Spotlight - Pia Moberg

I started aikido at kids’ class in 1974 at the age of eight at Gothenburg Aikido Club where my father was one of teachers at the time. (Later I realized that he started the kids’ class because he wanted me to begin, but that is another story) My father proved that it was possible to continue to practice even being alone with a child. I spent many evenings in the dojo, sitting and watching training! My father Zeth Moberg was one of the founders of Gothenburg Aikido Dojo together with Ulf Evenås and Lars-Göran ”Lasse” Andersson. Tomita Sensei introduced Iwama aikido to Sweden in the late 60’s. He often visited our home when I was a child. Once he gave me a happi coat from Japan with the character ”matsuri” (festival) on the back. I was so proud!

In my young teens I stopped training (”just going up and down on the mat, is that really fun?” I remember thinking) but was back again when I was about 16. I continued to train and during the 90’s became one of the main teachers at Gothenburg Aikido Club.

All these stories about Iwama, I had to go there myself! In autumn 1988 I packed my bags and stood at the door of Saito Morihiro Sensei. Pat Hendricks was the uchi deshi sempai at that time and Louis Jumonville was also there. I had a wonderful time and especially I felt comfortable with the intense focus both off and on the mat, even though I had three disadvantages: I was a non-Japanese, a woman, and without a black belt. After several power games and intensive kiais I managed to gain some respect from the Japanese — I advanced from being the last person in the kakari keiko line to standing just before the Japanese male beginners.

I returned to Iwama several times during the 90’s. My first hand experiences of Japan, Saito Sensei’s teaching, and the Iwama dojo have been very important in my aikido life.

One insight that slowly evolved over the years was that everything is about interpretation. Saito Morihiro Sensei interpreted O’Sensei and developed a systematic approach to training and teaching. The many slightly different interpretations of Saito Morihiro Sensei’s aikido we see today just confirm that there is nothing like ”the correct” aikido — just variations on the same theme.

The foundation of our (myself and Jan Bratt) dojo, Riai Aikido Dojo, in 2003 was the first step on what I hope to be a long, exciting journey. From being a part of a big, well-established dojo with several hundreds of students to a brand-new dojo with initially no economy, no place to train, and no members was quite a challenge. Today we are a dojo full of activity with a growing number of members. Presently we have training three days a week. To have a shared leadership with Jan is a fantastic process in many respects. We run the dojo, teach seminars together, publish books, have visions for the future… it is an ongoing learning process.

My most Memorable Aikido Experience

What to say…so many things comes to my mind. Firstly I travel in time back to the old Iwama dojo. Sitting in the row waiting for Saito Sensei’s arrival to teach the class was something very special. The fresh air, the focus, the atmosphere. The hour of training just disappeared (had we actually trained?) and then we bow out. And waited for Sensei’s back to disappear in the evening breeze.

Another strong memory is taking my father to the old Iwama dojo last summer (June 2006). He had turned 70 but never been to Iwama even though he had trained almost his whole life. Now I was fortunate to be the one who showed him Iwama and Japan.

I could have mentioned those moments of training when the body is almost weightless, where the flow is permeating your whole being and the years of struggling for the right angle — or whatever the focus might be at that particular time — suddenly for a second had come to an end. Instead I recall the day Jan and me decided to open our own dojo. It was a warm summer day. Jan was walking his dog and happened to be in the neighborhood. Coffee and cakes on the table and water for the dog. And then suddenly: We discussed ideas, prospects and visions about what a dojo could be like. In that moment it dawned upon me that it was our task to fully live our vision, or at least try it out, and in order to do so we had to establish our own dojo. It was time to grow, time to take the full responsibility.

	Featured Dojo-cho, February 2007

Pia Moberg, 4th Dan Riai Aikido, Göteborg, Sweden Division 1
I started aikido at kids’ class in 1974 at the age of eight at Gothenburg Aikido Club where my father was one of teachers at the time. (Later I realized that he started the kids’ class because he wanted me to begin, but that is another story) My father proved that it was possible to continue to practice even being alone with a child. I spent many evenings in the dojo, sitting and watching training! My father Zeth Moberg was one of the founders of Gothenburg Aikido Dojo together with Ulf Evenås and Lars-Göran ”Lasse” Andersson. Tomita Sensei introduced Iwama aikido to Sweden in the late 60’s. He often visited our home when I was a child. Once he gave me a happi coat from Japan with the character ”matsuri” (festival) on the back. I was so proud! In my young teens I stopped training (”just going up and down on the mat, is that really fun?” I remember thinking) but was back again when I was about 16. I continued to train and during the 90’s became one of the main teachers at Gothenburg Aikido Club. All these stories about Iwama, I had to go there myself! In autumn 1988 I packed my bags and stood at the door of Saito Morihiro Sensei. Pat Hendricks was the uchi deshi sempai at that time and Louis Jumonville was also there. I had a wonderful time and especially I felt comfortable with the intense focus both off and on the mat, even though I had three disadvantages: I was a non-Japanese, a woman, and without a black belt. After several power games and intensive kiais I managed to gain some respect from the Japanese — I advanced from being the last person in the kakari keiko line to standing just before the Japanese male beginners. I returned to Iwama several times during the 90’s. My first hand experiences of Japan, Saito Sensei’s teaching, and the Iwama dojo have been very important in my aikido life. One insight that slowly evolved over the years was that everything is about interpretation. Saito Morihiro Sensei interpreted O’Sensei and developed a systematic approach to training and teaching. The many slightly different interpretations of Saito Morihiro Sensei’s aikido we see today just confirm that there is nothing like ”the correct” aikido — just variations on the same theme. The foundation of our (myself and Jan Bratt) dojo, Riai Aikido Dojo, in 2003 was the first step on what I hope to be a long, exciting journey. From being a part of a big, well-established dojo with several hundreds of students to a brand-new dojo with initially no economy, no place to train, and no members was quite a challenge. Today we are a dojo full of activity with a growing number of members. Presently we have training three days a week. To have a shared leadership with Jan is a fantastic process in many respects. We run the dojo, teach seminars together, publish books, have visions for the future… it is an ongoing learning process. My most Memorable Aikido Experience What to say…so many things comes to my mind. Firstly I travel in time back to the old Iwama dojo. Sitting in the row waiting for Saito Sensei’s arrival to teach the class was something very special. The fresh air, the focus, the atmosphere. The hour of training just disappeared (had we actually trained?) and then we bow out. And waited for Sensei’s back to disappear in the evening breeze. Another strong memory is taking my father to the old Iwama dojo last summer (June 2006). He had turned 70 but never been to Iwama even though he had trained almost his whole life. Now I was fortunate to be the one who showed him Iwama and Japan. I could have mentioned those moments of training when the body is almost weightless, where the flow is permeating your whole being and the years of struggling for the right angle — or whatever the focus might be at that particular time — suddenly for a second had come to an end. Instead I recall the day Jan and me decided to open our own dojo. It was a warm summer day. Jan was walking his dog and happened to be in the neighborhood. Coffee and cakes on the table and water for the dog. And then suddenly: We discussed ideas, prospects and visions about what a dojo could be like. In that moment it dawned upon me that it was our task to fully live our vision, or at least try it out, and in order to do so we had to establish our own dojo. It was time to grow, time to take the full responsibility.