Aikido for kids

self portrait Gerard Menzel

A Personal view
From my experience as a teacher in schools who has done hundreds of workshops with students in Australia over a 25 year plus period as an artist educationalist I have discovered there are a number or valid reasons for you people to study Aikido or a similar non violent martial art. As a teacher in Primary/secondary/adult and Higher Ed institutions I believe Aikido is a unique way for people to find their inner self and know what it is like to be free of fear and to discover a fuller awareness.

After studying martial arts around the globe and with some of the best teachers possible for me I realise that Aikido and non violent martial arts / arts are of immense value for;

• the formation of personal values, 
• the release of negative emotions and tensions,
• the direction of positive energy in a harmonious way  
• the understanding of how to view conflict as a challenge or gift that can be transformed into useful energy directives.
• the realization that love connects and flows through every aspect of the universe  

Formation of early values
The early year of a persons life are important for the formation of life values and personal standards to which the individual will be structured and influenced by throughout his/her entire life.  These virtues include truth, honesty,valor,fearlessness,charity toward others,compassion, to name a few. As we live in an era where real values seem to be less and less visible,or almost impossible to find in our leaders and media iconoclasts it is important for people to be given opportunities to form them. Boys need a realization of peace and the centering of their body first and then their mind and Aikido teaches Hara /earthing techniques and mental direction / understanding.

Boys
Boys need to be physical so that they find the balance between power and force for good and the overstepping of that force as it turns into a destructive self and other power.  Boys love to play and to feel their energy as they connect with others and also feel the joy associated with the creative expression of power. They need to experience and not be afraid of their inner force but also to be able to harness it, manage it and kindle it like a fire that is under management of their heart and mental power.

Girls
Girls have a natural edge to their physicality in that they do not naturally use brute strength but they 'feel their way' internally in a bid to solve problems.  This is in harmony with the principles of aikido where the circle of power avoids head to head power play and adversarial competition.  Girls need to feel rooted to the earth and centred like boys also and aikido can help create an understanding of their centre of power and harmony. Girls need to respect nurture and love their personal Ki power also and to build on it and control it.

Structure
Young people need a framework to base their lives around and direct their energies in the best positive directions and Aikido shows the aikidoka a number of key points.
1. In conflict there are no winners and losers but both can learn.
2. The study of life includes the knowledge that Love or Ai is the basis for positive transformation of events, feelings, emotions, interactions, relationships.
3 Fear is an emotion which can be transformed into creative activity and thought.
4. Looking after our fellow aikidoka partners and ourselves is a paramount rule in training.

The Spirit -Power from inside
Aikido students learn from the outset that power lay in the internal secrets of the Aikido circle of give and take, forward and back, left and right, up and down, ...movements in harmony with the universe. Personal power is a Universal power that does not end with one's body or mind. Aikido is a journey that begins with the body and grows into a journey beyond the physical realms. A journey that has no limits to consciousness.The student becomes connected to the earth, accepts the limitations of gravity and the forces of nature and discovers the keys to harmony and limitless power. The key to Aikido is awarneness and the flow of the universe.


Energy and the cosmos
In Aikido the individual becomes less and less relevant as we grow and understand that the breath of the universe known as Ki force is shared by all humans and that 'the force called Ki' is available if we surrender our ego's.  Then the destructive forces of; control, domination, jealousy, fear, anxiety, timidity inertia etc are no longer. Aikido teaches us that The Way of Harmony or 'AI' is the way to move, feel and think.

See the founder Mr Ueshiba as he practices Aikido.

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Kids classes

Time 16.30 to 17.15 Tue Thur

Cost
$12 kids 13 & under
$15 adults 14 & over
$48 kids  @ 4 classes a month  
Adults $60 @ 4 classes a month (Costs may be revised during the year)

Annual membership and insurance $75
Family discounts
Family of 2  $135  *Family of 3 $202  *Family of 4 $270

Uniform costs see below


Venue - to be notified
Start Late Febuary 2017

Class sizes limited to 10-15 students

Nikko Menzel 5yrs demonstrating 1991

Weapons - wooden staff or Jo 

         wooden sword of bokken                

wooden knife or tanto

Dogi uniform 

Uniform - martial art uniform called a dogi
Uniform (Dogi) (basic btw $30 and Delux $65 

O Sensei 1935

This is Morei Eushiba as a young man. 1935 approx.

The style is pre war so its aiki jiu jitsu the old fighting method before it was modified to aikido after Morei returned from the war.

