Sushi Deshi, 1 year in Japan

The "Why" of cleaning....
I was having one more of these profound talks with Takashima Sensei, and it drifted to the tasks of the uchi deshi, one of the main being cleaning. He told me I had to question myself when I was doing it and why I had to do this, to find a purpose in this madness. It`s true that it can be sometimes a bit alienating.  So I let it sank for a while, trying to remember what he told me before, that in the old times the potential candidates for deshi would spend the first few months in the dojo, only cleaning, not receiving any teachings, only cleaning, and that O-Sensei would decide if they can join based on the examination of their work. He told me about how the Sensei would recognize who did the cleaning based on how it looked. Whether it's true or not, it gave me some matter to think.
And my answer is Intention. You have to learn to do things without intention. All these tasks are everyday opportunities to practice doing things without showing your intention. So at first maybe you have to hide them, but the ultimate goal is to not generate any. Not being in a rush, not avoiding it, just doing it.  Kind of doing a meditation on the scrubbing of the toilet bowl in a way.
Because if you show your intention and emotions to your opponent, he will see it coming and react accordingly. I think. You can say it's BS, fine with me. But I think it's cool to think you can settle your mind by swiping  the dust away...
Takashima Sensei also added that it was a good practice to sharpen your senses, and develop a habit of immediately getting if something is wrong in a situation. I'm not there yet.

This month was a bit hectic, aikido speaking. I had many distractions from my everyday training. There was a unexpected visit to Osaka for 2 days with Kanazawa Sensei, where I had to work as English teacher on one of his "project"... Mr Bala, a student from Aikido Shudokan Malaysia came for 10 days to the dojo, and we did a trip to Ise which is a kind of Mecca for the Shintoism, a holy city that is worth visiting!

I also had a 3 days English summer camp with Nitta Sensei (from my initial homestay program). She was a bit worried that it would be tiring for me... How sweet, but after a good rehearsal with the Aikido Summer Camp,  this was just a joke. Only 9 kids, I had to teach some Aikido, in english, so it was a nice break :).

After a few trainings here and there, I had a one week summer break to Hokkaido with my beloved Fiancée and a trip to Bali for Sensei Jon's wedding. So I feel I've done every thing but Aikido.

But when I think about it, we kept going on about the Shoteng, and we continued the instructor test classes, and it's very interesting to be questioned on the purpose of each aikido basic movements. It makes you realize how little you know! For example, why do we practice shumatsu dosa? Or what are the important points of each movements of the Kihon dosa ( that are not obvious...)? What is Kamae....? Things like that. Tell me what you think about it!

So, during my first exchanges of email with Takashima Sensei, he told me he wanted me to help him with the kids class. So I was like, yep no problem, it will be a good experience for me. What I didn`t get is that he was contracted with 3 different kinder garden schools, thus teaching Aikido 2 hours a day to kids from 3 to 6 years old, 3 times a week. Surprise Surprise!!!   

The schedule is a followed:

- Monday, Kawagoe (1 hour from Tokyo) kinder garden, from 2:00 to 4:00

- Wednesday, Soka Kinder garden in Tokyo, from 2:00 to 4:00

- Thursday, Another kinder garden in Kawagoe, from 2:00 to 4:00

When I think about how terrified I felt the first time I was in front of these kids, and how I start to love them now, I'm thinking that you can experience tremendous changes within 3 months...

Because I was not the kind of "kid" person. And suddenly, I have 60 (yes 60) of them in front of me, ready to eat me alive. That might have been one of the most difficult thing I`ve done. I felt a bit like this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO4X8_c80kg

BUT, I find now that teaching is a good experience, it helps me to face my own mistakes, and allow  me to understand difficulties of learning and teaching. I can teach only what I understand, of course, so hopefully I know more Aikido than 3 years old beginners. Even though, sometimes, it`s just impossible for them to understand.  At first, I thought, "guys are you dumb or what?? just do what i'm showing you!!" and often, It's a lost cause. And then I think about my own training with Takashima Sensei . And how he is always repeating the same things,   " no not like that, like this.." . I'm wondering how he doesn't get frustrated at us, He must have told us a thousand of times, but unless you are ready to hear it and understand it, you are doing it wrong. So in the end, it`s just that people have different levels of understanding something. 

