Hello from southern Germany

Hello everyone,

I just quickly wanted to take the time to introduce myself to you guys briefly. As mentioned above, I live in the south of Germany, and have been doing aikido together with my husband for three years and a bit (we are both ikkyu). Over the years I have seriously fallen in love with aikido and am looking forward to sharing thoughts with people here on the aikiweb forums.

Sonja

Hi Sonja,

Thank you for your introduction and welcome to the AikiWeb Forums!

-- Jun

Hi Sonja, from the other end of southern Germany.

Where do you train? I know a couple of aikido folks in that area.

Chuck

Hi Chuck,

yeah, I read some of your posts and saw that you are in southern Germany, too . I train with the DAB near Stuttgart. Where in Bavaria exactly are you, then? And what organisation are you affiliated with? My husband and I travel quite a bit, maybe we can pop in for a session when we are in your area?!

Regards,
Sonja

Sonja McGough wrote: I train with the DAB near Stuttgart. Where in Bavaria exactly are you, then? And what organisation are you affiliated with?

Heya, Sonja,

We're a small, independent club based in Grafenwoehr, about an hour east of Nuernberg. We train weapons in the gym on the US Army base Tuesdays, empty hand in our home dojo on Thursdays.

Be glad to have ya'll in any time you're in the area.

DAB, is that the group meeting at the Fernsehturm? If so, ask after Beate Kawelke. She's an old and dear friend.

Chuck

Sonja,

BTW, you can reach me or Emily at:

chuck.gordon@us.army.mil or edge@the-dojo.com, and our website is www.the-dojo.com.

Chuck

Chuck,

I was wondering if you were with the army down there. I actually work for a company of two British guys who deal with the US army all the time and know a couple of people in Grafenwoehr! (I belive there is someone else on this board who is with the army in Hohenfels, right? Have been there myself to drop of a couple of things for the company - the world is a small place, isn´t it?).

It is really funny because just today my husband (who also does aikido) and I were discussing the idea of approaching the posts around here (Panzer Kaserne, Patch Barracks and Kelley Barracks) to ask if they might be interested in offering a beginner´s course in coorperation with us (we are a non-profit organisation, as most of the clubs of our affiliation are). Do you happen to know if they already have got aikido courses there? Or if it is possible to work with the US army in that way? Sorry if this is OT, I might reply to your email address next time

> DAB, is that the group meeting at the Fernsehturm? If so, ask after Beate Kawelke. She's an old and dear friend.

I believe that is a different club. There quite a few around here. We actually live 20 mins outside Stuttgart.

Kind regards,
Sonja

PS: Nice website, by the way We have two yudansha from DAN aikido (Andy´s students, actually, I believe) practicing with us once a week, as they recently moved here from Freiburg. Yet another proof of how small the world is...

[quote=Sonja McGough We have two yudansha from DAN aikido (Andy´s students, actually, I believe) practicing with us once a week, as they recently moved here from Freiburg. Yet another proof of how small the world is... [/QUOTE]


I guess the other one's Sven?. He started with Aikido about the same time, I did...

Yep, Sven is the one It is really great to have both of them practicing with us. Since our style is based on Noquet Sensei, a lot of the stuff we do is not so different from DAN aikido - especially the style our sensei teaches, I think. Maybe you´d like to pop in some time when you are in the area as well

Greetings,
Sonja

We'll. who knows, where I'll finally find a job.

Hi, I am at Hohenfels. Could be in Stuttgart sooner or later...maybe in a year, not sure where my next assignment will take me yet!

Anyway, if you get over this way, please drop me a line or let me know. I have access to a really, really nice training area for my Battalion. We built a huge room full of tatami for combatives training. Great for Aikido.

I pratice almost daily there, mainly doing Brazilian Jiu jutsu stuff, but having fun integrating my aikido also. I have a couple of guys I do work with aikido on once a week doing basic stuff.

I know Chuck Gordon, but unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to work out with him yet! Need to to that though! I am embarrassed to be so close at yet have not even worked out with him!

here is my email: kevin(nospam)@nahworks.com (remove the (nospam)).

On another note...any of you guys going to the World Games in July? I am probably going to go.

Hi Chuck,

I'm a member of the Fernsehturm-group. I still talk to Beate on the phone sometimes. The last time I saw her was in summer '04. As far as I currently know she and her family are doing fine. Lil' Samantha keeping her parents on their toes, i guess

Sonja, wir sehen uns demnächst vermutlich mal Donnerstags in Esslingen, grüße bitte Jules von mir.

Regards,
FJ

Sonja McGough wrote: I was wondering if you were with the army down there. I actually work for a company of two British guys who deal with the US army all the time and know a couple of people in Grafenwoehr!

Cool. 'Tis a small Army ... and a small country.

(I belive there is someone else on this board who is with the army in Hohenfels, right?

Kevin has already piped up. We've met, but haven't trained together yet, unfortunately. When I get down to Hohenfels, it's usually in and out and no time for much socializing much less training. Gotta fix that.

It is really funny because just today my husband (who also does aikido) and I were discussing the idea of approaching the posts around here

It's possible. Go through the Morale Welfare and Recreation office. I know that a couple of non-military folks do contracts to teach martial arts lessons at several posts (mainly karate and TKD). Good luck!

already have got aikido courses there?

I haven't heard about any aikido on post in that area, have you, Kevin?

Or if it is possible to work with the US army in that way? Sorry if this is OT, I might reply to your email address next time

Eh. No problem. It's far more ON topic than some things that get discussed on the board!

