Author: Anthony Tolbert

Thanks to everyone that attended Kangeiko 2023. A great weekend of training and friendship.

Kiku Matsu Dojo is hosting AWA Kangeiko, winter training, from Thursday January 26, 2023 through Sunday January 29, 2023. Therefore, regular classes are canceled on Friday January 27, 2023 through Sunday January 29, 2023. Our regular class schedule will resume on Monday January 30, 2023.

If you could not make it to Kangeiko, and even if you did, please consider attending one or more of the other AWA seminars https://www.aikidoworldalliance.com/awa-seminars.

Students need to clean the dojo every day; some will say it is good for discipline, others say it is bad for your business! It is difficult for some people to understand this point and many a new student does not understand or appreciate how this relates to one’s discipline and development. They may ask, what does that have to do with martial arts? In many ways it has nothing to do with our martial art, but everything to do with one’s personal growth. The “unseen” benefit we gain from our training.

Cleaning should become an integral part of our daily practice here not only in the dojo but in all aspects of one’s life. Cleaning is a “responsibility” to take care of everything we use. It is our respect for everything we come in contact with. About caring for everything and everyone around us. The process of cleaning itself has no merit or reward but it teaches purity of spirit, an intangible spirituality that helps form the basis of our training. Within the “cleaning” process we not only gain purity, but we also gain insight, deeper awareness, and attention to detail. Looking for dust and dirt to clean also transfers to our seeing the opening from the attack, our ability to assess the spaces we enter and most of all keeping our minds clear.

The process of cleaning is not just about making the natural space presentable and pure, it is about constantly letting go of the sometimes mindless, negative, and wasteful thoughts that cloud our minds keeping us from seeing/understanding and experiencing the pure natural beauty of our lives. The habit of cleaning allows us not to get stuck, so we can move on and to be here now.

At the end of each year the tradition of “O soji” or big cleaning is done in most every Japanese home and dojo. Symbolically it is to clean out our minds of illusions we build up and begin fresh and clean in the New Year. It is the New Year, 2023, let us start clean and aspire to what the year of the Rabbit symbolizes; elegance, beauty, and mercy as we share anew our friendships both on and off the mats.

Andrew M. Sato January 2023
Chief Instructor ~ AWA
www.aikidoworldalliance.com

With the start of the new year, the following schedule changes are happening. The Instructor class is moving from Sunday 12:00pm to Wednesday at 7:00pm. That means all students are welcome to attend the Sunday 12:00pm class. Attendance at the 7:00pm class on Wednesday is now restricted. On Tuesday the afternoon class will now start at 12:15pm. Also, there are some instructor changes on Saturday but the class times remain the same. You can see the updated schedule here.

To start off the New Year, please come to our Kagami Biraki (“opening the mirror”) celebration on Sunday January 8, 2023 at 12:00pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Kiku Matsu Dojo will be hosting AWA Kangeiko, winter training, from Thursday January 26, 2023 through Sunday January 29, 2023. Come and join us at the dojo for four days of training and comradery with AWA members and others. If you are interested in attending, please fill out and submit an application (https://www.aikidoworldalliance.com/s/2023Kangeiko.pdf). Register early as the seminar will fill up. During Kangeiko regular classes will be canceled.

If you cannot make it to Kangeiko, please consider attending any of the other AWA seminars https://www.aikidoworldalliance.com/awa-seminars.

From Sato Sensei:

We have been a community for many years now and I thank you all deeply for your support along the way.  The current times we are in has/is causing concern to the point of near panic for some, we are going through something not unlike 911 gave us.  Because of this climate I must share some not unexpected news with all of you.

We as everyone else, must share, help and fight the Covid 19 virus.  So I have come to that difficult decision, starting from today all Aikido (children and adult), Karate and meditation classes are suspended the remainder of March and through the end of April and now May.  At that time I will reconnect with everyone to see what the situation is for us and what we will have to do going forward from there.  In the meantime I will monitor the guidelines of government and state to make decisions to the best and safe interests of our dojo.  

Starting in March 2020 the Thursday 6pm class will feature a rotating curriculum:

1st Thursday will be relaxation, breathing and body work class.
2nd Thursday will be Jo & Bokken forms, kata and suburi class.
3rd Thursday will be Aiki taiso, taisabaki toshu and body movement class
4th Thursday will be Tai chi intro class taught by Joel Augustin 23+ year student of Tai chi.

On March 11, 2020 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm we will be offering a Free adult Aikido class at Kiku Matsu Dojo.  Come and see what Aikido is all about.  The class will consist of stretching, basic movements, and some techniques.  Please wear comfortable clothing (workout clothes).

Click here to sign up to attend

On January 11, 2020 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm Kiku Matsu dojo will be having an open house. Come and see what our Aikido, Karate, and Meditation programs are all about. If interested in attending, please sign up . We hope to see you there.

The dojo will be closed December 24th, 25th and 31st as well as January 1st, 2020.

The end of year dojo cleaning will be Sunday, December 29th starting about 1pm. Please feel free to arrive whenever you are available. When cleanup is finished, we will ahve our usual Sunday training followed by a small celebration. ALL members, children and adults are welcome to attend.