Members of Aikido Yoshinkai Canada who have been with Kimeda Sensei over the years know that until 2017 one of the hallmarks of his teaching was his weekly Kenshu class. Kenshu are intensive study and training classes and while we did not always leave these classes sweating from physical exertion, we did leave them mentallyContinue reading “Heijoshin”
Author Archives: hanspdegroot
Kamae
With a slight nod or perhaps a quick gesture that seemed part welcoming and part commanding, Kimeda Sensei would indicate his uke for the next technique. His typical custom was to not play favourites. He would start with the highest ranking black belt and work down in succession through the seniors. This approach avoided theContinue reading “Kamae”
Mitori Geiko
Mitori Geiko refers to the concept of practicing by watching. Typically, we practice Mitori Geiko when we are unable to practice due to injury or when we arrive late for class. We learn by watching the instructor and analyzing her/his movement. However, there are also other ways to practice Mitori Geiko. In fact, technology providesContinue reading “Mitori Geiko”
Ichi-go Ichi-e
One of the most succinct answers to the question of why study Aikido (or any Budo for that matter) can be paraphrased as follows: To learn about tradition and to improve ourselves. (I have to admit that I cannot remember where I read this quote or who originally wrote it). One of the ideas thatContinue reading “Ichi-go Ichi-e”