Today's Schedule:

5:15-6:15pm. Aikido. Bill Allen

6:30-7:30pm. Aikddo. Sensei

O'Sensei Memorial Seminar

We already passed the half-way mark for number of participants. Please sign up asap to reserve your space on the mats. Because of the size of the mats, we are only having enough people to practice safely.

NO Drama

I notice that some people love drama - of course, everyone loves drama on television, but I don't know about so much of it in real life. In one's life, on the mats, at work, in the family. . . we should all work towards a quiet, sensitive life of harmony.

We all want families, but when I see families, I always see fighting, misunderstanding, neglect, disrespect and on and on.

I think we do not understand that value of a family or appreciate it as a great treasure. In the dojo, it is another kind of family with O'Sensei at the head. . . . . It is great to be a part of this Family but you must appreciate it first. In front of O'Sensei's photo, who can fight and bicker with others?

If we are all polishing ourselves and trying to make ourselves better people in Aikido, we should all learn how to work together and share.

I practiceed all my life and tried to build a nice place where you can practice Aikido. At the same time, you come from far away and take time from your busy schedule to practice Aikido. This is a great thing - it may sound like I am stating a simple fact but if you think about this deeply and seriously, you will see how great and wonderful it is. Please keep up your practice!

When I see very advanced teachers - like many I am honored to know, which strikes me the most about them is their great respect for all people. Of course, they can be very strict and demanding but they are very kind in the their hearts. The kindest people in the world.

When I talk and interact with most people, I do not see this at such a high level. Normal people make promises but cannot keep them. They forget they word, and sometimes they do not act correctly. They are unaware and forgetful and often fail to get the job done. Of course, they are all very nice people like everyone else but you cannot rely on them because they "lack training." In Aikido, if you train to a high level - it is not about strength and who can beat who - it is about becoming a totally honest, upright and completely reliable person. You will say, "Yes, I know he will save my life!" "Yes, I will save his life someday!"

Most people - "Oh no! I cannot rely on him, he will throw the life saving float when I am drowning but he will forget to tow me back into the boat!"

Become the totally trustworthy person who people will say, "I can depend on him, he will save my life!" This is a part of our Aikido practice. . . . .

Practice correctness and from correctness derive strength. Strength drawn from a sense of competition or desire to beat others is not real strength.

Many Thanks:

Many thanks to Bill Allen for spending the entire Sunday shopping for a heater for the dojo. Unfortunately, all the heaters were sold out so he brought his own from his own home. It is the first time I could sleep at night in several weeks. However, I still have the heater going on and I am wearing three pairs of pants and three shirts and several old blankets over me!

I have mentioned that the heater was broken but no one in the dojo responded, we are not very pro-active, and wait until it is too late. I think no one remembers the heat spell we had in Los Angeles.

Many years ago, we had a heat wave in Los Angeles, and the inside of the dojo reach 110 degrees. By they time we went to buy a bigger fan for the dojo, they were all sold out all over Los Angeles. When I went to Home Depot, they told me they got in over 600 fans which were sold out in less than 20 minutes.

After this incident, I realize that we always must prepare for the cold and heat spells in Los Angeles much in advance.

I don't mind to spend every penny on the dojo which should be as nice as possible. However, as a teacher, we cannot ask for or live such a luxurious life and must be rather spartan - this all happens in the same building and same space so it is hard for my students to differeniate, understand and appreciate this. In my younger days, I didn't really care how hot or cold it got in the dojo. But in my senior years, now that I am almost 60 years old, the heat and cold play more havoc on my poor, old bones.