Dentou Iwama Ryu Magazine, edition 02 by AikiShurenDojoChile

Dentou Iwama Ryu

Aikido Magazine

MOROTEDORI KOKYUHO Structuring the body and energy THE BEST OF AIKIDO CAN BE FOUND IN IWAMA

岩間神信合氣道

SHIHAN INTERVIEWS Stefan Kurilla from Slovaquia and Alberto Boglio from Italy

ZANSHIN

One of the principles of traditional Aikido practice

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT:

Aikido as a tool to help victims of gender violence

Number 02 / February 2021

Aikido Iwama Ryu France

Number 02 / December 2020

Magazine

Dentou Iwama Ryu

Aikidō

Attitude 06 Resilient in Traditional Aikido By Mónica Ramirez jikiden Morihiro shihan 08 Kaiso By Hitohira Saito approximation towards 10 An the kiai

Cover image: Aikido Iwama Ryu France

By Fernando Delgado

Slovakian martial 13 The machinery: Stefan Kurilla shihan interview By Rodrigo Troncoso

19 By Fermín González Writing 22 Japanese By Natalia Farías and inclusion: 26 Aikido Italian shihan Alberto Boglio interview Here and now: Zanshin

By Rodrigo Troncoso

Aikido 32 Traditional and its impact on attitudinal changes in minors By Emilio Carvacho

34 Seiza By Jorge L. Ulloa ryu techniques: 37 Iwama structuring the body and energy.

38 40 42

Morotedori kokyunage structuring the body and energy. By Olivier Eberhardt Overview: Morotedori kokyuho By Milton Carelli An overview of common and severe injuries By M. Pía Tapia

are the origins of 45 What the keikogi? By Luis Salazar

49 Kagami By Marcela Cabezas López

empowerment: 52 Female Iwama ryu Aikido as strengthening tool By Mónica Ramírez

magnitude of violence against women 54 The violence: The Marta case (48 years old) 55 Gender of violence against women 57 Consequences passive role of governments and the scarcity of resources 59 The tools Female empowerment 62 Strengthening and Iwama ryu Aikido

Obon 66 The By Josefina Ibañez best of Aikido can be 69 The found in Iwama By Rodrigo Troncoso

good mentor 72 The By Tristão da Cunha Myô-ô 75 Fudô By Roberto Urbina 79 Susuharai By Santiago Gandulfo Saito's birth 82 Takehiro By Mónica Ramírez 83 Iwama ryu Dojos

Editorial team: Researchers

岩間神信合氣道

Fernando Delgado Y. Godan Technical representative ISSASK - Chile Teacher of P.E. Bachelor in Education

Mónica Ramírez S. Nidan Dojo cho Region of Valparaíso, Chile. Psychologist, Master in Education

Hitohira Saito Soke Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shuren Kai, Japón

Tristão da Cunha Hachidan Shihan Portugal Aiki Shuren Dojo

Olivier Eberhardt Godan - Shihan Dentou Iwama Ryu France

Natalia Farias S. Shodan, Senpai Region of Valparaíso, Chile. Management Assistant.

Marcela Cabezas L. Shodan Senpai Region of Valparaíso, Chile. Kindergarten educator. Major in health and nutrition

M. Pía Tapia O. Kyu Kinesiologist, Surgical Instrumentalist, Bachelor in Science

Josefina Ibáñez A. Kyu Graduated in visual arts

Jose Carvacho F. Kyu Ingineer in process and automation

Rodrigo Troncoso P. Kyu Audiovisual communicator Journalist Graduate in Social Communication. Master in Sciences of Communication

Fermín Gonzales. Kyu Doctor of Dental Surgery, Master in Odontological Science

Roberto Urbina V. Nidan Dojo cho Region of O´Higgins, Chile. Public Relationship. Neuro Linguistic Programmer. Master in Waldorf Education

Milton Carelli P. Shodan Senpai Region of Valparaíso, Chile. Independent worker

Santiago Gandulfo V. Kyu Agricultural engineer

Luis Salazar Díaz. Kyu Accountant

Jorge Ulloa Shodan Professor of International Communication in Japan. Education Degree. Master in Linguistics.

Kurilla Budokan

Luis Castillo S. Kyu Graphic designer

Iwama Shin Shin Aikido Busenkai

Natalia Farías Juan Carlos Morales Abraham Conejeros Miguel Infante Christofer Reyes Marcos Huircán Francisco López Elisa Mendoza Nicolás Urra

Roxanna Castillo John Knapp Jeff McEntire Ximena Ortiz Katherine Parraguez

Reviewers

Dentou Iwama ryu Aikido France

Daniel Foncea B. Shodan Industrial designer. Senpai dojo Rancagua

Translation Team

Graphic team Photography English Edition Colaborations

Andrés Tillería C. Shodan Graphic designer. Senpai dojo Santiago

岩間神信合氣道

Original concept and design: Aiki Shuren Dojo Chile

Alberto Bogglio Rokudan. National Technical Manager Aikido CSEN (Italian Federation) and Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai Italy.

Historical source

www.Aikidotradicional.cl Contact: +56979347583 / +56986778551 / +56982909914 revistaiwama@gmail.com

Editorial Nurturing the character:

Having a Resilient Attitude in Traditional Aikido

Resilience can be present in different fields of study; for example, in the line of osteology, the term refers to the bones’ ability to be healed and grow back (Badilla, 1999). In metallurgy and civil engineering, this process refers to how certain materials can regain their original shape after being exposed to high pressure (Munis et al. 1997). The study of social sciences also has a term that describes resilient individuals, as those who are psychologically healthy and socially prosperous, despite growing up in underdeveloped environments with high-risk conditions. In short, we refer to resilience as the person’s ability to overcome adversity, stressful periods or conflictive situations. Although it is not always perceived, this concept lies deeply in our traditional Aikido practice, as every keiko seeks to overcome adversity. Each dojo provides a safe yet challenging environment for our emotional and phys-

ical potential development. These matters range from understanding the dojo’s cross-cultural contexts to withstanding the instructor’s progressive technical and physical load. Resilience also builds up through physical practice. Each firm grip provides a controlled environment that allows the students to find a way to solve the conflict and pressure. Each class prepares them to maintain their focus, even under the pressure of a demanding stimulus. In solving these problems, students learn to overcome frustration, cultivate a positive attitude when facing them, get up after each failure, and carry on with the lear-ning experience. The development of resilience correlates with everything learnt during the practice with our daily lives, diminishing fear and frustration against adversity. It gives confidence and ease for personal growth in different contexts.

Mónica Ramírez Content editor Translation by: Christofer Reyes

Kaiso jikiden Morihiro shihan By Hitohira Saito Translation by: Miki Nakajima

Nowadays, in social media and video platforms sites like YouTube, it is possible to find so much material about Suburi of Ken and Jo, including the Kumitachi and Kumijō. However, most people demonstrating those techniques differ significantly from what Kaiso transmitted to Morihiro Sensei and from what we carry on until this day.

To avoid confusion, I added this phrase to the names of the weapon techniques we practice today: Kaiso Jikiden Morihiro Shihan. This name is to make it clear that we preserve the founder’s genuine techniques through Morihiro Shihan. Kaiso jikiden means: Transmitted directly from Kaiso, the founder. In the case of Aikido in Iwama, I can say that only a few people helped the founder in his daily life. Although students came to keiko, none of them helped him on these matters. Morihiro Sensei was the only person who helped Kaiso to cultivate his fields. Thus the reason why Kaiso Jikiden to Morihiro Shihan is more relevant than other cases. Whenever they had a one-on-one keiko together, Kaiso did his best to teach my father, and my father also did his best to learn from him. There was affection from agine enough how strong their bond was, the master to his student, and respect from and nobody could stand between them. the student to his master. We cannot im- Kaiso Jikiden to Morihiro Shihan is based on their deep bond; this is where our organisation comes from. From father to son, the transmission of skills is a custom that has a long history in Japan, and Kaiso did teach his son, Kisshomaru Sensei. At the same time, Kaiso was generous enough to teach my father, because of his dedication to Kaiso: for many years my father and mother served the Ueshiba family with their whole heart, so we were allowed to practice Ken and Jo at the founder’s dojo. The meaning of the Jikiden expresses precisely, that my father was taught by Kaiso because he was always by his side and supported him, even during the times post-war, when people were in great need and lacked sustenance.

岩間神信合氣道

Aikido Iwama ryu

An approximation towards the kiai

All our energy vocalised and directed with a determined intention. By Fernando Delgado Y. 5° dan. Technical representative Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai – Chile. Translated by Juan Morales

«Mr Harrison spoke of his initial encounters with Japanese masters of kiaijutsu in the decade of 1900, he considered the power of aiki as silent, while the shout of kiai worked as a carrier of power, it was “something that lingered present in nature, as an adjunct agent that contributed to the mental focus over an object». Riotti, & Westbrook, A (2004) determination. The previously mentioned concept can be known as kiai. It can be found in different forms of vocalisations with a deep esoteric background behind curtains, which might vary depending on the martial art school of study. In Iwama ryu Aikido the kiai is fundamental to its practice. To illustrate this, Sensei Hitohira Saito once mentioned in an interview that one day the founder yelled at a student for not doing a proper kiai, the founder scolded the student saying: «What kind of kiai is that!? Go outside and try to knock down a sparrow with your kiai”» In his book «Abundant Peace», John Steven points out that the kiai of O’Sensei could be heard from more than 800 meters away. Today we still can listen to the founder’s kiai in existing recordings. © Iwama Shinshin Busenkai

Since ancient times the spoken word has held huge potential. The vocalisation of sounds and the feelings conveyed has been present in religious chants, prayers and war cries. For centuries it has been used as a way to summon the stars or to connect with the gods. The spoken word can also bring peace to the soul when getting ready for the inevitable. This inner vocalisation naturally emerges when exposed to life or death situations: Like the time of fleeing, when yearning for help, to alert others or at the moment of a confrontation. This exclamation can be understood as a form of connection between the internal and external world. Specifically, in most martial arts, this vocal manifestation could take the form of a war cry, to express toughness or a fierce

岩間神信合氣道

«The word hara comes from a different language, what this word is involved is not exclusive to the Japanese word. Hara is the connection between the physical and the metaphysical state, between the psychic and the meta-psychics. Hara is the place where the existence of every man derives from universal life.”»

Remarks about the kiai

The Japanese word kiai is written using two kanji, with the former being read as ki (氣), translated as strength, reason and spirit; and the later read as ai (合), referring to the contraction of the verb awaseru, which means “to join, to fit, or assemble.” It can be inferred that the kiai is much more than a mere scream; it implies an intimate and close bond with the vital centre of the man, called hara or seika tanden. It is precisely there, through breathing, where all our energy is focused on being further uttered and directed with a determined intention. This concept must be understood as an expression that rises deep within ourselves, where the body is wholly united and committed in the immediate moment. The kiai creates an optimal state to defend against any attack, as the shout produced can terrify, or shatter an attacker’s confidence. For this reason, it must be seriously practised, as a crucial part of training and not as a decorative technique. The concept linked to kiai is the hara gei, or abdominal breathing practice, which could connect man and inner self. Although, most References: Dürkheim, K (2017). Hara. Editorial Mensajero. Riotti, O y Westbrook, A (2004). Secretos del Samurái. Editorial Paidotribo. Steven, J. (1998) p. 83. Paz Abundante. Colección Biblioteca de la Salud Ueshiba, M (2007) Budo. Editorial Dojo ediciones. Linkography: https://www.facebook.com/notes/Aikidopara-compartir/entrevista-con-hitohiro-saitopor-sonoko-tanaka-Aikido-journal-113-1998traducid/197039116988694

knowledge about the hara gei has been lost in time along with other schools of kiaijutsu, which studied the development of kiai. To achieve better results when training the kiai, it is advisable the practice in open spaces, in the fields, the mountains or the sea. The power of nature will allow the development of a penetrating and focused kiai, as the environment itself must be challenged. Today, the Iwama ryu Aikido still keeps the practice of kiai alive. I have personally had the opportunity of hearing the kiai of Hitohira Saito sensei, Tittarelli shihan and Tristao shihan, thus confirming in-situ what has been previously recounted here. The kiai itself holds some enchanting side of it, flowing as a connection, igniting the force that lives through the practice. Riotti & Westbrook, A (2004).

