| Aikido Dojo Testing |
| Three Rivers Aikido in |
| St. Louis, Missouri |
| Sunday, Aug 8th 2010 |
| Test begins at 4:00 PM, CST |
| Dojo cleaning begins at 2:30pm |
| Dinner after the test at a local restaurant |
| Unlike many American dojos that view promotions as an achievement that you earn, Sensei Freeman’s view is that testing is a gift of responsibility from the Sensei to the student. Rank does not have its privileges here; rank really has its responsibilities (RHIP vs. RHIR). These responsibilities translate into the students’ skills that are being evaluated during testing to reflect the high quality and standards of Sensei Seagal’s curriculum. |
| Testing is an important aspect of training at TR dojo whether you are an instructor, a participant or a supporting member of the dojo. Every dojo instructor and member’s attendance is essential and should be viewed as an opportunity to support your dojo family. Therefore, from the newest student to the seasoned yudansha...please fully participate in the pre-testing, testing, and social training in these events. |
| Therefore: |
| -Arrive early to help ensure a clean dojo for testing |
| -Ensure your gessha (test dues) are handled prior to the test |
| -Black belts should supervise and have all paperwork in order for Sensei’s arrival |
| -Senior black belt should delegate dinner reservations with tentative numbers and provide paper directions |
| -Sempais should sign testing paperwork to endorse their testers |
| (so that Sensei can congratulate or know who to blame if the student ‘kohai’ fails) |
| -Make sure you know and maintain the proper etiquette during the test |
| -Complete this form prior to your test |
The secret of Aikido is to cultivate a spirit of loving protection for all things. Morihei Ueshiba |
|
Aikido is a relatively recent martial art developed in Japan by Morihei
Ueshiba (1883-1969), generally referred to as O'Sensei (or "great teacher")
among students of Aikido.
The word Aikido, which Ueshiba decided upon in 1942, is derived from three
Kanji which translates (approximately) as:
|
Aikido could therefore be translated as "The way of harmonizing energy",
though it is difficult to capture the exact meaning of the Kanji, especially "Ki".
In a less abstract sense, the techniques of Aikido redirect the aggressive
energy of an attacker, causing them to be thrown, immobilized, or otherwise
thwarted depending on the skill and intentions of the aikidoka (a practitioner
of Aikido).
The smooth, blending motions of Aikido are often accused of being too "soft"
and "impractical" for the purposes of self-defense. Though it is true that it
takes a long initial commitment to Aikido for a student to feel that they would
be able to use the techniques they have learned to protect themselves from
assault, once Aikido has been mastered, it will stay with the student and
protect them despite strength, size, or age. Ueshiba is legendary for his
prowess even in his 80s, and was still training intently two weeks before his
death.
As the quote at the top suggests, it is the opinion of many aikidoka
that the ability to defeat an opponent lies in their ability to protect both
their opponent and themselves from harm while still being victorious. Many
Aikido techniques require only minor adjustments from the way in which they are
practiced for them to become crippling or even lethal. (The well known family of
"iriminage" techniques are closely related to a neck break.) The mark of a true
master, however, is the ability to use these techniques to their full
effectiveness with minimal harm.
In Aikido, we're not out to break anything. We just rearrange it for a
little while.
Sensei Jim Walsh