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ChrisMoses
02-25-2009, 03:40 PM
Here we go again! From the flyer:

A Weekend With the Aunkai:
A Seminar with Akuzawa Minoru.

Icho Ryu Aikibudo and Aikido Eastside are pleased to announce a weekend seminar with the Aunkai's founder, Akuzawa Minoru, on May 2nd and 3rd.
Akuzawa Sensei has developed a unique approach to training from his extensive background in Chinese and Japanese martial arts. Rather than focusing on specific techniques, he and his students work to develop the martial body itself, thus forming a core set of body skills that the practitioner can apply to whatever form of martial art they choose. This seminar is open to all interested students regardless of what art they currently study. For more information about Akuzawa Sensei and the Aunkai, please see their website at http://www.aunkai.net/eng.

Seminar Details:
When: May 2nd and 3rd 2009, 10am-5pm daily.
Where: Aikido Eastside (13410 SE 32nd St. Bellevue, WA)
How: Register online at http://christianmoses.eventwax.com/seattle-aunkai-seminar-09 This seminar is limited to 40 participants.
Cost: The seminar fee is $200. A student rate is available, contact Chris Moses (christianmoses@hotmail.com) for the discount code.

Thanks again to George Ledyard for the generous use of his dojo, and to Rob for coordinating this. The website is up, so register now to reserve your space!

ChrisMoses
02-27-2009, 09:58 AM
Ark has asked that we reduce prices to $180 for the upcoming seminar. Hopefully that makes it easier for folks to attend. Student rate is $120, a very good deal!

mathewjgano
02-27-2009, 11:15 AM
Ark has asked that we reduce prices to $180 for the upcoming seminar. Hopefully that makes it easier for folks to attend. Student rate is $120, a very good deal!

Hi Christian,
I was curious if there are single-day options or if it would be appropriate to observe a small portion of the seminar?
Take care,
Matt

ChrisMoses
02-28-2009, 09:30 AM
There's no one day option. I'll check with Rob about observers. In the past that wasn't a problem, but honestly you won't get much from watching. You need to be on the mat and feel what Ark and the guys are doing.

Also, (and hopefully this will be the last detail change) the student rate is $140. :) PM or email me for the discount code.

ChrisMoses
04-22-2009, 10:04 AM
Still plenty of room for the Seattle Seminar. This is going to be a great event and if you find yourself at all interested you owe it to yourself to get out and feel what Ark's teaching. Register through the website (debit/credit) accepted. $180 for pre-registration, $140 student rate. You will not be disappointed! :)

ChrisMoses
05-01-2009, 10:04 AM
OK, here's the deal. One paid attendee to the Seattle seminar has had to cancel at the last minute but would like to offer his fully paid spot to someone. He would like it to go to someone who would benefit from exposure to Akuzawa sensei and Aunkai training. So if you're in Seattle (or can get here) and are interested, here's what you need to do, send me a PM or email (christianmoses(at)hotmail.com) telling me who you are and why you're interested. MY stipulations are that you have not yet gotten to train with Rob or Ark and that you're able to come to both days of the seminar. If you fit that description, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of this. I got to spend a few hours with Ark and Rob last night with a small group and it just reinforced what excellent teachers and martial artists they both are. Seriously guys, this is too good to pass up. :)

ChrisMoses
05-01-2009, 03:42 PM
bump...

still available folks, don't pass this up.

Howard Popkin
05-04-2009, 09:29 AM
Hey Chris and Jeremy,

Sore thighs today ?:D

Hope it went well,

Howard

ChrisMoses
05-04-2009, 10:21 AM
Hey Chris and Jeremy,

Sore thighs today ?:D

Hope it went well,

Howard

Well Jeremy might be sore, but not me! Course, that's because I'm still nursing a knee injury and mostly just watched all weekend... :'(

But it was an EXCELLENT seminar. Hopefully some of the AikiWeb folks who attended can comment. For those of you who have been to an Aunkai seminar before, Ark is really changing around what he's presenting so that you're not just paying to do the same the same seminar you've already seen. There was a lot more emphasis on application of the frame for example.

Folks who are at all interested should do themselves a favor and get to the DC or Atlanta seminars! :)

Steve Sakahara
05-04-2009, 01:31 PM
Ark is really changing around what he's presenting so that you're not just paying to do the same seminar you've already seen.


Chris means only half a day doing shiko, mabu and tenchijin instead of two...:D

I was a little reluctant to attend to the seminar as my thighs remembered Ark's first time up here, and that was after a year's worth of Aunkai exercises. But I thought this seminar was much improved in the clarity, pace and balance of the presentation. Expect to go into physical and mental overload, but not to be pushed so far that you don't get tremendous benefits from what Ark teaches.

Blame it on the economy, but now might be the sweet spot to attend one of the upcoming Aunkai seminars in Atlanta or DC. Attendance wasn't as high as expected, so the hands on time with Ark, Rob and Nori went up dramatically. And that's vital, because "feeling it" can be just a fraction of an inch adjustment in posture. Reinforcing that feeling doing the solo exercises and in applications over two days makes a huge difference.

Just as impressive as the power the 140 lb. Ark generates, is his willingness and ability to answer questions. Coupled with Rob's translation skills, there were always two minds from two different cultures providing an answer or a demonstration. It's a process to rewire your body and thinking that allows one to bring these skills to bear. Getting your head around it to allow this change is very difficult without an opportunity to answer some of the questions that should be bouncing around your head.

It's not for everybody, but I don't know how you can honestly answer that question until you've actually tried it.

HL1978
05-06-2009, 08:46 AM
So any reviews of the seminar? What was covered?

Mark Kruger
05-06-2009, 12:50 PM
So any reviews of the seminar? What was covered?

Aunkai! :)

Seriously, shiko, tenchijin, and mabu were covered and reviewed along with push out, walking with frame, kicking, stillness training, and agete. There was also a good amount of time spent on freestyle push out and using the body skills in application with techniques from other arts.

As before, I really like the simple, direct explanations that Ark and Rob provide. It's also obvious that they are putting quite a bit of effort into their teaching. The teaching points have evolved since the last time I saw them. The scheduling is also alot more organized and efficient.

It was a real treat to get hands on time with both Rob and Ark several times during the seminar.

Josh Lerner
05-09-2009, 03:17 PM
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I wasn't able to attend the seminar, but I did get to spend a couple of hours with Ark and Rob and a few other guys beforehand. All we worked on was mabu and shiko, and just a few related mabu partner excercise. I have to say that even though I've been doing those excercises very consistently for the last two and a half years, it was really eye-opening and enlightening, and it was almost information overload just with those really basic things.

Either Ark is refining how he is teaching the basics, or enough of us have been practicing on our own for a few years now and we are finally starting to understand what he's talking about. Or some combination of the two. As far as my own understanding goes, I was finally able to understand with my body what he's talking about when he describes how to use the back and the kua, especially with how to pull all of the force in towards the spine and the kua. So I told him that, and he said "I've been telling you for years!"

Props to Rob, too, for continuing to refine his translation/teaching abilities. I can understand Ark's Japanese a little bit better now than two years ago, and knowing what Ark is saying most of the time makes Rob's ability as interpreter that much more impressive.

Josh