"Twenty in Two Thousand" Anniversary
  July 30-August 6, 2000
  Contributed by Monica Mattar*

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I've heard of
Once in a lullaby . . .

It seemed fitting that it was Over the Rainbow, the well-known melody from childhood that was beautifully performed by Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei at the Friday night celebration of this year's Rocky Mountain summer camp. For it was indeed way up high, in the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with majestic Mt. Sopris as our backdrop, where 212 aikidoka gathered from far and wide, to attend and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Boulder Aikikai's Rocky Mountain Summer Camp.

We arrived at Colorado Mountain College that first Sunday of camp, tired, stiff and weary from two long days in the car. My weariness immediately melted away, however, when I walked into the registration room and was greeted by smiles, hugs and a great deal of excitement. Seeing old friends, some of whom I had not seen since last year's summer camp, was a wonderful way to begin the week.

In honor of their 20th anniversary, Boulder Aikikai had clearly taken special care in planning this year's camp, hoping to offer us a most extraordinary and memorable camp experience. This was immediately evident when we received our registration packets. Cloth bags, tastefully silk screened with Mitsugi Saotome Sensei's calligraphy of the character sho, were filled with gifts and special goodies, and given to each of us at registration. I appreciated the gesture of being presented with the concept of sho at the commencement of camp. Translated as "new beginning", or like the newness when the sunlight first shines on the day, not only have we entered a new era in this year 2000, but the practice of Aikido offers each of us a potential new beginning every time we step onto the mat.

Inside my bag, along with the usual camp information and training schedule, I also found a beautiful print of Saotome Sensei's same calligraphy, a sampler of Shoyeido incense, tea, a Cliff Bar, Emergen-C, and - of all the things - a very small red origami samurai helmet. What could this be for? Well, we were soon to learn that each bag contained such a helmet, and each helmet was either red, yellow or blue. And although we did not understand the significance of these helmets at the time, the camp would soon be abuzz with speculation upon the purpose of, and necessity for, these origami samurai helmets.

As we unpacked our things and settled into our room, I glanced at the schedule, and immediately noticed that it looked different than it had in prior years. I quickly realized that this was because a morning and afternoon Focus class had been added to the daily training. Taught by senior students, the Focus classes were designed to do exactly as their title indicated. Each Focus class provided an opportunity for an in-depth, more technical study of a single aspect of Aikido. The morning classes explored ushirowaza, kaeshiwaza, iriminage and shihonage. The afternoon classes explored tachidori, jodori and tantodori. I attended the shihonage Focus class late in the week and found it very beneficial. In this smaller, more intimate setting, the instructor was able to break down shihonage in a manner that allowed us to study and practice it step-by-step. We were also able to train more intensely, with enough space to fully complete the technique as nage, and fully take the fall as uke. I also enjoyed the fact that we had enough time to focus on both nage and uke's respective roles. I heard similar feedback from individuals who attended other Focus classes, and felt that the Focus classes were an excellent and appreciated addition to the training schedule.

The opening class on Sunday evening was taught by Mitsugi Saotome Shihan. And it was during that first class, that Saotome Sensei set the tone for the remainder of the week, inviting us again and again to use our Aikido training for self-cultivation, or shugyo, rather than simply a means of defense. Shugyo, he reminded us, requires a certain level of consciousness and a specific kind of attitude. By focusing on the development of ourselves, we can, over time, become free to choose peace, rather than reacting from a place of fear and aggression.

Throughout the week, Saotome Sensei also emphasized maintaining an open - rather than a defensive - posture. Ironically, Saotome Sensei's openness is his defense. His open posture, open consciousness and open attitude result in him seeming to have no opening at all. He reminded us that we do not train simply to become more defensive, for if that is our goal, we may find ourselves seduced by our partner's single attack, and therefore not see the whole interaction. In other words, if we get too singularly drawn into our partner's punch, moving only to avoid or defend against that punch, we may not see the kick or the second punch that is also coming. By diligently working to cultivate our aiki consciousness, our aiki perception and our aiki attitude, we can utilize our natural structure to maintain a very open posture. In doing so, we cultivate our ability to see all that is occurring, and are therefore more able to intuit our own next move.

Saotome Sensei started many of his classes with several minutes of individual breathing and balancing exercises. Establishing kokyu as the foundation for our training in these classes, he walked around the dojo, gently correcting our postures, helping us open to and gain the most from our natural breathing. During our training, he often emphasized the in-breath on the reception of the attack and the out-breath on the execution of the throw. Hence, rather than focusing on our technique per se, he used technique as an instrument to aid us in experiencing and utilizing our breath. Encouraging us to maintain and move from an internal place supported by the natural structure of our bodies and our own process of natural breathing, it was our state of being that was emphasized rather than simply a technique or a throw. It is not about technique, he kept reminding us. Rather, it is about our willingness to diligently practice moving in congruence with an aiki perception, initiated from an aiki consciousness.

