NEWSLETTER AIKIDO RYU JAN 2011

January 21st, 2011 by Elrin

Ryu

taiyaki

Introduction

Hard to believe that January is more than halfway over but not too late to wish everyone a happy New Year. Did you all enjoy your holidays?

As we mentioned before, it’s now been two years since we’ve been pubishing this mail magazine and we’d like to thank everyone for their support. Starting from this month, there’ll be a few changes to the contents of the magazine.
The “Meigen” section will be replaced by tales of Japanese heroes. Each month, Ando Sensei will select and introduce characters from Japanese history, from the martial arts and other fields. Should be interesting!
“Ando Shihan’s Training Tips” will be replaced by a more technical section explaining the essence of various aikido techniques.
And finally, the “Aiki Laws” will be replaced by a section on the art of living an aiki life.
We hope you enjoy the changes!

Japanese legends: Ninomiya sontoku

Most older Japanese people will know of Ninomiya Sontoku. Most elementary school children will be familiar with his figure as his statue is often found outside elementary schools in Japan. He is usually depictd as a boy carrying a load of firewood and reading a book, symbolising his dedication to studying at every opportunity.

Ninomiya Sontoku was born Ninomiya Kinjiro in 1787 in what is now Odawara City. Kinjiro’s parents were poor farmers and both passed away when Kinjiro was quite young. He and his younger brother were adopted into his uncle’s family.
Through hard work and study Kinjiro was soon able to buy back his parents’ land that had been lost and, at a very young age, turn it into a large and profitable farm. He achieved this by working on the ethos that small changes produce big results.
Kinjiro then lent his expertise to aiding and relieving the agricultural community in his area which had become poverty-stricken. Three main tenets of his philosophy were, firstly, the virtue of hard work. Secondly, he advocated the reinvestment of surplus resources for the development of the land. Finally, he encouraged co-operation among farmers for the common good. Kinjiro’s success brought him to the attention of the shogun who charged him with managing the Odawara domain and later Shimotsuke Province.
Ninomiya Sontoku was not only an agricultural reformer but also a philosopher and moralist. At times when his agricultrual and economic development seemed not to be working, Kinjiro would spend time at Narita Temple fasting and seeking spiritual guidance. After one such fast lasting 21 days, he reached a state of enlightenment and was inspired to write the following poem:

“He who has the intent to strike to strike, will be struck.
He who does not intend to strike, will not be struck.”

At the same time Sontoku saw everything on earth, all opposing things be they good or evil, included in one great circle.
When Sontoku died in Nikko in 1856, he held no private property. He had given it all to the cause of agricultural reform and development. He was a truly selfless philanthropist and a great thinker and it is truly fitting that his statue be placed outside elementary schools as an inspiration to students!

The essence of shihonage

Shihonage gets it’s name from the Japanese phrase shiho happo. This directly translates as ‘four directions eight directions’ but it means ‘on all sides’ or ‘in all directions’. In Yoshinkan Aikido, shihonage is the very first technique we learn.
In the number 1 shihonage technique, if it’s done with a sword, we slice the torso of an opponent in front of us before changing direction to cut an opponent behind us.
In the number 2 shihonage technique, we pivot to strike at the opponent behind us before changing direction to cut the opponent in front of us.
The technique is clearly taken from movements with the sword.
Shihonage also has various essential aikido elements set into it, for example the entering movement; the weight-shift; the movement raising the hands to forehead height and the movement cutting down with the hands. Ueshiba Sensei himself said that if you can only do shihonage and do it perfectly then that’s enough.
There is a story that, around 1955, a trainee from the police department in Kyoto was sent to the Yoshinkan to learn aikido. In the three months he spent at the Yoshinkan though, he could only be taught shihonage. On his return to Kyoto he was questioned by his boss about what he had learnt.
“This technique,” he replied and demonstrated shihonage.
“That’s it?” his boss asked incredulously. “Go back and learn something else!”
What are some of the main points of shihonage? In shihonage, we fold our partner’s arm back towards their shoulder to throw them backwards. The stability of the lower body is very important. If the lower body is unstable then we end up using only the power of the arms and hands to throw our partner. For stability in the lower body, the front and back feet must be at the correct angle. Also, the distance between the feet should not be too narrow.
One of the aims of studying shihonage is that we come to understand the connection between the stability of the lower body and power in the arms. Through this, we come to realise the importance of the lower body. Keep this in mind as you practise the form of shihonage.

