Aiki Expo

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[SeiserL]

Just got back from the Aiki Expo.

Thank you Stanley Pranin.

3 day, 10 top Senseis, 17 seminars (I did 15), 2 nights of demonstrations (20 each = 40).

Nothing like it. Deepest compliments and appreciation to all attended and met on the mat.

Lets hope it becomes an annual event. Don't miss it if it is.

Lynn
Nidan Tenshinkai Aikido
Lucaylucay Kali JKD

[Chocolateuke]

Dang STAR testing ( for those who dont know its a annual test that the State of California gives us student to compair schools and it is manditory.) I was really bumbed when i found out i couldnt go because i had testing on Friday GRRRRRRRRRRRR. well can you tell us about your experince with some of the teachers and demos?? well cya!

[Chuck Clark]

The folks that attended the Aiki Expo from the Jiyushinkan really had a good time. Stan Pranin did a great job of organizing the event and we'll defintely attend next year.

Events like this bring people together from different methods of practice and truly help us widen our view.

A wide range of experience was availble this year and hopefully next year we can bring even more to the table.

Thanks again to Stan Pranin and all those that helped him put this together.

[George S. Ledyard]

Hi all!
Thanks so much, espcially to Stan, to all those who were at the Expo. You made me and all of students feel incredibly welcome. Training was fabulous and all of the folks from the different styles were so great with each other!

In twenty five years of Aikido this was absolutely one of the best things I have ever done. Inspiring and humbling at the same time. It would take mulitple lifetimes to master the knwoledge that was in that space all at the same time!

All I know is that I want to move as fast as Ushiro Sensei, then I can die happy.

[Choku Tsuki]

The same goes for me. I was impressed by how well everything turned out. An extremely positive thumbs up.

On the other hand, I cannot say I cared for one particular demo. Let's just say I put away my GI Joes when I was 10.

On the positive side again, every partner I had offered me something valuable that will stick with me. Triple that for each of the instructors.

Those of you who missed it, there will be at least one video for sale of the event.

Chuck

[Bronson]

Those of you who missed it, there will be at least one video for sale of the event.


Please, please, please keep us posted about the video.

Sounds like everyone had a blast. I hope to be able to make it someday.

Bronson

[gadsmf@aol.com]

Wonderful stuff. Particularly enjoyed the classes of Sensei Kondo and Sensei Ushiru. Learned a ton of stuff (I think).
Thanks to Stanley Pranin and team, and thanks to all the Senseis and all the participants. Judging by the enthusiasm that everyone had I think this Aikido stuff could catch on.
My only regret was that I was cleaned out at the blackjack tables. Perhaps we could have the next Expo in Salt Lake City?

[Kami]

Originally posted by George S. Ledyard
All I know is that I want to move as fast as Ushiro Sensei, then I can die happy.

KAMI : Now, you got me curious, Ledyard Sama!
What can you tell us about Ushiro Sensei? What's his karate like? How do you think it may be useful for aikido training? what did he taught at the Aiki Expo?
From all I've read, it was a wonderful event. I wrote to Stanley Pranin giving him my congratulations. They're yours, too!
Best

[George S. Ledyard]

Originally posted by Kami


KAMI : Now, you got me curious, Ledyard Sama!
What can you tell us about Ushiro Sensei? What's his karate like? How do you think it may be useful for aikido training? what did he taught at the Aiki Expo?
From all I've read, it was a wonderful event. I wrote to Stanley Pranin giving him my congratulations. They're yours, too!
Best
Aside from the fact that the style is primarily a style of karate and is therefore primarliy devoted to impact techniques the principles are right out of the Aikido book. His whole emphasis was on kokyu. He demonstrated the difference between most people's striking and doing it with kokyu. One of my students is a 4th Dan in Karate and Ushiro Sensei used him to demonstrate quite a lot, also one of Imaizumi Sensei's students from NYC who is also a karateka. There was no comparison between what they did and what Ushiro Sensei was doing with his kokyu.