Saotome Sensei conceded again and again, that it takes a great amount of courage to do what he was asking of us. The process of cultivating an open attitude and aiki consciousness, is no small task, and takes many years of training. It is much easier to simply have the goal be that of bending wrists and making people fall down. But at some point, it seems, we have to ask ourselves: why are we really training? Are we training with the hope of getting better at bending wrists, or are we training with the hope of becoming more conscious, open, compassionate human beings? Whether by using the metaphor of turning the other cheek, or by giving us instruction to truly connect and ultimately become one with our partner, Saotome Sensei invited us, again and again, to use our Aikido training as a means of cultivating our selves, not in an arrogant, self-indulgent manner, but in a manner that will result in our becoming more conscious, vital human beings.

Frank Doran Sensei's teachings complemented Saotome Sensei's teachings in many ways. Throughout his classes, Doran Sensei offered three principles upon which to base our practice. The first principle he referred to as aiki, or the beginning of the technique, initial meeting, or blend. In blending, we must not impede our attacker's incoming energy, but rather move in a manner that allows us to use that incoming energy to smoothly complete the blend. Using this initial aiki principle as our guide, we were encouraged to anchor our mind and attention on the quality of our own initial movement, rather than simply pouncing on our partner in reaction to their attack.

The second principle he offered was kuzushi, or off-balancing. In practicing this principle, Doran Sensei asked us to focus not only on breaking our partner's balance, however, but also on maintaining our own. He talked about and demonstrated that often in the middle of a technique, we compromise our own balance in our efforts to break uke's. Doran Sensei reminded us that sacrificing our own balance, not only compromises the integrity of our Aikido, but diminishes the results of the initial aiki blend. Why do a beautiful blend, only to then give away our own balance in the middle of the technique? Ironically, by focusing our mind and our intention on keeping our own balance, we are more efficiently and effectively able to break the balance of our partner.

The third principle offered to us by Doran Sensei was shisei, or posture. In practicing this principle, we were asked to maintain an upright and open posture not only throughout our technique, but particularly at the end of the technique. It is very easy to become so centered on and attached to the final pin or throw, that we lose touch with our own posture. He reminded us that often times he sees students executing beautiful technique, only to end up all hunched over during the pin or throw. By focusing on our own upright posture, we enhance the technique from beginning to end. An upright and open posture helps create a smooth, initial blend, and an upright and open posture helps us maintain our own balance while taking that of our partner's.

Although stated differently, Doran Sensei's message seemed similar to Saotome Sensei's. And it occurred to me that Aikido is much larger and grander an Art than one that would simply focus on bending wrists and making people fall down. Aikido has been referred to as the Art of Peace. Yet, in order for us to truly practice and participate in this art of peace, it seems we must be willing to develop ourselves in a manner that inspires us to blend with the incoming attack and move to complete the technique in an open, balanced and natural way. No easy task, of course, which is why we continue to train.

The teachings of Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei also carried a similar message to that of Doran Sensei and Saotome Sensei. Throughout his classes, Ikeda Sensei's main emphasis was the nature and importance of our initial connection with our partner. In order to achieve an effective connection, several principles must be operating together. First, we must be willing to move our whole body. So often we attempt to connect with our partner using only our arms or only our upper body. This prevents us from establishing a genuine connection with our partner, and a genuine connection is necessary in order to practice Aikido.

Not only must we move our whole body, we must do so in a manner that supports its natural function and utilizes its natural structure. The source of our body's power is our hara. Hence our whole body movement must initiate from our hara. Moving from hara requires that the rest of our body be very relaxed. Easy to say, Ikeda Sensei would remind us, difficult to do.

And as those of us who practice Aikido know from our own experience, moving the body while maintaining a relaxed state of being is very difficult indeed! Bending our knees, keeping our arms in front of our centers, utilizing our natural breathing, maintaining an upright and open posture - - all of which are necessary to maintain a state of relaxation and all of which sound relatively easy. But attempting to do this while in the midst of an attack and throughout an entire technique, while at the same time, attempting to maintain a relaxed mind, seems nearly impossible in the doing! Any individual with a meditation practice will tell you that learning to maintain a relaxed, neutral mind, in and of itself, takes a lifetime of practice. Yet knowing the importance of relaxing our bodies and our minds, Ikeda Sensei continually encouraged us to do so.

Ikeda Sensei also demonstrated over and over again the need to connect with our partner's center and not merely with their arms or upper bodies. We cannot break our partner's balance, he reminded us, and thereby make them light, unless we connect all the way to center. For not only must we break our partner's physical balance, but their power balance as well. And this cannot be done without a full center-to-center connection.

