To All...Happy Christmas

Here is to all aikidokas, friends and families...Happy Christmas, just don't over do it!! :-)

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

It was wet and muddy everywhere but that did not dampen my spirits especially having missed out on last Thursday's session,I had to attend this session given that this coming Thursday is a national holiday thus,there will be no aikido session.

Naoki Sempai guided us through the warm up session and a brief introduction to Tai no Henko followed by the following attacks/techniques:

-Shomen Uchi: Gokyo Omote.

-Yokomen Uchi: Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Irimi Nage respectively.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Yonkyo(Omote & Ura).

-Ushiro Ryo Kata Dori Sankyo Omote and Kokyu Ho respectively.

The session wound up with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-OSORO Douglas

-NJOROGE Walter

-Unknown

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17 @ THE SAME VENUE.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

It was yet another Tuesday and Daniel Sempai was geared up for the session and after a great body workout that left me drenching with sweat,we got down to business with the following attacks/techniques:

-Ushiro Ryokata Dori Kokyu Nage.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori:Shiho Nage(Omote and Ura) and Nikyo Omote respectively.

-Yokomen Uchi Nikyo Omote.

-Ryote Dori Kokyu Nage version.

We ended the session with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-MATINDI Sarah

-OSORO Douglas

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-MUTHII Joshua

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:THURSDAY,DECEMBER 5 @ THE SAME VENUE

Mysterious Martial Arts Aikido

Thursday, November 28, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Unlike last Thursday that had nothing to offer,this being the second Thursday session,Daniel sempai was in charge and after a full body warm up session,we went through the techniques mentioned below:

-From the Katatedori stance:Two versions of Sokumen Irimi Nage,Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Sankyo Omote respectively.

-From Hanmi Handachi Waza:Ryote Dori Shiho Nage Omote.

The session wound up with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-MATINDI Sarah

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MUTHII Joshua

-MICHUKI Leon

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-NJOROGE Walter

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 @ THE SAME VENUE

Just A Link

Just thought of coming up with a martial arts blog... so just click http://martialartskenya.blogspot.com/ ;-)

Aikido JAPAN - SportAccord World Combat Games2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Douglas Kohai guided us through the warm up session before beginning the session with the following techniques:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote and Ura.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Shiho Nage Ura.


Daniel Sempai took over the rest of the session with the following attacks/techniques:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote("pitch fork" version)and Ura.

-Katatedori Kote Gaeshi.

-Yokomen Uchi Shiho Nage Omote.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-MUTHII Joshua

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-NJOROGE Walter

-GOGO Rodney

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28 @ THE SAME VENUE.

Dojo Rules

Hi,I think we need to re-acquint ourselves with these rules.
Our conduct in the dojo of late is not what it ough to be.
Kindly take some time and read.
I'll talk to Dan and see if it's possible to be reading them before start of class.
We need to be more respectful.
http://www.oberlin.edu/stuorg/Aikido/dojo-rules.pdf

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Dennis Kohai took us through the warm up session as well as the rest of the session and below is what we went through:

From Suwari Waza there was:

-Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

-Kote Gaeshi.

From Hanmi Handachi Waza:

-Shiho Nage.

From Tachi Waza:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Koshi Nage.

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage version.

-Various versions of Kokyu Nage.

From a Shomen Uchi attack:

-Irimi Nage Omote.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

-Shiho Nage Omote.

From a Yokomen Uchi attack:

-Shiho Nage Omote.

From Ushiro Ryote Dori:

-Shiho Nage Omote.

The session ended with Haishin Undo.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-MATINDI Sarah

-OGUTU Dennis

-MUTHII Joshua

-NJOROGE Walter

-GOGO Rodney

-MALIKA Patrick

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

NO AIKIDO AS FROM 19 DECEMBER, 2013 TO 2 JANUARY, 2014

Please follow the link below for more information:

http://www.ke.emb-japan.go.jp/JICC/JICC_e/Martial%20Arts%20Classes.html

Friday, November 15, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Naoki Sempai was the Sensei for this particular Friday session which,unless otherwise stated,is the last Friday Aikido session at the JICC.

After a brief warm up session and Mae,Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively,we revised the below mentioned attacks/techniques:

-Basic movements of Tai no Henko.

-Katatedori Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo and Yonko in both Omote & Ura respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Gokyo.

The session ended with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa and Haishin Undo respectively.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-ONSANDO Aguta

-OGUTU Dennis

-ODHIAMBO Brian

-MWEGA Shadrack

-MALIKA Patrick

-GOGO Rodney

-WANDIGA Sophie

-MWAKIO Sammy

-Two guests who watched while seated at the corner of the 'dojo'.

Naoki Sempai hinted that next week he shall have a talk with the JICC director and see if it is possible to have Aikido sessions on any other weekday rather than on Thursdays.

P.S.

DANIEL & MOHSEEN:MR.ADIKA OF THE JICC WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BOTH OF YOU-I GUESS YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Dennis Kohai took us through the warm up session and as always he did not disappoint. We went through a total body workout before he embarked on the techniques he had in mind as outlined below:

From Suwari Waza we went through:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Irimi Nage & Sokumen Irimi Nage respectively.

I took over the remaining twenty minutes and the two techniques I had in mind were:

-Ryote Dori Kiri Otoshi.

-Katatedori Rokkyo.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Beginning next week,the Friday session has been moved forward to Thursday that means that the Friday session will no longer be there thus Aikido will be every Tuesday & Thursday between 17:00 and 18:45hrs at the JICC conference room.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-OBWAYA Richard

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MUTHII Joshua

-MICHUKI Leon

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-NJOROGE Walter

-GOGO Rodney

-Mathew

-James

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Friday, November 8, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Once again our guest Aikidoka Rex ROMERO made an appearance in the 'dojo' and I must admit that I learnt a lot from him but before going any further,let's begin from the top.

Daniel Sempai took us through the warm up session which featured among others Mae & Ushiro Ukemi in both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively.