岩間神信合氣道

Doka; Poetic Songs of the Way “With “Eiiii” cut him down! That enemy that lurks within Instruct him with “Yah” Guide him with “Toh”.” Morihei Ueshiba. 2007

The Slovakian martial machinery

Stefan Kurilla 7th dan Aikido Iwama ryu At fifty years old, Kurilla sensei has positioned himself in the hierarchical lead to promote Aikido’s expansion in his country.

By Rodrigo Troncoso Translation by Christofer Reyes, Natalia Farías

岩間神信合氣道

Before dentou Iwama ryu Aikido arrived in Latin America, it first came to Europe. From there, it triggered a massive interest in the Founder’s Aikido taught by the Saito family. During the initial development, some notable names, directly connected with the source of Aikido, having a relevant hierarchical position, who also had an essential role in opening the way for those who started. Stefan Kurilla sensei is without a doubt one of the references on this technical expertise. He has produced renowned communicational and international media content, thus placing the name of traditional Iwama ryu Aikido at the global scale. With busy schedules and considerable time difference, we still managed to agree on a zoom meeting for a Saturday afternoon. As the editorial team joined the meeting, sensei Kurilla joined us with her daughter Marina who also helped us translate the interview. Everybody present was so excited to join the conversation.

Miriam Kurillová teaches Iwama ryu Aikido twice a week to about 80 children organised into five groups.

Kurilla sensei must be close to six feet displaying a strong build, with Anglo-Saxon features crowned by the characteristical white complexion and light blue eyes. Owner of an imposing, yet close and friendly charisma. We warmly greeted each other, and the conversation had a warm feeling as if we had known each other for a lifetime. Even at his fifties, he feels as young as an eighteen years old boy. Kurrilla sensei married Miriam Kurillová twenty-nine years ago; she was his former student during the early days of his career as a martial arts instructor. Today they have two children Martina and Andrei, who are all actively engaged in Iwama ryu Aikido activities. His wife teaches the children’s class along with the help of Martina, who holds a shodan degree. Sensei, all these personal and family achievements, undoubtedly have an origin. How did everything start?

It all started in 1978, with my first encounter with martial arts. I began with Judo when I was eight years old, for the simple reason I wanted to defend myself. During those days, I made excellent friends that I keep until this day. I came to Aikido in 1989. In the beginning, I thought it just looked nice. I wasn’t sure if it worked until I tried it (laughs). I was fortunate I had great teachers at that time. I started learning with sensei Marcelli from Budapest. He was a student of Tamura sensei, who lived in France. After a while, Marcelli sensei told me that if I wanted to achieve the next stage of learning, I had to become a senpai and share everything I had learned so far to other students. And this is how I started teaching Aikido when I only had a white belt. As time passed, I got my first, second and third dan from Tamura sensei.

岩間神信合氣道

« In 1999, I went for the first time to Morihiro Saito sensei. He was an exceptional person; we had an excellent relationship.».

Kurilla Sensei has around two hundred Aikido students spread over five practice locations. On the other hand, he is the director of a technical high school with about two hundred and sixty students.

岩間神信合氣道

You later became a very close student of sensei Morihiro Saito. In 1999 I went for the first time to Morihiro Saito sensei. He was an exceptional person; we had an excellent relationship. He not only had a positive rapport with all the uchideshi, but there were also so many anecdotes and stories to tell. Can you share any of those anecdotes with us? I remember a time when Morihiro Saito sensei was cooking for the uchideshi. He was explaining some crucial matters about Aikido, Japanese budo and hierarchies. Everybody was trying to help in the kitchen, while suddenly we heard a colossal kiai from Sensei because we made a mistake in preparing the tofu for the soup. «What are you doing Steffan! You’re going to waste all the tofu» (laughs)...I profusely apologised. The tofu in Slovakia is much harder and has a different preparation, so Sensei told everyone, ´«Oh no! We have to throw out all this tofu, and you will have anything to eat!» (laughs). You and your whole family are involved with Iwama Aikido and the Saito family. You have earned your place there. However, you also have a degree in economics, and you had some good job offers that you turned down because you wanted to teach Aikido. Do you regret that decision? Aikido means everything to me; it makes me happy. I have met people and made friends all over the world because of it. I have also visited Japan many times, and I have had unique experiences on each trip. What I like about Aikido is that we can practice a whole life, yet you never stop

to wonder about new things, no matter your age, there is always room for improvement. When I first came to Iwama, there were many Japanese students in their seventies. We trained hard together, and after each practice, we shared great moments. Being able to continue training when you get older gives you extra motivation. In addition to the Iwama ryu Aikido, you have also studied Daito-ryu. What made you venture in that direction? I consider myself a professional Aikido instructor, so I think it is natural to look for a way to excel in everything connected to that field. To sum up, the history of Aikido, as everyone knows, is linked to the Daito-ryu. We all know that O’Sensei, for more than a third of his life, studied Daito-ryu aikijujutsu. I was surprised that this discipline is still practised in these days. When I learned about a seminar in Japan, I asked Kaicho Hitohira Saito permission

«What I like about Aikido is that we can practice a whole life, yet you never stop to wonder about new things, no matter your age, there is always room for improvement.»

Miriam Kurillová, had an active trajectory in gymnastics, being a national representative. She was also one of the first women to get into the Slovak Iwama Aikido, seeking a non-competitive activity.

Martina started with dentou Iwama ryu at the young age of 4. This year 2020 she achieved her first dan, and she also teaches her father’s classes. She also collaborates with her mother in teaching children.

«I think that in ISSASK we add something extra, its practice helps to renew energy, to achieve self-improvement through discipline.» to attend, with his approval, I participated in the seminar. I liked the techniques, and since then, I have been studying it.

岩間神信合氣道

It’s been eleven years of practice, and you also got a fourth dan in the discipline. Yes. In 2017 I was able to get a third dan, and in 2019, I went for the fourth dan.

I’d like to know more about what are the common elements between these two martial arts. I asked that same question to Kondo sensei, and he also has his own vision about that. Some aspects might be similar, almost identical, while others are far from that: certain practices and techniques are different. On the other hand, I could mention that none of the martial arts seeks the other’s absolute destruction; otherwise, it is better to buy a weapon for that purpose. Are most relevant differences philosophical? I can say that the main difference between them is philosophical. I talked to Kondo

Sensei, we rarely have the opportunity to talk to someone who practices When was that? both Aikido and Daito-ryu. Please tell In 2009 us about any significant differences? We need to consider that daito-ryu is a martial art with centuries of tradition whose primary focus is to terminate any threat. On the other hand, Aikido is a modern martial art to defend yourself without inflicting lethal damage to others. There are clear philosophical and pedagogical differences between these two arts.

岩間神信合氣道

sensei about it, and he explained that daito-ryu is not a martial art only, but it is an art in itself. In ISSASK, we add something extra: its practice helps us to renew our energy, achieve self-improvement through the discipline, and even to improve our social skills. What I mean is that these elements can be used to defend oneself in a fight, as well as to improve our daily life. All that knowledge and experience in martial arts converged in one place: The high school you founded. What kind of preparation does the school offer? Twelve years ago, I opened the first technical school in the country with security service training program. It is like a regular technical high school, with subjects such as law, psychology, economics, computer science, criminalistics, chemistry, physics

and mathematics. But it also includes a whole repertoire in martial arts and weapons training; there is also a survival course. However, the essential vision of the school is to teach discipline. The main focus is to prepare the students to enter the Armed Forces, the Police service, or start their own security companies. However, students can also continue with university education. The school program includes sports six times a week, and some students focus on sports aiming to become professional athletes, most of them have achieved remarkable results. This year the enrollment reached around two hundred and sixty students. Last year, we also celebrated 30 years of the Aikido club. We had several sports competitions, and we had the pleasure to have Hitohira Saito sensei choose the best representatives.

Stefan Kurilla Sensei degrees and disciplines: • 5th dan judo • 7th dan Aikido Iwama Shin Shin • 5th dan Spetsnaz system Aiki Shurenkai • 4th dan Daito-ryu aikijujutsu • 4th dan Aikido Aikikai

Here and now:

Zanshin

One of the principles of traditional Aikido practice.

Aikido Iwama Ryu France

By Fermín González Translation by Abraham Conejeros

岩間神信合氣道

For a samurai, it was essential to be prepared to face the moment of giving up his own life. Every night, before going to bed, they imagined a different way of dying; they visualised how to face even the most horrible forms to die. Bushido means the absolute acceptance of life and death, something achieved by being prepared to die at every instant, seizing the moment, the “here and now”, in an eternal present, without even thinking of leaving the battlefield or even losing your life in a not honourable way. Connected to the above, especially with the “here and now”, zanshin is the principle of adopting a state of staying active,

«In some martial arts, zanshin refers specifically to the body posture of the practitioner when performing a technique».

relaxed and in a permanent state of vigilance at all times; aware of everything that happens in the environment. Even looking at the small changes in the circumstances surrounding people, constantly evaluating possible scenarios of what might happen. Zanshin could also be understood as the balance, a mental state, between alertness and calmness. It is a concept tightly linked to the principle of mushin, a mental state where there is no thought or emotions such as fear or anger, which allows us to react without being delayed by our thoughts. Zanshin (残心) comes from the Japanese words zan (残) which means to remain,

what is left, to maintain, while shin (心) refers to the mind, heart or spirit. A more or less literal translation would be “the mind that remains”. There are three main ways in which zanshin manifests itself: negative, neutral and positive. Negative zanshin is the innate capacity that allows the perception of situations of danger or life risk, which corresponds to the state of alertness in wildlife animals or the primitive man of the past. This opposing Zanshin centres around the fear of losing one’s own life or the loved ones. It corresponds more to a natural state than an ability developed by training; its control and effectiveness do not rely on consciousness. Neutral zanshin corresponds to a particular disposition to respond to external stimuli, regardless of a natural or unconscious instinct. It refers to the zanshin of a trained budoka or someone who practices meditation or yoga. Neutral zanshin can be achieved after years of training, and it is considered a point of stability that, favoured by respiratory control, produces a state of waiting in mental calm. This second type of zanshin, however, is hard to maintain and could be difficult to achieve or can be lost if training or meditation is stopped or not performed correctly. The third type, the positive zanshin, aims to develop a considerably elevated state of mind through the practice of Budo and is the one that we should all strive for. This zanshin can be reached by controlling the stage of innate alertness and achieving a halt state with a calm mind, allowing us to generate and project our inner energy to inhibit or neutralise any external hostile intentions. O’Sensei often insisted on the importance of this kind of energy extension, or projection of itself. As it only then,

Aiki Shuren Dojo Chile

岩間神信合氣道

it can flow from the inner source of the ki, thus achieving real strength of the kiai, which does not have to be audible. For proper development and control of the zanshin, it is essential the control of breathing techniques, and to have a developed sense of self-awareness. Both achievable through regular meditation and practice. From a scientific point of view, the regular practice of martial art has shown positive effects, both in children and adults. These benefits could be present at various functional levels such as cognitive, personality, psychological well-being and academic performance. In that sense, those who practice martial arts regularly have a higher level of attention and creativity than those who do not practice martial arts at all. This results also include a shorter reaction time to various stimuli. A high level of awareness would allow us to associate different stimuli, which might be irre-

levant initially, thus generating a more significant connection in later stages, thus allowing a better react to complex situations. The practice of martial art also allows a greater alert level that implies a state of endogenous or inner preparation to respond to uncertain or unexpected stimuli. In traditional Aikido or Iwama ryu, the state of being in zanshin is essential, as it allows not only to optimise the incorporation of technical learning but also to avoid dangerous situations and injuries that could become serious. Additionally, it shows respect for the sensei and fellow students, allowing you to be vigilant and respond promptly to any instructions, no matter how subtle it might be. In my personal experience as an Iwama Aikido practitioner, I have been able to approach and better understand the importance of these fundamental principles in the practice of the Founder’s Aikido.

