VIRGINIA KI SOCIETY TRAINING NOTES, OCTOBER 2000

TRAINING

The October instructor class will be held on the 21st at 1:30 PM.  We
will continue our practice of randori with multiple attackers and
attacks.

Sensei Hal Abramson will conduct a weekend seminar November 4 and 5.
He will bring yet another interpretation of Ki Aikido based on his
experience in Philadelphia.  This will be a very interesting seminar
and I encourage all of you to attend.

AROUND THE CIRCUIT

The 26th Anniversary celebration was a major success. Sensei Pierce
conducted training Saturday and Sunday.  Participants came from
Pittsburgh and Toronto as well as Virginia.  A silent auction was held
for Norma's Aikido related "T" shirt collection.  Money was used to
supplement Dojo income.  A paving stone which Norma had made was
framed and hung on the wall along with a floral arangement.

Shashin Singh represented us at the World Camp in August.  He returned
with a new appreciation for Oneness Rhythm Taiso and the importance of
Ki in technique.

DISCUSSION WITH OUR MAN IN BOLIVIA

George,

We have started up here gangbusters. I have held three sessions and
now have about 10 participants. This does not include three 11 year
old boys. My son William (aged 9) comes from time to time.  I decided
to up the pace a little because some folks were saying they were not
feeling as if they were getting any exercise, so I do more rolls and
spend less time philosophizing (smile). Students are a bit more sweaty
now and they are enjoying it. I have a military husband and wife
couple; a housewife who is Den mother of one of the cub scout dens I
am affiliated with, a middle aged graduate student, a sergeant in the
Defense Attachi's office, a major from DoD (six feet five and 230); a
sixteen year old girl who is a sophomore in high school, one of my old
students (Bolivian) from last year has returned and two missionaries
from our church and some floaters. The Deputy Chief of Mission came to
one session last week and showed up to observe this week. His son is
one of the eleven year olds.

Still spending a lot of time of Ki application and I am trying to give
the class at least one new Aikido technique each class. Now we are
working on katatori, shomenuchi. yokomenuchi and munetsuki techniques.
I have captured (smile) several skeptics this time.

Here is an unusual thing that happened in the first class two weeks
ago. One of the students, a fortyish married missionary with four
children became disconcerted when I was explaining ki as a universal
energy which all of us have access to; an energy of which we are a
part. Rather innocuous stuff I think. Well this student insisted on
stopping class to challenge this view claiming that this or my
explanations were almost religious in nature and since he was a
student of the bible he would have to think about what he called "that
energy stuff". I said fine and asked him to try not to be so
intellectual and just attempt to do the ki tests and exercises. I
believe I upset him and perhaps should not have spoken thusly to
him. I do not know, but he hasn't come back. I asked him why a few
days later and he said the energy stuff bothered him. How should we
handle such situations? I do not consider Ki or Ki Aikido a religion
-- it is a martial art/way of living. There is no godhead in it to my
knowledge (and do correct me if I am wrong). Have you run across this
sort of thing before?

I'll keep you posted. How is your traveling going? 

Bill


Bill has raised a question that comes up from time to time.  It
deserves to be addresses so what follows are the answers I sent to
him:

Congratulations on a good start.

Evangelical Christians are as much into mysticism as are many other
sects. To keep their approach viable it is necessary for them to
question anything that doesn't come to them through their pastor. Ki
is a natural gift, one that comes from God, of course. The fact that
it is not mentioned as such in the Bible is a cultural issue, not a
religious one. Ki and spirit are one, gifts from the Almighty, but not
a matter of worship but of utility, just like breath. Some make
breathing a religious act but we do not. Since Aikido is a martial art
of peace, how can it be evil? Satan is not interested in arts of peace
but rather, arts of disunion and dissension.

The next morning I added the following:

Bill, you might considering asking him how a tiny baby has such a
strong grip on things since they have "no strength" in the
conventional sense. I point out that this is the power with which we
are all born. We lose that power when we begin to build the strength
the world sees as strength, seeking earthly approval but does God see
this quest for physical strength, many times abandoning the power He
gave us, in a positive light? I think this touches at the heart of the
matter. Satan pulls us away from the power which we were given at
birth, the power that comes from God, with the quest for the power
that can be seen by man.

This is my personal view and does not represent issues directly
discussed by Master Tohei and the Ki no Kenkyukai.  I would be
interested in your comments on this issue.