We got down to business with Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote and Ura respectively before 'handing over' the rest of the session to Rex Sempai who took us through the following:

-Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa which was in a much different level to what we are used to and which taught me the importance of correct breathing and the use of the hips.

He demonstrated Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa with two Uke one pushing behind and the other holding Nage's wrists and he explained to us that it is all about 'putting everything inside',in other words avoiding leaning too forward as the Uke pusing behind would collapse on Nage and at the same time ensuring that Nage does not loose focus of the Uke infront holding his wrists.

Talk about practising Aikido on a whole new level!

-Ryote Dori Kokyu Nage which he demonstrated in various ways and once again the use of Uke's momentum was of great importance.

Rex Sempai pointed out a fact that I have never though about before:"It is not about hurting or beating Uke but it is all about how Nage feels when executing a technique".His years of training at the Hombu dojo were quite evident from the way he explained and executed the moves.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-ROMERO Rex

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-AGUTA Onsando

-OBWAYA Richard

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-MUTHII Joshua

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-MALIKA Patrick

-NJOROGE Walter

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Before going any further I would wish to congratulate those who took part in the Aikido demonstration last Saturday.Unfortunately I could not make it due to several reasons but all in all thanks to all who made it because they have just made Nairobi Aikikai Association
Kshs 8,000 richer!

Furthermore, a big welcome to Rex who guided us through the warm up in Tuesday's session.Rex is a native of Philippines but has lived in Japan for the last ten years and to add the icing on the cake,he is a Sandan in Aikido! He is in Nairobi for a couple of weeks or so for business.Karibu Rex!

After the warm up,Daniel Sempai took us through the following attacks/techniques:

-Katatedori Kokyu Ho.

-Ryote Dori Kokyu Nage.

-Ryo Kata Dori Kokyu Nage.

-Shomen Uchi Kata Gatame.

-Yonyo Omote through the opening of Uchi Kaiten Nage.

-Kata Dori Nikyo(Omote & Ura respectively).

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-Rex

-AREBA Daniel

-KIBE Jason

-OBWAYA Richard

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-NJOROGE Walter

-MALIKA Patrick

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 8 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Tuesday, October 29, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Naoki UOZAWA Sempai was 'in charge' of the two hour session and as part of the build up to the aikido demonstration this coming Saturday, he took us through the following attacks/techniques:

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

-Ryote Dori Shiho Nage (Omote & Ura)and Irimi Nage respectively.

-Tsuki Kote Gaeshi Omote.

We held a brief discussion on how we planned to organise the Aikido demonstration and it was agreed that everyone who will show up shall take part in the demonstration.

The session ended with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa and a good back stretch(Haishin Undo).

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-OGUTU Dennis

-MUTHII Joshua

-NJOROGE Walter

-MICHUKI Leon

-MALIKA Patrick

-GOGO Rodney

-NDEJE Yashi

-OBWAYA Richard

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY,NOVEMBER 5 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Friday, October 25, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Naoki UOZAWA Sempai,our resident Japanese Aikidoka took us through the whole session and it was one hell of a session as we went through Gokyo-a technique that I last practised two years ago!

After taking us through the warm up session and Mae/Ushiro Ukemi in both Suwari & Tachi Waza,Naoki Sempai had the below named attacks/techniques in store for us some of them being advanced ones to get us spruced up for the upcoming Aikido demonstration.

From Suwari Waza:

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote.

From Tachi Waza:

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo(Omote & Ura) and Gokyo respectively.

-Katatedori Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura)featuring two versions for Ura and Kokyu Ho respectively.

-Ushiro Ryo Kata Dori Kokyu Ho.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-ODHIAMBO Brian

-MUTHIII Joshua

-MWEGA Shadrack

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-MALIKA Patrick

-GATHIRIMU Patrick

-MWANGI

-BETT Raymond

-KINYUA Fredrick

-WERE Stephen

-MICHUKI Leon

-OBWAYA Richard

-Yashi

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

***P.S.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE,THERE WILL BE NO AIKIDO SESSION NEXT FRIDAY(NOVEMBER 1)AS THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL WILL BE USED TO PREPARE FOR THE JAPAN CULTURAL FESTIVITIES SCHEDULED FOR THE 2 NOVEMBER(NEXT SATURDAY).
FURTHERMORE,THOSE WHO WILL TAKE PART IN THE AIKIDO DEMONSTRATION NEXT SATURDAY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THEIR NAMES,TELEPHONE NUMBER CONTACT AND EMAIL ADDRESS(THE FORM WAS AVAILABLE YESTERDAY OUTSIDE THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL)***

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Kokyu Nage featured predominantly during the entire session and after a sweaty warm up session,Daniel sempai guided us through the following techniques all executed from the Katatedori stance:

-Various versions of Kokyu Nage.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Kokyu Nage.

-Kote Gaeshi.

Apart from the techniques there were several stretching exercises that emphasised on Uke maintaining balance while Tori being in control of Uke.

A reminder to those who are not aware that there will be a martial arts demonstration on Saturday,November 2 at the Japan embassy featuring Aikido,Karate & Judo.For more information kindly refer to the poster on the notice board at the entrance of the embassy.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-MATINDI Sarah

-OBWAYA Richard

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MUTHII Joshua

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-GOGO Rodney

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY,OCTOBER 25 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Sportaccord World Combat Games featuring Aikido

Bloody knees

Clearly we don't do enough suwari waza techniques.
My knees!
And I think it's more painful today than it was last night.
Thank God they've stopped bleeding.

Friday, October 18, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Douglas Kohai took us through the warm up session which included Mae & Ushiro Ukemi in both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza as well as the dreaded wheelbarrow push ups.

Ben Sempai took over the rest of the session and guided us through the below mentioned attacks/techniques:

FROM SUWARI WAZA

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Kokyu Ho.

