What Is Aikido?
Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, 1883-1969, explained Aikido as follows:
Aikido techniques are developed to use the whole force of attackers. This means that the stronger an attacker’s force, the easier we can handle the attacker.There is no offensive technique in Aikido because to attack means to be defeated in spirit. Aikido is based on the principle of ultimate nonresistance so that any attacker will feel no force from a person who has mastered Aikido. There are no enemies in Aikido; even if there is an opponent, a person who practices Aikido should freely handle the opponent as a part of his/her own body.
Introduction of Mitsuru Sobue Shihan. |
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| 1943 | Born, Nagoya, Japan | |
| 1964 | Joins the Aikido club of the Aichi Graduate Studies University (Aichi Gakuin Daigaku). | |
| 1965 |
Receives the first dan certification from founder Morihei Ueshiba. Becomes the third club public relations officer. Participates in the composition of the statutes of the association of university Aikido clubs of the Chubu region. Mitsunari Kanai Shihan, sent by the Hombu Dojo to teach in Nagoya, departs for the United States. |
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| 1966 |
Receives the second dan from founder Morihei Ueshiba. After finishing his studies, continues training in the Aikikai section of Nagoya and at the Nagoya YMCA, as well as at the Aikido club of the Asahi Shinbun newspaper. Kazuo Chiba Shihan, sent by the Hombu Dojo to teach in Nagoya, departs for England. Sobue Shihan then receives training from Norihiko Ichihashi Shihan and Nobuyuki Watanabe Shihan, come to Nagoya as replacement. |
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| 1969 | Receives the third dan of the 2nd Doshu Kishomaru Ueshiba. Is put in charge of teaching in the Aikikai section of Nagoya and at the Nagoya YMCA. | 1979 | Receives the fourth dan of the 2nd Doshu Kishomaru Ueshiba. |
| 1982 | He starts to receives instruction from Seigo Yamaguchi until the death of the latter. He trains at the University of Nagoya, Meiji University, at the Nerima Sports Center, and at the Zoshukan of Shibuya. | |
| 1984 | Becomes co-administrator of the Aikikai section of Nagoya. Presides over the annual black belt gathering. | |
| 1985 | Receives the fifth dan of the 2nd Doshu Kishomaru Ueshiba. | |
| 1987 | Studies the “Yagyuu Shinkage ryu” sword style with the 21st soke, Nobuharu Yagyuu. | |
| 1990 | In order to study the techniques of Seigo Yamaguchi Shihan in Nagoya, he creates the “Meirin-Juku” association there of which he is the leader. The training takes place at the Tsuyuhashi sports center. |  |
| 1993 | Recieves the sixth dan of the 2nd Doshu Kishomaru Ueshiba. | |
| 1994 | Participates in a seminar specially organized for the 70th birthday of Seigo Yamaguchi Shihan. | |
| 1996 | After having taught at the Hombu Dojo until his final days, Seigo Yamaguchi Shihan dies of a chronic illness that suddenly escalates. The same year Sobue Shihan invites Seishiro Endo Shihan to Nagoya for a research seminar to be organized every year from that point on. |
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| 1998 | Is put in charge of the Aikido section of the Open College of the junior college Nagoya Bunka Tanki Daigaku, where he teaches for two years. | |
| 1998 | In August he opens his “Meirin-Juku Dojo” at 3-8-8 Kanayama, Nakaku, Nagoya, which he still leads, with the objective of deepening the study of the techniques of Seigo Yamaguchi Shihan. | |
| 2005 | Receives the seventh dan of the 3rd Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba. | |
Introduction of Aikido Meirin-Jyuku Dojo
-Aikido is practiced by unifying mind and body, and becoming one with the partner.The aim of Aikido is not to harm others, but to awaken the natural abilities of the human body.
-Meirin-juku Dojo wasestablished in October, 1990 with members whos aim was to highten each other through practice. Trainings were initially held at the Tsuyuhashi Sports Center, after which through the help and support of many, the current Kanayama dojo was established on August, 1998.
– In Meirin-juku Dojo, a nonprofit group of pursuing Aikido, all members should practice Aikido techniques to improve each other’s hability.A beginner is expected to start by learning the forms and names of the basic Aikido techniques recommended by Aikido Hombu Dojo. Becoming skilled in Ukemi (breakfall), he/she will shift to a stage of pursuing the meaning of Aikido with the attitude “Respect all others as teachers.” We should practice Aikido with the spirit “If I failed yesterday, I can overcome and succeed today,” and consider the meaning of each technique. During each lesson, we should do Aikido with a positive feeling.