We can see the resemblances of aikido here and its origins in the Jiu Jitsu Ryo of style.

The older O Sensei has a quite different grace and presence argueably.

This is from an old clip of various schools of aikido from Japanese TV.

The Jiu waza or multiple attack is fantastic.

To move like this you have to train a long time and free up the mind so you can just react in the moment.

This is Zen in action and moving meditation in action

I hope you love it too.

For me this is the freedom of aikido

O Sensei

Morihei Eushiba
The founder of aikido in an old video in training.

Aikido hold down moves

This was part of a Gassaku seminar in Canberra in 1995 with Shomen Renmei Aikido as hosts.
Gerard demonstarates here for Wild Lotus Aikido

Aikido demonstration 1995 Canberra by Wild Lotus dojo

Gassaku hosted by Shomen Remnei Aikido Takeda sensei 1995 Canberra.

Gerard from Wild Lotus Aikido demonstarates with students.

Contents

1 Hanmi hantachi - One person kneeling one standing attacker

2 Bokken demo - Sword demonstration

3 Jiu waza  - Free form with 2 attackers

Aikido

This is a youtube video of Takeda sensei (trained under Yamaguchi sensei) My students and I were invited to train in Canberra some years ago  in Easter of 94 and 95 so I was fortunate to meet him and the Shomen Remnei Aikido Aust.  What I was attracted to was his effortless and soft style which I then found in Masaoka Sensei in Kochi Japan in 2001.  Moreover Masaoka was the most amazing spiritual Sensei I ever met in aikido. I have not found any videos on the the net to share of him however.

If you came to him with any ego you left with none.You can see him here.    

What is Aikido ?

Aikido

The Way of Spiritual Harmony

Samadhi dojo (place of enlightenment)
with Gerard Menzel

Morihei Ueshiba founded Aikido during this century as a way of purifying the body and spirit through the ancient system of martial virtue called Budo. He shaped Aikido to reflect a way of peace rather than combat and taught his students to be warriors of peace,........ ‘protecting every living thing in the universe.’ It is a disciplined martial art based on ancient principles, with a new vision for humanity, .... " to live in harmony and universal love. " ( Ueshiba)

It’s a devastatingly powerful, beautiful and has been described as a spiritual art. It uses spherical movement based on the laws of nature which were mysteriously revealed to the founder by the ancient Budo spirits of Kumino.  It is based on three symbols, the Circle; which is breath or Ki life force, the Triangle; being humanity yin/yang and the Square; our earth. This discipline teaches us to refine our inner self by relaxing the mind and body and heightening our perceptions, timing, stamina, balance and stability. It modifies our fearful psyche into a more open and fearless acceptance of life as we welcome change and challenges.

Below; The Founder Mr Ueshiba

The movements rely on utilizing the partner’s energy and redirecting it more advantageously so no conflict arises. It avoids brute strength and stresses flow, balance, timing, leading, spiritual harmony called Aiki. Consequently women, children and artists, dancers, are attracted to its Yin soft flowing nature. As one trains sensitivity to touch is developed together with, timing, centering and creative power based on self confidence develops. Life becomes more spontaneous, a place to create and play. The ego dissolves naturally as there is no competition.

‘Aikido is balance; hard, soft, powerful and varies according to your abilities.’
It is done in pairs on a mat and includes rolling spherical turns, maneuvering with strikes and holds, applying hold downs, and throwing your training partner who learns to receive the above techniques and relax. Both partners grow in the process of Aikido. Co-operation, flexibility, attunement with the partner are reflections of the warriors dance
Swords (boken) and sticks (jo) are used to refine Ki as one studies basic movements, the disarming of a partner, and stick forms which ultimately lead to free movement. The art shows us spiritual etiquette, respect for trainees, the teacher, the founder and the dojo ( place of spiritual training.) This leads to a respect, love and awe for all of creation, ‘ from the smallest seed to the grandest mountain.’

For the beginner it takes time to mould into the above principles, relax soften the body, flow, become flexible but Aikido is a lifelong endless investment in greater peace, fulfillment, personal discipline and power. It opens the way to a "new creativity." Aikido The way of martial Power thru Harmony.

What makes Aikido so unique ? ......Martial power plus.. Spiritual Awareness
It allows you to live in a violent world free of fear and tension. It is both a martial art which can be practiced with power and relaxarion. The student never actually hits, kicks or punches another student. When seen the art can appear extremely devestating or very elegantly graceful and unoffensive, depending on the feeling and experience of the people.

