Today's Schedule:

6:30-7:30pm Aikido. All levels welcome.

Developing skill in the physical techniques of Aikido is nothing without some kind of progress of an inward Nature. Aikido assumes that if you are proficient in its techniques, you are a better person for it.

This is not unique to Aikido but with all traditional arts in Japan. Even a skilfull flying-kite maker can become the great "master."

Even in our highly evolved society today, we still worship money and power - in this sense, we haven't changed much from the prehistoric caveman. . . the only difference with those days is that he hadn't invented money yet.

In our society today, everything is based on how much you can take - take from customers and clients, from your company, from your friends and family, from everything around you.

In the dojo, however, it is a matter of how much we give, not take. We have lost the wisdom of this ancient formula of humanity.

"Busy, busy, busy" means that I cannot control my life. Of course, this is typical and characteristic of today's modern lifestyle and we do not think that there is anything wrong with it. I have led a busy life all my life and at nearly 60, I can say with some degree of authority - it is not good!

"I have to make money to live," or "I live to make money!" What is the difference?

Paying one's dues is not like paying the barber for a haircut or paying bread at the market, it is an expression of thanks to the dojo. If the dojo was a business, we would also be peddling vitamins, leotards, terrycloth head and arms bands, and fancy knik-knaks which you hardly need but must pay good money for.

The acquisition of power may be an element of our natural survival instinct. However, the opression of others, in politics, in business, in your family or on the mats is not!