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Voice of the Fox
The Newsletter of the Martial Arts Training Service

A Class with Shindo Sensei
by Jan Moretti
Spring 1999

I enjoy seminars. Everyone puts on their best behavior. They look a little sharper and try a little harder. I felt that way last December, when Yoshiko Shindo Sensei and Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei from Shindo Dojo, Tokyo, visited our dojo. Both women are excellent teachers and great inspiration.

I have noticed that different people take away different insights from a class. What struck me during the first part of the class was not that Lisa Sensei had us start a technique with our front foot when we usually start with our back foot. What hit home was the point she made about keeping connected to your partner. She told us that our goal is to remain connected and aware of our surroundings at all times. This is difficult, so we practice it in the dojo.

Staying in contact is the responsibility of both uke and nage. After uke is thrown, he doesn't lie on the floor taking a nap. After nage finishes a throw, he doesn't stand around staring at the floor or the ceiling. Keeping contact with your partner takes a lot of energy but it is worth the effort.

Your ki is the mirror of your life
When Shindo Sensei taught, she not only spent time instructing individual people, but she threw them to demonstrate the technique. Part way through the class, Shindo Sensei stopped to tell us about ki and aikido. She said that if we work on our ki from the inside, our aikido will improve. She also stated that as our ki gets better, our lives get better.

Your arm is like a hose
As we continued practicing, Shindo Sensei talked about being relaxed for a technique to work. Uke doesn't grab you; you let uke grab you. She also used the analogy of a hose. It works better when it's soft, not stiff. Also, water doesn't flow well from a hose that is bent at a 45 degree angle. Our arms are like hoses. If they're too stiff, we can't do the technique easily, and uke has a greater chance of injury. The same applies if we bend our arms too sharply.

Remembering to keep contact
Shindo Sensei and Lisa Sensei gave us a lot to think about. I know that keeping contact with my partner and developing my ki is an important part of aikido, though it sometimes gets lost in daily practice when just getting up for the upteenth time seems to take all of my energy.

But because of this class, I know my practice will be more focused . . . until I fall back into old habits. Hopefully, that will happen less and less. I'm looking forward to the next time Shindo Sensei and Lisa Sensei can visit and share their knowledge with us.

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