Here are Bill's for a starter:

George, I do have some thoughts on this subject. The Great Omniscience
(GOD) created us. He created me, you and everything. He created the
Universe and I believe he created Ki. Ki is not God. But to me it is
just like "life" energy; or the ability for people to think or the
ability for some people to be great athletes great scholars -- it IS a
gift, a present. Some take advantage of having a gift others
don't. However, unlike the gift of being a great athlete, I believe
(an have learned from my experiences with K Aikido over the last few
years) that everyone has the gift of Ki. So I think you are rights and
thus I feel comfortable with Ki and in my livingness of religion. I
was raised a Christian(and go to church almost every Sunday) and have
dabbled and studied many different religions finding them all to be
quite similar.  Some have a more violent aspect or rather can be
misadapted by perverse religious leaders. But basically the
underpinnings are the same.  Tolerance of diversity (in most cases) ,
love, gentleness, harmony with others and with nature, generosity,
Faith, Grace, meditation etc.

Ki is indeed a miraculous gift of God. It is unfortunate that some
feel threatened by it. Do I make any sense?

BILL PHILLIPS

FROM THE INTERNET

Here is the text and an attachment of my notes from World Camp for
Class # 1. Many of you are familiar with how Tohei Sensei speaks but
if you are not and if you are familiar but have questions also then
this would be a great forum for discussion of teachings Tohei Sensei
is transmitting to us.

Andrew LeBar

Tohei Sensei In Japan at Ki no Sato Monday, August 5, 2000, 2:30 pm -
4:30 pm (Class # 1)

The Universe consists of Mind and Body. But in the 20th Century many
only think of Body. The Mind though, is like an iceberg. This is an
analogy anybody can understand.  A human being is Mind and Body. As
the Body grows your Mind also grows Mind is much bigger than the
physical Body. But in many people today the Mind stops growing as the
Physical Body continues to grow.

Everybody is borne with Mind "And" Body. Both are important and as a
function of the Universe, The Mind moves the Body.

You must be convinced your-self. Just don't believe what somebody else
says.

It is possible to tie your Body up so that you cannot physically move
but you cannot tie up your Mind. When the Body is tied up the Mind
moves more.  If the Mind is calm, the Body is calm. But most people do
not real-ize this.

Tohei Sensei asks, "Can you lift your arm without thinking about
it. No you cannot so you have to be careful with your Mind
(thoughts)." To calm the Mind go, =. =, =,..... and this never becomes
zero.

If you have a pond of water and you think that there are no waves then
this is big mistake.

People are confused between "do nothing" and "don't do anything."
Also, "think nothing" and "don't think anything." The important thing
is really how to do it, not how to say it. Just make 1, then half,
half, half about 6 times. But this is still moving half, half, half
after 6 times. This state is called "seishi."

If people think zero then they are teishi and that means, "not doing
anything."

Right or wrong should be decided by the intellect but is a basic
principle of the Universe.

The One Point is not a physical or a visible point. The One Point is
invisible, infinitely small and is all directions from One Point. So,
we can say that we are the center of the Universe.

But this does not mean that I am the only one who is the center of the
Universe. Everybody is the center. This means that we must respect
each other at all times. All plants and animals naturally do this.
The One Point is not a physical feeling, there is no physical feeling
in the One Point. The Universe is infinite in all directions from the
One Point.  If you keep One Point then all the Basic Principles are
present also.

If you Relax Completely, Weight Underside is naturally present. Tohei
Sensei wants us to keep one Point in Daily Life.


Ki Test - Walking forward while being held from behind.  When you move
forward do not go with face first or lead with the mouth or eyes.

Many people have a habit of resisting physically. This also means
fighting Mind. But the One Point is not a physical point. If you keep
One Point then nobody can disturb your One Point in real life also
when you sneer at others or laugh at others you are not keeping One
Point.


Thank you, Andrew.


TRAVELS

I WILL BE GOME MOST OF October visiting the Aikido-L in Boulder, Co
and the Ki Society Dojo in Denver at the invitation of Sensei Susan
Chandler.  Mike Bartmen will be riding our with me and we will meet
Craig Hocker (Houston) there.  I will go to visit Sensei Vic
Montgomery in Kansas City, Sensei Mark Rubbert in St. Louis, Sensei
Jim Karaffa in South Bend, Indiana, Sensei Tony Verhoeven in Chatham,
Ontario, Sensei Richard Miller in Pittsburgh, Jayson Yee Loy in
Toronto, Ontario, Sensei Bill Bickford in Kingston, Ontario and Sensei
Peter Bussell in Ottawa, Ontario.  As you can see, this is a time for
visiting old friends and sharing with others.  I am taking this break
as a post funeral excursion.  Jerry Billingsley and David Huang will
be filling in during my absence.

In November I will be in California between November 8 and the 16th
visiting family.  On the 18th I will be at Five Rivers for a class and
testing.  Instructor's Seminar will be November 25.

[Note from webmaster: George Simcox passed away Nov. 10th]