Weekend Weapons Practice

Fundamental Weapons Practice for all levels this Saturday!

5th and 4th kyu weapons test guidelines will be covered on Sat Feb 20 & 27.

Saturdays Feb. 20 and 27, 10:30 - 11:30am: we will focus in on the weapons forms outlined in the Birankai 5th and 4th kyu guidelines.

This class, taught by Van Amburgh sensei, is for all levels. 

If you've never held a bokken or jo before have no fear! Come and learn.

What does sanpo mean?

What's the difference between happo giri and suburi happo?

Senior members take advantage of this opportunity to practice the newly allocated weapons test guidelines as a set!

Sunday Morning Practice with Fleshler Sensei coming up February 28, 9am- noon. Expect a combination of body arts and weapons training.

Aikido Multnomah Aikikai 6415 SW Macadam Ave Portland OR 97239

February class schedule highlights

Our January Intensive training comes to a conclusion this week and we return to a regular schedule starting February 1, with a couple of twists.

Schedule overview:

Mondays
12:30pm - 1:30pm: all levels
6:15pm - 7:15 pm: all levels

Tuesdays
6:15pm - 7:15pm: all levels
7:30pm- 8:30pm: Iaido/ bokken

Wednesdays
5pm - 6-pm: Children's class
6:15pm - 7:15pm: all levels

Thursdays
6:15pm - 7:15pm: all levels
7:30- 8:30pm: weapons/ body arts

Fridays
12:30pm - 1:30pm all levels
5pm - 6pm Children's class
(no evening adult class)

Saturdays
Feb. 6 & 13 schedule TBA
Feb 20 & 27, 10:30- 11:30am:
Class for all levels focused on the Birankai weapons requirements for 5th and 4th kyu levels.

Highlights and schedule notes:

All classes listed are adult classes open to all regular adult members (except the specified children's classes on Wed/Fri).

All levels means beginners, mid-ranks and senior members are all encouraged to attend!  Instructors gear the classes to the people who show up to train. Exercises are scaled so that all can participate safely. All levels of experience practice together.

New mid-day class offered on Mondays and Fridays at 12:30pm. Van Amburgh Sensei will teach the Monday slot. Fleshler Sensei will teach the Friday slot. If there is sufficient interest, Wednesdays at 12:30 could be added. If you have interest in a daytime class but at a different time slot, please contact us. At the end of February we will decide whether to continue the 12:30 classes.


Tuesdays through February, Van Amburgh Sensei will open the dojo ~ 5:45pm for individual meetings with members. Open mat time will be available for all 5:45- 6:15pm. Schedule a Tuesday date in February to meet with Van Amburgh sensei and discuss your training goals for the new year!

Advanced class is held monthly on the first Tuesday. For February that means on Tue. Feb 2, the 6:15pm class is open to 2nd kyu and above. Beginners through 3rd kyu are encouraged to observe class. Observation training is valuable!


Theme of the month: 
5th kyu technique guidelines!
Body arts classes all month will focus on the skills to pass a 5th kyu test and also the deeper level of study available through practicing these foundational techniques of the art. Hearty practice for all levels will be served up all month! 

Saturdays Feb. 20 and 27 we will focus in on the weapons forms outlined in the Birankai 5th and 4th kyu guidelines.


Iaido/ bokken class Tuesdays 7:30pm: Iaido members practice on Tuesday night instead of Wednesday night starting Feb. 3. This class will bring together Iaidoists and aikidoists interested in sword handling. Bokken may be used. 

Sunday practice!
A new monthly Sunday practice will be held 9am - noon starting February 28.

Stay connected!
Subscribe to Dojo News and check Upcoming Dates regularly for late-breaking news, class cancellations and new learning opportunities. Check the seminar page for upcoming seminars in the Northwest Region.

Power Without Struggle: Jan. 15-17, 2016

Winter Workshop at Multnomah Aikikai

Jan 15- 17, 2016
Power Without Struggle, a workshop at Multnomah Aikikai
Open to yudansha and 1st kyu aikido practitioners

The integration of upper and lower body motion is a skill that is learned over a long arc.

When people struggle to perform technique, there may be an array of reasons for it, however the integration of upper and lower body movement is usually missing. Read more...

Proceeds will be donated to the T.K. and Mitsuko Chiba Seminar Endowment Fund Suggested donation: $80 - $120.

Open to yudansha and 1st kyu practitioners. This will be limited to a small group of students.