PS: Nice website, by the way We have two yudansha from DAN aikido

Thanks! It's badly in need of updating, and I'm getting ready to do a broad redesign, too.

Andy's a wonderful guy and an outstanding aikidoka. It's been WAY too long since we've visited and trained with him.

Chuck

Kevin Leavitt wrote: We built a huge room full of tatami for combatives training. Great for Aikido.

Hmm. Maybe we should put together a mini-seminar before you leave, Kev.

I am embarrassed to be so close at yet have not even worked out with him!

Yeah, that goes both ways, though. My fault as much as yours ...

Chuck

Fabian Junker wrote: I'm a member of the Fernsehturm-group. I still talk to Beate on the phone sometimes.

Heya,

We were in Stuttgart last summer for a few days and got to spend some time with the Kawelke crew, and exchange the occasional e-mail, but have been remiss about keeping in better touch. Em and I are planning to pop over there some weekend soon to see Beate and family and Eve Fenrich at the Uni.

I was stationed near Stuttgart in the 80s, when I was a soldier, and fell in love with the town then.

Chuck

Kevin,
What you wrote about your dojo sounds awesome. I assume that you guys do not have that much to do in your freetime, the Hohenfels area is pretty remote, isn´t it? Who knows, maybe next time I have to come down for the company I could join in for a class? Is it actually possible to get on post for that kind of thing?
No, we won´t make it to the world games. Sounds great though.

Fabian,
hey there, nice to meet a familiar face at aikiweb Have passed on your greetings to Jules. We are looking forward to seeing you in Esslingen on one of the following weeks! (In case you didn´t know: Esslingen also offers practices in the holidays, just like Degerloch, so we´ll be there next Thursday as well.)

Chuck,
thanks bunches for your help. We´ll try and contact the Morale Welfare and Recreation office, as you said, and see what they say. My husband is English and we would love to teach aikido in English as well, not only in German. Somehow there are a lot of things that sound just so much nicer or even fit much better in English when it comes to aikido. We live in Boeblingen, outside of Stuttgart, and the next US army post is about 2 miles away from us

Michael,
what do you do? I take it that you studied in Freiburg, then?

Ok, forgotten anyone I didn´t expect my little introduction to bring up so much nice stuff!

Have a nice easter everyone,
Sonja

Chuck,
I wonder if Beate is still around the boards sometimes? Anyway, maybe she can introduce Emily, you, and me to each other personally sometime, that'd be great.

Sonja,
Count me in! Btw, it's interesting that you too feel the urge to do some of the explanations in English while you are teaching. I sometimes could come up with an English term easily and then have a hard time translating it back to German again
However, I can thoroughly understand it in Jules' case

Regards,
FJ

Fabian,

The language thing is weird, isn´t it? I mean, there are just no good words that describe "blending", "uprooting", etc. In German they either sound too technical, too esoterical or they just don´t mean the same thing. I wish I spoke Japanese properly - it would not help with the teaching of course but maybe it would help my understanding as such and therefore give me new ideas. Funny, that you feel the same way!

See ya,
Sonja

It is!
And btw, my Escrima teacher told me the very same thing about stuff like 'deflecting'. Haha, imagine telling a student how an attack should be 'deflektiert', hilarious
Maybe we can elaborate on this after class.

My best,
FJ

It is possible for non-army people to come on post, but you have to have a "sponsor", passport and usually drivers license (fahrscheine) i believe.

Chuck, it would be nice to do a mini seminar or something...i'd love that! I will be at Graf tommorrow, but unfortunately will not probably be able to make it by, like you I am always in and out! Things loosen up for me in next 8 weeks, so plan on making time! What nights are you doing class again?

Sonja McGough wrote: Kevin, Michael, what do you do? I take it that you studied in Freiburg, then? Ok, forgotten anyone I didn´t expect my little introduction to bring up so much nice stuff! Have a nice easter everyone, Sonja

I studied chemistry and will finish my PhD in Micorbiology on April 18th. So basically I'm a biochemist.

Kevin Leavitt wrote: It is possible for non-army people to come on post, but you have to have a "sponsor", passport and usually drivers license (fahrscheine) i believe.

More or less. Some form of official ID, mostly, the ausweisse (sp?) works. If you know they're coming, you can meet them at the gate and sign them in and out.

Chuck, it would be nice to do a mini seminar or something...i'd love that!

Something to discuss over beer sometime. Do you know Kallmuenz? Old castle ruin atop a hill above a very nifty village at the confluence of the Vils and Naab, before they run into the Donau. Not all that far from you. Very cool place. A little gasthaus there serves zioglbier year-round, too.

What nights are you doing class again?

Tues, at the Graf gym, Thurs at the home dojo in Pressath.

You?

cg

Fabian Junker wrote: I wonder if Beate is still around the boards sometimes? Anyway, maybe she can introduce Emily, you, and me to each other personally sometime, that'd be great.

She lurks on aikido-l sometimes, but haven't seen her logged in here.

Em and I were discussing our next trip to Stuttgart last evening. We'll coordinate with Beate and Eva and work something out before much more time passes. Be good to meet more virtual folks in the flesh!

Chuck

Yes it would, especially since I remember Beate reiterating time and again how great you folks are on and off the mat , so maybe we can make that happen in the not so distant future.

Concerning the civilians on army base thing, a teacher of mine at University teaches literature courses there and just told us the same thing about signing people in, so it just seems to work out nicely if they know who you are.

Regards,
FJ