Aikido Haiku
 

So, anyone want to try composing some aikido haiku?

-- Jun

Yokomen Uchi

stumble stumble step step step

irimi nage

very big ego

kindly invited to train

lovingly humbled

live in Harmony

O'Sensei calls us to lead

in Spirit of Love

:circle:

DA

Sitting all in line

invited to be uke

toe in hakama

You, Mr. Knoops, have a future in text!

Thanks for the laughs.

round and round we flow

one, two - iriminage

where did sensei go?

:circle:

DA

our aikido is

all about the perception -

use your eyes, goofball

:circle:

DA

Tape, bandaids, Advil

Asthma inhalor, knee brace

Now....ready for class....

sh*t! I lean again

sensei sees me across mat

"please!, no buttwaza!"

I've almost got it -

arm here, direct hara there

I'm first through the door!

:circle:

DA

fencing trains to kill -

aikido reminds me to

transform the anger

Tsuki

Kotegaeshi

Ceiling

Satori!

haiku basics
 

As far as I know, there are some basic rules for haiku.

Haiku is composed of three lines. The first and third lines contain 5 syllables. The second line contains 7 syllables.

No direct references to self are made; i.e. "I, me, my, we," etc. I think this is because references to self indicate self-centeredness.

Something in the poem usually indicates the season in which it was written.

Example:

Last moon of the year

Swirling wind sweeps leaves off street

Cold dojo awaits

Re: haiku basics
 

Yes, absolutly right. These are the rules for writting a haiku.

The first and the last are considered traditional. 17 syllables divided in three groups, 5, 7, 5. Inclusion of a kigo, a word of season. The latter can be interpreted very loosely, as one can already see in some of the poetry of Basho.

The second rule is due to proposed reform in the form of haiku by Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto, which include:

1) No reference to a center of interest (to make it truer to reality)

2) Emphasis on importance of the poet's (first) impression to the subject as it was, and therefor creating freshness by using subject of daily life and local colour.

There are some really good haiku writers out there!

Any others want to tackle writing some aikido haiku?

-- Jun

"I want to kick butt!"

Says the visitor, I say,

"Fine, Seiza, one hour."
:circle:

Great Kami, join me.

Weight underside, extend KI.

Worst foe, Angry Wife.
:circle:

Lighting in dark

Sky flowing life force, beauty.

Take Misu Ai... :ki:
:circle:

Enter from the North

Flow like Water into Ice

Iriminage

Gold flecked waves languish

Shores warmed by sleep-setting sun

Sensei, dream you still?

The poem below breaks the rules, but as it evoked a haiku-like moment when I wrote it, I include it here. It is in honor of my late teacher, Fumio Toyoda Shihan:

"Katsu"

among the gnarled woods,

‘neath plodding feet, by dying light

lie leaves, nodding and grey;

a clutching sleep.

One cut, Sensei;

Lightning cleaves the dim.

morning mist on blue-black pond;

cranes lull among the reeds.

sorry about the references to the self, just jumping into the world of my head.

My first attempt... is it OK?
 

Hot winds of summer

Aiki, the balance, will be

Cool breeze of autumn

That was realy fun

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

how uke bounced

Uke had pizza

He's lactose intolerant

Thunder in springtime :confused:

The mind distracted

Searching for the voice behind

Got hit on the head