The Art of an Aiki Life

In aikido we say aiki soku seikatsu – that ‘aikido and life are one’. The lessons we learn in the dojo can be applied to any situation in life, including our finances.
The nature of money is to circulate. It has a cyclical nature. Like aikido techniques, the flow of money is important. If the flow stops, then money ‘dies’.
If you have bills or loans to pay then pay them in a timely fashion. Putting off payment hinders the flow. If you have a feeling of reluctance about paying, this will have a ripple effect on everything else in your life.
Procedure, the correct order of things, is important. As in aikido techniques things must be done in the correct sequence.
If we work hard, we sleep well.
If we produce cheap quality goods, they will sell well.
If we greet people in a cheerful and positive fashion, they will greet us back.
If we are loving and affectionate, people will be loving and affectionate back.
If we nurture and protect, in turn we will be nurtured and protected.
For money to flow in, it must flow out. Don’t let your money flow stagnate!

Images

Tokubetsu Course

Members of the 8th Annual Tokubetsu Course perform kihon dosa to kanren waza at the Urayasu City Aikido Association Kagamibiraki 2011. (We are now accepting applications for the 9th Annual Tokubetsu Course and the 1st Annual Tokuetsu Kenshu Course.)

Quotes

‎”If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

taiyaki

Events

2011/2/5
Ando Sensei lecture the Asahi Culture Center Chiba. From 3-6 pm. Tickets cost ¥4515 for Culture Center members and ¥4830 for non-members. Space is limited to 30 people. Please contact us if you are interested in attending.
2011/2/1-7
12th Annual Winter Training from 6-7 am at Ryu Dojo. Training costs ¥500 per class (kids train for free).
2011/2/13
The 7th Annual Junior Aikido Demonstration and the 4th Annual General Training will take place in the Maihama Sports Center Dojo. The Junior Demonstration starts at 1 pm.
2011/5/15
21st Annual Urayasu City Aikido Demonstration.
2011/10/29
56th Annual All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration.

Check out our blog, Ryu Moya, for reports and pictures of past events. Check the Ryu home page for a more detailed monthly schedule.

Finally…

Ando Sensei spent Christmas and New Year in Cape Town. He says that he could see many positive consequences of the FIFA World Cup that was held in the country last year.
He also kept himself busy by cooking Japanese food for his in-laws. Tempure and sushi were big hits!

It’s going to be another busy and exciting year. We’re looking forward to seeing everybody on the mats again in 2011!

KENSHUE for Senior belts in GEORGETOWN

January 10th, 2011 by Elrin

January 2011 Kenshue

NEWLSETTER from AIKIDO RYU

January 5th, 2011 by Elrin

Edo

Introduction
December has rolled around again and it’s the end of another year. In Japan, it’s the time to write and send out nengajo (New Year cards); do the big end-of-year cleaning and attend lots of bonenkai. It gets very busy around this time! If we look back over the year, there was a lot going on. Some highlights: in July we opened Ryu House – gasshku visitors now stay in the apartment across the road from Ryu Dojo. The big 20th Anniversary Urayasu Demonstration went off smoothly and Ando Sensei published his second book. Aikido no Kai came out in May – look for the English translation coming soon! Did you all have a good year?

Meigen
「稽古照今」
Keiko shoucon

Keiko shoucon can be translated as “past thinking illuminates the present.” It is taken from the preface to the Kojiki or Record of Ancient Matters written by Ō no Yasumaru.

Some of you may be familiar with the first two characters for keiko which means ‘practise’. The first character – inishie – means ‘the past’. The second character – kangaeru – means ‘idea’ or ‘think’. Thus, keiko means to practise the ideas or thinking that our predecessors have left us. Shoucon means to light up the present, to bring the present to life.

The concept was absorbed into the Japanese martial arts which practise set forms repeatedly. Thus, keiko means to practise in order to get as close as possible to the ideal forms left by the masters who precede us.

