Here We Go Again ...Ikeda Sensei at Aikido of Missoula
April 5 - 7, 2001

Contributed by Kevin Lam & Kaizen*

Now some of you may be realizing that we had just been fortunate enough to spend a weekend with Ikeda Sensei just two weeks before this seminar. But if there is one thing that we have figured out during our previous journeys along the path of this imaginary rope of michi, it is that most of the knots we encounter will require repeated and continuous study before we will be able to understand even part of the knowledge they have to offer. Just like trying to learn to tie a new knot, it is better to tie it more than just once or twice with help before you can have any hope of using the knot on your own.

We began our journey at 8:00am en route for Missoula, Montana on April 5th 2001. I had been up since 6:30am packing and taking care of last minute household items that were still left undone at 1:30am when I retired for the night. At five hours of sleep I'm on par with my usual sleep for a seminar. We were wide-awake and ready for a seven plus hour back stiffening road trip to Missoula. The trip was easy and straightforward, literally. Our directions were about as simple as it gets. Get on I-90 eastbound, go forward and exit at Missoula, about 500 miles later. Our road took us through the snow-covered forests of the Snoqualmie pass in the Cascade Mountains, along eastern Washington and northern Idaho toward the Rocky Mountains to eastern Montana.

As I sat in the car, looking at the gentle blanket of snow that draped over the trees of the Snoqualmie pass, I found myself thinking about how nice it would be to see and train with Ikeda sensei again so soon. I had already spent a thought-provoking and lesson-filled weekend with him just a few weeks before. It always seems like you just start to get things to work at a seminar and then it's over. Then it's time for you to try and take the lesson home and incorporated it into developing your aikido. But I often find myself wanting more time with the sensei at the seminar to hammer out some of the question marks in the teachings of the techniques. To be able to see and feel it a few more times...with a better understanding of what is going on. Continuing the lesson and having the opportunity to untie more pieces of the technique and go deeper into the intricacies of the knot. I knew that I would finish this trip having developed a better understanding of the lessons from our last seminar.

Unfortunately, part of me was also a little bit sad and confused, because very few others seem to be willing to make sacrifices in order to see a sensei repeatedly in a short time span. It seems like they always say things like "we just saw him last week" or "he will be back in town next month". They seem to take for granted that they will have the opportunity to train with a sensei again. They seem to forget that tomorrow holds no promises. Writing this now makes me think of Ikeda sensei talking about "Ichi-go Ichi-e". Having only this one time, this one moment, and not being caught up in the last technique or the next. Sensei was stressing the importance of being honest in your technique. Giving 100% of yourself to each encounter. I'm inclined to believe that should expand to all the moments of one's training. I'm not saying that's easy by any means. But it still seems sad to miss out on a wonderful opportunity not only to learn, but to also have a good time, when the justification for not going is "he'll come back to my dojo next year". All I know is that it was worth the schedule juggling, taking a day off from work, spending money that should have probably gone to other pressing economic matters, and any other quick adjustments, in order to take advantage of that moment and opportunity to train again with an experienced sensei.

Along the way we decided to be adventurous for lunch and try a Japanese restaurant, in a town in northern Idaho. Surprisingly Takara restaurant and Sushi Bar in Coeur d'Alene was a refreshing meal. Admittedly the decor was a bit confusing when we were escorted to our private "Tatami Room". None of us had ever seen steel blue grey tatami with a medium cut nap, suspiciously carpet like. Once our meal was consumed it was back to the road headed toward Missoula.

We arrived in the small college town of Missoula with enough time to check in to our hotel and relax for a few minutes. As we pulled into the parking lot we ran into several other aikidoka that we have come to know a little bit over the years. One of the nice things about traveling around to seminars outside of our local area is meeting up with some of the same people again. You slowly get to know each other, until they become a familiar and comfortable reference on your trip. It's great that people from so many different backgrounds and different areas of the country can come together as strangers, and then quickly develop a very cordial relationship. It is interesting how having the one common connection of Aikido allows us to open up to each other, first about our experiences on the mat, then about our lives in general, and eventually about ourselves personally. I find this to be refreshing when it seems that we now live in an age when people do not even know who their neighbors are.