岩間神信合氣道

Japanese Writing

Kanji, hiragana and katakana

Three different writing systems which coexist in the same language. By Natalia Farías

Latin-rooted languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, and even English support their entire transfer process from spoken to written form on just one writing system. Even though this already requires a high level of abstraction, having more of them adds more complexity to the process. In the Japanese language, it uses three writing systems: kanji, hiragana and katakana. These three writing systems are perfectly combined in daily readings like books or newspapers. In Japanese written language, the most complex system is the kanji (漢字), highly influenced by the Chinese language, including some Korean language influence. Only the basic characters can amount more than two thousand with each character having more than one pronunciation; onyomi: for concepts of Chinese origin, and kunyomi: for notions with Japanese roots. All this adds an extra level of complexity when it comes to memorisation or writing. Especially if we consider the complexity to write verbs, nouns and adjectives, and the names of people and places, this is the foundation of the Japanese writing structu-

岩間神信合氣道

«The most complex system is the kanji (漢字) highly influenced by the Chinese language, including some Korean language influence. Only the basic characters can amount more than two thousand, with each character having more than one pronunciation.» IWA

KATAKANA

HITO

TAKE

HIRA CHI

MUSU

RE NI

HIRAGANA

re, and these two following writing systems come from it: Hiragana (ひらがな) It means ordinary or straightforward writing. In contrast to the previous system, it is made of forty-six symbols that come from the cursive writing of specific kanji which, over time, were simplified to represent only one syllabic sound per character. Regarding Katakana (カタカナ) we can point out its meaning as fragmentary kana, this is because their characters came from more complex kanji fragments. Like the hiragana, this syllabary system consists of forty-six sounds, and although the symbols are different, the sounds it represents are the same. Katakana is mostly used to write words of foreign origin and to highlight words within a text. It is common to observe them in advertisements, names of products and foreign places. Another use of Katakana writing can be present in onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and names of plants, animals and minerals.

KANJI

DE KA SO

岩間神信合氣道

The Japanese language can be written in two ways: the traditional way, from top to bottom and from right to left, and also in a western way, from left to right and from top to bottom.

Adoption of kanji as a Japanese writing system From its origins, the Japanese language only had a spoken form until the fourth century, until diplomatic relations started with China and Korea. At that time, Japanese scribes had to establish a corresponding written Japanese language based on the Chinese language. In this way, Japanese scholars began to use some Chinese sinograms solely for their phonetic value, giving them a meaning. These first purely Japanese characters were called Man’yōgana. These were the kana ancestors of the hiragana and katakana.

These later evolved into the Japanese characters as we know them today. The kana are syllabaries, which means that each sign is used to write down a syllable compound, except for the final “n” (ん/ン). Researchers think that katakana was developed in the late 8th and early 9th centuries by Buddhist monks, who took parts of the man’yōgana characters as a form of shorthand. It was initially useful for making pronunciation notes and comments on the lessons and teaching of the sacred scriptures of Buddhism.

Not being a writing system itself, rōmaji (ローマ字) allows writing Japanese sounds using the Roman/Latin alphabet. Doing this facilitates non-japanese speakers to read Japanese words, in a similar way like katakana is used by Japanese people to read foreign words.

Women and the hiragana The first references to this writing system appeared in a poem from 759 AD. Currently, they are used to write words of Japanese origin, called wago, used to indicate verb tense, form adjectives or particles, also known as connectors. With the implementation of a writing system, women began to train in the art of Japanese writing, which became the standard domain for those who belong to the high society. At that time, women were considered unable to write more complicated Chinese characters present in the kanji. Following these events, female gender became to write the first literary genres in Japan. The most important work and one of the oldest and best-known work was the renown Genji Monogatari (源氏物語/The Story of Genji), written during the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu. This peculiarity earned the hiragana the nick-

name Onnamoji (女文字), which means female characters. Over time, the kana were incorporated into popular writings and started to be used equally by people of both genders.

岩間神信合氣道

Bibliography: · The writing of the alien. Ambivalence and hybridization in Japanese katakana - Dr Blai Guarné - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) · Japanese language - New World Encyclopedia · Japanese Vocabulary - Britannica.com · Approach to Japanese writing. The Kana. - Josep Sadurní Villaronga · Walk From Ancient Japanese To Modern Japanese - Takayuki Yamada University of Granada Kanji was developed before the katakana and hiragana syllabaries, so the use of kanji was associated with more educated people.

ble only by reading their kanji. An example of this is the word written in rōmaji: Kami: 神 (god) - 紙 (paper) - 髪 (hair)

The Japanese language has a limited number of sounds. There’s a large number of homonymous words, with the same pronunciation, but with different meanings. These words are distinguisha-

The Japanese writing system does not require spacing between words and tends to create patterns where kanji and hiragana alternate: where the former is the base of the vocabulary and the latter provides context.

Shihan 6 dan Alberto Boglio: th

«When you work with people with special needs, you are the one who ends up learning the most.». Alberto Bogglio shihan personal archive

岩間神信合氣道

Talks about Aikido, inclusion and an all-encompassing practice in the dojo

Italian sensei, with more than 43 years of practice, refers to the benefits of traditional Aikido as a tool to make inclusion easier for students with special needs. About his role as a Shihan, he states that «in Italy, Master Tittarelli taught it all, I have no place to teach anything else, but my job is to keep together everything he left for us.». 26

By Rodrigo Troncoso Italian/Spanish translation: Giacomo Tomasoni Spanish/English translation: Miguel Infante – Francisco López

«When you truly fall in love with someone, you want to be with that person for your whole life. I truly fell in love with Aikido; that’s why I’ve been thinking about staying with it my entire life.»

Every person has different motivations for approaching Aikido. In your case,

how did you know about its existence, and what motivated you to start with it? It was by chance. I was 17 years old, and I had just received a new motor scooter. Every day I travelled around 10 kilometres to visit a friend. One day I was approached by four young men with clear intentions to rob me. We argued, and I told them that I wasn’t giving the scooter away. Simultaneously, two people in a white Volkswagen were passing close; I recall one stayed in the car and the other one asked me: “What’s going on? Is everything alright?”. Those trying to rob me warned me saying they would do something terrible to my face if I talk. Instead of staying silent, I screamed for help. The guy who was in the car started some manoeuvres trying to scare the robbers. They thought he was crazy and ran away while I went the opposite way. I didn’t even have the chance to thank them for their help.

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Alberto Bogglio shihan personal archive

We agreed for our meeting to be around 15:00 hrs on a Saturday. Him being in Italy, while the rest of us connected from different locations from around Chile. A few minutes have passed, and the Zoom screen is getting more populated: It’s Fernando Delgado Sensei, Mónica Ramírez senpai and Roberto Urbina senpai. Our practice partner, Giacomo Tomasoni, was also present to help us with the translation. «Alberto’s connecting», says the app, meanwhile three dots jumped on the screen. We patiently waited; we had planned this conversation for a long time. He’s smiling, and a greeting image appears on the screen. “Alberto! How’s everything? Nice to see you again!”. Soon a fraternal and delighted conversation began. Alberto is around 1,90 meters tall, slim body, white skin, owner of a long forehead with his ash-coloured and waved short hair. At the age of 59, he projects an aura of peace and conciliation with himself. A comfortable and warm smile, maybe forged by his son Alessandro, 28 years old and his daughter Francesca, 26. To support his family, Alberto diligently worked as factory production manager for 36 years. Today, Boglio sensei, who achieved the degree of shihan, has now wholly dedicated his life to the development of traditional Aikido in Italy. In the same place, where he started 43 years ago.

Alberto Boglio shihan’s first teacher was Gian Franco Leone, from the Italian Aikido Association (UIA).

Boglio sensei, in retrospective: What do you value the most from the path you’ve travelled so far? I sincerely appreciate the past; it’s what got me here, to where I am now. But in technical terms I keep nothing. I consider The next day, I realised we had a martial arts that I started the real training after 1985 gym a few blocks down from my house. when I met Saito sensei. I went to take a look, and the manager offered me to practice judo and karate. How was that? However, right at that time, the Aikido class Around 1984 or 1985, sensei Paolo Corallini was using the training room: “what is that?”, invited Saito sensei to Italy. At that time, I asked, as the flow in the movements cau- sensei Corallini was Alessandro Tittarelli’s ght my attention. That’s “Aikido”, answered teacher. In December of 1986, Saito sensei the manager. I liked what I saw and, despite travelled for the first time to Italy and did the manager’s insistence to sign me up for the first seminar there. In the beginning, it Karate, I started Aikido instead. Since that was a seminar focusing on the fundamental day, I never stopped. Even if I were sick, I principles only, but it was so different from would always train twice per week, even what we were doing at that time, it was something else. I could say that I genuinely until today. started Aikido when I met Saito sensei. What did you find in Aikido that made You have studied under the traditional you stay motivated for 43 years? If you truly fall in love with someone, you Aikido of the Saito family for decades. want to be with that person for your whole Looking at your career as a teacher, this life. I truly fell in love with Aikido; that’s immediately stands out. why I’ve been thinking about staying with Children are like seeds. You have to take it my entire life. Here I’ve found something extraordinary: there’s no rivalry or competition. Even better, there’s always a sense of collaboration and support. Everything it’s usually very awase, that’s the unique thing about Aikido. Styles are different, forms have been changing, but its essence is universal. And how has that influenced Alberto Boglio’s personal life? It gave me harmony in life. As for me, Aikido means to be in harmony with the universe and connecting with the people. All the people I’m in contact with, parents and students, point out that they have achieved a certain balance in their lives through the practice of Aikido. It isn’t just physical training; it’s something you live with twenty-four hours a day, every day.

Alberto Bogglio shihan personal archive

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«I consider that I started the real training after 1985 when I met Saito sensei.»

Alberto Bogglio shihan personal archive

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care of them to grow strong and educated, to be adults worth of respect in the future. I’ve been training School children for 15 or 20 years. It’s a job that I enjoy a lot, and more people keep coming every time. I have three groups, fifteen students in average: the youngest group starts from six to ten years old, the second one from eleven to fourteen years old, with the last one, having students from fifteen to eighteen years old. With the senior group, we’ve been training for a long time, at least eight years of Aikido practice. It’s an excellent class, and they enjoy Aikido. With the children’s class, I usually come home very tired. Sometimes I wish I could call it a day and sleep right there at the dojo (laughs). Sensei, in addition to your class with children, you have also developed a much more focused work on developing skills in people with special needs through the practice of Aikido. I have a class for students in the spectrum of autism, and it also includes students with Down Syndrome. These are young people from 20 to 30 years old. Aikido is very malleable, even if the general line is the same, forms change a bit according to the group. In the case of people with special needs, you are the one who ends up learning the most.

«Children are like seeds. You have to take care of them to grow strong and educated, to be adults worth of respect in the future.» Where do you focus more when you work with them? There is a different way to work with people with Down syndrome and another for people in the autistic spectrum. For example, someone in the autistic spectrum might be very rigid; it’s difficult for them to let you in, to understand what they are thinking. When somebody has relentless thoughts, their bodies are stiff too. To start working with them, we start helping them with physical movements, warming up their bodies and make them feel relaxed. From that point, we begin with the developing of Aikido skills. All of this helps them to get closer to other people, to help them recognise their feelings, better understanding those who are part of their immediate social sphere. After that, I learned how to let them express themselves out. It has been very challenging because they have this close social bubble, precisely to cover themselves, that’s the most challenging part to work.

Alberto Bogglio shihan personal archive

岩間神信合氣道

What about cases with students with Down Syndrome? With these students, it’s quite the opposite. They’re very social, pleasant, kind, and they hug a lot. They are people who express themselves through physical contact. In that case, I teach them about understanding boundaries. I guide them to respect other people’s personal space, to learn some social manners, because most of the time they don’t keep distance with unknown people, they just come and hug them, you have to guide them to understand that some things are not okay, even when they think the opposite. I make sure they know this from the very beginning of the first class. I’ve also realised that you don’t need to hurry, they have a different pace. For example, if the ikkyo lesson with another group takes a week, it takes four months with them. Don’t even think about training omote or ura yet, and you should focus only to let them grab the arm and bring them to the ground.