By moving in a manner that takes our partner into an unnatural position, we render him or her momentarily powerless. This moment of powerlessness gives us an opening - albeit a brief opening - in which our partner is made light and we are, therefore, able to stop the fight and complete the technique. Being open to this brief moment of transition, wherein our partner is momentarily rendered powerless, requires a great deal of awareness and relaxation, in order to feel it and move with it. But in that brief moment of transition lies the opportunity to choose peace. And it is that all-important brief moment that makes the study of Aikido so compelling and one of the reasons Aikido is known as the Art of Peace.

Along with the daily empty-hand training in the dojo, we were also given an opportunity to participate in an outdoor morning and afternoon weapons class each day. Saotome Sensei, Doran Sensei and Ikeda Sensei rotated the teaching of these weapons classes, giving us a good taste of each of their various weapons styles. A large tent canopy was set up for the weapons classes, although there are were always more students present than the tent could shelter. For those of us outside the tent, dealing with the wind, the sun in our eyes and the uneven terrain, gave us a small sense of what an outdoor battle may entail. (Although we found out later that week what a real outdoor battle entails!) Between the general indoor classes, the focus classes and the weapons classes, there were plenty of excellent training choices to fill our days.

In honor of their 20th anniversary, Boulder Aikikai provided many wonderful extra-curricular activities for us this year. There was of course, the traditional Monday evening group sojourn into downtown Glenwood Springs to soak in the public hot springs, as well as the concomitant trip to the Denver Hotel afterwards, where we took over the back room of the Brew Pub. And as always, the Aiki store was open several evenings during the week. This is necessary of course, because it's a well-known fact that when the going gets tough Aikidoka go shopping! This year's inventory included the traditional Aikido fashions and accouterments (dogis, hakamas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, various Aikido weapons and weapon bags, books, videos, etc.), along with tables of less traditional creations beautifully displayed by the camps artists. Regardless of your shopping needs, however, the Aiki store is always a wonderful gathering place.

Two special events offered this year were informal talks presented on Tuesday evening by Susan Perry and Ronald Rubin editors of Aikido Today Magazine, and on Thursday evening by Stanley Pranin, Editor-in-Chief of Aiki News and Aikido Journal. On Tuesday evening, Susan and Ron spoke for about 45 minutes, sharing with us the general history of Aikido Today Magazine, and how it grew from a small home-based venture into the successful magazine that it is today. Just as timing is important in our Aikido training, it seems that impeccable timing was one of the factors that prompted the growing success of ATM. Susan and Ron both commented on how they were constantly amazed, especially in the early days, at the overwhelming response they received from their reading audience and the apparent hunger that was evident for the kind of Aikido news and stories being published by ATM. They interpreted their readers responses to mean that the timing for this kind of publication was perfect. And although this was probably true, what was also apparent to me while listening to them speak, was the obvious passion that they share for what they do and the stalwart dedication that they have maintained, in spite of any obstacles they've encountered. In fact, Susan shared with us that in all these years, they have never missed a deadline.

Stanley Pranin spoke to us on Thursday evening, also for about 45 minutes. Having spent more than twenty years documenting the life of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, Stanley's passion for his work and his desire to genuinely understand Aikido and the true history of its origins and its founder, were obvious. He spoke at some length about the twin influences of Sokaku Takeda's Daito-ryu Aikijutsu and Onisaburo Deguchi's Omoto Kyo on the life of O Sensei and hence on the development of Aikido. Having been greatly influenced by the Omoto religion, a Shinto religion, and a shamanistic religion, the other-worldy quality of O Sensei's life, makes the study and understanding of it a somewhat difficult venture for an historian. Yet the excitement of such a challenge was present throughout Stanley's talk.

This excitement shone forth a great deal when Stanley shared the details of his visit to Hokkaido. Good fortune seemed to accompany him on that visit as he came upon and was given access to, records relaying yet-unknown details of O Sensei's community-building efforts in Shirataki. We will, no doubt, be hearing more from Stanley about this area of research in the future.

Another fun evening activity was a series of partner dance classes offered by Lisa Montagne of Boulder Aikikai. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Lisa taught a rather large group of us the East Coast Swing, the Cha-cha and the Hustle. It was great fun, and Lisa was a very patient teacher. We would watch as she skillfully danced around the floor with her partner, counting out each step for us as her feet lightly graced the floor. We, on the other hand, were not nearly so graceful as we tried to follow along. Nevertheless, those dance lessons definitely paid off at Friday night's party when, on more than one occasion, I looked around the room and saw many of Lisa's students successfully doing the East Coast Swing. Surely Lisa was proud!