After having sat in the car for so long it was nice to finally arrive at the Aikido of Missoula Dojo anticipating the physical activity and the lessons to be learned. As always, when I walked into the dojo I took a moment to admire the elaborate shomen into which so much care has obviously gone. Ikeda sensei arrived as we stretched out on the mat. He looked to be in good spirits as always and seemed pleasantly surprised to see us again so soon.

Ikeda sensei began the seminar stressing the connection and weight of your body in the initial contact with uke in katatedori tenkan. If uke tries to push hard and come around they should not be able to. Uke should feel stuck and unable to proceed. Ikeda sensei showed us how the extension in your arm should be integrated with your body to the point that when uke grabbed really strong, your whole body would simply pivot. He demonstrated never losing the connection with uke and never losing your own stability. We got to see how only after you have made that initial connection with uke, would you then choose to turn tenkan. And that, once you choose to turn, you must still maintain the pressure into uke, so that no matter where you move your body you must maintain contact with the uke's center.

As Ikeda sensei moved on to katatedori irimi he gave us a very good lesson on the stages of development in technique. There are three main steps in your approach to techniques. The first stage was simple movement. Tori moves out of the way and around uke. At this stage tori is just trying to get the basic idea of the technique. You may develop and polish it, but it is still the same basic idea of molding yourself around uke's attack. The second stage was completely opposite. Tori holds his ground and makes uke move around him. This time tori redirects uke's attack. When doing irimi Ikeda sensei did not move his arm or feet, but instead twisted his hips, drawing uke around him - even if uke was pulling hard they had no choice but to be drawn forward. I spent most of the seminar exploring this approach to my technique. The third stage was a little bit of both. Tori redirects uke and at the same time moves slightly out of the way.

Throughout the seminar, Ikeda sensei continued to focus on the importance of the initial contact between uke and tori. We learned how uke should be immobilized for an instant when contact is made. Ikeda sensei explained that the time of contact needed to do this was different for each person dependent upon their skill level. Some people would need a full second, some one half a second, and others only one quarter second. How long it took didn't matter, it was only important that it was there. Once uke was stuck and no longer free you could then take them anyway that you wanted. I could not help but think of the words from the founder of Kodokan Judo, Jigoro Kano Shihan "First make uke's body rigid and then when he is helpless, you can attack."

During the progression of the seminar Ikeda sensei consistently explained and showed us how to gain control of uke through the initial contact of technique. It was emphasized that tori should not simply play with uke's wrist. In the first stage of developing good initial contact, tori must extend beyond their own hand to uke's elbow. Mentally tori's hand should be uke's elbow, and tori should move uke's elbow just as if it was their own hand. In the second stage tori must learn to extend through uke's elbow into uke's shoulder. In the next stage of development tori needs to be able to extend all the way through ukes arm and shoulder to then find uke's body and center.

As the weekend continued it proved itself to be worth every effort required to attend. Ikeda sensei continued to hand out lesson after lesson for those who were willing watch, listen, and feel, in an effort to try and learn the value of what he had to share. We left knowing that the small amount of understanding we gained a few weeks ago was strengthened and expanded by this current opportunity to study. For that we must thank the Sensei for his generosity, by taking home our experiences and continuing to learn from them as we incorporate the knowledge into the development of our Aikido.

Before leaving on Sunday we had the unexpected treat of watching a short demonstration of jodo. During the aikido seminar we were fortunate to meet and train with Miho Lloyd. She was kind enough to invite us to watch a demonstration of Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo that she and her husband, Roger Lloyd, would be performing at 1:30 PM at the University Center during the International Culture and Food Festival. We watched the demonstration very closely and were impressed with its elegance and precision.

Following the demonstration we checked out the food booths of the festival and found ourselves some delicious exotic dishes. After filling our bellies it was time to begin our trip back to Seattle.

For those unfamiliar with the Aikido of Missoula dojo, it is on the second floor of the Union Hall Building at 208 East Main in downtown Missoula. The Chief Instructor is Raso Hultgren sensei, a fifth dan under Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, who has been training in Aikido since 1971.

The opinions and views shared in this article are solely those of the authors. None of the statements are the views of Bu Jin Design, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba, Aikido of Missoula, Aikido Eastside, Hiroshi Ikeda sensei, or Raso Hultgren sensei. Any mistakes or misinterpretations are the sole responsibility of the authors.