FROM TACHI WAZA

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Ikkyo Omote.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Juji Garami.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-KIYAGA Ben

-OSORO Douglas

-MATINDI Sarah

-ODHIAMBO Brian

-OGUTU Dennis

-OBWAYA Richard

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-MWEGA Shadrack

-GOGO Rodney

-MALIKA Patrick

-NDUI Kevin

-MWANGI

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY,OCTOBER 22 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, October 15, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

I happened to arrive at the same time with Daniel Sempai and we were shocked to find someone else conducting the Aikido session and what was shocking about it was that it was someone we had never met before!

We decided to "interrogate" him a bit and he informed us that his name was Richard and that he had practised Aikido for about two tears under a certain Japanese Sensei while in Tanzania and now that he is back in Kenya,he decided to share his Aikido knowledge with the rest.

We began with the basics of Tai No Henko before Daniel Sempai took us through the whole session and this is what was on offer:

-From the Katatedori stance there was Sokumen Irimi Nage and a version of Kokyu Nage respectively.

-From Morote Dori there was Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-From Ryote Dori there was Kokyu Nage

-From the Kata Dori stance we had Shiho Nage.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-MATINDI Sarah

-OGUTU Dennis

-Richard

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-GOGO Rodney

-Patrick

-MWAKIO Sammy

-Three new comers who did not leave behind their names.

NEXT SESSION: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL.

Directions to Goan Gymkhana for those who do not know how to get there

View Larger Map

Friday, October 11, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Having missed out on last Tuesday's session due to a bout of fever and other related ailments,I was eager to attend this particular session though unfortunately I was unable to participate due to the effects of a drug I took that left me feeling drowsy and having blurred vision.

Daniel Sempai took the rest of the Aikidoka through a warm up session before embarking on the techniques mentioned below:

-Katatedori Uchi Kaiten and Soto Kaiten Nage in both Omote and Ura (for both techniques) respectively.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Nikyo Omote.

In between there were some exercises such as the one where two hold hands and try to bring down each other using their "weak spot".

The association is in the process of opening a bank account where all the membership fees and other related fees shall be deposited.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-AGUTA Onsando

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-Patrick

-MWAKIO Sammy(did not participate)

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Friday, October 4, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Daniel Sempai took us through the entire session which as usual began with warm up exercises as well as Ukemi(Mae,Ushiro & Gyaku)in both Suwari & Tachi Waza except for Gyaku Ukemi which was only from Tachi Waza.

The stance was Katatedori(Gyaku Hanmi Katatedori) and the techniques Daniel Sempai guided us through were:

-Ikkyo in both Omote & Ura respectively.

-Nikyo in both Omote & Ura respectively.

-Sankyo Omote.

The footwork is what gave most of us a hard time as well as Maai betwen Uke & Tori.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-ONSANDO Aguta

-ODHIAMBO Brian

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-MWEGA Shadrack

-GERALD Junior

-MWAKIO Sammy

-Two guests who sat at the corner of the "dojo" and watched.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY,OCTOBER 8 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, October 1, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

What began as a slow and dull day turned out to be quite exciting in the "dojo" courtesy of Douglas Kohai.

After a good body workout that featured Mae & Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza as well as Douglas Kohai's speciality:the wheelbarrow push ups,we reviewed the attack/techniques mentioned below courtesy once again of Douglas Kohai:

-From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance there was:Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura),Sankyo Omote and Ikkyo Ura respectively.

-From the Katatedori stance we had a version of Kokyu Nage.

-From a Shomen Uchi attack there was:Ikkyo Omote.

-From Hanmi Handachi Waza there was Shiho Nage.

Douglas Kohai reminded the newcomers the dojo etiquette as well as the payment of the membership fees to the association.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-MICHUKI Leon

-GERALD Junior

-NAMASAKE Everton

-KIGO Samson

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Friday, September 27, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Douglas Kohai took us through the warm up session which gave us an overall body workout before Ben Sempai took over and guided us through the rest of the session with the following techniques:

-From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance there was Irimi Nage Omote and Kokyu Ho respectively.

-From the Katatedori stance there was a Kokyu Nage version with the opening being similar to that of Katatedori Soto Kaiten Nage and the exercise whereby Tori unbalances Uke using the "imaginary triangle" as the weak spot.

-From Kata Dori we had Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-OSORO Douglas

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-KIGO Samson

-GATHIRIMU Peter

-MWAKIO Sammy

-Mohamed(Mohseen's friend who did not participate but watched)

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, September 24, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Dennis Kohai took us through the warm up session and it was a good one indeed.We went through some of the body workouts that he usually does during his Judo lessons and we were so warmed up that none of us had any sore muscles while doing Ukemi.

I took over the rest of the session and concentrated on two techniques:Kote Gaeshi and Shio Nage respectively.Below is the breakdown:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Kote Gaeshi and reverse Kote Gaeshi respectively.

-Katatedori Shiho Nage in both Omote & Ura respectively.

For those new to Aikido,kindly practise falling down safely as most of you have a tendency of landing with the back which can be disastrous in a real life situation.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-OGUTU Dennis

-LALA Mohseen

-MICHUKI Leon

-KIGO Samson

-NAMASAKE Everton

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Aikido on as usual

Owing to the ongoing operation in Nairobi I had to confirm with Mr. FUTAKI whether the JICC will be open today and he informed me today's Aikido session will go on as usual.Apologies for the short notice.

Friday, September 20, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

There was yet another heavy downpour after the session and this time I was ''armed'' with a brolly though getting the feet wet was inevitable.

Naoki Sempai took us through the whole session and this is what was on offer:

-The basics of Tai no Henko.

-From the Katatedori stance:Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura).

-From a Yokomen Uchi attack:Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura),Juji Nage,Irimi Nage(Omote & Ura).

-From Hanmi Handachi Waza:Yokomen Uchi Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura).

The session ended with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa as well as Haishin Undo.

The attack(s)/technique(s) that stood out for me was Yokomen Uchi Shiho Nage in both Omote & Ura respectively from Hanmi Handachi Waza as well as Yokomen Uchi Irimi Nage Ura.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-UOZAWA Naoki

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-MAEGA Yukiko

-OSORO Douglas

-MUTHII Joshua

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-MUTUMA Alex

-GERALD Junior

-KINYUA Fredrick

-NGATIA David

-BETT Raymond

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Recently it has been quite humid and today's downpour came as no surprise and after a sweaty session,I got myself a 'free shower' on the way back home.