In Japanese however keiko is not used to refer to soccer practise or baseball practise, for example. For sports such as these, the word renshu is used. Renshu also means ‘practise’ but uses different characters. Keiko is only used when referring to traditional elements of Japanese culture.

This idea of keiko also places importance on those who come after us. And the concept of past thinking enlightening the present does not mean simply repeating dead or empty forms. These forms must be adapted to suit present circumstances. This is our mission.

Ando Shihan’s Training tips
Ando Shihan’s tip this month is to correct your feet.

On the 20th of November, the 55th Annual Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration was held in Tokyo. This year, the demonstration was a memorial event and so, instead of being an All-Japan demonstration it was a world-wide event. This meant that there were a lot of visitors from many different countries attending. We could really see the contribution that aikido can make toward creating harmony between people from all around the world. World peace has long been a cherished hope of mankind but before we can call for world peace, we need to first make peace in our own homes and families. The departure point for that is to first make peace in our own hearts. If you have peace in your heart, you will be happy and this happiness will have a positive effect on those around you.

Aikido techniques are the same. We need a solid base to start from before we can do flashy advanced techniques. This is not just conceptual. Our literal base – our feet – must be correct. The angle of the front foot and the angle of the back foot are extremely important. If we look at the angle of Shioda Sensei’s feet and if we look at the angle of his fellow uchi deshi Rinjiro Shirata’s feet they are the same. These two teachers learned this at the Ueshiba Dojo before World War 2. From his own experiences, Ando Sensei writes that he has come to understand that the position of the feet are important no matter how advanced the technique.

If you feel your aikido is not improving or somehow you’ve lost passion in your training – look at your feet. Is their position correct? You may make an important discovery.

Aiki Laws
The law to be obeyed in life and in aikido this month is one I’m sure most of our female readers will agree with. The law is not to hoard clothes. Not agreeing yet, ladies?

Every year in June and October, we change our wardrobes over from winter to summer clothes or from summer to winter clothes. It always seems like an inconvenience but afterwards you are left with a feeling of satisfaction. Taking the clothes that need cleaning to the cleaners leaves one with the feeling of having done a good deed. This is because you are doing your clothes a kindness. It may be a slight exaggeration but it is a form of love. The reverse is true too. Leaving clothes you never wear lying at the back of the cupboard is a kind of cruelty and is a waste. Clothes need to move and breathe too!

In aikido, our goal is not to hurt or destroy our partner. Partners work together for their mutual benefit. ‘Universal love’ is a key phrase and so we seek to protect all things, even inanimate objects. It’s a simple shift in our thinking but it has great value. This has become a world where everything is readily available and everything is disposable. It is a time which needs a new way of thinking. Clothes you no longer wear should not be tossed out. They can be given to someone or disposed of with care or recycled. Even old clothes are deserving of respect. This is the new paradigm that the age requires. (And a big wardrobe clean-out requires a shopping trip. Right?)

Dojo Shokai
This month we’re introducing the Seibukan in St Petersburg. Thanks to Irina Senicheva from the Seibukan for sending the information and for translating this mail magazine into Russian every month!

“Rustam Karimov sensei has been involved in martial arts for a rather long time – since his childhood when at the age of 10 years he enrolled in the kids’ sport school to train judo. After 3 years of judo trainings and competitions he made up his mind to take up karate and be trained by his uncle, but the latter only accepted grown-ups into his group, so Rustam sensei had to wait. In the mean time he was transferred to the senior group of the sports school and started to practice viet vo dao (a Vietnamese martial art) and after that – wing chun (a Chinese martial art).
After serving in the army he was grown-up enough to be taken into the group of his uncle, who already was teaching aikido. It is necessary to mention that in those years (in the early 1990’s) there was no differentiation between yoshinkan and aikikai aikido in the USSR, since aikido was something new for the Soviet Union and the enthusiastic people were trying to learn it by using books and video-cassettes available. Aikido impressed them with its effectiveness and the possibility to defeat an opponent using his own power. During several years Rustam sensei trained with his uncle and eventually started his own group, at the same time trying to come to know yoshinkan aikido more in detail. And it was yoshinkan aikido with its orderly methods of teaching which ultimately was taken as a course to follow.
Then, in the year 2000 during the participation in the seminar of Terada Sensei in Japan, Rustam sensei received a certificate for his dojo with the name – Seibukan Rustam dojo – suggested by Terada Sensei himself. Since then the dojo has been steadily developing and bringing up a lot of students many of whom are now the instructors themselves.
The people studying aikido in the dojo do not actually only study (although they are tightly connected by aikido spirit). For all the students here is a kind of a community where they socialize, celebrate different events (e.g. the coming New Year is also going to be celebrated) and participate in different out-of-dojo events, such as demos and seminars. Not long ago (from 2009) the club started to organize regular trips to Japan: the last one was carried out in November 2010, during which Rustam sensei and his students participated in the international demonstration.
Everyone is always welcome to Seibukan Rustam dojo: the trainings start every day at 8 p.m. except the weekends. The beginners’ group – on Monday, Wednesday; the brown and black belts group – on Tuesday, Thursday. Friday is the day for self-training at the dojo for the students of all levels.”