How can you put in evidence the Aikido contribution in these cases? For example, to help them bring their voice out, we work a lot on shomen uchi with kiai. We start little by little and gradually raise our voices. During the practice, I found out that Marco, a 25 years old autistic young man, who didn’t want to talk at all, softly started to make a kiai sound. Also, he likes metal cookie boxes very much. One

day, he brought one that had a paper with the word “box” on it. That time I thought: «hmm... here’s something». So I had the idea that everybody, instead of doing kiai, shouts the word “box”. Everyone started to call it, even Marco did. That’s how I realised he was able to talk more. When the practice was over, Marco came to me with a shallow voice saying: “Alberto, can we go for a pizza?”. After that, I felt as if I had finished training a black belt; it made me feel very proud of him. And what is the evaluation that parents do? Many of them bring their children because they heard good recommendations about Aikido and our work at the dojo, they don’t know in detail what it is, and few know about the practice we do. But all of them are happy with the results. Sensei, you have a Shihan degree, what comes with that title and how has that influenced Aikido in Italy? I received this degree due to the death of master Titarelli. I came to the position due to an unfortunate event and not because I wanted to. To be honest, I never imagined being a Shihan in Italy. More than feeling that I’ve earned this, I think that I’m just collaborating with master Alessandro’s legacy. That means that every two months I do seminars from north to south of Italy. I travel the whole country, obviously not at the moment because of the lockdown. But I also supervise the examinations in Italy

and manage the certifications of the Aikido sensei left behind, and I feel that at this Italian Federation to check that everything moment, that is my primary duty. related to Iwama goes smoothly. I hope to transmit perseverance, to infuse people with the desire to continue learI imagine that there are tasks more com- ning, much more about being humble. If plex than others. these elements are present, everything else The most difficult part is keeping all the becomes more manageable. dojos active and making them work in complete harmony. As in any organisation, diffe- Sensei, living through the middle of this rences show up, and I must solve them and pandemic episode, how do you see the make sure everything works as smoothly as future of Aikido in Italy? possible. It’s also my task to keep raising the The pandemic has been a disaster! From technical level of Aikido, and that’s proba- March to May we tried to teach on-line bly the most difficult task because I’m not classes, but it didn’t work. We tried to do Titarelli Shihan, I’m just Alberto. some lessons with other teachers, but it’s too hard to give indications and corrections But there must be a lot of people feeling through a screen. grateful for your work. Fortunately, since some time ago, we could Of course! I have felt immense respect and resume with regular lessons. As a requirerecognition from all students in Italy. Also, ment, all students must come to the dojo the considerable help and contribution we wearing face masks; they wash their hands get from all other dojos. So much gratitude and practice with the same partner duand support coming from them. Without ring the whole class. Everyone had to start that, we couldn’t keep up the task. again. They feel that they have got back to their beginner stages due to this long What could be Alberto Boglio Shihan’s he- break. However, in Italy, Iwama Ryu Aikido ritage? Diffusion? Technical development? is on the right track thanks to the previous (Silence) Next question! (laughs) work done by master Alessandro Tittarelli. Technically, master Titarelli in Italy has tau- Undoubtedly, we have to keep improving, ght it all. I must add, there’s no place for everybody is focusing in the same direction: me to teach anything else, but it’s my job they all want to recover their level and go to keep together everything that Tittarelli to Iwama again, that’s the plan.

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The case of Emilio Carvacho’s family :

Traditional Aikido

and its impact on attitudinal changes in minors

Psychologists have recommended the discipline as an efficient alternative to the use of drugs.

Like many others, my family is composed of my partner and our two children: an eleven years old girl and a little boy of three years. As of today, all in perfect harmony, but it wasn’t always like that. Some time ago, when my daughter was four years old, a series of conflicting episodes within her school community became more and more recurrent. At that time, the school informed us that our daughter was showing rage behaviour patterns and was having trouble to follow instructions. Having to go through all these circumstances, as you could imagine, ended up affecting our inner family atmosphere. As parents, we had so many doubts about how to proceed and what to do, we had to deal with the problem without negatively impacting our daughter’s life. While looking for answers, we visited multiple healthcare professionals. But their recommendations always considered the use of strong drugs, which sincerely didn’t convince us at all. One of the psychologists we visited recommended trying a more natural approach, so she suggested trying a discipline which had shown outstanding results when dealing with behavioural problems in kids. That sounded quite good, and we got immediately interested in trying that approach. And so, we had a meeting with Roberto Urbina sensei, who teaches traditional Iwama Ryu Aikido in the region of O’Higgins in Chile. In the meeting, he gave us a complete outline of his working field in developing children’s attitudes towards thoughtfulness, recognition of differences, and development of rigour and discipline. He pointed out the path for us, so we could also enjoy supporting our daughter throughout her emotional development approach. From the first day at the dojo, our daughter was al-

ways greeted and supported by a senpai. She felt accepted by the group, and she gladly welcomed the methodological training system of the class, especially those at the beginning and the end of each training. She got captivated by the whole experience. Of course, like in any process, there were times of conflict. Sometimes, she let herself be dominated by her mood, thus conditioning the normal flow of the class. Still, there was always motivation and empathy present in the team to find the best solution. She began to learn new things, incorporating new knowledge, and working in teamwork. She also started to assume her own mistakes, thus understanding that we are all vulnerable to them. The teacher’s guidance was crucial, he knew how to work with kids, and at the end of each class, he gave us detailed feedback and tips on how to continue with the assignments at home, so we could continue working on her attitudes actions after each class. Week by week, she was showing significant progress and improvement. As a result, it gave us back our original family atmosphere. She changed her attitudes positively while she also improved her ways of self-expression. Today, she can solve social conflicts, manage her frustration and understand the consequences of her acts after making a mistake. At school, they have recognised her changes, pointing out that she can get along better with her classmates now. She has improved in every sense of the word without using any kind of drugs or medication. Indeed, all of this brought me closer to this discipline, I also wanted to know more, so I joined the dojo after some time. Years have passed since that first encounter with Aikido, and I’m still enjoying every moment of it.

岩間神信合氣道

Japanese tradition and martial arts

Seiza (正座)

The benefits of this posture for a better Aikido performance By Jorge L. Ulloa

Quite probably, most Aikido students will never forget the excruciating pain of the first time they sat in seiza, a few minutes that felt like an eternity. For most practitioners, and even some Japanese people, sitting in seiza can put up quite a strain on knees and joints. But why do we still practice most of our techniques sitting in seiza position? And what are the benefits? Seiza sitting is embedded in most Japanese traditional martial arts, including Iaido,

Kyudo, Karate and Judo, just to name a few. Aikido is not the exception but adds an extra element: Most of its technical curriculum is done in seiza. Why is it that we still have to train in a position never used in our daily routine? Training in seiza position can have several benefits. The most common advantages could be: Hips and lower body strengthening, correction of body posture and quite probably some might have mentioned that it also helps

«Sitting in this position places most of your bodyweight right over your calves and the anterior section of your thighs. Depending on your body type, this position might feel very uncomfortable and unnatural at the beginning. As the blood flows tight between your legs, it is easy to get cramps or lose sensitivity after a mere few minutes.»

build character or feel more ceremonial during the technical execution. But one thing is sure, executing techniques in seiza enables you to eliminate any unnecessary movements in your lower body. As you restrict the freedom of movement, any minor technical mistakes become relevant, the technique itself will result useless without applying the proper form and timing. Neglecting the practice of seiza might result in the absorption of bad habits or incorrect hip positioning. As everybody has different body types and physical conditions, training in seiza for extended periods might result in knee and joint complications. The general recommendation is always to practice within your limits, gradually increasing the training load and consulting with your local physician if you have persistent problems or preexisting conditions. Most importantly, always let your sensei know about these to avoid any injuries.

岩間神信合氣道

Tips to better improve your seiza sitting The good news is, like any other technique, the more you practice, the sooner you’ll get used to it. The key is not to sit in seiza during keiko practice only, but to do it regularly for short periods outside the dojo. This way of sitting can be done at home, or everywhere you can. Practising on a carpet, or even over a bed, can help you adjust your body to find a more comfortable position. Keeping your mind away from sitting and focusing on the main task will also help you extend the time that you can stay in seiza. Next time try reading a book, watch some TV, or do some self-training in seiza to start getting used to it.

岩間神信合氣道

The origins of seiza As for the conception of seiza in Japan, this can be traced back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573 approximately). However, it was adopted as the standard way of sitting for samurais from the Edo period for everyone required to sit in a formal style. At that time, most houses and public places significantly contributed to adopting this way of sitting. Homes had lower roofs, and tatami mats were the standard. The simplicity in the interior design made this the official way to sit for most daily activities, including reading, playing instruments, or even meals.

Aikido Iwama Ryu France

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

Morotedori kokyunage structuring the body and energy.

By Olivier Eberhardt, 5° dan, Francia. / Translated by Natalia Farías In Iwama ryu Aikido’s technical diversity, there are transversal and key principles for training: the structuring of body balance, movements organisation, harmonisation with the movement of your training partner, breathing and projecting the ki energy. All these principles could be the definition of morotedori kokyunage. Kokyunage implies the idea of projecting oneself through breathing, and kokyuhō represents the way to build a complete movement. This technique also involves the adaptation of breathing to boost energy flow. Sensei Hitohira Saito always explains this through the Shinto cosmology, where the endless waves and tides represent the oceans’ respiratory movement. Same as in the process of inhalation and exhala-

Aikido Iwama Ryu France

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

岩間神信合氣道

Iwama ryu techniques

tion present in the technique. Kokyunage strives to draw the partner’s motion to close the space in perfect synchronisation, thus quickly changing the interaction by breathing out and unbalancing the partner, allowing us to extend and project a powerful energy flow. To better understand the concepts present in the technique, it is necessary to review the Japanese concepts: 呼

KO: To call, to bring in. It gives the idea of breathing and exhaling. 吸 KYU: Refers to the process of breathing in and the act of inhaling. 投げ NAGE: To throw. 法 : Refers to a method, a principle, a law.

Aikido Iwama Ryu France

the body, which, in combination, allows the use of joint levers to push in the same direction while guiding the partner’s strength. Everything is there at the right time. Being caught by two hands puts you in an unfavourable situation. That is the first step in budo: to escape from a real, powerful and immobilising grip. To perform the technique from this opposition is essential to let the body develop the ability to perform techniques dynamically. Likewise, the partner’s firm grip imposed by the kihon prompts us to organise both the body and use of space, while the breathing leads the kiai to release the energy reaching the tip of the extended fingers. All of this unified in a single breathing cycle called morotedori kokyunage. This legacy of O’Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba, was passed on to sensei Morihiro Saito. Today, these teachings are preserved and perpetuated through the Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai of Hitohira Saito sensei.

In the traditional teachings of Iwama ryu, three techniques are the fundamental base for taijutsu: katate dori, tai no henko, morotedori kokyunage (kokyuhō), and suwari waza kokyuhō

岩間神信合氣道

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

This notion of kokyu makes Aikido acquire its unique dimension, thus diverging from other budo disciplines Morotedori kokyunage is a milestone in every keiko, from its simplicity comes deep learning and effort, which promotes all Aikidoka to practice humbleness. All Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai members practice this on a daily basis. This application does not only involve building a technical repertoire but also helps to develop a sensory input to adjust the amount of opposition applied to the uke. This practice also helps measure the extent of power used to channel the partner’s weight, including the technique’s initial contact and break-fall. During the keiko, morotedori kokyunage highlights different stages: distance, amplitude, lever, hips placement, rotation, body balance, and breathing. It works on the hips stability and their opening to let the partners’ opposition pass through. It helps control the vertical and horizontal axis of

Overview:

Morotedori kokyuho 諸手取り呼吸法 By Milton Carelli

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

岩間神信合氣道

Morotedori kokyuhō, the founder’s kuden, says: Kata mo, hiji mo, koshi mo, kimoshii mo, sagemasu onaji wo mimasu. Shoulders, elbows, hips and sentiment descend together looking in the same direction.

