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Old 07-18-2006, 09:52 PM   #9
giriasis
Dojo: Sand Drift Aikikai, Cocoa Florida
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 823
United_States
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Re: Poll: How active are you in your aikido dojo's community?

Quote:
Jun Akiyama wrote:
Hi everyone,

What are some examples of "community" in the context of your dojo?

Does your dojo's "community" remain only on the mat? In the dojo? Outside of the dojo? Into the personal life arena?

-- Jun
Our dojo "community" is people going to class, seminars, helping each other out with testing. All this takes place within the dojo itself. Then our community expands beyond the dojo by different people socializing with others. It can be sitting and chatting with sensei after class or going out for sushi after class. It is having dojo parties and get togthers. It only gets into your personal life if you make friends in the dojo and you take it there.

Regarding "soto deshi" and "uchi deshi", it's my understanding that these are very specific relationships not just someone showing up to train "inside" or "outside" of the dojo. You can easily be a student and not be a "soto" or "uchi" deshi, and you can still be dedicated student and not be a "soto" or "uchi" deshi. If you have these in your dojo then I would find them as important as sensei and would consider it critical to the dojo. I think there have been a few threads that discuss these concepts.

Anne Marie Giri
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