– A person of high school age or older can be a student of the dojo and is required to wear an Aikido Gi (Judo or Karate Gis are also acceptable). All members should buy Accident Insurance every April. Any injury or accident during practice is the responsibility of each member. All members should do warming-up exercise before to start the practice. If any trouble occurs during practice, it must be cleared by the involved members.
– All members should pay their membership fees at least one month in advance. If a member fails to pay his/her membership fees for two months or more without notice, he/she will be removed from the member’s list. When a member gives a leave of absence notice, the membership fee will be reduced to 500 yen per month.
– To improve the practice environment, all members are recommended to clean inside and outside the dojo after practice. Since the dojo is located in a densely built-up area, keep quiet before and after practice. The dojo has no parking lot so all members and visitors are recommended to use public transportation.
Instructors and Fee
| Headmaster: | K . Kusano, 6th Dan | |
| place: | 8-8 3-Chome, Kanayama, Naka-Ku, Nagoya-Shi 460-0022, JAPAN | |
| Practice Hours: | Beginner Class: 06:30 – 07:30 p.m. on Tuesday 05:00 – 06:00 p.m. on Saturday 09:30 – 10:30 a.m. on Sunday |
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| Ordinary Class: 07:30 – 08:30 p.m. on Tuesday 06:00 – 07:00 p.m. on Saturday 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Sunday |
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| Note: Please check for notices in the dojo since the dojo may be closed on some Saturdays and |
| Sundays due to other practice responsibilities of the headmaster. |
| Entrance Fee: | 8,800 yen
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| Monthly Fee: | Ordinary Member: 6,000 yen
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Family(couple): 9,000 yen
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Student: 5,000 yen
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| Beginner: | 3-month advanced payment required
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| Visitor: | 1,500 yen / practice
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| Accident Insurance: | 1,850 yen / year | |||
| For students who hope to pay monthly fee by account-to-account transfer, please contact the headmaster for the bank account. The payment already received will not be returned for any reasons except mistake. |
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Q and A
To Visitors Who Want To Observe or Start Aikido Practice
in Meirin-Jyuku Dojo:
| Q1: How can I observe the practice in Meirin-Jyuku Dojo? |
| A: Meirin-Jyuku Dojo welcomes everybody who wants to observe the practice except for the Advanced |
| Class. See the Practice Schedule and Map on the Home Page and visit the dojo at ease. |
| We cannot deal with visitors during a practice so that contacting us before the practice will be |
| convenient to answer your questions and the like. |
| Q2: What is a practice observation? |
| A: Observing the practice in a dojo is also a very important way of practicing Aikido. |
| A person who cannot continue the practice once a week for at least a year would obtain no fruit |
| of it. Before joining the dojo, judge whether you have a strong will for Aikido by observing a |
| practice completely. |
| Q3: What is a dojo? |
| A: A dojo is originally a holly and serious place where the essence of a martial art (Budo) is passed |
| down from a teacher to members, which means that any member cannot enter the dojo without a |
| permission from the teacher after beginning a practice. |
| In other words, Meirin-Jyuku Dojo is a place for practicing Aikido not only enjoying it as a sport. |
| Q4: How can I select a good dojo? |
| A: You can feel a glass of water to be cool or warm by touching and drinking it practically. Also, each |
| one has individual feeling. Regardless of transportation convenience or the like, it is more important |
| than merely practicing to select the most suitable dojo for you by observing various dojos. |
| Q5: I’d like to practice a variety of dojos… |
| A: Acquiring the spirit and techniques of Aikido requires serious practices under a reliable teacher. |
| Although Meirin-Jyuku Dojo recommends members to practice in other dojos for enlarging their |
| view, it would be meaningless if there is no foundation of practice. You should select a dojo that |
| you can be proud of and rely on. |
| Q6: What kind of dojo is Meirin-Jyuku? |
| A: We consider that practice is a chance for members to learn the essence of Aikido via his/her |
| sensitivity, which means that there is no fruit from only paying membership fees. |
| Meirin-Jyuku is a dojo for all members with a motto “Respect all others as teachers”. We expect |
| from members to take part in managing the dojo and practicing together. |
| Q7: I would like to enter the dojo after experiencing a practice… |
| A: Although there are many demands of experiencing a practice before joining the dojo, we accept |
| a number of practice observations so that you are recommended to start practicing form the |
| Beginner Class. |
| Q8:l What is practicing as a visitor? |
| A: We welcome visitors who should belong to the other Aikikai dojo and be allowed to practice in |