Daniel Sempai guided us through the session with the attacks/techniques mentioned below:

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo(Omote & Ura)from both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Sumi Otoshi.

-Kata Gatame through a Shomen Uchi attack.

-Katatedori Sumi Otoshi.

-Katatedori Kokyu Nage(two versions).

We ended the session with a 'wrestling duel' among ourselves and it looks like we have some potential wrestlers destined for the big leagues(WWE and the rest).

Once again Kevin Kohai injured his left shoulder and had to take his leave early.I hope you shoulder heals completely soon.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-KIBE Jason

-UOZAWA Naoki

-OSORO Douglas

-MULAVU Kevin

-MUTHII Joshua

-WANJIRU Irungu

-MOGENDI Robert

-GERALD Junior

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-GATHITIMU Peter

-KIGO Samson

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

***P.S.
KINDLY NOTE THAT THE WEAPONS CLASS FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 HAS BEEN CANCELLED TO ENABLE THOSE INTERESTED TO ATTEND THE JAPANESE DRUM "TAIKO" CONCERT THAT BEGAN TODAY AND WILL ALSO BE HELD TOMORROW(SEPTEMBER 18) AT THE KENYA NATIONAL THEATRE @ 18:00 HRS.***

Friday, September 13, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

It was yet another Friday and I was glad to see Kevin back on the 'tatami' after MIA due to work related matters though it was unfortunate to see him hurt his shoulder once again while doing Ukemi.

The warm up session was great and it lasted for about one hour or so before we embarked on the technique(s)of the day.

Daniel Sempai took us through the whole session which was all about Kokyu Nage which I must admit is usually an uphill task for me to perform but I hope we would be able to do more of Kokyu Nage in the sessions to come.

We went through Kokyu Nage in the Ryo Kata Dori(Omote & Ura versions) and Katatedori stances respectively and it was a challenge to many especially the part of using the hips to throw Uke.

ATTENDANCE LIST:

-AREBA Daniel

-KIYAGA Ben

-AGUTA Onsando

-MATINDI Sarah

-MULAVU Kevin

-LALA Mohseen

-MUTHII Joshua

-OLE KIMINTA Edwards

-GERALD Junior

-GOGO Rodney

-KARIUKI Mathew

-OGUTU Dennis

-MICHUKI Leon

-YUKIKO

-MWAKIO Sammy

NEXT SESSION: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

I arrived earlier than most Tuesdays and I did some warm up exercises before Daniel Sempai guided us through the session beginning with warm up exercises including Mae & Ushiro Ukemi in Suwari Waza.

The following are the attacks/techniques we went through:

-Katatedori Shiho Nage Omote,Rokkyo and two variations of arm lock techniques one through the opening of Katatedori Irimi Nage respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote.

-Kata Dori Nikyo Omote & Ura respectively.

During the session we went through some stretching exercises including the crab walk which proved to be an uphill task for some.

***P.S.
I MANAGED TO DRAFT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING WE HELD ON 23 AUGUST AND I SENT IT BY EMAIL TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS OTHER KEY MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.KINDLY ADD ANY INFORMATION YOU THINK IS ESSENTIAL BEFORE I TYPE THE FINAL MINUTES OF THE MEETING FOR RECORD KEEPING***

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY,SEPTEMBER 13 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Friday, September 6, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

I have come to realise that most of those who join Aikido for the first time really underate it taking for example yesterday I was speaking to a newcomer and he informed me that he would like to join a martial art that is more "macho" since according to him Aikido is "soft".We are all entitled to our opinions but I don't think anyone that underates any martial art should even consider calling themselves a martial artist.

The session was all fun considering that the better part of it was dedicated to warm up exercises and Ukemi before Daniel Sempai guided us through the below mentioned techniques all executed from the Katatedori stance:

-Kote Gaeshi Omote(aka Reverse Kote Gaeshi).

-Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Rokkyo.

Once again we had the priviledge of being joined by yet another pretty Japanese lady who spoke very good Kiswahili and who informed me that she began practising Aikido when she was little back in Japan though it has been quite a while since she was on the mat.

Naoki also informed me that Masaki(the jolly Japanese lady from last Friday's session) left Kenya for Japan since she was only here for one week.I hope to see more of her soon.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Jo in heels

Wednesday
Time :1830hrs
Venue:Kenya National Theatre grounds
Due to reasons beyond our control,we started the session late
and outside.
No-one changed so we were in jeans,skirts,sneakers and heels as Dan
took us through the basics.
P.s-it was strange having an audience
An hour later we moved to the studio(better lighting)took off our shoes and practiced the first 3 moves of Sancho 1,part 1.
When we tried to go through the whole part,it became evident we have become rusty.and unfit.
We agreed that we will having the weapon's class at Goan Gymkhana, Wednesdays 5.00-8.00pm,charges Ksh 200.

Yeeey!!!!!!

It's official (at least to me)
Am getting the hang of Aikido.
The foot&handwork is becoming automatic.
Tenkan is no longer a jigsaw puzzle.
In fact,am thinking of taking the 4kyu exam the next time we're grading.
I was reaching for a cloth in my house and my grip had me laughing
-it was a form of the  Nikio grip warm-up exercise we do at the beginning of the class.
And then there was Dan's good news yesterday,an hour of weapon's class today.
So we're now up to 4hrs 30mins of Aikido per week#excited
The Weapon's class will be on Wednesday,5.30pm-6.30pm at KNT(Kenya National Theatre)
Charges,Ksh 100.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Once again we had first timers in Aikido one of them being from Sudan and I kicked off the session with warm up exercises featuring among others the dreaded single leg squat which I love doing especially for firm glutes.

Jason Sempai took over and we revised the following techniques all executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance (except for Hanmi Handachi):

-Hanmi Handachi Shiho Nage.

-Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura).

-Nikyo(Omote & Ura).

-Irimi Nage Omote.

