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Old 05-11-2009, 03:00 PM   #26
Thomas Campbell
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Fantastic, Dan. Best wishes to you and the attendees for a GREAT seminar.
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Old 05-13-2009, 08:52 PM   #27
DH
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Update
Applications haven been sent out. There are still a few spots open.
Cheers
Dan
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Old 06-12-2009, 11:32 AM   #28
DH
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Update
Seminar enrollment is now closed. Thank your for your interest.

I have sent out a series of e-mails this morning to all regarding some booking problems with the Hotel for the night BEFORE the event, not during. Please check your e-mails.
Final notice on the buffet dinner on sat please respond to that as well.

Looking forward to some great work, good food, good stories, and much laughter.
Dan

Last edited by DH : 06-12-2009 at 11:34 AM.
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Old 07-30-2009, 10:02 AM   #29
Allen Beebe
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Just wanted to wish Dan and the attendees to his "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar" the best of luck.

I hope everyone arrives and returns home safely and has a, fun, transformative experience. I often find a new perspective is often far more valuable than new discrete knowledge. (For example, the *concept* of a wheel is far more valuable to gain than additional knowledge about what specific kind of wood works best for one's travois.)

All the best,
Allen
Inventor of the mono-pole travois patent pending.

~ Allen Beebe
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Old 07-30-2009, 02:08 PM   #30
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden



But look how well the woman has established a ground path and the horse is definitely feeling the ki that she is projecting.

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Old 07-30-2009, 02:11 PM   #31
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Holy cow! didn't realize the pic was gonna take up half the thread! Oh well.

I wish I could be there, maybe some other time! Enjoy!

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Old 07-30-2009, 02:27 PM   #32
jss
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
and the horse is definitely feeling the ki that she is projecting.
Well yeah, with that size of an antenna...
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Old 07-31-2009, 11:21 AM   #33
DH
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Sorry I have been unresponsive for the last couple of days. I have a family member dying of brain cancer. With all the associated issues surrounding that it is taking up much of my focus these days.
Just wanted to say thank you for the well wishers. I am sure we will have fun.
Fortunately, I have conformation that there are going to be many local teachers who have been training with me for a couple of years on hand to help with some hands on work. More importantly, they are willing to answer questions about:
How they are training?
What they are training?
What they personally are focusing on?
How this has affected their Aikido?
What do they see for the future in their training?
The repercussions, up the chain and down the chain?
etc etc.
All will be on hand for lunch and some will be on hand for dinner after. Getting some alone time with them to ask questions and compare notes without me in the room might prove beneficial for some great talks; one professional to another.

The purpose and goals of this endeavor are to benefit students and teachers of Aikido together. For these teachers to offer their time and experiences to fellow teachers of the art, for free should not go unnoticed by the community.
I continue to hope we can take ownership of the arts and help serve each other with an open hand.
Look forward to meeting everyone.
Thank you
Dan
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Old 07-31-2009, 01:10 PM   #34
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Dan I'm sorry about your family crisis.

I hope the seminar goes well. Look forward to reading about it afterwards.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 08-02-2009, 08:08 PM   #35
Marc Abrams
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

My wife and I have just returned from this seminar. To say that this seminar was fantastic would be an understatement!

We would like to thank Dan for his openness and the level of his teaching. Additionally, Dan has taught his students how to teach what he was doing so that they were an invaluable part of the learning experience.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to actually meet some of my on-line friends. I look forward to future training opportunities with Dan.

Marc & Mayda Abrams
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Old 08-02-2009, 10:24 PM   #36
rob_liberti
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Dan did a hell of a job presenting information that I have been working on for the past couple years all in 2 days and giving people the opportunity to take some drills back home to practice.

There were enough people who had insight/experience with Dan's training to go around and make sure everyone was on track.

From where I stood, I would say that people put in the work and got an amazing experience.

I had a good time with old friends and new.

