Thankful for the Kimusubikai 2017
It is the thankfulness that I want to share after the very intensive aikido week at aikido forum kishintai and Sports University in Cologne. Endo Sensei taught the impossible things to teach: relaxation, concentration…and how is one supposed to teach Calm Mind? I’m sure that all the about 50 attendees to the Kimusubikai 2017 and more then 120 attendees to the week-end seminar can pick the favourites from what Sensei spoke, and their favourite “Ahaa”-moments when he was teaching. Mine are: “I don’t look at the partner. I see everything.” and “…just get your partners Ki first. Use ATARI, if it doesn’t appear.”
The organisation – invitations, hall reservations – had been running for a year, and culminated to a high-pressure chamber last week with participants from 15 countries. Aikidokas from Jörg’s dojo did a super job with tatami-transports ( well…450m2 is a lot ), reception, party organising, accommodation providing – note that local people left Köln to provide room for our attendees! – , cleaning….My thankfulness especially extends to the attendees, who were cleaning after the party, and after the both seminars were over.
Maybe though, it is the invisible that was most important: the attendees who bring a certain calmness with them wherever they go…and a certain humour and acceptance. It is a great comfort and pleasure to organise for you and with you. To list names would get too long…just that you know that you were much appreciated.
Also, everyone behaved well. The attention-ego-seekers had gone somewhere else. One can really say that people were there to seriously study aikido from Endo Sensei. The 2 corrective speeches: “The Shower Speech” and the “Noise Speech” were not a pleasure to give, but on the other hand there was no need to give the “Sandals” speech, nor the “Entry Speech” by Sensei. The atmosphere was just very dense with concentration – unless we count the Futaridori on Thursday evening. Something to remember, isn’t it?
Now, perhaps nobody realises how much and how many things Jörg-san and Ariga-san did, so that everyone could just enjoy the seminars. It is with such a trust, common sense and capability that anything from big to small is done by these gentlemen. They have no such concepts as “this job is below my dignity.” Anything from the whole scope of the Rock ‘n Roll show planning to brining in more toilet paper belongs to their repetoire.
It’s the brotherhood and friendship, the aiding one another that I value.
Matti Joensuu, 27.3.2017 in Cologne, Germany
