Thank you to all the participants of this year's Aikido Warriors' Camp
for making it such a success!
The camp provides a weeklong overview of Aikido practice and philosophy,
and a summer refresher for our regular students.
Typically, each day
begins with morning warm-ups and a jog:
a light refreshing warm-up in the morning air,
and for students to get used to moving around together
as a team.
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A
team-game normally follows the jog, reinforcing
the importance of
working together, being mindful of team mates, working
out strategies,
leading the team, and delegating responsibilities. |
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Frisbee
Game |
Capture
the Flag |
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Fox
and the Hen |
International
Football (Soccer) |
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Daily
practice included the observance of
Aikido etiquette and discipline.
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Practising
the Bow |
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Remembering everyone's name... |
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Setting personal goals and life statements... |
... reflecting on etiquette and philosophy ... |
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Working together... |
Blame and be lame ... |
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After
the normal dojo warm-up, students
were brought through basic unarmed
and weapons training.
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Rowing exercises... |
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Stretch..... |
Kneeling breakfalls |
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Kokyuho extension, inhale... exhale... |
Elbow crawl ... no legs! |
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Elbow crawl with a bokken. |
Forward rolls... |
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Forward rolls with a bokken... |
Getting over the fear of rolling over someone... |
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Backward rolls |
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Shikko, knee walking with a bokken... |
Always practice the basics... Ikkyo! |
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Kokyuho pin... |
Katate Dori Nikkyo. |
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Kotegaeshi... |
Tanto Dori Nikkyo. |
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The importance of moving... |
... and moving out of the away... |
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As a central theme of the camps,
apart
from technique,
the importance
of developing oneself from the inside
is also reinforced:
proper and appropriate etiquette, respect,
discipline, self-reliance, accountability,
being responsible, and being
conscious of one's decisions and actions.
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A question of trust... a Trust Exercise. |
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Learning
to listen and to lead the sightless... |
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engaging all the senses... |
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...practising
centredness... |
...being
specific, and saying what you mean. |
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Inner
focus, control ... |
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each stroke being decisive... |
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... through calligraphy. |
Manfesting what is internal ... |
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Working together to carry a tennis ball... |
Wheelbarrow Race. |
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Games
served to reveal personal attitudes,
character, temperament, beliefs, ...
going beyond assumptions:
sowed the seeds of self-discovery.
Being more sensitive to choices,
responsibilities
and others.
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After going around the pole, ... |
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feeling breathless and dizzy... |
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then calming down to transfer beans ... |
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... from one bowl to another using chopsticks. |
Blanket Game;
remembering faces and names. |
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Dog and the Bone: Alert, quick, agile... |
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Students
were also introduced to the idea of KI.
These
exercises required students to be aligned
within themselves - balanced in mind, spirit and body.
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Adjusting to find
the Centre, intention & focus... |
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receiving and redirecting energy... |
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...
extension of "ki"... |
...
practising with blindfolds. |
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Participants
also practised multiple attacks.
These
exercises demonstrated the importance of movement, centredness,
and going with the flow.
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Students practiced hip-throws (koshi nage):
beginning with experiencing someone's
weight through executing a "Fireman's Lift".
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Into Aiki-Otoshis... |
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Bokken |
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Bokken Multiple Attack... |
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Jo |
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Aikido
Warriors' Camp 9 July 2012 |
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You made it a very special and meaningful week of Aikido practice! |
Thank
you once again for such a wonderful and enriching summer.
See you in the Dojo! |
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