Words of Wisdom from O-Sensei

“Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion.”

-Morihei Ueshiba

Monday, December 29, 2008

Thanks again Jeff!

Here's another comment from Jeff that I wanted to make sure everyone sees. Probably something good to look into if you're in the market for a gi!

Jeff Cold said...

Another sale from e-bogu. White Aikido gi tops for size 6, 7 for as little as $7 on clearance.
http://www.e-bogu.com/Clearance_s/334.htm

Friday, December 19, 2008

Thanks Jeff!

Here's a post from Jeff about a Christmas Sale.  Maybe a good chance to snag a bokken at a good price:

Ebogu.com has a sale on Aikido white oak bokken and white oak jo. See http://www.e-bogu.com/NEW_ITEM_s/326.htm Also: For a limited time, 10% OFF everything on our website!
You must use the coupon code "XMAS08" at checkout. It may not apply to the boken and jo since they're already on sale.

Jeff Cold

Thursday, December 4, 2008

President's Message: Ki

There has been a lot of speculation and guesses made as to what Ki is exactly. Some people have made some pretty tall claims as to what it can do, while others totally disbelieve it even exists. First of all, what is it? Ki can be described as many things, but from the name Aikido, we can take it as simply "life energy". Does a life energy exist?? You bet! Look at you hand. You skin, hair, nails, everything pertaining to your hand is made of of molecules. Those molecules are made up of atoms. Atoms, so far as we can determine, are made up of submolecular particles called quarks. What causes these elements to interact and create things? The levels of energy present in them. You could say that, under the skin, bones, and other tissue, we ARE energy. The interesting arguments come when we ask "can we project that energy"? There is something to this. If you have ever watched videos of O-Sensei, you may have seen him holding a bokken straight out as a student pushes on it from the side. The thing doesn't move! It appears impossible because of how the student really leans into the bokken. Even though Ki may not be able to kill someone, as was believed by the samurai years ago, we may be able to harness that energy enough to give a little extra strength to a punch, or resistance to an attack if we are able to focus enough. I can't be sure of all of it's applications, but we should realize that we do possess this life energy. This may seem a sort of austere posting, but if we are going to harmonize life-energy (that's what Aikido is), then it might be good to have a better understanding of it. Please feel free to comment on this posting, as well as any other. I'd like to get some opinions from all of you about this subject.

Biography: Fumio Toyoda


Fumio Toyoda Shihan is actually the founder of our association. He began training at age 10 with his first teacher, Koichi Tohei Sensei. He recieved the rank of shodan (first-degree black belt) at the age of 17 after a test administered by Morihiro Saito Sensei. When Koichi Tohei broke off from Hombu Dojo to form his own branch of Aikido, Toyoda Sensei went with. He earned the rank of godan (5th degree black belt) by age 27 and eventually recieved the rank of rokudan (6th degree black belt). After some disagreements between him and Tohei Sensei, Toyoda broke off to form his own association. This is the Aikido Association of America that we have today!




This is a bit of a long clip (around 4 minutes), but it's one of the few that I could find of Toyoda Sensei. Does the uke with the beard look like Rip Torn?? Or is it just me?

Video Clip: Squirrel Aikido!

Alright, I'll admit it's a stretch, but it's funny! Ah, the randomness of it.



Club News

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Aikido Club Details

Days, Times, and Location: Aikido Club sessions are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. We meet in PE 221 on UVU campus.

Club Dues: As a club at UVU, we are actually required to collect dues. We currently collect $20 per semester in club dues per person. Many dojos outside of UVU run about $40 per month, so this really is a great opportunity to learn Aikido at a great price! Club dues go right into the club fund where they can then be used for equipment for club and other club expenses.

Equipment: Bring a T-Shirt and athletic style pants, such as sweat pants. Those that have a gi are welcome to wear that. We recommend that you not wear shorts.

Testing: As Sensei is an Aikido Association of America certified instructor, he is able to conduct belt promotion tests. This is an awesome opportunity to progress further into Aikido. AAA fees apply (Ex. 7th kyu test fee is $25).

If you have any other questions about the club, please click the "contact me" button found on the right side of this page and send us a message.

Note to those who are not UVU students: The UVU Clubs organization states that we are able to accept non-UVU students into the club. However, at least 75% of our club membership MUST be UVU students. If you would like to join the UVU Aikido Club, prior approval must be obtained from Sensei.