Members from the Seibukan with Ando Sensei in Urayasu, November 2010.

Images

Ando Shihan at the 55th Annual Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration in Tokyo, November 20 2010.

Quotes
“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.”
Buddha

Check our blog, Ryu Moya, for reports and pictures of events over the past month.

Please e-mail us if you have any questions about these events or would like to publicise an event in this section.

Finally…
Ando Sensei will be spending Christmas in South Africa. He plans on coming back with a tan! How will you spend Christmas in your country?

From all of us at Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu, here’s wishing you a joyous festive season and a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

E-mail us with any questions or comments.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

December 14th, 2010 by Elrin

Our Newest Shodan. Geoffry Tan!

Sunday was a very well executed grading. In front of his whole family and a fair outing of Dojo members, he demonstrated his abilities to move to the level of Shodan or 1st degree Student! As they say, “now you know the basics, it’s time to begin to learn.”

A very big congrats Geof!!

Pics to follow!

NO CLASS TONIGHT!!!!!!!

December 7th, 2010 by Elrin

Due to base shutdown classes are canceled. Parking would be an near impossibility so.. no playing today.

RUMOUR HAS IT!!!!

November 23rd, 2010 by Elrin

RUMOUR HAS IT….

Sensei Stacey Cook has a little extra “WA” on the mats of late. If you
have received technique from her you may have noticed a marked improvement
in her zonshin. Not that it was lacking before… but more like….
…someone 6’2 280lbs was doin’ it.

I also noticed her belt is “ridin’ up with wear! So either she
needs to lay off the bon bons and extra Tempura batter at the buffet
or….. there is a “sticky bun” in the oven.

Shhhhh… you didn’t hear it from me!

Patrick & Pedro in Japan… update

November 23rd, 2010 by Elrin

from facebook….
In Japan safe, sound, and culture shocked. First class later tonight!
November 15 at 7:55pm

I have seen the imperial palace, and it is cool.　Mats are not ｑｕｉｔｅ　ａｓ　ｈａｒｄ　ａｓ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｈｅａｒｄ　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ｃｌｏｓｅ．　Ｏｗ．　Ｔｙｐｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　ｊａｐａｎｅｅｓｅ　ｋｅｙｂｏａｒｄ　ｓｔｉｌｌ　ａ　ｐａｉｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ａｒｓｅ．
November 17 at 1:39am

Thursday morning, as as we call it back home, Wednesday night. Shopping and more touristy stuff today, class in the evening. Skin is still mostly on my knees and elbows, but working on it.
November 17 at 6:59pm

Took yesterday off to go see Shinjuku and Akihabara, tripped over some sort of street festival. Learned from some random guy from Scarborough of all places that apparently it was for good luck in business. Apparently no class today while they get ready for the embu so more shopping and touring. Already have souveniers for Dad and Gemma, more searchin to follow.
November 18 at 5:19pm

Went to the Embu yesterday, saw lots of cool demos, and ended up going to Watanabe senseis’ dojo for an hour and a half class yesterday, followed by a party afterwords. He and his students are generally awesome folks and I hope they visit us sometime soon.
Saturday at 7:45pm

