Aikido Shinjukai

Aikido is a pretty interesting martial art, as I would normally say to my friends. It has a philosophy that is agreeable to people who do not wish to harm others in the event of aggression but would like to be able to defend themselves. However, at this initial stage of learning, there is little punching or kicking involved. The principle is to divert the agression by blending with the agressor and using the agressor's force against itself. Opponents are generally either immobilised by locks or projected by throws.

What is aikido? (Taken off the book Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba)

In Aikido, the moment of contact is the decisive time for action. The techniques of Aikido are rationally structured from a dynamic viewpoint. They may be outlined as follows.

The human body, in motion, becomes like a spinning top. When not in motion the body is in the stable posture of an equilateral tetrahedron. This triangle-stance is the ideal posture from which to start the techniques of Aikido. When the movement begins the body becomes like a spinning top. In this sense the techniques of Aikido should reach a state in which you can change the opponent's centrum by your own spherical motion which revolves around your centrum. Thus you maneuver and spin off your opponent with your motion.

The principle of Aikido is summarised as follows: TURN when pushed, and ENTER when pulled. This circular motion is different from the straight movements of jujutsu. It has more variety. When it is fully utilised in budo, it leads to another more effective area. This is the development of spherical motions, which consist of centrifugal, and centripetal forces.

Defense in Aikido (From Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere by Wesbrook and Ratti)

Aikido combines practical self-defense movements taken from sword and spear fighting, jujutsu, aikijutsu and other ancient, more esoteric forms of the martial arts-with an emphasis from the very first moment of practice upon a characteristic centralisation of thought and action and the extension of mental energy or ki that makes this such an intriguing art.

As a self-defense art, aikido recognises that one individual attacked by another has a right to defend himself/herself against that aggression. How does he/she defend himself/herself? This will depend upon the degree of the person's personal development. If the person is still on a primitive level-mentally and/or physically - he may react wildly; from the depths of his lack of preparation, he may clumsily inflict whatever damage he can upon his aggressor. Or, if skilled in one of the more deadly of the self-defence arts, he may cold-bloodedly proceed to seriously injure if not actually kill his attacker.

Using aikido properly, however, an unjust and violent aggression can be neutralised swiftly and cleanly with demonstrable control over all the aspect of attack and defence so that effective self-defence becomes possible without the necessity for inflicting serious injury upon an aggressor.

In other words, aikido says that you should and must defend yourself, and supplies you with an extensive practice that will enable you to do so with optimum efficiency. But Aikido also says that you must be responsible for not inflicting unnecessary damage upon your attacker. He is still operating on a lower level. You aspire to a superior level where your proven ability, well-earned self-confidence, and refinement of technique, will allow you to defend yourself without resorting to the brutal methods so often taught as legitimate means of self-defence.

This definitely more difficult and therefore more sophisticated concept of self-defence, and the correlative control which must be developed in order to concretely achieve such aims in the practice of combat, becomes the testing ground for a developed aikido personality and the evidence of its existence. It is, therefore in the very meaning attributed to the word defence that aikido differs from the other martial arts.

I am on the bottom far right. Picture taken June 1997.

(Top) I'm doing a tenchi nage on Denny, (Middle) The Aikido Shinjukai guys in the OSIM ad, (Bottom) Chief Instructor Philip Sensei, 6th dan, performing an irimi nage throw on me. (2001)

Formative Years - Pictures of my grading for 3^rd kyu at Tampines Dojo

Me lookin really tired (1997)

Me performing a Free movement (1997)

Me with Shihan Ken Cottier in 2000.

Me with Baker Sensei in Aikido Society of Memphis (1999)

Becart Sensei's students in Paris (1998)

Me with Michele Becart Sensei, 6th dan (Tamura Sensei's student) in Paris (1998)

(Left) Me with Pascal, 4th dan, Tissier Sensei's deshi outside the dojo in the outskirts of Paris (1998). (Right) Me with Christian Tissier Sensei, 7th dan, after one tiring session at his dojo in 1998

Me with Sugano Sensei, 8th dan, in NY Aikikai in 1999

Left - The OSIM advertisement team with Michael Wong, Hong Kong Movie Star (2001)

Right - The entire OSIM filming crew after 3 days of filming the 30 sec ad... (2001)

Left - Gotta get some close ups with the Movie Star... (2001)

Right - Cindy and I with Michael Wong

Hironobu Yamada Sensei, 7th dan.

Hironobu Yamada Sensei in Singapore in 2005

H. Yamada Sensei during Shinjukai's 15th Anniversary

Top Picture: Hironobu Yamada Sensei, 7th dan

Bottom Picture: Shihan Hiroshi Tada, 9th dan.
Event: The 15th Anniversary of Aikido Shinjukai, Singapore, 2003