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

Friday, March 13, 2009

Upcoming opportunity

Hello All,
There is another opportunity to practice Aikido in May.
Stephen Toyoda Sensei, the head of our organization will be in Salt Lake, May 16-17.
more info
I can't emphasize enough how this kind of sustained practice can improve your aikido. It also gives you a chance to see how it really works.
Please plan on attending.
Thanks,
Marc

President's Message: Aikido off the Mat

Some of you may have noticed that I actually haven't been to club in around a month. It's been difficult, as Aikido is something that I have really grown to enjoy and love doing. Since January, things have gotten really busy for me. I've had quite a homework load with my classes, my children have gotten sick a few times, I've gotten a sinus infection that; things are just crazy. Even though I haven't been able to practice Aikido physically, I've really tried to apply it in my daily life. As things have come up, I've tried to just accept what has happened. Life has been busy, but it has also become more manageable. The reason? I'm not getting angry when I'm given yet another assignment when I already have enough to keep me busy for a week. I'm not tensing up, or fighting. I just have to accept that what I am doing can actually turn to a great benefit. And it does. Instead of fighting, or even giving up, accepting the "conflict" has translated into good grades, and my family has been given greater assurance that I care for them because I've stayed home with them multiple times when they needed me. Aikido isn't just for the mat, or a life and death situation. O-Sensei taught that it was for every aspect of life. I'm really starting to see that, and I hope that you all will try it off the mat and be able to see a positive difference in everyday life.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Video Clip: Going Back to Our Roots

Here are a few interesting video clips of some of the martial art that was practiced by Morihei Ueshiba before he developed Aikido. Ueshiba learned the art of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu from Takeda Sokaku and became a certified teacher in this art. Ueshiba took a lot from this art in the development of Aikido. You can definitely see some similarity to Aikido, but also some glaring differences in some of the throws and pins. The practicioner in both clips is Katsuyuki Kondo. Enjoy!


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.