And also, now I love kids. :)

Look at these chubby faces.

This month was pretty packed with many new things. We had the visit of Igor sensei from St petersbourg, who wanted to spend 2 weeks in the dojo, learning Riai (Principles) with Takashima Sensei. I think it 's brave at this point of his aikido career to put things into a different perspective and add new things to what he learned so far. I found out that It can also be very frustrating...

So Takashima Sensei introduces the notion of "Shoteng", or target where you focus your power. You create a target simply by gently placing your hand on a part ok uke's body, fix it, and move your body a bit forward and inside to stiffen your Uke, and take control of his body. Easier written than done. But the more we do it the more I realize where in many techniques we have to use this concept of Shoteng, for exemple in the katamochi and Hijimochi techniques. I realize it, but still can`t do it. 

We also started to train for the Instructor class, the structure of the Instructor test is as followed:

- Kamae
- Kihon dosa
- 3 simple random techniques
- 1 round of jyu waza
- goshin jiustu or self defense
- Teach a technique in 5 minutes, where you organize your timing between demonstrating, speaking about the baselines, important points and common mistakes of the technique.

Seemed like a breeze when I was told the program!... But no, it`s not. 

First of all, the check of your Kamae, thinking about all the details of it, your overall feeling, your ability to move freely into any of the basic movements from this position. I remember joking with the city dojo fellows about "The Prefect Kamae, Volume 1". Well, it`s not that far! :)

Same with the Kihon Dosa, the goal is to see if you really understand what`s going on, and if you can perform it correctly.

About the 3 random techniques, they are supposed to be basics, in order to check if you can use the basics movements inside a technique.

So, lots of fun!

Since Igor Sensei was here, a short road trip to Aizu was organized, and you can see more about it here. 

We also had many events during this month, including the Summer training, or 10 consecutive days of morning training from 6:30 to 8:00. It wasn`t a big change for me, although I have to say it was quite draining to have this on top of everything.

Once the summer training was finished, we continued with the summer camp for kids. 3 days of activities, games, Matsuri, aikido, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, showers, baby sitting, for 40 kids, aging from 5 to 12 years old. I was not prepared for that at all. But it was fun. Sort of. It was exhausting, but on the other hand, it was really good to get to know these kids deeper. Plus I had to improvise my first teaching experience, since it was a last minute request from Takashima Sensei. So on the whole, it was a great experience, learning to balance between discipline and fun, jokes and orders. And I have to say I`m starting to like these kids. Meet them below!

As Uchi-Deshi, you learn the practice of sacrifice, you learn to cultivate feeling of care for others, even your enemies, so that it makes you aware of details, you have to train to see everything, every intentions in a glimpse, so Takashima Sensei said. I can find some similarity with the Buddhist spirit of compassion, but the purpose is different. For the Uchi Deshi, it's about being able to react to neutralize the enemies.

We have very interesting talks about the Uchi Deshi position, I think it helps a lot to destroy your ego, because everything that you do, clean, cook, serve, you have to do with a pure heart, "Su no Kokoro", for your Sensei. And as Uchi Deshi, you don't expect to get any considerations from others for all of this. You don't feel good or bad about it, that's normal. When you sometimes get some considerations, it's pure bonus!

So in a way, being uchi deshi, at the bottom of the hierarchy, takes away a lot of social pressure about relationships with others. No more "hmm, this guy should show me a little more respect, what can I do about it?", Freedom of the mind!!!

Talking with Takashima sensei, it can also be a double edge sword, he had witness some examples of deshi being very proud and show off their uchi deshi skills with their master in front of other people. "Look how good I am". Good boy, Pat on the back.

Takayama sensei, the owner of the building, hence owner of the dojo, is part of the board member for the decisions regarding the dojo, along with Inoue Kancho, 10th Dan, and Yamada Sensei, chief officer of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. He has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve for this dojo, and it's focused a lot on the education and development of children.

He kindly bought a French movie, which was shot in my home town, and he wanted me to organize a French day, with some typical French food, and some explanations about France, my hometown etc...

