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Aikido Nelson, Upper Moutere, New Zealand Division 1 |
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| My Aikido history starts with a romantic streak. On a climbing camp I met this girl Cornelia and she told me about Aikido. I did then a lot of extreme Mountaineering. Aikido sounded like the right thing for my coordination and flexibility training. I started training at the original Aikido Dojo in Zuerich under the guidance of different teachers (I'm still grateful to Jakob Spälti for his patience with me!). That was 1978. Two years later I met up with Cornelia again on the mat and - you guessed it - we are still a true Aikido couple; training twice a week together and both our sons started rolling around before they were born. (See Simon's famous AIKIDOMAN comic strip at http://www.aikidokids.com/aikidoman.htm ) When Ikeda Sensei moved to Zuerich I became one of his students for several years. Later I met Saito Sensei and when we immigrated to New Zealand I studied and taught Iwama Style. We founded the Motueka and the Nelson Dojo - the later we are still running as a club. Nelson is a wonderful, special place. A little town on the sea side with great weather and landscapes. We train three evenings a week in the historic Tahuna Town hall, a small, wooden building. About forty adult members and as many juniors train regularly. We have - and are proud of it - a yondan, three sandans, a nidan and a shodan member; most of which are teaching classes. My most Memorable Aikido Experience My most memorable Aikido experiences come from my time as an uchi-deshi in Iwama, Oakland Institute and the San Leandro Dojo. To live and train at the same place is something special. The early mornings we swept the grounds in Iwama is like the scent of a flower that stays with you forever. It helped me integrate Aikido into my life. True Aikido is the Aikido I live, which is inside me all the time. |
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