Last Update June 5, 2008
 
Youth Kyu Tests
 
The Seikokan Dojo will be holding Youth Kyu examinations Tuesday June 17 (Ages 6-9) and Thursday June 19 (Ages 10-13).
 
We will be passing out test applications to those students that are eligible to test (have appropriate number of classes and time). If a student wishes to test, the application must be completed in full and returned with the appropriate test fee in the envelope provided no later than Tuesday June 10 (Ages 6-9) or Thursday June 12 (Ages 10-13). All details of test fees will be on the opposite side of the test application.
 
Please note if paying by cheque make payable to "Aikido Seikokan Canada".
 
There will be no make up tests. Next test date will be in August.
 
Please note testing is not mandatory, but necessary to advance in rank/belts.

If you would like more information

Contact by phone at (519) 972-6543

ORemail at seikokan@yahoo.com

 
 
Camping
 
July 17, 18, 19, and 20.
 
All are welcome to attend even if it's for one night or more.
 
The Pinery Provincial Park is located just before Grand Bend on Lake Huron. It's about a 2 hour drive from Windsor. We have reserved two group camping sites this year and each has a capacity for 35 people. Sorry, tent camping only. No trailers allowed in the group sites.
 
The cost for the site will be $10 per person regardless of how many nights stay. However, there is also a fee for the vehicles as well as a nightly fee per person.
 
To reserve a space for your family and friends the camp site fee will be collected ahead of time. You will also be required to provide names of everyone in your group/family as well as the vehicle(s) make model, and licence plate number you plan on bringing Any extra money collected will be donated to firewood for everyone to use.
 
More information will be posted at the Dojo.

If you would like more information about Camping

Contact us by phone at (519) 972-6543

ORemail at seikokan@yahoo.com

 
 
Facebook
 
Seikokan Aikido now has a Facebook account. Anyone is welcome to join. Please feel free to post comments, pictures, and videos.
 
www.facebook.com
 
Seikokan Dojo Merchandise
 
*Aikido Seikokan T-Shirts (Youth-white)....$15.00
 
*Aikido Seikokan T-Shirts (Black or Grey)....$20.00
 
*Seikokan Dogi Bags (with detachable pouch)....$35.00
 
*Aikido Dogi (100% Cotton quality Uniform)....$80.00
 
*Weapons Bag (For Bokken, Jo, Tanto)....$35.00
 
*Bokken (Hardwood Sword, 1 meter)....$25.00
 
*Bokken (White Oak Japan, 1 meter)....$75.00
 
*Bokken (Red Oak Japan, 1 meter)....$75.00
 
*Bokken Youth (Hardwood Sword, 75 cm)....$20.00
 
*Jo (Hardwood Staff, 127 x 2.5 cm)....$30.00
 
*Jo (White Oak Japan, 127 x 2.5 cm)....$95.00
 
*Jo Youth (Hardwood Staff, Various)....$15.00
 
*Tanto (Hardwood knife, 29 cm)....$10.00
 
*Next Adult Kyu Test Thursday August 7 - 11:00am & 7:30pm*
 
**Next Youth (Ages 6-9) Kyu Test TBA - 6:00pm**
 
***Next Youth (Ages 10-13) Kyu Test TBA - 6:00pm***
Kenshu - April 24, 2007
James Demers
Linton Lee
C. James Nolan
Mark Casagrande
Richard Reaume
Ken Clarke
Lance Spina
Patrick Baylis
Robert Bondy
Dan Sionov
Michelle Demers
Nathan Unwin
Marc Parent
Rob Iannucci
David Haradyn
Chris Ard
Adults - April 3, 2008
1st Kyu
David Deneau
4th Kyu
Christopher
Dan Dupuis
Kim Chu
5th Kyu
Craig Schisler
8th Kyu
Scott Orshinsky
9th Kyu
Chris Calcott
William Hyland
Youth (Ages 6-9) - December 4, 2007
5th Kyu
Daniel Schisler
Alex Kelly Leal
6th Kyu
Brett Dupuis
7th Kyu
Maxwell Staddon
Andrew Cookson
Andre Mulder
Serge Ouditt
Jachob Guindon
Luka Miokovic
8th Kyu
Spencer Kulyk
Conner Sax
Daniel Sebestyen
Yousef Alami
9th Kyu
Shawn Evon
Natalie Koutras
10th Kyu
Steven Appleyard
Katelynn Orshinsky
Christina Boyce
Paige Orshinsky
Victoria Iannucci
Daniel Kelly Leal
Matteo Desando
Youth (Ages 10-13) - December 6, 2007
4th Kyu
Timothy Boismier
Xana Ouellette
Natalia Iannucci
Jackson Rae
Bianca Iannucci
5th Kyu
Keegan Denis
Victor Franjo
Jennifer Babin
Corey Winseck
6th Kyu
Samantha Staddon
7th Kyu
Justin Dawes
Marino Ard
8th Kyu
Marcus Scott
10th Kyu
Steven Appleyard
Dyllan Meloche
Jessica Bozin
Zan Shin
 
Stand in the Middle of a Teeter-Totter
 
by Rob Bondy
 
Recently I attended a visitation for a young girl who had died in a car accident. Being a parent of two young girls, I found the experience particularly difficult. As I drove away from the funeral home, I became aware of a very strong appreciation for life that I am hit with immediately following such loss. It usually manifests as a deeper commitment to be a good father and husband. In that moment, I experienced a merging of two dualities, life and death. Duality is the great challenge in life. How do we reconcile life and death, strong and weak, hard and soft, or compassion and detachment?
 
In training, there are countless opportunities to encounter dualities. Hard and soft, or rather, tense and relaxed is a common one. Our goal is most definitely to be relaxed in our practice; but, with so much to be attentive to, this seems impossible. Robert Mustard Sensei noticed this in his past visits to our dojo, calling the lot of us a "bunch of gorillas". Showing some sympathy for this plight, Mustard Sensei also reminded us that without tense, we could never know relaxed. Although it was said in an almost off handed manner, that simple observation is the core teaching for anyone who seeks to study the way seriously.
 
In training, we will continually move between extremes. In our first attempts at Jiyu waza (freestyle) we will sometimes move too fast, and at other times not fast enough. As our pins develop we find a balance between a weak and ineffective pin and the arm wrenchers that test our training friendships. Most clearly we can see it in weapons practice. There it seems more difficult to get that correct distance. Close enough to breathe reality into the martial nature of the movement, but far enough to prevent injury. This interval is called Ma ai.
 
The translation of Ma ai is "proper distance". Ma means distance, and Ai means harmony. This is the same Ai as in Aikido (The way of harmony with energy). Harmony and balance seems to be the core goal of both budo and life. We want it now. That's our problem, fault, whatever. What we must keep in mind is that we need to know and experience both sides before we can ever have harmony. Fast and slow, hard and soft, or life and death are all part of the same reality. We should not begrudge either, or we will never have Ai.
 
"Everyday is a good Day" -Ummon
 
"There are only two things you can control in the universe; your actions, and your reactions." -Rob Bondy

Have Questions or Comments?

Contact us by phone at (519) 972-6543

ORemail at seikokan@yahoo.com

 
 

 

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