On the menu, Quiche Lorraine, Rillettes (kind of pork belly slow cooked, and spread on fresh baguette, very fat, so very good),  Mousse au chocolat, Salade de fruit, Tartes aux pommes, all of it with a nice Bordeaux (grape juice for children),.... For 20 people....
So I spent about 4 days cooking, but the result was worth it.

I've been sick for 2 weeks with a nasty bronchitis, with constant coughing night and day. Quite exhausting. So Takashima Sensei sent me to the hospital, chest scan, blood and urine tests, the full Monty . I think syrup would have been enough but he wanted to be sure :)
My body was pushed to its limits, in an unfamiliar very humid weather, plus the fatigue of a busy schedule. Because as uchi deshi, I have to follow Takashima Sensei's every moves, it's quite draining, and only now after almost 4 months, I 'm starting to get used to it.
So the big news, Takashima Sensei decided to give me one day off. Freedom!

After my recovery, we resumed the training, and started to learn about Shoroku, or concentrated power, generated from hiriki no yosei. When you connect correctly with the partner, and that you stretch him correctly, this power can become kokyuroku, or power of projection.

When a technique is done properly, shite doesn't feel his uke, it`s like doing the movement alone. Very confusing. You can only rely on applying the principles, and visual clues on how your uke moves or reacts.

On top of Aikido, I also continue my stydy of Tea Ceremony and Shiatsu, 3 times a week.

At last, I`m moving as ushi deshi in the dojo and I could start to settle in my cosy uchi deshi room which is about 7-8 tatami big (room size is expressed by number of tatami in Japan). It's awesome to be able to live in the dojo, but this means some responsibilities as well, and I don't get much free time.

Aikido wise, we resumed the practice of Shionage and started Ikkajo as well. We had to perform another demonstration for Inoue Kancho, under the Shinwakan name. It was quite interesting, I could learn my first Kihon Dosa Kanren Waza, which is a sequence of the basics movements and basic techniques. I could also take Uke for Takashima Sensei, always a magic experience to be Uke for such a Master, even if I don`t understand what is going on while I`m being thrown. 

The everyday training is focused on the basics of Kamae and I had to start from scratch to learn the basic Kihon Dosa, because it`s a bit different than what I used to learn, so the body memory has to change. I could enjoy a Senshusei class only about Kamae, 20 minutes right Kamae, 20 minutes left Kamae, I know it doesn`t sound like it, but it`s exhausting. 

The learning process of the techniques is focused on the "riai" or principles, which makes it truly challenging. I have to re-learn everything, and I'm questionning (maybe too much, that would be me..) my every moves. This is sometimes frustrating, but when it works, OMG!!! That's a motivation to keep learning more. The Riai teaching is really focusing on not using your strength at all, and being able to connect with and control your partner.

Takashima Sensei started to explain how to connect correctly with your partner. I thought it was about  stealing  the center of your opponent, but it's more about becoming one with his center, and making it move the way you want. It's not pushing or pulling the partner ,  but entering... It's quite subtil, and very difficult to perform. You have to give just the right amount of resistance or forward motion, so that you don't create any conflicts, and so that your uke doesn't feel being attacked, and has nothing to fight against.

Aïkido might not be about doing the technique over and over during many years, but maybe more to understand these basic principles that make the technique efficient and real. Performing an aikido technique and not understanding these Riai would be like an comedian trying to express a feeling by reading a text, without being capable to get the meaning of it, you can tell that something is not right.

So what I understood so far is that you 'd better plant the right seeds in your aikido garden, because doing the wrong move for 20 years or more will never make it right.

It`s Golden week!!! One week of holiday, OMG, it feels so good. I was sick during the week, could sleep and rest, and eat good food and rest again, and have free time. So enjoyable. 

I`m doing 2 weeks of homestay program, with Nitta Chieko Sensei a friend of Onodera Sensei. So I`m living in a Japanese house in Nerima Takanodai, with Nitta Sensei, her son Takato, her niece Junko and son Hiromu, who had to leave Fukushima due to the level of radiation.