Leaving for Kyoto today, three hours of class yesterday followed by party and karaoke. At least one member of the group may still have more sake than blood still. Dunno if I’m gonna be around a computer, so not back avenge death. Leaving Friday afternoon.
Sunday at 6:16pm

Went to the onsen(bathhouse) was very cool, can see why its a big tradition over here. Had a late night snack, now its time for me to hit the hay. Tomorrow is heading over to the other hostel and possibly training with Payet Sensei in the evening.
Yesterday at 10:02am

Sightseeing and last mnute shopping today. Tonight we train with Payet Sensei, then tomorrow is the longest day of my life. Something about getting on a plane for 13 hours then getting off the plan an hour or two before you left is mind boggling. Got Gemma something kinda cool on a whim, hope she likes it. 12 hours ago

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER Aikido Ryu!

November 23rd, 2010 by Elrin

Ryu

Introduction
With the cooler weather, Ando Sensei writes that we must take care not to catch cold. He writes about one very effective cold preventative that he always uses. As soon as he feels a cold coming on, he sticks one of these adhesive ‘hokaron’ body warmers on his shirt, just below the collar. Ando Sensei believes this has an effect similar to moxibustion, a treatment he received as a small child. Applying the hokaro after you’ve caught a cold can also be effective, he says. The best cure for a cold is prevention though, so be sure to take care of your health!

Meigen
「天地自然と一体」
Tenchi shizen to itai

Ueshiba Morihei Sensei used this saying, which means ‘to become one with nature and the universe’, to express the secret heart of aikido.

Now, one of the first aims of aikido is to reach a state of unity with our partner. This is achieved through continous training. We do not have a sense of rivalry with or any hostility towards our partner. We aim to harmonise with them through a flow of power. With this flow, we are able to attract and absorb our partner’s power. In this way, we become one with them.

Ando Sensei writes that he has felt this power in real life when taking uke for Gozo Shioda Sensei. He was flooded with a feeling impossible to describe and became stuck to Shioda Sensei as if to a magnet. Shioda Sensei said that we should do this kind of technique – to make your partner love you so much that they are stuck to you! Ando Sensei writes that taking uke for Shioda Sensei was a delight – you were happy no matter how he pinned or threw you. Ando Sensei’s students often tell him that in videos of Shioda Sensei he always looks like he’s having such fun as Shioda Sensei’s uke. This is because, firstly, he was happy to have the wonderful opportunity to experience Shioda Sensei’s uke. Secondly, taking uke for Shioda Sensei produced in one a mysterious feeling of peace or security. In aikido, becoming as one with our partner produces this feeling – it’s a kind of spiritual homecoming in a way.

This unity with our partner occurs when the workings of spirit and body are in agreement. Spiritually, this means we must throw away the self and act in a spirit of altruism not one of selfishness. Physically, this means a flow of power. These are one and the same thing. If we can not forget the self we can not create a flow of power. That flow of power is the concentration of the spirit which allows us to forget ourselves.

To change the subject slightly, these days everything is on a global scale. Problems of the environment and the economy and disputes over territory must all be looked at from a global perspective. Aikido, too. This has become an age when humans are all globally connected. This means that the aim of our aikido training – to harmonize with our partner – is no longer enough. We must expand and develop this harmony with our partner so that it becomes harmony on a much larger scale – harmony with nature and with the universe. We must not have hostility or antagonism towards members of other organizations; other nations; other races or even other species. First, though, we must establish harmony within our own organization; group; nation or race. Achieving the goal of aikido – to become one with the universe and nature – has become even more urgent than ever.

Ando Shihan’s Training tips
Ando Sensei’s advice this month concerns the creation of a central axis. He is busy reading a book in which the author was asked, “How can we become happy?” The author replied that happiness is the creation of a central axis. Ando Sensei was a little surprised but the author stressed the importance of not being off-center.

Not being off-center is of great importance in aikido techniques too. So how do we create a central axis? People with good co-ordination or good physical sense will soon figure this out through their training. But what about people without this sense, physical dullards as it were? Ando Sensei says that he falls into this second category. He didn’t have any idea how to create a central axis when he studied aikikai at university and he still didn’t really understand even after entering the Yoshinkan, which makes the creation of a central axis very easy to understand. He thought he was creating a central axis through his training but actually he was still a little off-kilter. The answer to this problem lies in the seeking. There is a hint.

