Today's Schedule:

5:15-6:15pm Aikido.

6:30-7:30pm Bokken Sword Class. Gary Myers, Mark Ty.

Please go to our Yahoo group to to see Wang Wei's poem in Misc Photos. For me, it seems to epitomize the highest ideals of Aikido. Please enjoy!

Two Sides of the Same Coin:

As I keep urging my students, Aikido practice is continually seeing all sides of practice at the same time. Indeed, it is much like the impossible task of seeing both sides of the same coin at the same time. . . . .

At the same time, one must emphasize mastery of the fundamentals, one must also be aware of new ideas and a broadening spectrum of practice being introduced to you.

At the same time, we must emphasize a viable, strong martial arts aspect to our practice, we must also master the subtle aspects of the technique which move us towards something beyond force and oppressing or controlling our opponents.

At the same time, there is a strong sense of becoming our "original self" and an independent individual, there is anothe aspect of working with others, being modest and humble in all of your actions and thoughts.

What this "ability to see both sides of the coin" is - is what Dogen Zenji called, "nyunanshin," of the "flexible mind."