We wrapped up the session with Jiyu Waza and a good old back stretch.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

***P.S.
JASON SEMPAI REQUESTED THAT WE HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION THIS COMING FRIDAY FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN HOUR OR SO AFTER THE AIKIDO SESSION OR AT ABOUT 18:30 HRS***

Friday, August 30, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Being the last session of the month of August,I was looking forward to beginning the month of September in style and I got more than what I bargained for.

Naoki Sempai came along with a pretty & jolly Japanese lady by the name of Misaki(I hope I got the name correctly)who informed me that she began practising Aikido back in Japan though it has been five years since she last practised Aikido seriously but from the way she did Ukemi and the other attacks/techniques during the session,she has not lost her 'Aikido touch'.

After going through a warm up session including Mae & Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari and Tachi Waza respectively,Naoki Sempai guided us through the following attacks/techniques:

-Katatedori Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura).

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo(Omote & Ura) and a version of Uchi Kaiten Nage.

-Yokomen Uchi Shiho Nage (Omote & Ura)with Ura featuring two versions and Irimi Nage(which was the session's show stopper for me).

-Tsuki Kote Gaeshi and Ikkyo Omote respectively.

Before the session ended,we did Randori on some of the attacks/techniques we learnt and that was the time the fit & unfit were seived....I guess we should have more of Jiyu Waza/Randori especially during the Friday sessions.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER 3 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

It has been quite a while since I saw such a huge turnout for an Aikido session on a Tuesday but I guess Aikido is becoming quite popular in Nairobi.....or is it because Karate are not accepting any newcomers for now.....hmmmm time will tell.

Anyway,the good news is that Matthieu PAZAT Sensei is back in full swing after a well deserved vacation in France.

Daniel Sempai kicked off the first part of the session with warm up exercises followed by Mae & Ushiro Ukemi in Suwari Waza as well as Mae Shikko.

The attack he took us through was Shomen Uchi Ikkyo (Omote & Ura).

PAZAT Sensei took over the rest of the session where he broke down the basics of Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo in both Omote & Ura and as always I learnt something new thanks to Sensei.
I usually have a bad habit of going for Uke's elbow (while executing Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Ura)before unbalancing Uke and I am glad Sensei pointed that out and I was able to learn something new.

Sensei also took us through the basics of Tai Sabaki which is very important especially when executing an Ura technique.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

UPDATED CONTACTS FOR NAIROBI AIKIKAI KENYA ASSOCIATION

I managed to set up an email & twitter account for our newly formed association.

EMAIL: nairobiaikikaikenya@gmail.com

TWITTER: @nairobiaikikai

FACEBOOK: Aikidokenya(remains the same)

Since most of the times I am unavailable on cell phone due to unavoidable reasons,we shall decide among ourselves whose/which cell phone number will be used as the association's main contact number.

Friday, August 23, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Eureka!!! We finally have it!

Before I get into the details about what we finally have,here is a breakdown of what went down during the session:

Daniel Sempai kicked off the session with some great body workouts that had everyone sweating before he took us through the below mentioned techniques:

-From the Katatedori stance it was Uchi Kaiten Nage Omote & Ura respectively.

-From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance it was Juji Nage.

-Hanmi Handachi Shiho Nage.

The rest of the session was used in going through the draft constitution and we finally managed to pass the constitution(hence the eureka exclamation at the beginning of this entry)and even elect members to the Executive Council who are as follows:

Jason KIBE-The Chairman.

Sammy MWAKIO(myself)-The General Secretary.

Benedict KIYAGA-The Treasurer.

Daniel AREBA-The Technical Director.

All the members of the above mentioned Executive Council were elected unanimously and shall commence their duties effective
immediately.

For those who will have any queries or any comments kindly use the following email address for now: mtandao@techie.com

Once again a reminder for those who are new to our association that we have a google site(www.nairobiaikikai.com)that has a link to our Nairobi Aikikai blog and the personal blog of our former Sensei.You can also find a brief history of Nairobi Aikikai,a link to the Wroclaw Aikikai homepage and snapshots taken during the seminars that were conducted by Piotr MASZTALERZ Shidoin during his visits to Kenya.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, AUGUST 27 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

I found the warm up session already underway led by Daniel Sempai which I must say was a sweaty work out which included Mae and Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively.

Jason Sempai took over the rest of the session and below is what he took us through the stance being Ai Hanmi Katatedori(the Shomen Uchi attack being from Ai Hanmi too):

-Irimi Nage in all three forms(Jodan, Chudan & Gedan).

-Shomen Uchi Irimi Nage(Omote & Ura).

-Ikkyo(Omote & Ura).

-Sankyo(Omote & Ura).

Lifting Uke by the chin was a momentous task especially for those who were performing Irimi Nage for the very first time but with constant practise I believe it can be done.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

Friday, August 16, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Douglas Kohai was incharge on this particular Friday and after warming up ourselves and some Mae & Ushiro Ukemi we got down to business with the following techniques/attack all executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote

-Sankyo Omote

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote

The remainder of the session we held a brief discussion on the proposed constitution for our soon to be formed association and we went through some of the contentious issues and Sarah Sempai informed us that she shall be mailing those on the mailing list an updated version of the constitution.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, AUGUST 20 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Last Friday being a public holiday and having no Aikido session,I was quite eager to arrive in good time and give myself a good body workout before the clock struck 17:00 hrs.

I arrived just in time and together with two newcomers,we had fifteen minute jog around the "dojo" before the two hour session which consisted of the following basic moves all executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote.

-Nikyo Ura.

-Sankyo Omote.

-The shorter version of Nikyo.

Apart from the above mentioned techniques,we did basic warm up exercises,Mae and Ushiro Ukemi as well as Shikko.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY,AUGUST 16 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL

***N.B.KINDLY NOTE THAT AS FROM YESTERDAY,BOTH AIKIDO SESSIONS WILL BE ENDING FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER(@18:45 HRS).MR.FUTAKI INFORMED US YESTERDAY THAT THE NEW JICC DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE ALL MARTIAL ARTS SESSIONS(BOTH KARATE & AIKIDO)TO END AT 18:45***

Sammy's class

Time flew.I loved it.Sam is a great teacher,especially for beginners.