‘Unsteady’ people often have poor koshi (koshi translates literally as waist but also refers to the hips; waist and lower back). People with a flexible nature who are not obstinate have good koshi. People whose koshi are twisted in some way often have some kind of problem in their character or behavior. Ando Sensei writes that he can often read a person’s character just by looking at their koshi.

To get back to the hint in creating a central axis: we have to increase the sensitivity of the koshi. We can do this by increasing our flexibility with exercises such as leaning backwards and twisting at the waist (such as in the warm-up exercises performed at the beginning of many classes at Ryu Dojo). We need to train the koshi. If we train the koshi, we will come to understand where our central axis lies.

Aiki Laws
“Gratitude begets happiness”, although most people think it’s the other way round. There is an excellent proverb that says we should not be grateful because we are happy but that we are happy because we are grateful. If we follow this way of thinking then any suffering or difficulty can be transformed. Suffering or difficulty becomes the basis for happiness.

In aikido, if you have a pure spirit this is reflected in the physical. An angry spirit creates ugly techniques. A calm and serene spirit creates beautiful techniques. As aikidoka, we need to become sensitive to the workings of the heart and mind. We should be aware of your feelings and how our thoughts can influence our mental state.

In times of difficulty we can practice gratitude by viewing the difficulty has having been sent to teach us something important. If we view any adversity as being for our own benefit and development then we can be thankful for it.

Gratitude requires effort and practice. Certainly, this law is very difficult to understand fully if one has never experienced any adversity. In times of trouble, take this law and use it – make it your own.

Quotes
“In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”
Albert Schweitzer

Images

Ando Shihan and Jim Sensei Kiev.

Stuff
Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu has added these sturdy canvas bags to their range of merchandise:

Both bags come in 6 colours – turquoise (pictured); khaki (pictured); black; pink; natural and navy. The larger bag measures 47x26x35 cm and can fit two dogis while the smaller bag measures 46x16x36 cm and can fit one dogi. These bags are selling for only ¥2,800 (plus postage) for a limited time period only. Click here to order yours!

Events
2010/11/4-8
Ando Sensei seminar in Kiev in the Ukraine. You can read a report on the event on our blog.
2010/12/18&19
Winter tests
2010/12/19
Ryu Dojo end of year party from 7-9 pm at Ryu Dojo.

2010/12/22
Last day of training
2010/12/23
Dojo cleaning
2010/12/24-2011/1/4
Dojo is closed for the winter vacation.
2011/1/5
First day of training.
2011/1/10
New Year party at Ryu Dojo from 3-5pm.

2011/1/16
Urayasu City Aikido Association Kagamibiraki Demonstration at Chuo Budokan.
Please e-mail us if you have any questions about or would like to attend any of these events. You can also e-mail us if you would like to publicize an event in this section.

Finally…
In December it will be two months since we started publishing this mail magazine! Ando Sensei is busy thinking up a new section to celebrate this event – stay tuned for some exciting changes!

UP UP & AWAY

November 17th, 2010 by Elrin

While one returns from duty, others leave for flights of fancy and fun in JAPAN!

Patrick Murray Sensei and Pedro Granes flew off to Japan on a 14 hour flight to participate in the Aikido Festival in Honour of our founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Gozo Shioda. Let’s hope they have a safe and enjoyable time with lots of photo’s to post!

I wonder if they’ll eat at McDonald’s while there?
“May I have the Toro Combo please with the Tempura Fries and the 3 year old and above toy”
“HAI! You rook like harry potter… I give you two tamagachi”

HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN CLIKETY CLICK!

November 17th, 2010 by Elrin

Nate is back from the sandbox. Everyone welcome him home …(after giving Stacey first dibbs on his time. Don’t crowd the woman or you’ll go flying!)

WELCOME HOME NATHAN-MASSE FOSTER!!!! Enjoy your down time with your bride to be…
…
OK THAT’S ENOUGH GET YOUR ARSE IN THE DOJO(s)