Technical execution, according to sensei Morihiro Saito: 1 - From gyaku hanmi, your partner grabs your left arm with both hands. 2 - Lower your elbow and hips while extending the ki through the arm. 3 - Rotate on the axis, to stay in ai hanmi. Look in the same direction as your partner. 4 - Raise your hands, to unbalance your partner and enter behind him with your left foot. 5 - Shift your weight to your left foot and extend your arms over your partner’s head to execute the throw. Make sure

your eyes continue to look straight ahead to avoid a possible counterattack. Correct execution of morotedori kokyuhō might give the impression that the arms are throwing the opponent. However, the rotational power of hips and weight transfer on the back foot allows performing the technique; the arms follow up the action. Atemi Iwama ryu Aikido techniques always align the tori in a convenient position to use atemi and to guarantee the execution. A correct application of atemi can quickly end the conflict. O’Sensei used to say “Aikido is 99% atemi.” During the practice, hands, arms and shoulders are used to lead the projection. However, in a self-defence situation, morotedori kokyuhō uses arms and elbows for all kinds of attacks. From a strong opening of the arms, tori can explosively bring to the ground an opponent. Tori can use elbows to strike straight at the chest or throat, thus directing the opponent’s head down to the ground. After correct positioning of the body, morotedori kokyuhō allows to carry out all kinds of manoeuvres against any attack, from coordinating one arm to open and hitting the opponent to bring it down. As a martial arts technique, morotedori kokyuhō offers multiple and efficient possibilities of application.

岩間神信合氣道

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

Morotedori kokyuhō is both an essential practice and a martial art technique that seeks to control any attack by incapacitating an opponent through a firm grip. The application of this technique, can unbalance and take to the ground any opponent. Moreover, it can also produce severe injuries and fractures due to the violent fall and impact into the ground. Morotedori starts with facing a firm grip, kokyuhō allows regaining control by aligning the body and freeing himself from the attacker’s control. Through this initial action, a defensive stance allows using the arms again. In the final stage of the technique, the Aikidoka uses hips, arms and elbows to take down the uke.

The practice of morotedori kokyuhō follows the principle of Joukyo Kajitsu Rasen (上虚下実螺旋): «The upper part of the body is relaxed; power and strength come from the lower body, including the “hara”, hips, and legs. By understanding this principle, power flows as a spiral in Aikido techniques. This coil force helixes from the centre to multiple directions». https://Aikidoenlinea.com/palabras-de-o-sensei-caligrafia-de-saito-hitohiro/ https://Aikidoblog.net/en/osensei-words-calligraphy-saito-hitohira/

Analysis of its application

Kokyunage

An overview of common and severe injuries

©️ Iwama Shinshin Busenkai

By M. Pía Tapia

Applying this technique outside a controlled environment can produce severe damage. The severity might depend on the energy put into the projection and how the uke receives the technique. Among the most common injuries, we can find those affecting the shoulder section. When receiving this technique, the body falls back, hitting an area of the spine, affecting the ligaments that support the collarbone and the scapula. On the other hand, mild injuries might happen, involving the anterior shoulder ligaments generating

different luxation degrees. These present the following symptoms: shoulder pain and difficulty to raise the affected limb. The shoulder becomes unstable on later stages, and the collar bone moves up and down when applying light pressure to it. Like the above, injuries can also affect the elbow: subluxations and luxo-fractures of the passive elbow stabilisers. These happen when falling over with the hands and elbows fully extended, this makes a levering that displaces the cups of the lower end of the humerus, also called the olecranon.

Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy.

©️ Kurilla Budokan

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Iwama ryu techniques: structuring the body and energy. 44

Other common problems can be fractures at the radial section of the elbow. The elbow joint section is critical for this function, as it distributes the energy of the impact from the hand to the shoulder. It works as an elbow stabiliser extending and contracting the section during the pronosupination* of the forearm. The above section details some of the common fractures affecting the shoulder and elbows. When these happen, the first symptom is acute pain, inability to move the affected limb, change in shape, and joint inflammation. It is crucial to remark that this technique’s application could lead to a quick hit to the head, which might cause dizziness, tinnitus and luxation that might end up in late neurological injuries appearing after several years of the impact.

«The Pronosupination is a movement that allows you to flip up and down the palm. More than 60% of all injuries with traumatic consequences affect the high cervical column section (C0-C1-C2). The first cervical vertebra has the most significant mobility in the entire column. The joints between the occipital bone and the atlas (C0-C1), atlas and axis (C1-C2) present the highest movement range. This range makes them more vulnerable to fractures and injuries at the second vertebra (apophysis).

©️ Kurilla Budokan

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This vertebra contains a transverse ligament that keeps this apophysis from hurting the spinal cord. Any kind of fracture in this area could be fatal or could cause neurological injuries at the time of impact.

«Mild shoulder injuries may require medical assistance. It usually involves rest, pain killers, and early rehabilitation therapy».

Breathing during the breakfall When learning a physically demanding technique, most students hold or interrupt their breathing. This incorrect breathing can cause most of the injuries during the breakfall as the body becomes rigid and tense.

Training equipment

What are the origins of the keikogi? Since its creation, and due to the practice requirements, this clothing underwent multiple modifications until it achieved the current version.

By Luis Salazar Translation by: Abraham Conejeros

岩間神信合氣道

Many of the contact sports practice use less clothing as possible. We can see this in sumo, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and MMA, just to name a few. However, among traditional martial arts, clothing was designed to resist practice abuse where the participants needed to dress accordingly against grips, pulls and projections. However, this was not always like that. Initially, there was no specific attire dedicated to such practices and martial arts students simply practised with their home clothes. However, their fragile tailoring could not withstand the harsh demands of training, so it was necessary to strengthen them in those areas where they suffered the most. Thus, by the hand of Jigoro Kano, the first judogi was born. Its primitive versions were diverse, although one common element was possible to identify with its three pieces: The first was a thick and long jacket with a body. Still, the sleeves barely covered the elbows and a belt tied up the waist. Under the waist, the pants reached a bit higher around the knees. With the passage of time and the strictness of the practice, it added further improvements to better respond to everyday training demands. Around 1907 a new judogi model would become the standard for all practitioners: A thick jacket with long sleeves, which allowed them to improve the grip and hold control of the arms. Also, the trousers extended down to the ankles to fully protect the legs.

Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was also a professor of physical education, translator and economist. He was born on October 28, 1860, in Mikage, which is now a part of the city of Kobe.

岩間神信合氣道

Ginchin Funakoshi, the founder of karate-do, would have adopted this uniform by calling it karategi. For his part, Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, would have done the same, understanding that this clothing also responded to the practice’s needs. In the latter case, the practice uniform also considers using a hakama, worn from the shodan level and above.

岩間神信合氣道

According to martial arts historian Dave Lowry (2006), the judogi design helped to preserve the characteristics of the hanten, a tough uniform worn by Japanese firefighters in the 19th century which was made of hemp cloth, four times stronger than cotton. Why is the jacket worn by putting the left side above the right? Researchers point out that this would be a legacy of the feudal era. At that time the samurai carried their katana on the left side, this would have allowed them to draw the katana smoothly. Otherwise, it hooked the handles with the flap. Also, this allowed them to hide a tanto in them. Why is it white? Several versions and theories co-exist to answer this question. For example, Velez (n/d, p:16) points out that traditionally, in Japanese culture, white «is associated with a new life, the beginning, the birth». However, at the same time «is the colour of the funeral ceremony». Moreover, Velez (n/d, p:6), delves deeper into the idea and argues that the legendary samurai considered white to be a symbol of death, like the funeral

attire’s colour. The author also adds that the samurai wore white clothes under their armour to show their readiness for a glorious death on the battlefield. On the other hand, there would be a version that states that this garment would be white ´«because it is the colour of the flag of Japan». Another argues that this colour represents «purity, simplicity and abandonment of the ego», qualities necessary for martial arts practice. However, it is also possible that it is merely the natural colour of cotton used in their making. Velez (n/d, p:6). Finally, other authors argue that the reason for using this colour would be the same as it made nurses dress in white during the 20th century. It also has the characteristic of making the blood stand out so that the injuries can be treated quickly. Eri Flap

Uwagi Jacket Sode Sleeve

Sodeguchi Opening of the sleeve Obi Belt

The name of these clothing and some minor features may vary depending on the discipline.

Zubon Pant

References: https://soloartesmarciales.com/blogs/news/origen-e-historia-del-judogi https://bushidojo.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/el-color-del-keikogi-blanco-negro-por-que https://issuu.com/kodokanjudo/docs/judogi

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The symbolic and instrumental dimension of

鏡 Kagami (The mirror) Why is it covered after finishing practice? By Marcela Cabezas López Translation by Natalia Farías 49

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In most houses today, the mirror is present as an everyday use element; however, it was not always like this, not being available to everyone in the past. The first mirrors used by humans were probably wells of dark water in its calm state or water collected in some kind of primitive container. It was during the thirteenth century when the glass mirror, as we know it, was invented. Moreover, it was only after the sixteenth century when it became a bedroom accessory. It can be asserted that after its appearance, it expanded among ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman and during that time, also reaching the land of Japan.

The mirror as a symbolic object of adoration and respect In Shinto mythology, the mirror has been considered a mysterious object which represented truthfulness and from a clear reflection. In the past, the mirror was seen as a source of mysticism, treated with reverence as a rare item. Today, it is still possible to find small mirrors in the kamidana of most Japanese houses and dojos. In the Shinto belief, these represent the solar goddess Amaterasu. As the sun energises the living world, She binds the energy between all life and nature. In the kamidana, having a small round mirror can also represent the immortal soul, which reminds us of our existence’s transience. Inside a traditional martial arts dojo, in addition to the kagami present in the kamidana, there are also those of more oversized mirrors, arranged on walls and used as an instrument of guidance and self-knowledge, with a more practical purpose to help the students to self check their technical details and body stances.

«The concept of kanzo (簡素) seeks simplicity. Things are expressed in a plain, simple and natural way. Everything unnecessary is eliminated, excluded or omitted». Why are mirrors covered in Japan? There is a deeply rooted idea in Japanese culture that can be explained through the concept of kanzo (簡素), which seeks simplicity or elimination of surpluses. In other words, things are expressed in a plain, natural and straightforward way. Everything unnecessary is eliminated, excluded or omitted. That is why any mirror should be covered when it is not in use.

«They were seen as bridges, allowing beings from the other world to cross and harm people, absorbing their vital energy and their soul». There is another explanation that can be linked back to a superstitious tradition shared among other cultures. Since ancient times, there was the idea that mirrors should be used with particular care and precaution, as they were seen as bridges, allowing beings from the other world to cross and harm people, absorbing their vital energy and their soul. Hence since ancient times, it was usual to cover them with fabric, to somehow prevent any spirit passing through this mysterious polished surface.

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«The mirror does not hide anything. It shines without selfishness. Everything good and bad, right and wrong are reflected on it with no escape. The mirror is a source of honesty, as it has the virtue of responding according to the objects’ shape. It embodies the calmness and impartiality of the divine will; itis the very representation of Amaterasu, the Sun, the light that delivers the sustaining life energy». Chikafusa Kitabatake (1339).

Female empowerment

Iwama ryu Aikido as an attitudinal strengthening tool in the face of gender violence By: Mónica Ramírez S. Translation by: Francisco López

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

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The magnitude of violence against women Violence against women has recently risen to unprecedented dimensions, becoming a recurring topic in our society. The World Health Organization (2013), stated that physical or sexual violence should be considered a public health issue. World vast numbers of violence against women are near 35%. Most of them experience aggression on different scales, being the most common, the violence present inside the relationship. When it comes to the demographic distribution, Latin America and the Caribbean, hold the highest numbers of high physical, psycho-

logical and sexual violence (Fries & Urtado, 2010). Notably, in Chile, these values reach 41,4% of women between 15 and 65 years suffering some form of violence. There is also a significant increase in women’s psychological violence between 19 to 25 and 36 to 45 years old. However, despite the numbers, during the years 2012, 2017 and 2019, the rate of psychological violence fell by 27,6%, 22,8% and 19%. Reports of physical violence reached 36%, 36,5% and 29% for the same period. Finally, concerning sexual violence, rates got to 12%, 23% and 16,3% respectively.

«in Chile, these values reach 41,4% of women between 15 and 65 years suffering some form of violence.»

The United Nations define violence against women as: «Any act of gender violence that may result in physical, sexual or psychological damage to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or deprivation of liberty, whether they occur in public or private life.»

A victim of gender violence

Marta (48): «I used to cry every day. I even thought about throwing myself from a moving bus.»

We agreed to meet at her house after 18:00 hrs. At her bright, cosy home, with a minimalist style. Each corner had her personal touch: rustic sofas, all combined and a small library with books of her interest. We hung our jackets on the couch and sat in the living room around the coffee table. She asked the camera to remain off with a shy whisper and keep her real name secret. She shares that the experience suffered seemed far to her, and hopes to help other people with this interview.