Where his teaching applied directly to Aikido was in his irimi training. His entry was designed to preclude any possibility of additional attack. In Aikido we call this katsu hayabi, instant victory. This man had it down. Most of the time, even with the fastest attackes my student could muster, Ushiro Sensei had hit him before he could complete the first punch and was inside his guard with kuzushi. He repeatedly demonstrated the difference of a conventional response and an entry with kokyu. He would suck the attacker in with his breath, neutralize his power while entering ini and either delivering what would be a finishing combination of blows at blurring speed or a takedown (all of which we would be familair with). He emphasised that once one has the ability to enter and take the opponent's center, he can choose whether or not to destroy him. Their style has an array of techniques that are designed to spare the life of the attacker ie. locking and pinning techniques. But it wasn't the techniques butthe principles behind them that make what he does os applicable to Aikido. Once you have the entry, you can choose to do any type of technique you wish.

That said, you couldn't have found a nicer man. Absolutely a gentleman!!! I tried to hold the elevator door for him at one point and he wouldn't go in, wanted me to precede him. At last he did go in but as he went through the door he grabbed my arm and pulled me through with him. At the end of the last class with him I had Clint George Sensei translate my thanks to him and I mentioned how helpful his two students had been (one was his daughter). Instead of the usual "big Sensei" kind of acknowledgement which would usually not have included any communication of the compliment to the students, he calle them over and told them waht I had said. They then both came over to me and thanked me. He seemed genuinely proud of them. Just about the nicest man you could hope for I would say. Which in my mind made him even more inpressive as a martial artist.

[Chocolateuke]

Sounds Like fun!! hope you took full advantage of the teachings and stuff. :) well I gotta do school stuff now :)

[akiy]

Hi folks,

I'll probably be writing a much more in-depth "review" of the Aiki Expo later, but I thought I'd give a brief capsule review of it right now.

I got in last night at around 11:30pm after leaving Las Vegas at around 8am.

Suffice it to say that I had a wonderful time. I didn't have enough time to be at the AikiWeb table even half as much as I would have liked, but so it goes.

I was only able to take classes from Ikeda sensei (7th dan, Boulder Aikikai), Ushiro sensei (7th dan, Shindo Ryu Karate), Inoue sensei (9th dan, Yoshinkan Hombu Dojocho), Don Angier sensei (Soke, Yanagi Ryu Aiki Jujutsu), and Peter Goldsbury sensei (6th dan, Aikikai).

It was wonderful to meet and train with a lot of folks here on AikiWeb including Chuck Clark, Peter Goldsbury, George Ledyard, Don Modesto, Lynn Seiser, and Colleen Annes.

All in all, I had a great time. The weekend seemed both very long and very short at the same time.

More to come later...

-- Jun

[akiy]

Regarding Ushiro sensei, I have to echo what George wrote above. I thoroughly enjoyed his classes (I think I attended four or five of them) and the man himself was very approachable and a gentleman of the first order. I translated for him on occasion when he was approached after his classes or in the hallway by people who had questions, and he was always willing to spend time answering their questions.

For me, it was great getting back into "karate mode" while still retaining aikido-like principles. Not much different when they're both done well, I think.

-- Jun

[TomW]

Hi all-

I also just got home andwould like to echo what Jun and George are saying about Ushiro S. I can't begin to express how impressed I was by him, on and off the mat. Speed and power that I have never seen before. Clint George spent a couple of hours picking Ushiro S. brain at the party...then I picked his brain about Ushiro S. and about Shingu. ;)

I had a great time this weekend, the memories of the training and stories will last a lifetime.

George-
I had a great time meeting you and training with you and your students(the husband and wife who have a 16mo. child...I'm terrible with names).

Jun-
I had a great time training with you in Ushiro S. class Sat. AM.

Regards-
Tom Wharton

[PeterR]

What I want to know is who/what was the GI Joe.

[Kami]

George, Jun and Tom,

Thank you very much for your comments on Ushiro Sensei. I'm really sorry I couldn't make the Aiki Expo, even if for watching...
I'm sure you guys had a great time!
Best

[George S. Ledyard]

Originally posted by PeterR
What I want to know is who/what was the GI Joe.

If by GI Joe you meant the guys from the Surefire Institute they were Ken Good, James Williams, and some of their students. These guys do some of the finest combat training in the country. They specialize in applying the principles from classical aikijutsu, and now the Systema, to the modern combat environment.

They have developed a system of personal self defense based on the use of the tactical flashlight as a form of distraction technique which is quite amazing. I do law enforcement training and one of my officers attended a SWAT session on building clearing in low light conditions which he said was one of the best trainings he's ever done.

