In cooperation with:
The Santa Barbara School District
January 20, 2007
(All photos by Tom Long. Thanks, Tom!!!)
Gassho for Peace, 2007
Dear Lia Sensei,
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation—thank you very much.
Janet Wolf
Santa Barbara County Second District Supervisor
Gassho for Peace, 2007
Following the lunch break, interested people began to float into and around the dojo observing the throws and rolls of the Aikido-ka as we practiced the afternoon’s upcoming demonstration. Soon young Aikido-ka started to enter the dojo bringing with them a noticeable excitement as they prepared to show, some for their first time, parents and onlookers the beautiful martial art that they have been practicing week in and week out. And sure enough the time for the demonstration came.
Guests filled half the dojo, as kids, adults and a teenager sat in seiza ready to share the art of Aikido with the crowd. The demonstration that followed was truly awesome. The children inspired us all (most probably their parents in particular), and seemingly, an individual’s progression through the art could be seen by the broad spectrum of Aikido-ka who demonstrated, from the excitement and playfulness of the young members to the near physical transcendence of Sensei. Truly, the demonstration extended the spirit of Aikido to the community and created a loving and peaceful environment for the party that was to follow. Music, food and good conversation made for a perfect end to a day devoted to peace and fellowship. Not surprisingly, since in joy Gasshou was carried out, all enjoyed.
Andy RussellAKI Santa Barbara, Adults’ Class
My Experience At Gassho
My experience at Gassho was an amazing one. When we started the kids’ demonstration, I was very nervous and unsure. I felt like my whole aikido life had prepared me for that moment. When we did the Roll And Scrunch, I thought that I hadn’t had as much fun in my life!!!!!! Techniques was a lot of fun also, doing Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage was great. The best thing for me, however was Bokto, because I was leading it. It felt great to lead the kids class.
.
That’s what I enjoyed at Gassho For Peace Kids’ Demonstration Spencer Glesby
AKI Santa Barbara, Big Kids’ Class
10 years old (Green Belt)
Gassho for Peace, 2007The gasshou was very good. The demo was almost too good in a way, overall it was exceptional. Arigato.
L U C A Luca Vallino
AKI Santa Barbara, Big Kids’ Class
Yellow Belt
- – - Press Release - – - - – - - – - - – - - – -
Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara to Present ‘Gasshou for Peace’
Local Dojo Teams Up with The Peace Academy for Inaugural Event
The Japanese word gasshou is made of two characters: and
. The first is the same first character that is in the word Aikido and means “together, blend, or harmonize.” The second character means “the palm of the hand.” To quote Aikido master Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan (8th dan), “Gasshou has the meaning of putting the palms together and calming the heart, but in the broader sense, it means to harmonize everything.”
This first-ever ‘Gasshou for Peace’ will be held at the Santa Barbara dojo of Aikido Kenkyukai International (AKI), 411-B State Street, Santa Barbara on Saturday, January 20th, 2007. This special event was the brainchild of Lia Suzuki Sensei (teacher), Takeda Sensei’s senior student in the United States. Suzuki Sensei, who is 5th dan (5th degree black belt), wanted to use Aikido, or the “Art of Peace” as an expression of the power of one – of the connectedness each of us has, as individuals, to the world around us.
“As with all the mind-body disciplines, to even begin to get an inkling of what Aikido has to offer, it must be experienced first-hand. With this event, we want to give the public that chance to experience all the aspects of Aikido: a great physical work-out; moving meditation; camaraderie; and celebration. Even those who cannot participate in the classes because of physical limitations, will be able to join in the experience by attending the demonstration and reception at the end of the day.” said Suzuki Sensei.
One of the primary differences between Aikido and the other martial arts is that it is fundamentally non-aggressive. The practitioner seeks not only to defend and protect him or herself, but also to protect the attacker from harm in the process. This is the reason Aikido is preferred by many law enforcement agencies as a means for conflict/resolution.
The event will be led by Suzuki Sensei and her top student Matt Bridi Sensei, 3rd dan, who heads the Youth Program at AKI Santa Barbara. Under Suzuki Sensei’s direction, Matt Sensei has been involved in pioneering work with the juvenile probation department, using aikido as an aid in the rehabilitation of at-risk youths.
‘Gasshou for Peace’ has another purpose. The event will serve to launch the partnership between AKI Santa Barbara and The Peace Academy, headed by Babatunde Folayemi. Says Mr. Folayemi, “If you give youth – even young people whose lives revolve around violence – the opportunity to change things for the better, most of them will take advantage of it, and will have an intelligent perspective on how to effect that change.” These organizations have come together to bring the study of Aikido into all three high schools in the Santa Barbara School District beginning in early 2007. This collaboration will offer Aikido training to at-risk youths who might not have otherwise been granted this opportunity.
For additional information about Aikido Kenkyukai and ‘Gasshou For Peace’ including pricing, reservations and the complete schedule, please visit our website at www.akisb.com or call 805-692-9850. To arrange an interview with Lia Suzuki Sensei, or The Peace Academy’s Babatunde Folayemi, please contact Joni Kelly at 805-886-1869 or jonirod2@aol.com.
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