Rob
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Old 08-03-2009, 06:14 AM   #37
Mary Eastland
 
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

It is great to hear you all had a good seminar. We did too. No shihans of course...;o) just us...and it was really fun. We left happy, stronger and tired.
Mary

P.S. Sending Dan prayers.
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Old 08-03-2009, 07:31 AM   #38
Tom H.
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Quote:
Rob Liberti wrote: View Post
Dan did a hell of a job presenting information that I have been working on for the past couple years all in 2 days and giving people the opportunity to take some drills back home to practice.
I second that. I had a great time meeting a neat variety of people, and hope everyone took something home. The seminar's format and content progression made it feel like a regular training session extended across two days.
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:29 AM   #39
akiy
 
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Congratulations to Dan and all of the attendees for what sounds like a successful and fruitful seminar.

You're in my thoughts, Dan, for your family member.

-- Jun

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Old 08-03-2009, 04:12 PM   #40
David Orange
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Blew My Mind...But Not My Spleen

Just back from meeting Dan Harden and his crew of immoveable people. It was really a great experience and I want to thank Dan and all his folks and all the people who came to the seminar for making it so productive.

First, I'd like to say that Dan is everything he says and everything "they" say. He gave me a few light taps that blew me back several feet each time (four thigh "kicks", a palm to the back of my ribs, a few double palms to the abdomen, a shoulder smack, numerous sweeping forearm strikes....maybe one regular punch...and one or two others, as well as some throws and a lot of generally leading me around helplessly). Every time, it felt devastating, yet I didn't get injured because he really was just giving me little taps. I would just hate to imagine what would happen if he put a little effort into any of those strikes. In fact, he said people had convinced him to go easier because he had previously given some people mild injuries. I now really appreciate the possibilites behind internal striking arts. It blew my mind, but thank God, not my spleen!

Second, I found Dan's power and movement to be very much like Minrou Akuzawa (Ark)'s. His training method also seemed very similar and the ways he would move to demonstrate certain ideas were just perfectly consistent with Ark's. I mentioned that to him and he reminded me that both he and Ark descend from a lineage of koryu aikijujutsu, via Sagawa, and koryu sword so it's natural that they would have very strong similiarities but some interesting differences as well. Dan's exercises were a lot of work but not as much "burning in" as Ark seems to do. We did a good bit of burning in with Dan, but mostly just to get us to identify the pathways and connections we were trying to find. Then we worked those connections more subtly--not to say that I fully understand Ark's method: he did tell me to come see him in Tokyo and that he would cover things on a different level there--but having been through two days with each of them, I make these surface observations. They are definitely on the "same" track: the track to the middle of themselves. Their results prove the validity and importance of each of their approaches. It behooves any serious martial artist (of any art) to meet both of them.

Third, Dan especially asked me to comment on the number of aikido teachers who made the effort to attend his seminar. He expressed a lot of gratitude for them and a hope that they will continue to develop. I can say certainly that aikido will take a big leap forward if even those twelve teachers really incorporate his methods into their instruction. Dan made it very clear that "If you want to learn this stuff and just keep it for yourself and not pass it on to your students, and make yourself superior to everyone, I don't want to know you." His intent, as he stated clearly before the seminar, was to get the teachers to learn this material so that they could re-incorporate it into the greater art. I think his efforts will have great effect in the coming decades. Aikido will become increasingly dynamic on this side of the "Great Peaceful Western Sea" and maybe the Japanese will begin to show more of what they know of internal power.

Fourth, the atmosphere was strong and positive, like Ark's seminar. Dan was very open and upfront. He answered many questions I've been developing as I've followed this topic over the past few years. We went into "winding" and tons of other subjects in detail and I saw how the ability to absorb incoming force results in "bouncing" the force away. I felt Ark do that, but in Dan's seminar we went more into how it happens. The weekend was filled with amazing new experiences that showed me that, even after 35 years, there are still completely new levels for me to see and I really appreciate that (from both Dan and Ark).

Last, the whole weekend was a blast. Lot's of laughter, good humor, great conversation and real revelation of things that I've been reading about for all these years without understanding them at all. I do believe that people who begin aikido from this point forward will experience a very exciting wave of transition back to the deepest roots of the art. I feel lucky to have seen the beginnings of that movement over these last few years and very encouraged for the future of the art.

