Recent promotion
On August 19th 2010, and in the context of the International Aikido seminar held in Wroclaw, Poland, Chiba Sensei promoted Patrick Barthélémy, chief instructor of Dai Jyo Kan, to the rank of Rokudan and Birankai Shihan.
Congratulations!
In Memoriam
We thank Tamura Sensei for his life-long dedication to Aikido and for having wholeheartedly transmitted the legacy of O'Sensei.
Our sincere condolences go to his family and to the Aikido community.
Aikikai Landau
Aikido - friendship seminar from 7 to 9 May 2010
with Chris Mooney, 6 Dan Shihan, Birmingham, UK; Dr. Amnon Tchechovoy 4th Dan, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Alexander Broll, 4th Dan, Landau, Germany
On Thursday afternoon I picked up Sensei Amnon from Frankfurt airport. On the same day at 16.30 clock we were on the mat for the children's training, then followed the youth training, weapons training and training for adults. Chris Mooney joined us in the evening and we sat together late into the night.
The next day the international friendship seminar Aikido Dojo Gen Ei Kan, Landau began. Participants from Münster, Karlsruhe and Aikido Dojo Landau were on the tatami.
The Lord Mayor of Landau extended a warm welcome to our guests. It was very special and meaningful to us that after the Holocaust such a meeting between Israel and Germany could take place. Citizens of Jewish faith and people with disabilities were deemed by the Nazi regime as "life unworthy of life" and murdered - and not so long ago. I felt this encounter very deeply. I hope that in time of economic crisis and high unemployment such a thing does not happen again. This Aikido course shows us that we are now able to meet in friendship and can learn from each other.
On the tatami, we first concentrated on the basics of contact and mutual connection, weight transfer (shifting weight) and the practice of techniques. During training the emphasis was on the five pillars of TK Chiba Shihan, 8th Dan and student of O'Sensei: centering, connecting, aliveness, openness, wholeness. On Sunday, there was a deepening of the application of techniques and exercises for flexible Ukemi. For everyone involved, this course presented a real challenge and a deep experience.
We also visited the cities of Landau and Speyer with their medieval sights with Amnon Sensei and on Monday evening conducted a training for beginners and advanced students in Landau Gen Ei Kan.
So the days were filled very well with Aikido on and off the tatami.
Thank you for the very personal encounter with Chris Mooney Shihan, Sensei Amnon and all active Aikidoka. It showed me again how valuable personal contacts and friendships are in Aikido.
Alexander Broll
Obituaries
Michel Neumann left us in the night of 20th May 2010, due to an illness. He died bravely, with a much clear mind, courage and panache, holding firmly the Chiba Sensei’s spear that Patrick Barthélémy had entrusted him with before his departure to Latin America.
Aïkido teacher, he directed the Uzès Dojo with Fabrice Mahieux, for twenty years or so.
Musician, he was a guitar teacher in many schools in the region of Uzège and had composed quite many pieces of music which suited his image.
He will leave in our hearts the memory of a sensitive man, full of humour, generous, lavishing warm friendship.