After an intense work out,about an hour long,he took us through the Aihami Nikio basics
Then katatendori nikio,a simple version of sankyo.Can't remember the name of the third move.

I've noticed our numbers are reducing.There was only one newcomer in this class.
I noticed the same thing on Friday.
Not sure whether to worry or not.

Friday is Idd ,no class.
See you on Tue.

Friday, August 2, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Naoki Sempai took us through the two hour session which consisted of the first four basic Aikido moves namely:Ikkyo,Nikyo,Sankyo and Yonkyo.

Before going into the techniques,we had a brief warm up session followed by two versions of Tai no Henko.

The following were the techniques he guided us through all being executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Nikyo Omote & Ura.

-Sankyo Omote & Ura.

-Yonkyo Omote & Ura.

For once I decided to wear jeans during the two hour session to get a feel of how uncomfortable it is to do some techniques wearing jeans.Damn was I uncomfortable!

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

This was the first full two hour session under Douglas Kohai's instruction and he did not disappoint.

After a great workout that featured fourty press ups & situps, we did some Ukemi before kicking off the training session.

Douglas Kohai focused on the basics and this is what he took us through:

From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Shiho Nage Omote.

-Sankyo Omote.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

-Kata Gatame through the opening of Ikkyo Omote.

From the Katatedori stance:

-A version of Kokyu Nage.

-Hanmi Handachi Shiho Nage.

From a Shomen Uchi attack:

-Ikkyo Omote.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL.

CHECK THIS OUT GUYS: OUR VERY OWN JASON BEING INTERVIEWED ON LIVE TELEVISION ON 08 JULY 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Douglas Kohai is fast becoming our "warm up" expert and this Friday he did not disappoint as he took us through a drenching 40 minutes or so of warm up exercises including the dreaded "wheelbarrow pushups".

After the warm up session,Ben Sempai took us through the below mentioned techniques that focused on pinning down Uke by controlling the elbow also referred to as Hiji Waza.All the techniques were executed from a Katatedori stance:

-Hiji Kime Osae(aka Rokkyo).

-Kata Gatame through an elbow lock.

-A version of Kokyu Nage performed by trapping Uke's elbow on the chest then turning the hips 180 degrees forcing Uke to do an Ukemi.

The elbow techniques are among my favourite as they are very effective even with a much larger and stronger opponent provided that one performs them correctly.

NEXT SESSION: TUESDAY, JULY 30 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

Dennis Kohai took us through the initial warm up session then Jason Sempai took over the rest of the session which was preceded by Mae & Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza respectively.

The techniques of the day were as follows:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori: Ikkyo,Sankyo and Kata Gatame through Ikkyo Omote respectively.

-Katatedori Rokkyo.

There was a 30 minute session that included a "wrestling bout" in pairs followed by some fantastic work outs that featured the dreaded sit ups.

We ended the two hour session with the good old Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JULY 26 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL.

Constitution.

I have emailed the Proposed Nairobi Aikikai constitution.
In case you didn't receive the mail,drop me a line on matindis@hotmail.com
and I'll forward it.
P.s-this is to Nairobi Aikikai members only.
We will discuss it on Fri Aug,2nd .

Friday, July 19, 2013 session at the JICC multipurpose hall

Naoki Sempai was our Sensei of the day and furthermore,he even brought along some Shinai that reminded me of a former kendo practitioner Kendo NAGASAKI who also featured in entertainment wrestling some years back.

Douglas Kohai took us through the warm up session before Naoki Sempai took over and the emphasis was on extending and unbalancing Uke.

All the techniques were from the Katatedori stance and were as follows:

-Shiho Nage Omote(two versions).

-Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Morote dori: Ikkyo,Nikyo,Sankyo(all Omote respectively),Sokumen Irimi Nage and Juji Nage.

The two hour session came to a close with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa & Haishin Undo

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, JULY 23 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Daniel Sempai was the 'Aikido general' for the two hour session and after a good body workout composed of Mae & Ushiro Ukemi as well as warm up exercises,we went throught the following techniques:

-From the Katatedori stance:
a)Soto Kaiten & Uchi Kaiten Nage.

b)Ikkyo and Nikyo Omote.

c)Tai no Henko.

-From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

a)A variation of a wrist lock.

-From Ryo Katadori we went through a version of Kokyu Nage.

-From Ryote Dori we did Ude Garami.

It was quite a while since we did the arm lock variation and I was glad that for the first time ever I was able to do it without 'sweating'.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JULY 19 @ THE JICC MULTIPURPOSE HALL.

Dojo Etiquette

 Thanks Sam for the link.

I felt this should be a stand alone,seeing we have a lot of newcomers.

Dojo Etiquette

Proper observance of etiquette is as much a part of your training as is learning techniques. Please take the following guidelines seriously.

1. When entering or leaving the dojo, it is proper to bow in the direction of O Sensei's picture, the kamiza, or the front of the dojo. You should also bow when entering or leaving the mat.
2. No shoes on the mat.
3. Be on time for class.If you do happen to arrive late, sit quietly in seiza on the edge of the mat until the instructor grants permission to join practice.
4. If you should have to leave the mat or dojo for any reason during class, approach the instructor and ask permission.
5. Avoid sitting on the mat with your back to the picture of O Sensei or the kamiza. Also, do not lean against the walls or sit with your legs stretched out. (Either sit in seiza or cross- legged.)
6. Remove watches, rings and other jewelry before practice.
7. Do not bring food, gum, or beverages with you into the dojo.
8. Please keep your finger and toe nails cut short.
9. Please keep talking during class to a minimum. What conversation there is should be restricted to one topic -- Aikido.
10. Carry out the directives of the instructor PROMPTLY. Do not keep the rest of the class waiting for you!
11. Do not engage in rough-housing or needless contests of strength during class.
12. Keep your training uniform clean, in good shape, and free of offensive odors.
13. Please pay your membership dues promptly. If, for any reason, you are unable to pay your dues on time, talk with the person in charge of dues collection. Sometimes special rates are available for those experiencing financial hardship.
14. Do not change your clothes on the mat.
15. Remember that you are here to learn, and not to gratify your ego. An attitude of receptivity and humility (though not obsequiousness) is therefore advised.
16. Preserve common-sense standards of decency and respect at all times.

