aikido. The first one is the longest clip I've come across.
This one shows training on a hardwood floor at (what I'm guessing is) his private dojo where Gleason Sensei used to train.
This one shows training on a hardwood floor at (what I'm guessing is) his private dojo where Gleason Sensei used to train.
10.7.8
I've been going through old tablets full of notes from gasshukus, okugyos, mondos, etc. and I notice that my training has been less about adding new things and more about constantly re-examining the basics. A new student enamored by the mystery and wonder of this graceful and dynamic art can easily overlook the essence of the technique in pursuit of something fancier or more complicated. Meanwhile, a master will be fully aware of the simplest of details: the quality of the breath, the position of one's foot, the stillness of the mind... the elements of one's being, not so much doing.
We are in the new season of our training in preparation for test time. Whether we are being formally tested or not, we are all called upon to "check our work" and look more closely at ourselves and our practice so that the art may continue to grow and flourish through our mindful pursuit.
Aikido Journal
10/2/08 Aikido Journal
Sensei spoke tonight about the importance of keeping a journal of one's practice, to help with monitoring and increasing one's cognitive/conceptual framework of what we are doing. I know I haven't been keeping one and really need to do so. Seemingly in recent weeks, where I feel my technique is getting better and then at the same sucking to the point where I feel I haven't the faintest idea what the heck I am doing, this would've certainly helped. I try to practice very earnestly and come to class with great frequency, not be negatively critical of what I am doing, and just grow in practice. But this is seemingly not enough. As more and more layers unfold, clarity and refinement are crucial and the way I have been practicing needs to change. I believe that keeping a journal will help that, help me to remember what I need to remember until I can drop the remembering (which probably won't be for another couple dozen or so years.- Andy
Sensei spoke tonight about the importance of keeping a journal of one's practice, to help with monitoring and increasing one's cognitive/conceptual framework of what we are doing. I know I haven't been keeping one and really need to do so. Seemingly in recent weeks, where I feel my technique is getting better and then at the same sucking to the point where I feel I haven't the faintest idea what the heck I am doing, this would've certainly helped. I try to practice very earnestly and come to class with great frequency, not be negatively critical of what I am doing, and just grow in practice. But this is seemingly not enough. As more and more layers unfold, clarity and refinement are crucial and the way I have been practicing needs to change. I believe that keeping a journal will help that, help me to remember what I need to remember until I can drop the remembering (which probably won't be for another couple dozen or so years.- Andy
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