In Chile, violence against women cl as domestic violence: psychological, physical, sexual and economic violence; in public spaces: educational and workspaces. (ENVIF – VCM. 2020).

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

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«He beat me to the point my eyes were so swollen that it was impossible to hide. He also blew out one of my teeth with a punch. I don’t know what was going on inside his mind; he was sick.»

With Marta, we shared a coffee and laughed together while sharing a little time. She lives alone and mentioned that she didn’t get married. Thanks to her parents’ hard work, she and her five brothers became professionals. Today she is working on a different field, the situation that she experienced forced her to change everything around her and start anew.

It’s been quite some time since you experienced gender violence. How did you manage to move on and take the first step? It is rare to talk about this so directly, and it is good to know that there are more voices today talking about this topic. When I lived through that, I had no one to talk about it. It was painful to leave everything behind, that was shocking. I did not understand the situation and thought “why do I have to leave if the victim is me?” but, looking back in retrospective, I can confirm it was the best decision.

demands made no sense at all. He used to smell my clothes and, if I refused, he would hit me. He pulled my hair to make me walk across the room until I let him go off me and my things. He used to grab my wrists so hard to the point of giving me huge bruises. He beat me to the point my eyes were so swollen that it was impossible to hide. He also blew out one of my teeth with a punch. I don’t know what was going on inside his mind; he was sick. What happened after each beating? You always try to explain to yourself that he had a hard day, that something happened to him, so the time goes by. Later, you look at yourself, you still get close to him, and without knowing, I was sleeping with him again. Sometimes I allowed that to avoid more problems, not to give him reasons to think I was seeing someone else, ending up in cruelty against me again. I was not even aware of how that was hurting me.

Did you have support from your family? Mrs Marta, how did you perceive the I never wanted anyone to know; I was intensification of the violence from ashamed. That time I had a swollen eye, I pretended a work trip to avoid seeing my your partner? Little by little, some offensive words and family and also took some days off from attitudes became the norm; it is something my job. I lied to hide the bruises. that you can’t perceive immediately. I neglected the disqualifications and insults. It Many people must be asking, what was common for him to call me “whore”. makes a person stay in a relationship The beatings came out of no reason, most like that? of the time just from his jealousy. The truth I did not know how to get out of that; I is that I never understood at all what was was scared, and I felt my life was in danger. happening. I used to go home from work, I used to cry every day, we did not have even rushing. He always asked who I was children either, but I felt that there was with and asked why I had to go out to work no way out, I even thought of throwing or have lunch with a coworker. Later, his myself from a moving bus.

Consequences of violence against women

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

Death, injuries, depression, overexposure and alcohol abuse are some of the most common consequences

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Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

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World Health Organization (WHO), informed that among the most severe consequences that women suffer from physical acts of violence are: death and injuries. The level of violence increases when it comes from partners affected by alcoholism and drug abuse. Following mental health, gender violence produces the following effects: intense grief and lack of concentration, sleeping difficulties, fear, sadness and depression. In terms of health problems , women who have been victims of gender violence are almost twice as likely to get sexually transmitted infections

like syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea. In most cases, women take around 7 or 8 years to denounce their situation and start a therapy and recovery process. The therapy process, which allows her to heal the trauma experienced, requires time and disposition. Completing the therapy will help the victim gradually return to her previous environment, thus recovering their everyday life. This whole process ensures society recognises the victim as a survivor and makes her able to incorporate these experiences into her personal history and, if necessary, use them as a resource to help prevent new experiences.

«In most cases, women take around 7 or 8 years to denounce their situation and start a therapy and recovery process.»

The passive role of governments and the scarcity of resources:

Fabiola Astete:

In charge of the Women and Gender Equity Office in Chiloé, Fabiola has extensive experience accompanying women victims of violence.

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

«Public policies are reactive, and the resources allocated to violence programs are too low»

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Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

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The depth of the violence against women requires being done on a national and international scale; combining health and education programs, development and support to the victims, and identifying offenders. The UN Women Program states that “the best way to counteract gender violence is to prevent it by working on its origins and structural causes”. In this way, it would become necessary to educate people from early childhood through adolescence to promote gender equality, empower women, and validate human rights, among other significant aspects. «In Chile, the National Service for Women and Gender Equality promotes and strengthens women’s right to have a life free of violence. Although there are serious

«Social shelters and institutions. The Ministry of Women does not provide the necessary tools for victims to safely return to their lives. Much more education and preparation is needed on this matter.» shortcomings that prevent the government from taking administration due to the complexity of the problem (Macuer, Weinstein & Belmar, 2017).»

However, Fabiola Astete, having extensive experience supporting women victims of violence, points out that all efforts and resources are still insufficient to deal with the complexity of this problem.

You have pointed out a situation where the institutions are insufficient. I can imagine there are more things to improve. In general terms, there is no clear public policy regarding gender violence. So much is

How low are the resources received for this purpose? Unfortunately, state resources allocated to gender violence programs are too low. Although claiming the opposite, the Ministry of Women has not increased the necessary resources to protect these women truly. UN Women has proposed an ideal course of action to solve the problem. How can that be introduced in Chile? We are far away from the UN proposal. We do not have a law on gender violence; domestic violence law has not been updated in ages. The modification of the femicide law is still pending. Everything needs to be improved through the education of the younger generations. All university programs should have a course connected with gender equity. Society should focus on eradicating the existing gender stereotypes, starting from playgrounds to the kindergarten. To achieve this significant change education is the key. There are so many things to improve, but we need a government further committed to protecting women.

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Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

Mrs Fabiola, under what conditions do women come for help, and how is the support they receive? Women come here in fear, pain and anguish. They feel helpless, with no self-esteem and afraid to speak out against their aggressors. We receive them with arms wide open here. At the same time, we collect all relevant data, consent forms, and declarations. On the next stage, psychologists, social workers and lawyers take care of each case. Institutions such as the Investigation Police take care of all injuries certificates from the hospital to confirm injuries. On a more human side, we listen to them, offering a place to feel safe and trusted. The challenge is returning them to their original social context, from which most of the abuse started. Most women affected are afraid to report these crimes to prevent a payback from their aggressors.

said, but so little is done. I have some complaints about social shelters and institutions. The Ministry of Women does not provide the necessary tools for victims to safely return to their lives. Much more education and preparation is needed on this matter. I propose to have a shelter house open to women without so much bureaucracy. The access to one now leaves the victim in an endless list of requirements. Some women only need to move away from their homes to a temporary safe place to escape from the aggression. It would be even better to have shelter houses with a vegetable garden or greenhouses; places where they could learn crafts, dance, physical therapy and so on. There is a long way to go because the shelter houses are too welfare-oriented and with meagre resources.

Strengthening tools

Female empowerment and Iwama ryu Aikido

reduce the factors that enhance the cycle of violence against women.

But isn’t it contradictory to learn martial arts if we want to stop the violence? Without being an expert in traditional Aikido, checking its fundamentals, I can identify that it contributes to training the character, preventing stress, and developing and strengthening continuous alert and attention states. At the same time, it makes you physically stronger. It is not about learning to hit and kick someone, that would perpetuate the cycle of violence. Instead, women learn to identify physical and psychological vulnerability factors, understand their strengths and weaknesses, recognise that moment in which a situation or relationship becomes a threat, and identify possible ways out. Miss Carolyn, from your experience, In the end, it is a way of resolving conflicts what kind of activities could strengthen without violence, with flexible and reafemale empowerment? I believe that traditional Aikido would be a useful empowerment tool for women experiencing situations of violence. Not only for self-defence, but also self-awareness, to recognise themselves and as therapy as well. It would give women technical and attitude resources for improving prevention and action to develop self-confidence and security. How can this female empowerment be further improved? In our condition as a woman, you can start to develop a feeling of equality in the physical domain; it lets you go further to improve your self-esteem. It makes you experience a “Yes! I can” sense. It’s a considerable empowerment tool, of self-confidence and security, fundamental elements to on our fight for equality, recognition and the exercise of our rights. The female empowerment supports the hypothesis that Aikido can significantly

«I believe that traditional Aikido would be a useful empowerment tool for women experiencing situations of violence. Not only for self-defence, but also self-awareness, to recognise themselves and as therapy as well. It would give women technical and attitude resources for improving prevention and action to develop self-confidence and security.»

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Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

According to psychologist specialist in gender violence, Carolyn Marín, Female empowerment can channel a good part in solving this problem. It is necessary to have creative and original tools that contribute to each woman’s inner strengthening to improve their self-esteem in their whole multidimensional domain: physical, mental and spiritual. This development will allow them to confront challenging situations when dealing with gender vulnerability experience. Although rehabilitation and psychotherapy are fundamental for the psychologist, she suggests that “women should learn new forms of inner strengthening to allow them to improve their self-confidence and live in awareness of their environment”, which means learning to empower themselves.

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

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soned responses that ensure, above all, the kido still preserves significant ancient integrity of people exposed to a context teaching that gave the warrior confiof vulnerability. dence during violent days. The rigour of the practice allowed it to shape the heart, mind, body, and spirit under an accreditRelevant Characteristics of Iwa- ed teacher’s supervision. These developma ryu Aikido that contributes to ment elements are relevant for any womfemale empowerment. an, and even more for those who live in The Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai Ai- vulnerability contexts. • Traditional Aikido works on conflict. In each class, there is a chance to learn a different correct way out of it. • It allows for developing relational competence. In addition to the physical training, it works on developing a mental attitude against the confrontation. • In the practice of traditional Aikido, there is no gender difference. Each person is a practice partner who helps the growth of the others. • Mixed work allows women to approach an adverse bodily experience, where brain mechanisms are activated for a survival response. • Each class provide fundamental elements to face situations of vulnerability, such as: • Zanshin: Continuous awareness • Kiai: A war cry that could inhibit or neutralise an opponent’s action • Atemi: Knowing and exploiting weak points in the human body • Kime: correct attitude, determination for action

«Aggression or danger can be not only in the physical plane but also on the verbal, psychological and even at a suggestive state.» Florencia. Region of Mendoza, Argentina

«When I started practising dentou Iwama ryu Aikido I discovered that I had to change my way of thinking completely: To clear my mind and start anew. A mere repetition of the movements was not enough; the proper study of Budo caught my attention.» Viviana, Uruguay. «The most important thing I have learned is to control the body and physical condition, to grow mentally and spiritually. I did not have the opportunity yet – and I hope not to have it – to use what I have learned to defend myself in the street, but in the day-to-day plane traditional Aikido has changed everything». Josefina, Chile. • CEPAL: https://repthe opportunity yetbitstream/handle/11362/5826/1/S0900880_es.pdf Estudio de la información sobre la violencia contra la mujer en América Latina y el Caribe. Lorena Fríes, Victoria Hurtado, División de Asuntos de Género, Santiago de Chile, marzo de 2010. (Study of Information on Violence Against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lorena Fríes, Victoria Hurtado, Division of Gender Matters, Santiago de Chile, March 2010). • WHO: https://www.who.int/topics/gender_based_violence/es/ • WHO https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/violence_against_women_20130620/es/ • UN WOMEN: https://www.unwomen.org/es/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/prevention • Subsecretaría de Prevención del Delito. Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública (2020) IV Encuesta de Violencia contra la Mujer en el Ámbito de Violencia Intrafamiliar y en Otros Espacios (ENVIF-VCM). Resultados País. Septiembre. (Sub Secretary for Crime Prevention. First Ministry and Public Security, 2020. Fourth Survey on Violence Against Women in the Field of Intrafamily Violence and in Other Spaces, ENVIF-VCM. Country results, September) • UNICEF:https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/28250/PROGRAMA%20VIOLENCIA%20EN%20GENERO. pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y • Informe Final, Evaluación Programa de Prevención Integral de la Violencia contra las Mujeres y Programa de Atención, Protección y Reparación Integral de Violencias contra las Mujeres. Ministerio de la Mujer y Equidad de Género. Servicio Nacional de la Mujer y Equidad de Género. Panelistas: Tania Macuer, evaluadora. Marisa Weinstein, evaluadora. Christian Belmar, coordinador. (Enero 2017) - (Final Report of «Evaluation of the Comprehensive Prevention of Violence against Women» and «Comprehensive Attention, Protection and Reparation Program for Violence against Women». Ministry of Women and Gender Equity. National Service for Women and Gender Equity. Panelists: Tania Macuer, evaluator. Marisa Weinstein, evaluator. Christian Belmar, coordinator. January 2017) https://www.dipres.gob.cl/597/articles-163130_informe_final.pdf

Empoderamiento femenino: El aikido Iwama ryu como herramienta de fortalecimiento actitudinal ante la violencia de género

«The contribution of Aikido in my life has improved my emotional safety, and it has helped me with self-control. I have never used it as self-defence on the street. I must say that it has served me as a model and motivation for many women.» Larisa, Dominican Republic.