So again, thanks to Dan and all his folks and best wishes to all the folks I met there after getting to know them here on aikiweb: Mark Murray, Marc Abrams (and Mayda), Josh Phillipson, Lee Salzman, Tom Holtz, Rob Liberti, and others whose names don't instantly pop into my exhausted mind. And thanks to Andy Prochnow, Jill (whose last name escaped me), Tom Garimaldi and others I'll suddenly remember after I post this. They helped keep the instruction coming through clearly while Dan worked with other small groups within the seminar. It was a perfect learning environment.

So to all who have been thinking about pursuing internal training, I can say with everyone else: Get out and meet people, especially Ark, Mike and Dan. I'm sure you will want to meet them again and again.

But as for Dan Harden, I am pleased to be able to say from experience, you cannot go wrong meeting up with him.

Best to all.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

"Eternity forever!"

www.esotericorange.com
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Old 08-03-2009, 07:08 PM   #41
Lee Salzman
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

I'd echo what everyone said. Dan truly went beyond the call of duty for this seminar to make sure that everyone felt included and everyone was learning.

Without exception, every one of his people that worked with me was very helpful with getting me to absorb the material. Everything was accessible and well explained.

It was a lot of fun seeing some familiar faces and also connecting with a lot of people I had only known by name from aikiweb. I think everyone who attended helped keep the atmosphere laid back, productive, and friendly.

But, I can totally see why Dan, Mark, Rob, and others make some rather impassioned posts about what they do. Once you see relaxed power like this and how it affects people, it is hard to imagine why anyone would not want it, especially as a means of improving at one's expression of aikido. It wasn't muscling through people or trying to impose your will on them, and it wasn't making complicated waza-like movements, but it had a profound effect on people who would push or pull on you and come in contact with it. Seeing and feeling that really clinched it for me and made evident why the work was so important.

Last edited by Lee Salzman : 08-03-2009 at 07:13 PM.
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Old 08-03-2009, 09:56 PM   #42
David Orange
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Re: Blew My Mind...But Not My Spleen

Quote:
David Orange wrote: View Post
So again, thanks to Dan and all his folks and best wishes to all the folks I met there after getting to know them here on aikiweb: Mark Murray, Marc Abrams (and Mayda), Josh Phillipson, Lee Salzman, Tom Holtz, Rob Liberti, and others whose names don't instantly pop into my exhausted mind.
To show just how exhausted I am, I just got a PM from Josh Phillipson saying he wasn't there!!!!

So who was the Josh I met? We just had first names on our tags and when I saw one with "Josh" on it, the name "Phillipson" associated itself in my mind. I said, "Oh. Josh Phillipson?" He must have misunderstood my question or I misunderstood his answer. I thought he said "Yeah," and the rest of the seminar, I was thinking this big guy was Josh Phillipson. So looking at the "changed body" thread, I was wondering why Josh was making those statements and asking those questions the day before he would be attending Dan's seminar....

So, sorry to both Joshes.

But who was the Josh at the seminar????

Thanks.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

"Eternity forever!"

www.esotericorange.com
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Old 08-04-2009, 09:03 AM   #43
Marc Abrams
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

David:

JOSH DRACHMAN. Josh just so happens to be the founder of OY VEY RYU (an ancient form of Jew Jitsu) !

I am genuinely happy that I finally got to meet Dave and other "internet buddies" and look forward to other future training opportunities together.

Marc Abrams
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Old 08-04-2009, 09:10 AM   #44
Rennis Buchner
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Sounds like it was a good time. Now if something like this would just happen during the 10 days I happen to back in the US in Oct... (dreams...)
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Old 08-04-2009, 09:39 AM   #45
gregstec
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

After attending this seminar, I am sorry to report that Dan Harding is a fraud -- at no time did he exhibit any crass, harsh, or know-it-all behavior that some in the internet community may think he is all about. On the contrary, Dan is a down-to-earth and friendly person that was very informative, knowledgeable, and showed a sincere interest in sharing his knowledge to all that asked -- and, his current students in attendance were all the same as well; extremely helpful, friendly, and fun to be with. In short, the seminar was extremely informative and a blast. I truly wish to thank all in attendance that had the patience to work with me in sharing their knowledge of these skills.