THE AIKIDO FAQ

Please find below a link to the Aikido FAQ website which contains very essential information for all those interested in knowing the history of Aikido, dojo etiquette and so on.

It is the website that provided me with most of the information about Aikido when I began practicing it.

Enjoy......

http://www.aikidofaq.com/

Friday, July 5, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

It has been a while since I conducted a warm up session and this particular Friday I had the priviledge of doing just that and after the brief warm up session, Ben Sempai took us through the following tecniques all performed from Suwari Waza:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Nikyo Omote.

-Yonkyo Omote.

We were to hold a discussion on our draft constitution but since none of us had carried a copy of the draft,we unanimously decided to postpone the discussion to a later date.

Jason Sempai carried on with the session and he took us through the following:

-Katatedori Shiho Nage Omote.

-Yokomen Uchi Shiho Nage Omote & Ura.

Daniel Sempai wrapped up the two hour session by taking us through Mae,Ushiro & Gyaku Ukemi and we added Yoko Ukemi to the list courtesy of Tony Sempai.

What stood out for me was Mae Ukemi over three colleagues in all fours which proved to be a tall order for me but as they say "practise makes perfect''

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, JULY 16 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

***P.S.
I INQUIRED FROM MS. SUSAN ARACH OF THE JICC AND SHE INFORMED ME THAT NEXT TUESDAY THERE WILL BE JAPANESE ELECTIONS GOING ON AT THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM & ON FRIDAY,THERE WILL BE A SEMINAR FOR JAPANESE TEACHERS @ THE JICC MAIN HALL THUS NO AIKIDO THE WHOLE OF NEXT WEEK.***

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

The two hour hour session kicked off with only Jason Sempai, Mohseen & myself and after warming up and stretching, Jason sempai asked Mohseen and I if we had any requests and I requested:

-Ryote dori Tenchi Nage.

-Kata Gatame through Ikkyo Omote.

Mohseen requested:

-A version of Kokyu Nage.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Yonkyo Omote.

We went through the above techniques save for the "elbow breaking" Kokyu Nage version which Jason Sempai decided to do during the advanced sessions.

Daniel Sempai took over the remainder of the session and he took us through the following:

-A version of Katatedori Kokyu Nage.

-Tai No Tenkan Ho.

We concluded the session with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

P.S.
***MR. FUTAKI INFORMED US THAT THERE WILL BE NO SESSIONS THE WHOLE OF NEXT WEEK AS THERE WILL BE A FUNCTION GOING ON AT THE JAPAN EMBASSY.***

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JULY 5 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, June 28, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

PAZAT Sensei took us through the first hour with the following techniques both executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance and the Chudan Tsuki attack:

-Ikkyo Omote.

-Sokumen Iriminage.

We held our "general meeting" during the second hour and we discussed quite a number of issues but in summary we discussed  the following:

-To have a one-off registration fee and possibly a membership fee that will be renewed annually.

-To form an association that shall act as our identity especially when we need to sollicit for funds,etc.

-The name of the association shall be "Nairobi Aikikai" or possibly ''Nairobi Aikikai Association''.

-To have separate advanced & novice classes.

-To have our own kitty that shall be used to purchase equipment,uniforms,etc.

We were unable to elect members who shall hold various seats in the soon to be formed association but it was decided that if all goes well we shall have another sitting possibly next Friday to discuss further.

Sensei: Je te souhaite bon voyage et amuse-toi bien pendant tes vacances en France.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

This was one session where I had a hard time executing the techniques which means I need to put more effort in blending in with Uke's attack.

Back to the programme of the day, Jason Sempai took over the first hour and part of the second hour and took us through the following techniques all executed from a Shomen Uchi attack:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Kata Gatame through Ikkyo Omote.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

-Shiho Nage Ura.

Daniel Sempai took over the remainder of the second hour and this is what he had in store for us:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ude Kimenage (Omote & Ura).

-Katatedori Kokyu Nage.

-Ryo katadori Kokyu Nage.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JUNE 28 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Welcome Back Dan

It;s been over a year since I was in a class which Daniel was conducting.
It was intense.
As Sammy said,the work out showed us how unfit we've all become.
If we had one of Sense Piotr seminars,we'd all collapse within 10 minutes.
And for once in a long time,we were very few,only 7 of us if I remember correctly.
I'm likely going to be in Mombasa on Friday and won't be able to attend the meeting.
I shared my opinions with Dan.Sammy,Dennis and Ben as we walked down the hill
and I know they will be aired.
See you on Tuesday.

Friday, June 21, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Having missed out on last Friday's session, I was eagerly awaiting today's session which was once again under the supervision of Kenya's first ever Aikido uchi deshi in Poland-Daniel Sempai.

We kicked off the session with a good warm up session that included my favourite ''move''-Shikko which was quite challenging for the newcomers but all in all it was a fantastic warm up session.

The two hour session mainly focused on the Katatedori (Gyaku Hanmi Katatedori) stance and it kicked off with Shiho Nage Omote followed by Ikkyo Omote this time executed using the famous ''pitch fork'' technique that is common with the Birankai branch of Aikido.

What stood out for me was the move beginning from a Katatedori stance where Tori brings down Uke by taking him/her down capitalising on the ''weak spot'' at the peak of the ''imaginary triangle'' behind him/her.