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Japanese traditions, festivities and commemorations:

The Obon

The celebration of spirits in Japan. By Josefina Ibáñez Translation by Francisco López

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Japan is a country full of traditions, commemorations and festivities, like the Shogatsu or new year celebrations. The Obon has been celebrated in Japan for about five hundred years. It is based on the cherry blossom and it is similar to the Tanabata (Festival of the Stars). These are just two among many festivities in the country. One of the most prominent customs, due to its beauty and intensity, is the Obon or Day of the Dead. During this festival, people have an opportunity to greet, remember and give a final farewell to their ancestors with a cheerful heart. Based in the Mokuren legends, it tells the story of a Buddhist disciple who claimed to see his dead mother in her sorrow for not being allowed eternal rest. To face such a problem, Mokuren asked Buddha for help, who advised him to make offerings to the Buddhist monks on each thirteenth day of the seventh month. By doing that, the disciple finally let his mother’s soul be free. His happiness was such that he danced whirling in delight, thus giving origin to this tradition. Since that day, it has been celebrated for three or four days, and families of the deceased also perform a deep cleaning and ornamentation of graves and homes. They also share various foods, including rice, noodles, vegetables, fruits and even candies. Everything is offered to the spirits and placed on an

altar known as shōryō-dana or butsudan, which also holds a memorial called shōryōma, representing a horse using a cucumber; and a cow, symbolised by an eggplant, both with wooden legs. These elements represent the spirits’ desire to return to earth mounted on a fast horse and then placidly come back to the otherworld on a cow.

«The bon-odori dance recalls the deep happines of Mokuren and welcomes the spirits.». How is Obon celebrated? On the first day of celebration, the mukaebon is performed with a series of rituals intended to welcome the ancestors: the mukaebi, or welcoming fire, is lit to guide them to their former homes to prevent them from getting lost on the way back. In yards and house gates, their families send paper lanterns to the sky and decorate the surroundings with lamps and burn crops on stalks. By night, people perform the bon-odori, a dance to recall Mokuren, or happiness when welcoming the spirits. The dancers are dressed with a traditional yukata (summer kimono) and perform in temples

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and streets around the city. One of the most traditional dances, the nagashi-odori (bon-odori), which tours the streets of the Tokushima city, also called awadori. When the bon-odori is not going through the streets, the dance takes place around small temples where the music and the Japanese drums’ rhythm fill the town with joy. This practice is known as waodori, and one of the most prominent the gujō-odori, in Gifu prefecture. On the second day of celebration, people usually visit their ancestors’ graves and make offerings like sake, fruits or flowers. This activity is called haka mairi, which means to visit a grave. After that, people visit temples and shrines to pray and to express their gratitude. Later, they return home to spend the rest of the day with the family, sharing food and drinks, remembering and celebrating their ancestors. On the last day, the okuribon or farewell of the souls guides their ancestors’ return to the world of the spirits. Their families light the okuribi or farewell fire, along with small boats and little lanterns released together all over the shores to make a big final parade of lights. This activity is known as shōrōnagashi or tōrōnagashi, which marks the end of all the celebrations until next year.

«This tradition has spread over the whole country, displaying some differences depending on the region.». 68

Alessandro Tittarelli (1957 - 2018):

«The best of Aikido can be found in Iwama»

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“Once I went there, I discovered a different reality from what you can see when training in other countries, I realized the true Aikido could only be studied there”. By Rodrigo Troncoso P.

It was during June 2014. I can not exactly recall the hour, but it was quite late, surely after midnight. It was a bit unusual, but that night the Shin Dojo’s kitchen, which is usually a place for meetings and celebrations, was empty. Probably due to the intense practice of that day. Above the entrance, the lighting relied only on a small fluorescent lamp, a tiny illuminated spotlight that set up an intimate atmosphere. The smell of detergent lingered from the double size dishwasher placed on the left wall, close to it there was a huge six-burner industrial kitchen, those with blowtorches. On the other side of the kitchen, hanging from the ceiling, a set of racks full of plates, cups, and bowls were all surrounded by a large wooden cabinet. That set the limit between those having dinner and the people who took turns to prepare meals. There was a long wall-to-wall table for those who stayed to eat, which held up to twenty in-living students. At the back, in traditional Japanese style, there was a platform of about forty centime-

tres high with three traditional small tables, just like those that can be seen in the Kill Bill movies. The teachers Alessandro Tittarelli and Alberto Boglio from Italy were sitting on the floor, close to the corner to cope with the high humidity of summer rainy season in Iwama. They were also accompanied by Fernando Delgado sensei, Mónica Ramírez sempai and Roberto Urbina sempai and me, all from the Chilean dojo. The sake and the beers set the mood for a pleasant conversation, between laughs we sought to fix the world. Yet, the teachers shared with us invaluable details and information for the making of a documentary, which at that time, was already in the production and recording stage. «I came to the martial world at a very young age; I was only 16 years old. At that time there was a trend for Chinese martial arts in Italy. The closest dojos around me were Aikido, judo and karate. Excited about their features, in ’73, I began training in all three of them. After a couple of years, I started to understand the difference between these

“Apart from Iwama, in most places, you don’t train in the way of the Founder. They have changed Aikido; they do it their own way.»

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and focused exclusively on Aikido. I was in love with the big movements, the hakama, the big falls» Alessandro sensei told us after asking him why Aikido and not another discipline. -Being part of the world of Aikido, I decided to go for the one practised in Iwama, precisely the one taught by sensei Morihiro Saito. Why did you make that decision? Once I came to Iwama, I discovered that the reality was completely different from what you can see travelling worldwide. I realized I could only study true Aikido in Iwama, so I came to train here. Aikido was born in Iwama, the Founder’s dojo is in Iwama, the Aikido sanctuary is in Iwama, that only means, the best of Aikido is here, in Iwama. And from my point of view, the only way to practice the original Aikido is coming here. Even today, whoever comes to Iwama and trains at sensei Hitohira Saito’s Tanrenkan dojo, will experience the same training as when the Founder was still alive.

-How was that? Please tell me a little more about that. Let’s see...I think I can give you two reasons for that: the first one is that at that age you come thinking that you are the best in the world, or at least one of the best. But coming here makes you realize that you are quite far from that. The other is that while not in Iwama, we mostly take Aikido practice as a hobby, like someone who plays cards, marbles, or football once or twice a week. While in Iwama, you breathe and live by Aikido, it not only involves the technical aspect of it.

-How can that be traumatic? The most distressing thing was living twenty-four hours a day with the particular tension of paying attention to every detail. For example, if I have to sweep the leaves and there is a small pebble, I can’t just come and remove it, I sweep the leaves. Still, I leave the stone there, because if I remove that stone, tomorrow someone might come and take another one, and then someone else will come and remove another on the side, and that will alter the -How could you describe your experien- whole situation. In Iwama, everything is ce the first time you came to Iwama? respected; you have to respect nature and My first experience was quite traumatic the environment, respect other people, (laughs). and respect everything around you.

岩間神信合氣道

«The most distressing thing was living twentyfour hours a day with the particular tension of paying attention to every detail.»

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The one loved and respected:

The good mentor As nowadays the techniques present in Aiki are not meant for the war against others, therefore their way of teaching should also be examined.

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Por Tristão da Cunha

Years ago, I used to be a rigorous teacher, and quite often, the senior students remind the new practitioners about this. I still remember how many of us tried to imitate the life of Morihiro Saito sensei: Fighting bad guys on the streets, shouting at our students and severely correcting them about the tiniest mistakes on their technique or dojo etiquette. Accidents during training were quite common at that time. Back then, I remember that I would hasten to forcefully apply a technique on any student who dared to claim: “This technique doesn’t work on me”. I just simply could not stand any student challenging me in any way. As a result, among some circles, I ended up developing the fame of being a rigorous and dangerous teacher. Somehow Morihiro sensei ended up knowing about this. One day in Iwama, while being with the rest of the uchideshi, he told us that the time of fighting on the streets was over and that we should be kinder to our students. Hearing this quite startled me, it took me about two to three years to just grasp what sensei said, and a few more to put that into practice, although sometimes, I might still feel the need to be rigorous again. As every year I came back to Iwama, I saw sensei Morihiro changing a little bit his strict way of teaching. At the same time, I

saw how the number of students coming as uchideshi (live-in students) gradually increased. The same happened to the number of students that signed for international interchanges. Morihiro sensei would always say that numbers did not matter at all, but we saw an increase in people who genuinely wanted to learn the techniques of O’Sensei. It is more difficult to teach with a kind heart to the students than to teach strictly, as it takes more time to teach and learn in that way. To be able to instruct with kindness, we must exert patience at all times, without fail. If we lead with a kind heart, our students will eventually be kind to their juniors, and they will willingly share what they have learned to them as their friends. They will also enjoy more every training session, and every day they will enthusiastically look forward to the next class. A good mentor should always set an example, which is the most difficult part of the teaching process. Because there is a massive difference between being a teacher of Budo and a sports instructor: Although the latter should be a moral guide to the sportsman, this aspect is not a prerequisite, a good sport instructor must be an excellent technical trainer and prepare the athlete for the competition, or somehow lead him in some type of sports program.

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A good teacher of Budo, however, must display good etiquette inside and outside the dojo and must be respectful to all students. He must refrain from insulting or denigrating students who do not understand the teachings completely; we must consider that every person has a different learning pace. Quite often, those students who are the slowest to learn are the most persevering and the ones who go higher up in the ranks. After all these years of teaching, I have seen this over and over again. As a general rule, it is quite common to see that those fast learners students are quick to quit, and never reach higher levels nor become teachers. If a teacher of Budo starts seeing fewer students, he must reflect on the following: • Are students facing financial problems? • Is the teacher not being clear with the explanations? • Is the teacher changing the techniques

their predecessor left to study? • Does the teacher insult students or their friends? • Is the teacher lacking proper etiquette at the dojo? • Is the teacher no longer a good example for his students? For a student to be able to learn, he must respect the teacher. However, this is also what the teacher himself must do. To have a good technique and to teach it accordingly is an excellent thing. However, the duty of a teacher of Budo goes beyond. It requires the teacher to be an example inside and outside the dojo, to be a model for society. Everything the teacher displays the students will follow it, being praised by their families and friends, students will always love a good mentor. I’m personally still working on this matter, as it is a difficult way to live: To be loved by students is also to love the students.

Japanese symbolisms

Fudô Myô-ô By Roberto Urbina Translated by Christofer Reyes

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Japanese society holds a myriad of cultural guardian of fire; it is surrounded by it to icons to express its particular vision of the burn down all sinful desires, and worldly world. It is not uncommon to find places, passions. He is usually depicted as a desculptures or images dedicated to deities termined, furious, and intimidating deity, recalling the importance of cultural ele- who scares away the evil spirits from pracments like purification, protection, or illu- titioners in their search of the way. He almination, among others. Included in these ways sits on a rock displaying his characterrepresentations, we istic perseverance, have the «five kings along with mental of wisdom» or «Goand physical stoiFor devotees in Japan, Fudô Myô-ô dai Myô-ô»: Kongoo cism that bestows symbolises wellness and business Yasha, Gundari, on his devotees. prosperity. People also look to reGoosanze, Dai-iitoThe sword repreceive protection against danger, for ku and Fudo Myo-o, sents the victory good luck on long trips and sucthese deities repreof knowledge over cessful outcomes in conflicts. sent the wisdom of ignorance. With it, the Buddhas. Introthe deity cuts the duced in Japan by knots tying comthe Shingon and Tendai Buddhist sects plex tribulations. The blade’s tip repreduring the 9th century, the Fudo Myô-ô, sents a flawless focus, always surroundthe immovable, is the most relevant. The ed by a dragon in an upright position, archaeologist Miyeko Murase, from Co- meaning the path to achieve the Dô. lumbia University, points out its origin in When it reaches the brain, the human the Hindu god Shiva, with whom it shared becomes enlightened, thus completing his common elements. Fudô Myô-ô is the the final purpose.