These guys have trained with Angier Sensei in Yanagi Ryu and with Mr. Vasiliyev and his teacher, Mr. Ryabko in the Systema plus countless other areas of focus. These guys train people who have to trust their lives to their training. They are very serious and highly skilled. Whether or not applied technique is ones own personal interest, these folks are every bit as deserving of respect as any of the other martial artists who were doing more traditional arts such as Ellis Amdur Sensei in Araki Ryu or Angier Sensei in Yanagi Ryu. Those are straight combat arts as well, they just wear the old costumes.

[PeterR]

Originally posted by George S. Ledyard
If by GI Joe you meant the guys from the Surefire Institute .... these folks are every bit as deserving of respect as any of the other martial artists who were doing more traditional arts
Just asking for an expansion on a description given by a participant (see above). Thank you for providing it.

[George S. Ledyard]

Originally posted by PeterR

Just asking for an expansion on a description given by a participant (see above). Thank you for providing it. Sorry if I misunderstood you! I know that not everybody liked them. I've had some communications to that effect from some other folks. You didn't get a chance to train with the Systema guys in their workshops? That's where I had the most interaction with them although as I said I was aware of them before through my police students.

[Chuck Clark]

The main problem I had with the demo of the combat applications of aiki principle was twofold. 1. They came on the mat with boots on that they were wearing off the mat. I've been around too long and have a real problem with people wearing shoes, etc. on the mat where others practice. (They could have brought clean boots and put them on just off the mat.) 2. They didn't clean up after themselves. (Water which someone else had to clean up to keep the next demo from having a slippery surface and black boot marks,etc. left on the tatami.)

I just received shipment of some of those tatami and sure enough, I now have to clean black marks off MY tatami.

Adults where I come from learn that if they break it...they fix it. If they get it dirty...they clean it, etc.

I may be a bit sensitive in my traditionalism, but....

I thought their demo was great otherwise. Swaggering, testosterone filled men decked out in their combat gear and they know how to use it. I don't want them coming after me!

[George S. Ledyard]

Originally posted by Chuck Clark
The main problem I had with the demo of the combat applications of aiki principle was twofold. 1. They came on the mat with boots on that they were wearing off the mat. I've been around too long and have a real problem with people wearing shoes, etc. on the mat where others practice. (They could have brought clean boots and put them on just off the mat.) 2. They didn't clean up after themselves. (Water which someone else had to clean up to keep the next demo from having a slippery surface and black boot marks,etc. left on the tatami.)

I just received shipment of some of those tatami and sure enough, I now have to clean black marks off MY tatami.

Adults where I come from learn that if they break it...they fix it. If they get it dirty...they clean it, etc.

I may be a bit sensitive in my traditionalism, but....

I thought their demo was great otherwise. Swaggering, testosterone filled men decked out in their combat gear and they know how to use it. I don't want them coming after me!

I have to say I was too far away to see the condition of their boots. I just assumed that they were wearing shoes that they only used on a mat. That's what we do in our police training. If indeed they wore their street shoes it was entirely inappropriate! Given the backgrounds of the folks involved I am stagered that they would be so rude.

As for cleaning up... I agree that they should have but I remember how I felt just after I went off the mat after our demo and I have to say I wasn't thinking clearly for a while. I was so adrenalized and then relieved it was over I might have made that kind of mistake so I'll cut them some slack o that one. But the shoes thing shouldn't have happened, I agree.

[guest1234]

I inwardly rolled my eyes at the flight suits and rifles (could we get any more Fruedian I wondered), but was watching with as open a mind as I could manage until I saw the dirt and pebbles getting tracked all over the mat. I even tried through the additon of a leaking camelbak. But I'm with those who say 'make a mess, clean it up'; I have spent the major part of my life in entirely male company, and have found for the most part the wannabes are good at making a mess (usually accompanied by manly words and posturing), but the real deal are the ones who know clean weapons and a clean work area are essential.

It was nice training with so many different people (and now I have a face to put to Jun's name...) :) Many thanks to Mr Prannin and all the great instructors he lined up for us!

[akiy]

Originally posted by TomW
I had a great time training with you in Ushiro S. class Sat. AM.
Likewise here, Tom!
Originally posted by ca
It was nice training with so many different people (and now I have a face to put to Jun's name...) :)
It was nice meeting you, too, Colleen. I'll see you at the Summer Camp in the Rockies (http://www.boulderaikikai.org/sc), right?

-- Jun

[Jorge Garcia]

My son and I had a wonderful time. We started saving our money for this one a year ago and we will start saving for the next one starting now.
Best to all