Presented by Suzane Van Amburgh, shidoin

Friday Jan. 15: 7:30-8:30pm

Saturday Jan 16: 10am-11:30am, break for lunch, 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Format: Body arts and weapons. Along with Aikido, we will explore auxiliary activities to sense the generation of power and tie the experience back to the application of aikido techniques. Portions will be video recorded to provide feedback to participants. Group discussion over meals.

Sunday morning segment taught by Aki Fleshler Sensei, shihan

Find your powertrain!

Learn more:

http://multnomahaikikai.blogspot.com/p/power-without-struggle.html

Kagami Biraki

Happy New Year!

Kagami Biraki  is a traditional Japanese New Year celebration. It literally translates to "Opening the Mirror" (from an abstinence) or, also, "Breaking of the Mochi. In martial arts dojos a special Kagami Biraki practice marks the beginning of the year. It is both a celebration and a time to reflect. 


Multnomah Aikikai celebrates Kagami Biraki 
on Tue January 12, 2016. Join us at 5:45pm:

Fold a crane for the new year, followed by
Aikido practice, then celebrate with sake and mochi.

excerpt from Aikido Today Article*:

The symbolism of the mirror, which is central to Kagami Biraki, dates back to the original trilogy myth (along with the sword and the jewel) of the creation of Japan. By the 15th century Shinto had interpreted the mirror and sword to be important symbols of the virtues that the nation should venerate. They also symbolized creation, legitimacy and authority of the Emperor and by extension the Samurai class itself as part of the feudal system.

The mirror enabled people to see things as they are (good or bad) and thus represented fairness or justice. The mirror was also a symbol of the Sun Goddess — a fierce spirit (the light face of god).

Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, emerging from the cave**

Swords had long been given spiritual qualities among the Samurai. And their possession contributed to a sense of purpose and destiny inherent within the Samurai culture. So legendary were some swords that they were thought to posses their own spirit (kami).

Considered as one of the Samurai’s most important possessions, the sword (and other weapons) symbolized their status and position. Firm, sharp and decisive, the sword was seen as a source of wisdom and venerated for its power and lightning-like swiftness, but it was also seen as a mild spirit (the dark face of god).

Taken together, the mirror and sword represent the Japanese In and Yo, or two forms of energy permeating everything — the primeval forces of the universe from which everything springs — the source of spirit empowering the Emperor by extension Samurai class who was in his service.

It was from this time (15th century), it is said, that the tradition of Kagami Biraki began. It developed as a folk Shinto observation with a particular class (Samurai) bent.

*Read the entire article on Aikido Today:

http://aikidotoday.com/kagami-biraki-aikido-dojo-samurai-tradition/


**image of Amaterasu: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amaterasu_cave_edit2.jpg
date: 1857,安政4年, artist: 三代豊国,歌川国貞(Utagawa Toyokuni III,Kunisada)

Jan. 4 class cancelled due to ice!

Ice, it's not just a driving hazard!

The snow yesterday seemed pleasant enough, but overnight everything froze solid. This morning trees, cars, roads and power lines all encased in ice.

Class is cancelled for today, Monday Jan 4th. Stay off the roads if you can. even walking can be hazardous with chunks of ice dropping from trees, houses, even power lines.

In this brief video you can see a bar of ice drop from a power line crashing to the ice encrusted ground. Watch the corner of the grey house. It happens two seconds in. You can hear it crash at 3 seconds.

Trouble seeing the video? Click here.

If the ice melts and the weather is cooperative then we'll kick off our Winter Training Intensive tomorrow, Tuesday Jan 5th. Remember class begins at 5:45pm!

  

Links to check for the latest Portland weather forecast:

http://www.katu.com/weather 

http://www.kgw.com/weather 

http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/US/OR/Portland.html

If we ever need to cancel class due to weather, we'll post a notice on Upcoming Dates.

Winter Training Intensive 2016: From the Ground Up

Multnomah Aikikai provides winter intensive training in January of each year. 

Winter training is a time to sense your center; a deep ember, burning and warming your body. Nurture that ember and sense the fire within you.

Through practice with each other the fire grows and radiates, warming the hands and feet, radiating out and sparking the fire in each other.

The theme for this January’s Winter Intensive is  From the Ground Up.   Look for opportunities to condition your core, hips, legs and feet. Sense the strength of your lower body and the power the ground offers. Fuel your technique, your ukemi and your spirit.

