The next two General Courses at Chorley are on 11th September and 27th November with the Teachers' Course on the day before for 3rd Kyu and above of the Aikikai. The course for Dan Grades is on the 22nd October.

The Aikikai is the host for the British Aikido Board Executive Committee meeting in early October.

Club instructors requiring our Principal to visit their clubs should contact him as soon as possible, to arrange dates.

Our Principal has written asking me to include the following particularly directed at our Dan Grades and Club Leaders :

I have noticed that out of the 1988 applications for MAC licenses not all have applied for membership to the Lancashire Ail ikai.

I must stress these points :

i) The insurance element of the licence is only valid if corresponding membership of the Lancashire Aikikai is held.
ii) We could have a situation where a claim for injury occurs by a member with a licence who is hurt by a non?Iicence holder. Cover is understood only to exist on a member to member basis.
iii) At all times instructors must make sure that their classes are conducted safely so that injuries do not occur.

M . Mucha Principal

Yield and overcome;
Bend and be straight;
Empty and be Full;
Wear out and be new;
Have little and gain;
Have much and be confused.

Lao Tsu - (Tao Te Ching)

GRADINGS
Grading details were published in the paper version - Not published online under Data Protection Provisions

PROCESS OF TRAINING

There is a natural process involved in learning and growing in Aikido. You begin by practising small parts of techniques and principles, then you put some of the parts together and try to make them work smoothly as a whole movement. Often the parts work well but fall apart when the whole techniques is attempted.

Gradually, your understanding of the parts and the whole will merge. The realisation that this is a natural process will allow you to focus on one aspect of Aikido and not worry about the aspects you are not working on.

Trying to "get it all now", is equivalent to learning to juggle starting with seven balls first you end up dropping them all. Start with one, then two, then three, and soon you will be able to pay attention to the overall motion instead of trying to catch each one.

Living Aikido - Bruce Klickstein

"TO DO Aikido"

Some time ago, an AIKIDOKA asked how to harmonise; he wanted to be clear whether UKE ought to "fly away" at the merest puff of breath, or attack properly (grip or strike) and refuse to move until the technique was completed.... one way or another! This caused much dicussion at the time, but "merely" one of the many questions and issues; not to mention the joys and pleasures of actually practising.

I have thought about this question many times, and especially during practice on the mat when AWASE (harmonising or blending) was missing, or improperly carried out. Although the question has not since been asked. I find (increasingly and frustratingly) that I am having to tell people that they must harmonise. Again and again!

Because of this, I want to share with you, an interpretation which I subscribe to, and which I try to practise. Before I do this, however, I want to say a few words about 'doing' AIKIDO.

In other Martial Arts, and also in sports, competitions and even at word, there is the view that somebody is doing __ _ , _ someone else. The aim is to win, sometimes what ever the cost. The person who wins, achieves greater status, the person who loses, does not! In Martial Arts there is often the view that the person who counters an attack, or throws his partner, is the one who is practising. Then people change places so the practise can continue.

AIKIDO is different! At ALL times both UKE and NAGE practise, Teacher and student, Attacker and defender, Positive and negative. To practise properly you must be aware of this. UKE carries the responsibility for NAGE'S practice, and NAGE for UKE'S. Each also carries the responsibility for his own practice, and for the practice of other pairs and groups. Be aware also that UKE should not seek to smash NAGE into the ground, nor to give the greatest amount of pain merely to prove that he can do it and especially if NAGE cannot harmonise fast enough!

And now to AWASE. When an attack is made, it should be made properly in relation to the grade and capabilities of NAGE, A grip is a grip - not a push, pull or twist, unless specified, and should be done in the manner of holding BOKKEN. It is not made expressly to stop movement by NAGE . A strike is made in a particular way - eg SHOMEN, YOKO-MEN, TSUKI, and not a combination. It is also NOT a descent into rock-like posture.

Further to this, all movements should be executed in a smooth manner both by UKE and NAGE so that proper harmony can be achieved. Techniques that are not executed smoothly are unnatural, unharmonious and can be dangerous. TO ENDANGER YOUR PARTNER IS CONTRARY TO BASIC ETHICS OF AIKIDO.

With this in mind an attack and defence can be viewed by this progression:

1 UKE and NAGE prepare. There is a balance because there is no attack as yet, but good ZANSHIN and MAAI.
2 UKE attacks ? the balance between the two is disturbed.
3 NAGE blends with the attack (AWASE). At this point, balance is restored, because UKE and NAGE become as one.
4 NAGE uses UKE's KI and his own to lead UKE into a direction that NAGE chooses and controls. Balance changes again. UKE follows this leading (AWASE).). UKE DOES NOT RESIST
5 NAGE executes a technique which causes UKE to physically lose balance, which may then result in an application or a throw.
6 UKE submits or uses breakfall to protect himself, restore posture and his own balance.
7 UKE and NAGE have a balance between them once more, with good ZANSHIN and MAAI the circle is complete but the process begins again. Each person plays his or her part ? the whole becoming greater than the sum of the two parts. Therefore, when you blend with your partner, you only do so when you are led, but you do not resist.

RESISTANCE IS CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLES OF AIKIDO

If you practice in this way, not only will you improve your movements and techniques, but also, I beleive that you move closer to a secret that AWASE holds.

Graham Harrison