From cgordon@IQUEST.NET Wed May 27 11:52:30 1998
Date: Mon, 25 May 1998 17:35:12 -0400
From: Chuck Gordon
Reply-To: Aikido List
To: AIKIDO-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU
Subject: Re: aikido-list seminar review
OK, OK. My thoughts on the seminar.
As C. Oaks said, it was at times irreverent, spiritual, frustrating,
enlightening and just plain fun. Wanna talk about blending, harmony and
such? Talk about the seminar. Folks, this was a bona fide Event.
I got to spend some time getting to know the other instructors, got to spend
some time getting to know the listka who attended and really getting to know
Tim Gion, Mike Burke and Craig Hocker (we roomed together) ... by the way
Tim, who IS 'Rosebud?' and what does hot, dripping ski wax have to do with
anything??? ;^>
None of the five classes before mine was waste time. All were informative,
engaging and thought-provoking. All of the instructors were great guys (next
time maybe some women will step up to the plate???) and all of the listka
were wonderful. It was like getting together with family, really. Hell, even
Wiley, Ivan, George and Jill got along great! There were no fights, no
pissing contests, no ill words. Even the people who disagreed were civil,
friendly and generally had a blast together.
We got to sample the aikido of the Kurita Juku with Carlos Escobar, a
serious, deidcated and utterly engaging man. Ivan got to try to float with
George Simcox as George led us through some very soft, very informative Ki
Society ideas and concepts.
We delved into the Jiyushinkai world with Chuck Clark and a bunch of really
fun-to-throw Jiyushinka (you gotta SEE Aaron to believe him, he's what budo
ought to be). We watched The Rock get wild, deep, funny and bone-cutting
serious ... and complain about his bad knees ("I can't sit in seiza anymore
..." AFTER he sat completely motionless in seiza throughout one of George's
20-minute lectures. OK, I saw Rocky twitch once. (Somebody asked about
Tomiki Ryu Aikido -- if you're interested in that aspect of aikido training,
go see Chuck's folks, don't walk, run!)
Dennis got on the mat and ran the attendees through some very interesting
technique/reversal/counter-reversal and center-taking stuff. Dennis, BTW,
was recovering from KIDNEY SURGERY. Don't you whine to me about not feeling
like training, you kyu-scum. If the Dog God can walk out on the mat and
teach a class THAT dynamic and live through it after getting his kidneys
zapped, we younger, healthier budoka should be able to do any damn thing. He
also got into preacher mode and made some incisive points about budo
practice and aikido living ...
My class? I played. I had loads of fun (except for that one bad fall ... I
am SO sorry. I'll send you a bottle of Naproxyn if you'll give me your
address). I had fun, tossed people around and just grooved on the whole
thing. It was the best thing this side of sex.
All in all, it wasn't what anyone expected, but it was more than we could
have imagined.
I WOULD like to get copies of Eddie Hernandez' video tapes. Eddie taped
almost all the classes. Jim (of the wolves) Baker also videotaped a great
deal of the shindig. I'd love to get my hands on 'em. Domo, domo arigato,
ma'am ...
Mike Bartman was there, providing photo support while he tries to get a
detached retina healed. Shot lots of film, got some processed Sunday.
Wonderful stuff. Look for it on a website near you soon.
Ivan wasn't Crazy. Kjartan didn't wear a horned helm, but he did look
fetching in a cowboy hat. Mike Bartman and Lee Escobar are BIG. Not fat,
folks, BIG. I'm no shrinking violet and I hadda look way up to deal with
either one of 'em. Janet is ... well, what can I say ... Janet. Cady didn't
really kick anybody's ass, but Polo's arm will never be the same. Jim/Wendy
were delightful, foul, weird and fun (anybody who can carry a brain around
in the trunk ... no, really. A real brain ...)
Emily was sweet and mild, in a kick-ass Texas gal with a Texas-size 'tude
sort of way. Jun was squeaky clean (trying, unsuccessfully to escape his
aiki-slut image, no doubt). I could go on and on. The mix of people, the
diversity and sunergy of the listka made this thing something I can't really
begin to describe in less that a Bartman-sized post.
The Budo Babes were ravishing, the awards were riotus and the camaraderie
was unparalelled.
Hovering over and around it all, making sure everything happened, happened
on time and happened right were Maria and Lee Escobar. They and the TASA
folks -- Jason, Eric (BTW, it's healing nicely, guy), Ray, et al! -- made
this seminar a model for what aikido can and ought to be when people get
together and a standard against which future events will be measured.
Thanks, guys, you were great!
Lee, I'll expect your AAR NLT COB tomorrow ... ;^>
cgXVII
PS: Did I say that the seminar was way cool?
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| Chuck Gordon cgordon@iquest.net |
| Dojo Web page: http://members.iquest.net/~cgordon |
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