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The upper teeth, pointing downwards, represent the limitless compassion towards beings, Earth, to the physical world about its protruding fangs. The lower tooth points upward towards the sky, to the vast, endless world, representing all beings’ natural aspiration to find unification with the divine. The Fudô Myô-ô carries a rope on his left hand, representing the void to catch any demons haunting humanity. It also traps the restless mind in the same way the virtuous men guide those ignorant and evildoers into the path of grace. The representation of Fudô Myô-ô was part of the samurai, who had found in him a path to seek enlightenment. For budo practitioners, Fudô Myô-ô represents the way to understand the human’s true nature. It means a constant search for improvement through hard practice. It portraits the identification of all relevant aspects that must be rectified to achieve improvement. In Aikido Iwama ryu the Fudô Myô-ô can be found in the Tanrenkan kamidana at the Iwama dojo. As if he could be present in the prayers of sensei Hitohira Saito teaches

in every keiko to the students of the Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai.

Bibliography · Budo, Morihei Ueshiba. Dojo editions 2006 · “Fudo Myoo’s independent cult in japan: an analysis of its evolution and value”. A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University Dorothy Jean Sutton, B.A., B.F.A. /The Ohio State University · Japanese Art: Selections from the Mary and Jackson Burke Collection written by Miyeko Murase, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) · Brownlee, J. (1969). The Shokyu War and the Political Rise of the Warriors, Monumenta Nipponica, 24, 59-77. · Kondo, A. (1999). Japan. Historical evolution of a town (until 1650), Guipúzcoa: Nerea. · Miyazaki, F. (1992); Religious Life of the Kamakura Bushi, Monumenta Nipponica, 47(4), 435-467. · Whitney, J. (1993). The Japanese Empire, Madrid: XXI Century. · The religion of the Samurai / The Religion of The Samurai / Kaiten Nukariya Paidos Iberica Ediciones S A, 2005. Volume 88 of Paidos Orientalia

Beliefs and traditions

Susuharai

The purification of our space to receive a new year. By Santiago Gandulfo Translated by Elisa Mendoza and Nicolás Urra

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Japanese traditions often have the characteristic of transcending the worldly realm; those celebrated at the end of the year are no exception. Japanese traditions usually gather family and close friends around a common activity or a purpose. All sharing a collective feeling where desires and aspirations reach a special meaning. A clear example of this is the traditional Susuharai (煤払い) or soot cleaning. This Shintoist tradition teaches that people should treat homes and temples with the utmost care and respect. By doing this, the Toshigami deity can bring a year full of blessing, prosperity and health. This belief motivates people to clean up their houses thoroughly and to also purify

their own feelings. Starting on December 13th, the Susuharai cleaning begins in temples and shrines. The cleansing of these sacred places is done with utmost detail. Performed among practitioners and priests, they burn incense and ring bells to purify the believers’ environment. Cleaning tasks are divided and organized in groups; these include hitting the tatami mats with wooden sticks to remove the dust and swinging a big two-handed fan to improve the air circulation. Any stains on the tatami are carefully cleaned with a cloth. Priests also clean thoroughly each of the statues ornamenting the space, while those of greater hierarchy are in charge of cleaning the main altar.

The great cleaning (Ōsōji 大掃除)

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Over time and beyond religious beliefs, Japanese families took this activity to their homes and named it Ōsōji (大掃除) or the great cleaning. To receive the new year with a purified and clean home, families must profusely cleanse their houses. From kids to the elders, the whole family gathers for this task. To avoid overcrowding the house with unnecessary items, anything not needed is discarded. Decorations, furniture and drawers are cleaned. Dust is swept or vacuumed from the interior rooms and up to the gate. Finally, the home is scrubbed with a sponge dipped in water or a mix of vinegar. The whole cleaning and purification process culminates with a family dinner to behold the end of the year.

«Beyond daily cleaning, this Japanese tradition is present in most dojos of traditional Iwama ryu.» The Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai and the Susuharai Beyond daily cleaning, this Japanese tradition is present in most dojos of traditional Iwama ryu. A good example can be the Aiki Shuren Dojo Portugal, where students and friends arrive early to clean the place thoroughly. All cleaning tasks are arranged: the kamidana, library, dressing rooms, etc.

The Chilean dojo also holds a similar tradition. At the Aiki O’Kami dojo, everything is dismantled to remove dust and dirt. New students are guided on how to perform each task. The activity ends with a small celebration that includes a small meal. Everybody enjoys this tradition of camaraderie and friendship.

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The tradition continues We would like to congratulate Morihiro Saito Nidaime´s family -Yasuhiro Saito- on the birth of their son Takehiro Saito. September 15th, 2020

Morihiro Saito Nidaime, his wife Ai, and their children Ami, Fumi and Takehiro 82

Translated by Elisa Mendoza and Nicolás Urra

Dojos Iwama Ryu Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai HOME: 26-2 Yoshioka Kasama-shi Ibaragi-ken Japan

Japan

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DOJO: 53-1 Yoshioka Kasama-shi Ibaragi-ken Japan 0299-45-2224 Saito Hitoriha Kaicho iwamajuku@ybb.ne.jp

Sendai Aiki Shuren Dojo (Japan) Representative: Masashi Okubo aiiku-rental@aiiku.com Hitachi Aiki Shuren-kai (Japan) Representative: Koji Murata http://hitachi-aiki.com/blog/ Iwama Shinshin Aikijyuku Fuzoku – Doshinka (Japan) Representative: Tadayuki Ogoshi ff00543@yahoo.co.jp Uehara Aiki Shuren Dojo (Japan) Representative: Makoto Otaka http://iwamaaikido.jp/uehara/index.html Iwama Shinshin Aikido Busenkai Tokyo (Koryo Jr high school) (Japan) Representative: Tomoki Takamura http://iwamaaikido-kenny.blogspot.jp/ Iwama Shinshin Aikido Busenkai Tokyo (Kougai elementary school) (Japan) Representative: Tomoki Takamura http://iwamaaikido-kenny.blogspot.jp/ Nagoya Shibu Dojo (Japan) Representative: Yoshiki Komiyama http://www.wa.commufa.jp/~iwamaryu/index02.html Akita Shibu Dojo (Japan) Representative: Masayuki Miura masayuki-m@tbz.t-com.ne.jp Ryugasaki Shibu Dojo (Japan) Representative: Kazuto Ohshima kazuto-ohshima@jcom.home.ne.jp Tsukishima Aiki Shurenkai (Japan) Representative: Yasuo Takayasu takayasu@akiyamasangyo.com

Source: https://iwamashinshinaikido.com/dojos/

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Usa & Canadá Vancouver (Canada) Representative: Kurato ( Kenny ) Sembokuya http://www.busenkai.org California Sacramento (USA) Representative: Wayne Wallace wwdogg@yahoo.com Aikido of South Florida (USA) Representative: Stephanie Yap http://www.aikidosouthflorida.com Takemusu Aikido of Sonoma (USA) Representative: Noel Kennedy http://www.takemusu-aikido.com

South America Casa Matriz: Aiki Shuren Dojo Chile Representative: Fernando Delgado http://www.aikidotradicional.cl Dojo Santiago (Chile) Representative: Fernando Delgado http://www.aikidotradicional.cl Aiki O´Kami: Dojo Rancagua (Chile) Representative: Roberto Urbina http://www.aikidorancagua.cl La Plata (Argentina) Representative: Sergio Bengoa http://www.iwamaaikido.com.ar/ Mendoza (Argentina) Representative: Santiago Emiliano Eguren http://www.aikido-argentina.com.ar/ Aikishuren Dojo Buenos Aires (Argentina) Representative: Andrés Bellini http://www.aikidobuenosaires.com Iwama Shin Shin Aikido Tucumán (Argentina) Representative: Esteban Hamada http://www.aikishurentucuman.com.ar/ Aiki Shuren Dojo/Dentou Iwama Ryu Brazil (Brazil) Representative: José Silva http://www.localhost/newiwama.br/ Dento Iwama Ryu de Uruguay (Uruguay) Representative: Mario Silva http://www.aikidoiwama.com.uy (República Dominicana) Representative: Alberto Villaroel / Jorge López jululonu@gmail.com Iwama Ryu Venezuela (Venezuela) Representative: Rafael Silva http://www.iwamaaikido.com.ve/

Source: https://iwamashinshinaikido.com/dojos/

Europe & Asian (Belgium) Representative: Albert Major / Ingrid Godderis http://www.aikido-iwama-shinshin.be (Denmark) Representative: Jan Zabell Steffensen http://www.aikidodojo.dk Aiki Shuren Dojo London (England ) Representative: Julian Bever http://www.iwamaaikidolondon.org.uk Dento Iwama Ryu Aïkido France (France) Representative: Olivier Eberhardt http://iwama-ryu.fr Dokan Rennes (France) Representative: Olivier Eberhardt http://www.aikido-japon.com/ Tenchi Paris (France) Representative: Julien Dubergey http://www.aikido-paris.org/ Ki-Shin-Tai Dojo Erlangen (Germany) Representative: Thomas Podzelny http://www.ki-shin-tai.de Associação Portuguesa Aikishurendojo (Portugal) Representative: Tristão da Cunha http://www.aikishurendojo.org Arvika Aikido Dojo Iwama Ryu (Sweden) Representative: Dirk Handzic http://www.iwamajuku.se/ (Switzerland) Representative: Akimasa Watanabe http://www.iwamaaikido.ch/ Aiki Shuren Dojo Austria (Austria) Representative: Markus Bauer http://www.aikido-tulln.at Takemusu Aikido Korntal (Gemany) Representative: Volker Hochwald http://www.aikido-korntal.de/ Aiki Shuren Dojo Augsburg (Gemany) Representative: Carsten Oetzl http://iwama-aikido-augsburg.de/ Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai (Czech Republic) Representative: Petr Doupovec http://www.iwama-aikido.cz/ Oran (Argelia) Representative: Ghemri Belhadri http://www.aikido-algerie.com (Romania) Representative: Iulian Stanescu http://www.iwama-ryu.ro/ A.G.A.D.I.R. (Asociación Gallega de Aikido Dento Iwama Ryu) Galicia Aiki Shuren Dojo Representative: José Veiga aikidoagadir@gmail.com https://aikishurendojogalicia.com/

Europa & Asia (Sweden) Representative: Dirk Handzic http://www.iwamajuku.se/ Ivanovo (Russia) Representative: Sergey Botov http://iwamaivanovo.ru

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Moscow Club Aikido Iwama Ryu (Russia) Representative: Sergey Utrobin http://iwama.ru St. Petersburg (Russia) Representative: Dmitrieva Svetlana http://iwa.spb.ru Aikido Iwama Ryu Ukraine (Ukraine) Representative: Maxim Vladymirov http://iwama.kiev.ua Traditional Aikido Kurilla Budokan (Slovakia) Representative: Stefan Kurilla http://www.wa.sk/ Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai Turkey (Turquía) Representative: Mehmet S. Dogu http://www.iwama-ryu-tr.org/ (Macedonia) Representative: Petar Golaboski http://www.iwamaryu.org/ Traditional Aikido Philippines (Phillipines) Representative: Aries Supremo http://iwamaphilippines.com Aiki Shuren Dojo Casablanca Morocco (Morocco) Representative: Abderrahim Smahi http://iwamaryu-maroc.net Irán Iwama Aikido (Irán) Representative: Mohammad Arabsorkhi http://iraniwamaaikido.com Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai (Shanghái) Representative: Takafumi Kogai aiki64@hotmail.com

Australia Aiki Shuren Dojo (Australia) Representative: Mic Marelli http://www.aiki.com.au Melbourne (Australia) Representative: Simon Harris http://www.iwamaaikido.com.au/ Adelaide (Australia) Representative: Michael Costello http://www.aikiadelaide.com.au

Source: https://iwamashinshinaikido.com/dojos/

Aikido Iwama Ryu France