| Meirin-Jyuku Dojo from their instructor. All visitors should also follow the practice method |
| and the rules in Meirin-Jyuku Dojo. |
| Q9: Are there any differences between the Beginner and Ordinary Classes? |
| A: In the Beginner Class, a member should start learning the basic attitude and body movements. |
| Before entering the Beginner Class, it is required to pay 3-month advanced fees (lump-sum |
| payment discount applicable). To entry the Ordinary Class, it is basically required to complete |
| the Beginner Class (30 hours); however, if recognized as safe for practices, he/she can enter |
| the Ordinary Class from the first day. Delayed participation to a practice is also accepted when |
| members cannot join the class from the beginning due to their working condition or the like. |
| Q10: What kind of practice is carried out in the Advanced Class? |
| A: The Advanced Class is a special class limited for the instructors in Meirin-Jyuku Dojo in which |
| the theory and techniques in Aikido are pursued. Participating in this class without permission is |
| not allowed as well as the practice observation. After obtaining the permission from the headmaster, |
| it is required to pay the extra fee in addition except for students. |
| Q11: Please explain the membership fee? |
| A: Meirin-Jyuku Dojo is a nonprofit and amateur group of pursuing Aikido where all expenses are |
| covered by the membership fee. All members should pay their membership fees at least one month |
| in advance. The visitor fee is \1,500 a day. The payment already received will not be returned for |
| any reasons except mistake. If a member fails to pay his/her membership fees for two months or |
| more without notice, he/she will be removed from the member’s list with corresponding duty of |
| paying membership fees remained. Submit the notice of recess or withdrawal without fail. |
| For a long-term recess, the advanced notice can reduce the membership fee to \500 a month. |
| If the membership becomes invalid, no support will be given from the dojo. |
| Q12: How the dojo copes with any injury during practice? |
| A: Any injury or accident during practice is the responsibility of each member. All members should |
| buy Accident Insurance every April (\1,500 a year). When withdrawing from the dojo, he/she will |
| become no object of paperwork. |
| Q13: I’d like to practice Aikido as the art of self-defense… |
| A: We consider that it will be the art of self-defense to maintain a secure condition without using |
| any self-defense techniques. There might be other effective methods to improve only one’s |
| physical strength. |
| Q14: Can I practice Aikido wearing glasses? |
| A: Wearing glasses could be dangerous for some techniques; even if closing your eyes, you can |
| practice by feeling the partner’s movement. Normally, you can wear glasses suitable for sports |
| during practice. |
| Q15: Is there any entry qualifications in Meirin-Jyuku Dojo? |
| A: We accept a person who is a high school student or older and has a will to continue the practice |
| for at least six months regardless of nationality, gender, age, etc. The headmaster will determine |
| his/her entrance after an interview. A junior high school student will be allowed to become a |
| member when he/she can practice with ordinary class members without undue stress. |
| Q16: Can I make a school boy/girl learn Aikido? |
| A: Meirin-Jyuku Dojo has 50 members in its 40-mat room. The dojo has three-level classes |
| (Beginner, Regular, and Advanced) and is running out of space. To avoid any accidents, please |
| wait until we have the Schoolchildren Class. |
| Q17: What attitudes are to be held during practice? |
| A: How to get the instructor’s message during practice depends on each student’s sensitivity so |
| that every member should develop his/her sense with the spirit that “If I failed yesterday, I can |
| overcome and succeed today” unveiling one’s sensitivity. |
| After all, Aikido movements consist of just “sitting, standing, and walking appropriately”. |
| Q18: Is there no practice on national holidays? |
| A: Except the beginning and the end of the year, there is no break in the practice throughout. |
| Please check the notice in the dojo or the message board in the Meirin-Jyuku Dojo’s HP since |
| the dojo could be closed on some Saturdays and Sundays due to other practice responsibilities |
| of the headmaster. (The message board can be accessed from all types of cellular phones.) |
| Q19: Please teach me how to hold up a hakama. |
| A: In Meirin-Jyuku Dojo, a male member can wear a hakama from the 1st dan (black belt) and a |
| female member from the 5th kyu (white belt). Since a hakama has many structural folds it will |
| easily crinkle up after folding it carelessly. The members having a hakama are recommended to |
| learn the formal holding method referring How To Hold a Hakama. |
| Q20: Can I get any membership card or certificate of registration from the dojo? |
| A: Meirin-Jyuku Dojo does not issue any kind of certificates. We will attach a Hombu Dojo’s |
| membership card to the certificate of 5th Kyu when a member passes. |
| Q21: Are there any other precautions? |
| A1: All activities concerning religions and politics are prohibited in the dojo. |
| A2: Do not treat the other member to meals and/or drinking for free! Split the bill with gratitude |
| to each other. |