Very resting 2 weeks, only 2 hearthquakes in 2 days, I thought I was living on top of train station, but it looked pretty normal for them. Ok, then.. No worries!

The food was delicious at every meal, and they were all very nice with me, took me for some sight seeing, out in the town for lunch and dinners. Really nice.

It was kind of fun situations to try to communicate with Junko, who doesn`t speak a word of English, and me without a word of Japanese, but you find out that sign language and Ipad helps a lot.

And Hajimemasho!

First Senshusei class is starting, Nakao Sensei, Kanazawa Sensei and Takashima Sensei spoke about the essence of the senshusei course, how I should behave and what I should keep in mind at all time. It was quite intense. To mention some exemples, as a senshusei, what ever is being asked by the Sensei, even if unreasonable, you should accept it and stay neutral, don`t judge, stay pure (Suno Kokoro?), you have to be always aware of your surroundings, in case of potential threats against Sensei`s or Students, always be ready for war, war is everywhere.

And some other Japanese proverbs:

• Ichi Go Ichi He, this moment could be the last

• Jo zen sai Jo, to be always ready and alert

• Tatsu tori Ato wo Nigo Sazu (When Bird leaves, everything must be clean), to express the Zanshin

After that I could enjoy some boot camp training, Kiritz!! Seiza!! Seiritz!! Ichideske!!!! Migihanmi Kamae!!! Kamae Nori !! Seiza Ho!! which are all the basic commands (Gore) for standing up, sitting down, on the line, come face to partner...etc I know them very well now.

In the following days, I had to start learning my japanese introduction speech that I have to give for the demonstration on the 20th of April. As a first Senshusei, Takashima Sensei wanted me to open the demonstration with this speech, and give some explanations on the principles of Aikido as well. In Japanese of course.

So it was something like that:

"Sengenkan Dojo Dai itchiki Senshusei Francois Laharrague to moushimasu,

1981 nen, Kugatsu jyuu ichi nichi umare

Furansu Koku, LaRochelle shi shushin

Chichi wa Jean Michel Laharrague, haha wa Sylvie to moushimasu

Senshusei wo tsuji Nihon no kokoro de aru, wa no seishin aikido no waza, so shite Nihon no bunkao manubitai to omoimasu. "Shonen Oyiasuku, Gaku Narigatashi. Issun no koin Karonzu Bekarazu"

Isshokemme Gambarimasu no de goshido gobentatsu no hodo, Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu."

And then some explanations about Aikido 

"Aikido wa Ken no Riai wo tai ni arawashita budo desu. Sengenkan Dojo de wamazu Kihon no shisei zukuri wo Saiyu no kamae to roppon non kihon dosa de shuren shimasu.

Subete no waza wa kono kamae wo kihon to shite hodokosare.

Mata subete no ugoki wa kono roppon no dosa ni shuyaku saremasu."

Voila...

In addition I have to lead the Kihon Dosa Renzoku, basic movements performed in a sequence, with the kids of the dojo, and take Uke for several Sensei, quite a busy demonstration!

So this month was very much focused on the preparation of the demo, and many aikido classes had to be skipped to make sure everything was ready for the arrival of the guests. I also started to learn some Ushi deshi beaviors, along with Japanese manners, etiquette, and cleaning Senshusei tasks.

I had my first teaching experiences in Kawagoe with Kinder garden kids and Junior High kids. Totally terrifying. I`m not the "Kid" kind of guy, I really feel naked when a kid is looking at me, I can feel his scanning process happenning, his instant and accurate judgement, his thoughts "Hmmm this is an easy one...How am I gonna annoy him?". They are just a very good mirror of your inside. That`s why it`s scary, if you are not confident. I`ll do better next times. I will have time to improve since the lessons are 3 afternoon in the week from 2 to 6pm. Exhausting. 

To summarize, This month was very very very busy, and I`m stuffed with many new information and concepts to remember, and a new language to listen to all the time. About the dojo, I have a bit the same feeling than the city Dojo in Melbourne, where I come from. This dojo might not be high in numbers of students yet, but with what I could see so far, they compensate with a very strong spirit and dedication. I have been moved by the kindness, generosity and respect that they are demonstrating everyday.