Perhaps the most interesting event of the week was The Battle of the Clans. Although the Battle was scheduled for Friday afternoon, preparations for the Battle occurred throughout the entire week. As mentioned earlier, each of us received a small red, yellow or blue origami samurai helmet when we registered for camp. My helmet was red, making me part of the Red Clan. As more and more details about the Battle were uncovered during the week, one of the most commonly asked questions among us was, which clan are you with? Color-coded alliances immediately began to form, and official helmet-making sessions took place in the dojo on Monday and Tuesday after lunch. During these initial sessions, brave clansmen and clanswomen began adorning their helmets with all manner of war-like decoration. However, as the week progressed and the Battle grew to be taken more seriously, clansmen and clanswomen were seen spending long evening hours applying greater and greater adornment to their helmets as they called upon the spirits of their ancestors to aid them in this great ensuing battle. Some of these helmets became majestic works of art, while others were fearful sights to behold, with the obvious intention of terrifying the enemy. (I did wonder, however, how some of those artistic warriors were going to keep those immense helmets on their heads during battle!) Fierce clan-loyalty grew stronger throughout the week and was palpable by the eve of The Battle.

On the afternoon of The Battle, each Clan met with its leader to finalize a strategy with the hopes of claiming victory. Victory would be awarded to the Clan which had the most members left on the field at the close of the Battle. With a paper cup taped to each side-vent area of our hakama, the object was to knock both cups from the hips of enemy clan members while protecting one's own cups from being knocked off. Losing one cup meant you were wounded. Losing both cups meant your wounds were fatal and you had to leave the field.

Magnificent kabuto, created by Manson Root of Boulder Aikikai, were designed for each clan leader. Being part of the Red Clan, my fearless leader was Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei. Once Ikeda Sensei's kabuto was regally placed upon his head, he was proudly hoisted to the shoulders of several Red Clansmen and ceremoniously carried out to the battlefield, with the remainder of his Red Clan in loyal procession behind him. By the time we arrived, the Yellow Clan, led by Saotome Sensei and the Blue Clan, led by Doran Sansei, were already present. War cries were heard from around the field as last minute strategies were laid out and set into motion. Then, finally, the moment was upon us and the Battle began.

The Blue Clan immediately formed a large circle and each clan member dropped to one knee facing the outside of the circle. Their crouched stance rendered their cups nearly impossible to reach and their closed circle provided protection for their leader, Doran Sensei, who remained inside the circle. In spite of the circle's seeming impenetrability, however, several brave Red and Yellow clan members hurled themselves over the circle and into its interior attempting to reach Doran Sensei. And although most met a fatal end, at least one brave warrior was successful in this endeavor, for Doran Sensei was forced to leave the field, alas, having lost both cups. In spite of his own fatal end however, Doran Sensei remained steadfast in his confidence that his Clan would claim victory, even without him. And he was right.

While the Blue Clan maintained its defensive circle, Red and Yellow Clan members plotted and attempted to execute various strategies for taking the lives - er cups - of each other. Often forming small circles of two, three or four, Red and Yellow clan members were very creative in their various methods of entering enemy territory. By Battles end however, with cups and helmets strewn about the battlefield, and many Red and Yellow clan members standing on the sidelines having lost both their cups, the Blue Clan were declared the official victors.

Later that evening we all came together for a dinner/dance party at a local community center in the neighboring town of Carbondale. Whereas earlier that afternoon we were fiercely and loyally divided into Clans, the Friday night party brought us together to experience and celebrate the strong Aikido community that we are. This being the 20th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain Summer Camp, various individuals took the microphone as we finished dinner, sharing stories, memories and highlights of previous camps. Jude Blitz, an original member of Boulder Aikikai, took a few moments to officially acknowledge and honor Ginger and Hiroshi Ikeda, reminding us of the enormous amount of work and energy that they put into this camp, year after year. She expressed her appreciation and gratitude for their 20 years of consistent and heart-felt service and dedication to us all, and it was clear, as she spoke, that everyone in the room shared her deep feelings.

A short variety show followed dinner, during which several of our talented aikidoka shared with us their various talents. It was during this time that Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei gave his solo whistling performance of Over the Rainbow, creating a sound so beautiful it stopped the room. Total silence ensued as we listened to his beautiful rendition, and in those few profound moments, it was clear to me that in the same powerful way that he captures our centers on the mat, his whistling had captured the hearts of everyone in the room.

We all came together on Saturday morning for our final class, with Saotome Sensei, Doran Sensei and Ikeda Sensei sharing the teaching. In our concluding circle, Boulder Aikikai presented the 2000 origami cranes that had adorned the shomen during camp to the director of the Pediatric Center of Valley View Hospital. It was a perfect way to end the week: a week of excellent training; a week of great community spirit; a week where 212 aikidoka came together from far and wide, in an attempt to more clearly see, understand and train the principles of Aikido, the "Art of Peace".