It can be experienced at any age level and be a benefit to all according to one's ability and needs. It is totally without competition, tournaments Women,children naturally enjoy the art because there is no need for strength and learn naturally to yield . The basics of the art have been developed into different styles after the founder passed away.

Morihei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido developed the art from the ancient traditions of Japanese Budo the ancient warrior code. He felt that Budo rather than being brutal was rather a philosophy of harmony and peace which stood to serve humanity by protecting and preserving all living things. It trains martial awareness, agility, power and stamina, fitness, courage, intuition.
What are the movement of Aikido?. O Sensei said the art of aikido is as flexible and open as the universe and the movements are infinite.

The founders son says;' Budo is to be realized in the quest for perfection as a human being, both in mind and body... and through constant training the individual Ki (life force) merges with the universal Ki of the cosmos'. 
Also........"In Aikido there are no forms and no patterns. Natural movements are the movements of aikido. Its depth is profound and it is inexhaustible." O Sensei Founder (inset) 

Below - Gerard with Masaoka sensei Kochi Japan

Philosophy of the founder & Spirituality
Divine
The divine does not like to be shut up in a building. The
divine likes to be out in the open. It is right here in
this very body. Everyone of us is a living universe, a
living shrine.
Humility
When you bow deeply to the universe it bows back to you;
when you call out the name of God it echoes inside
you............. Your spirit is the true shield.

Opponents confront us continually, but actually there is no
opponent there. Enter deeply into an attack and neutralise
it as you draw that misdirected force into your own sphere.

Contrasts
Each day of human life contains joy and anger, pain and
pleasure, darkness and light, growth and decay, each moment
is etched with natures grand design . Do not try to deny or
oppose the cosmic order of things.

Simplicity
Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable
the society develops. The ideal economy combines the
spiritual and the material and the best commodities to trade
are sincerity and love.

Light

world; Illuminate the path according to your inner light.
Unity
In extreme situations the entire universe becomes our foe;
at such critical times unity of mind and technique is
essential . Do not let your heart waver.

Blend
In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally
with and control firmly an attack. Strength resides where
one's ki is concentrated and stable; confusion and
maliciousness arise when ki stagnates.

Tao ''The best attitude is like water. Water is a
positive benefit to all things without competing with
things. It seeks out those places abominated by man.
Thereby it approaches the Tao.For one's dwelling choose
ground well. In cultivating one's mind/heart search the
deep well. In speaking know how to keep one's word. In
governing, rectify the self well. In serving do one's best.
In acting choose the time well. Only by not competing can
one be without reproach." Ch.8 Tao Teh Ching, Lao Tzu
Moving Zen; One has to accept that in this world there are
millions of objects and that each one is, respectively the
entire world... this is where the study of Buddhism
commences. When one comes to realize this fact, (one
perceives that) every object, every living thing is the
whole even though in itself does not realize it. As there
is no other time than this, every being , time is the whole
of time; one blade of grass, every single object is time.
Every point of time includes every being and every world.
 Zen master Dogen  'Three Pillars of Zen' Roshi Philip
Kapleau.

Mind

Your mind essence is not subject to birth or death. It is
neither being nor nothingness, neither emptiness nor form

and color. Nor is it something that feels pain or joy. If
you think of nothing, wish for nothing, want to understand
nothing, cling to nothing and only ask yourself; what is the
true substance of the mind and of this one who is now
suffering ? Ending your days like clouds fading in the sky,
you will be eventually freed from your bondage to endless
change. Bassui ..to a dying man

Gerard @ former Adelaide Dojo

Gerards Background since 1978
Gerard studied with Aikikai in Melbourne and Adelaide under Sugano sensei, in London with Kenatsuka sensei, in Switzerland with Takeda sensei and Canberra with Takeda sensei Shoman Remnei aikido and in Japan with Masaoka Sensei in Kochi  

  Sugano sensei (Aikikai Aust.)

 Summer camp Melbourne With Yamada Sensei 

Gerard Far left side @ the back early 1980's

 Kanetsuka Sensei London 1980

Ikeda Sensei Zurich Dojo (Aikikai Switzerland) 1986

Takeda Sensei  (Shomen Renmei)

Masaoka Sensei in Kochi Japan. 2001

Gerard has taught Aikido in Adelaide and Victoria over many years and taken it to schools 

and demonstrated it in public arenas and corporate places.

Phone 0407734479 for you special needs