Share with each other what you’ve learned about conditioning and taking care of your feet, legs, hips, and core.

When the lower body is strong and well coordinated you can make good use of the ground forces to support movements of the upper body. Chest, spine and shoulders become supple and free.

We’ll practice our techniques from suwari waza, hanmi handachi and tachi waza this month.

In Japan, winter intensive is a time period when people resolve to practice everyday. This January, come to the dojo as much as you can and mark your attendance every day that you come in. At the end of the month we’ll recognize the mu-kyu, kyu and dan members who trained the most.

Schedule changes and special events for Winter Intensive

For January, we’ll practice in a different rhythm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in three class segments. This will allow us to add a fundamentals class, a nikkyu and above class and a iaido/ sword handling class to our training schedule.

Tue 5:45-6:30pm, fundamentals

Tue 6:45-7:30pm, all levels

Tue 7:45-8:45pm, sword handling for aikidoists/ Iaido class

Thu 5:45-6:30pm, fundamentals

Thu 6:45-7:30pm, all levels

Thu 7:45-8:30pm, 2nd kyu and above

The rest of the class schedule, Mon, Wed, Fri, Saturday remains unchanged.

Special events:

Jan 5,  First Tuesday

Jan 9, Sat: Balance Challenge

Jan 12, Tue: Kagami Biraki; full community event

5:45pm - 6:30pm Fold a Crane for the New Year

6:45- 7:30pm Traditional New Year’s practice for all levels

7:45-8:30: celebrate with tea and sake.

Jan 15- 17, Fri- Sun: Winter workshop Power Without Struggle;

More news to come! Stay Connected!

Follow Dojo News and check in regularly with Upcoming Dates

Improve your balance. Take the Balance Challenge January 9

The Balance Challenge! Circuit Training Course

Improve your balance, safely and enjoyably, by practicing the balance challenges in this indoor circuit training course. The exercises are varied and fun. Exercises are scalable so you can practice at the level of challenge appropriate for you. Regardless of your skill level, you can improve your balance and have fun doing it!

Click to see Balance Challenge activities 2015

Saturday January 9, 2016, Noon- 1pm: 

Initial orientation session, $20. Personal training and orientation to the course presented by Suzane Van Amburgh

DIY. Self-directed training for alumni of the orientation session for $10. Suzane Van Amburgh on site and available to offer help and clarification as needed.

Multnomah Aikikai members who attend the initial orientation session for $20, are eligible to return for self-directed training (DIY) at no charge.

"The balance class is relevant for all ages willing to try it. You don't realize how your balance changes as you get older, usually not for the better. However, improvements can be made almost immediately and there are balance exercises for people of all ages and abilities. And it's fun!" 

~ Kristin Mitchell, Balance Challenge Alumna

Your Instructor and balance coach:

Suzane Van Amburgh developed the balance challenge circuit training course and continually improves the stations of the course. Suzane is a martial arts instructor (aikido and iaido), a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher and a balance trainer. She conducted balance testing and balance training protocols at a physician’s office. She is the founder of the balance lab. Suzane brings fun balance challenges, benchmarks to self-assess progress, and an array of resources to help you explore and improve your own sense of balance.

The exercises:

The training course includes a variety of challenges to improve coordination, proprioception, leg and core strength, how we use our eyes, eye/ hand coordination, somatosensory functioning, use of hip joints and spine.

Our balance is influenced and maintained by the eyes, inner ear, and brain working together. The brain receives signals from the somatosensory system and processes that information along with input from the structures of inner ear and the eyes. Proprioceptors in the ankles and ribs are key to one’s sense of balance and the ability to restore balance. Leg strength and joint functioning are essential factors in balance as well.

When you improve your balance you invest in an improved quality of life. What do you feel safe doing? Even a slight erosion of confidence in you balance over time, will subtly narrow the range of activities you choose to engage in. As confidence in your balance grows, you will broaden your options, move freely and enjoy a more active life.

Whether you are rehabilitating from an injury, training for top performance, or anywhere in between, you will find the right level of challenge for you. If are interested in graceful aging, neuroplasticity, fall prevention or improved decision-making, you will find the Balance Challenge Training Circuit Course fascinating and engaging.

Questions?

Contact Suzane Van Amburgh by email: spacetomoveinfo(at)gmail.com

Find your Space To Move at Multnomah Aikikai

6415 SW Macadam Ave, Portland OR 97239