I am not going to go into too much detail on the technical aspects of Dan's approach since others such as Howard, Dave, and Rob have already covered that much more eloquently then I can. However, I would like to just say the Dan can certainty walk his talk -- after you grab a hold of him, you instantly realize you are in trouble and wish you were some place else at the moment.

One other thing I would like to comment on is that it became very evident that effective internal strength is at least 80 percent mental and without the proper intent is essentially a hollow form without any substance. During some of the exercises we were required to use our intent to visualize receiving your partner's push energy into your body and then extending your intent back out into and through your partner. Since my initial Aiki training was with the old Ki Society from back in the mid 70's while I was stationed in Guam with the Navy, I simply just extended Ki as I was taught back in those days. I was extremely surprised when Dan's students started giving me feedback on what they were feeling down to the exact detail as to whether the energy was raising up, going down, or even coming through them in a diagonal spiral -- without exception, all had it exactly right without any verbal or physical clues from me. I was simply standing there in a relaxed mind and body coordinated stance in accordance with Tohei's teachings extending Ki while they had their hand on my chest pushing into me -- The last time I encountered that type of feedback was during my initial training in Guam. This unsolicited corroboration has reaffirmed my beliefs in Tohei's teachings and it appears to me (as Mike S and Dan have previously mentioned elsewhere) that Tohei was on the right track to the internal skills but he just did not take it to the next step. I am convinced that for those looking to establish the basic foundation to start building their internal skills; they do not need to look any further than Tohei's four principles of Mind and Body Coordination. Of course, to expand from there, they will need to seek out the skills that Dan, Mike S, and the ARK are teaching.

Overall, a great seminar with a great group of people just having a great time… (Did I mention it was great!)

Greg
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Old 08-04-2009, 09:56 AM   #46
gregstec
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

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Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
After attending this seminar, I am sorry to report that Dan Harding
oops, need to pay closer attention to my spell checker...
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Old 08-04-2009, 10:18 PM   #47
rob_liberti
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
But look how well the woman has established a ground path and the horse is definitely feeling the ki that she is projecting.
I think this is funny in that:
1) Her right hip is totally out of solid structure.

and

2) your trailer:
"Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack." ...is perfect, in that I find I often have to work on that problem myself.

Rob
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Old 08-05-2009, 11:11 AM   #48
MM
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

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Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
oops, need to pay closer attention to my spell checker...
Must have been all the beer. And the lack of intent. I think the instructor's name was Dan Harden. He was kind of hard to miss, I know. Sort of lackluster, didn't own the room or everyone there, was really a push over kind of guy.
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Old 08-05-2009, 11:32 AM   #49
gregstec
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

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Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Must have been all the beer. And the lack of intent. I think the instructor's name was Dan Harden. He was kind of hard to miss, I know. Sort of lackluster, didn't own the room or everyone there, was really a push over kind of guy.
Hi Mark,

Yes, that was the guy - absolute push over, mild mannered wimp that could not punch his way out of an empty wine box...

(you do know of course that the next time we see him he is going to kick our butts from there to the moon )

Greg
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Old 08-05-2009, 11:38 AM   #50
MM
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Re: "Internal training, Aiki, and empowering Aikido" Seminar w/Dan Harden

Quote:
Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
Hi Mark,

Yes, that was the guy - absolute push over, mild mannered wimp that could not punch his way out of an empty wine box...

(you do know of course that the next time we see him he is going to kick our butts from there to the moon )

Greg
Push over. Huh. Did he give you that look while you pushed on him? The one where he sort of looks bored? The one that's usually followed by him asking, "Are you pushing?"

Remember, he doesn't kick. He said so at the seminar. It's just stepping with structure. So, the next time we see him, he'll just "step" our butts from there to the moon.
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