Today's Schedule:

5:15-6:15pm Beginning Aikido

6:30-7:00pm Aiki Sword Class

7:00-7:30pm Monthly General Meeting.

a. Discussion of last seminar. Film clips premiere!

b. Planning for visit by Hideo Yonemochi Sensei of Aikikai Hombu.

c. July Book Signing

James Doi, 5th Dan, at recent O'Sensei Memorial Seminar. April 22-23. Uke: James Takata.

Wishing A Speedy Recovery:

Many best wishes to Larry Armstrong who had a traffic accident while on his motorcycle. He injured his arm and shoulder and will be out for a few weeks.

Our Deepest Condolences:

James Doi will be out this weekend. His father's funeral is on Friday and his uncle's funeral follows on the very next day on Saturday. We wish James and his family all of our best wishes and sympathies and hope that everything goes well for them.

"Fude" - "Brush"

The large character on the scroll in the tokonoma over the last several days is the single, large character for "brush." I like this scroll very much because the character is very well written and it is very difficult to maintain the balance and energy when writing a character on such a large scale as this.

However, I have always thought that it is very unusual to simply write one character, brush. I have only thought that it is an allusion to calligraphy and its practice.

During our class tonight, as I was teaching, I happen to glance at the character and realized, I think, its much deeper meaning. A brush for writing is simply a piece of bamboo with a little animal hair on the end. If you think about it, it is really a very simple thing despite the fact that there are many styles and sizes - it is just a small piece of bamboo and animal hair.

Yet, from this simple instrument, people for the last 4,000 years, have written great masterpieces of calligraphy, poetry, literature, books, and great pictures. How many great works of art and pieces of literature has such a simple tool created?

Aikido is very much the same - from something very simple, we create something quite wonderful and amazing. We accomplish this through our constant practice. . . .

When you see this character - you can see great spirit, energy and tradition.