Lesson with the Doshu

Today it was my first lesson with the Doshu of Aikikai. Doshu is the name of the headmaster of the Dojo. If you remember the article I wrote some days ago about the Hombu Dojo (I think you don’t) or if you love Aikido and you think yourselves as Aikiholics, you’ll know that the current Doshu is Moriteru Ueshiba, this man:

Moriteru Ueshiba

Moriteru Ueshiba

It was an interesting lesson today, because of this man considered as a leyend in Aikido, like his predecessors:  Kisshomaru Ueshiba y O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido. Another reason why today’s was an interesting lesson is that the mate I practiced with was an old woman (in her 60’s) whom… I must say, she kicked my ass! Not only followed my rythm but she made me sweat a lot. In my defense I must say she ended completely red of tiredness. However, it surprised me a lot was to see how fit people keep in the Dojo, specially old people that practices every day.

When I went out of the Dojo I saw a lot of people with cameras, which made me thought that there is no problem on taking pictures during the lessons (My japanese speaking skills are not well enought to ask it), so further on I’ll ask a friend to take some pictures during a lesson while I practice. I expect to have a new SLR Reflex Digital Camera as my compact one wouldn’t work well there as there are no good light and flashing people is not a good way of making friends.

Time to finish, I’d like to take this opportunity to say hello to all my Aikido-mates in Galicia even if they don’t read this blog in the English version… Hi guys!

4 Comments

  1. Información Bitacoras.com…

    Si lo deseas, puedes hacer click para valorar este post en Bitacoras.com. Gracias….

  2. mar says:

    ¡Hola, Germán!!
    ¡Qué sorpresa!! :) (soy tu prima;))
    Me ha dicho Alberto que estabas haciendo una crónica de tu estancia en Japón y aquí me tienes, dispuesta a conocer mil cosas de esa cultura tan distinta a la nuestra!!
    Biquiños!!
    Si te apetece hacerme una visita “virtual” estoy en http://mipequeesperaenchina.blogspot.com/

  3. Shachou says:

    Las obasan ninja es lo que tienen te miran con esos ojos de “hola hijito acercate que no te voy ha ……” y zaca ya estas patas arriba.
    Por cierto, hay mas extranjeros?, les sorprende ver a un español por ahi?
    Pasalo bien y cuidado con la abuela. Jajajaja

  4. admin says:

    Hola Shachou! que tal va el デパーと?
    pues hay bastantes extranjeros en el Dojo este, de hecho hay más extranjeros que japoneses. El caso es que este dojo es el central del mundo. Se considera así porque el “jefe” del dojo es el descendiente del inventor del Aikido, en concreto es su nieto. Suele haber entre 60 y 90 personas por clase, lo que es una locura ya que nos caemos unos encima de otros :-)