After the session we held a small discussion on the way forward for us in terms of Aikido and going by yesterday's discussion, it seems next Friday's meeting will be an event not to miss out on.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, JUNE 25 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Missing you

Hey good people,
I hope you are all keeping well.
I've been all over this beautiful country of ours,hence my scarcity in the dojo.
It's good to read that we are still growing in numbers and learning.
I'm happy that Dan is back in Nairobi&Sensei Pazzat is back from his break.
Barring any suprises,hope to see you all tomorrow.
Take care and have a good day.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

It has been quite a while since Daniel Sempai conducted a session and this particular Tuesday he did just that.

We did a good body workout for a full hour including Mae & Ushiro Ukemi in both Suwari and Tachi Waza respectively as well as Shikko.

The session was all about the Katatedori stance and from the stance he focused on the following:

-Shiho Nage Omote.

-Kokyu Nage (two versions).

Daniel Sempai broke down the two techniques bit by bit and I was able to get some new tips that I was not aware of before.

The two hour session came to a close with Haishin Undo to give the back a good stretch.

Fantastic session!

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JUNE 21 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Jason Sempai was in charge of the two hour session and he did not disappoint.Below are the techniques that he took us through (all being executed from the Katatedori stance):

-Ikkyo Omote and Ura.

-Nikyo Omote and Ura.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote and Ura.

-Irimi Nage Ura.

It was a fast paced session and I look forward to more similar sessions.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, JUNE 14 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL/MULTIPURPOSE HALL.

Friday, June 7, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Once again Matthieu PAZAT Sensei gave Ben Sempai the honour of conducting the session for one hour but before I get into the attacks/techniques of the day I would like to welcome back Dan Sempai who is now back with us after being away due to work-related commitments.Karibu nyumbani Daniel!

FIRST HOUR: PAZAT SENSEI

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo and Irimi Nage (both Omote) in both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively.

SECOND HOUR: BEN SEMPAI

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Nikyo and Kote Gaeshi (both Omote) in Tachi Waza only.

-Shomen Uchi Nikyo and Kote Gaeshi (both Omote) in Tachi Waza only.

The two hour session came to a close with the good old back stretch Haishin Undo.

Sensei made the announcement about the planned meeting that is to take place three weeks from now and hopefully we shall be able to form an association and put in place elected members.

NEXT SESSION: TUESDAY, JUNE 11 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Aggressive Aikido techniques demonstration.....to all those out there who look down upon Aikido techniques

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

It was one of those Tuesday sessions where space was scarce but all the same it was a great session with Jason Sempai taking over the first hour and PAZAT Sensei taking over the second hour.

FIRST HOUR:Jason Sempai

-Katatedori Kokyu Nage.

-Katatedori Tenchi Nage.

-Ryotedori Kokyu Nage.

-Ryotedori Tenchi Nage.

The first hour focused mainly on unbalancing Uke and centering oneself.

SECOND HOUR:PAZAT Sensei

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Nikyo Omote.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Sankyo Omote.

-Ushiro Ryotedori Ikkyo Omote.

-Ushiro Ryotedori Sankyo Omote.

The second hour emphasised more on controlling Uke.

ON FRIDAY, JUNE 28 (three weeks, three days from today),SENSEI WOULD LIKE US ALL TO MEET AT THE JICC MAIN HALL AFTER THE AIKIDO SESSION TO MAP THE WAY FORWARD IN FORMING OUR LONG OVERDUE ASSOCIATION AND TO ELECT MEMBERS WHO WILL DRIVE FORWARD OUR ASSOCIATION.KINDLY ALL THOSE WHO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO AVAIL THEMSELVES ON THE SAID DAY & VENUE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.

Friday, May 31, 2013 session at the JICC Multipurpose hall

PAZAT Sensei was gracious once again to grant Ben Sempai the honour of conducting the second session but before that PAZAT Sensei took us through the warm up session before taking us through the first hour which consisted of:

-Katatedori Kokyu Nage.

-Yokomen Uchi: Shiho Nage Ura, Kokyu Nage, Kote Gaeshi Omote and Ude Kimenage respectively.

Ben Sempai took over the second hour with the following techniques:

-Katatedori: Ikkyo Omote and Nikyo Ura respectively.

-Katadori: Ikkyo Omote and Nikyo Omote & Ura respectively.

My favourite part is usually Jiyu Waza where one gets to go through the techniques of the day in a non-stop mode with One Tori and several Uke attacking one at a time....

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, JUNE 4 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Matthieu PAZAT Sensei was in the dojo and I was surely glad to see him after his well deserved break.

He gave Jason Sempai the honour of taking us through the first hour of the session which consisted of the following techniques:

-Katatedori: Kote Gaeshi Omote, Sokumen Irimi Nage and Irimi Nage Omote respectively.

PAZAT Sensei took over the rest of the session with the following techniques:

-Katatedori: Kokyu Nage, Shiho Nage Ura, opening of Uchi Kaiten Nage, Kata Gatame through the opening of Uchi Kaiten Nage and Ude Kimenage respectively.

The two hour session came to a close with the famous Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MAY 31 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, May 24, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Naoki Sempai had earlier arrived with two Korean friends and they were quite impressed seeing that Aikido is present here in Kenya and later on when it was time to begin the session, Naoki Sempai was the one who took us through the whole session.

After warming up and some Mae & Ushiro Ukemi as well as Mae Shikko, we went through the following attacks/techniques:

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote & Ura in both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza respectively.

-Katatedori Kokyu Ho.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Sankyo Omote & Ura and Shiho Nage Omote & Ura respectively.

-Ushiro Ryo Kata Dori Kokyu Ho.

We ended the session with a good back stretch in the form of Haishin Undo.

It was Moa Sempai's last session with us this year and she promised us she will be back next year and tomorrow (Saturday, May 25) we shall be having a small get together in town in the evening to bid her kwaheri.

I was going through the Goteborg(Gothenburg in English) Aikido website which is Moa Sempai's home dojo (which is in Swedish) and I came across two photos of Moa Sempai;one of which she was seated in seiza together with the current Doshu and the other one she was seated in seiza with Shigemi INAGAKI Shihan! The link to those pictures is below:

http://goteborgsaikidoklubb.se/?p=2705

Furthermore, tomorrow May, 25, 2013 is the 51st All Japan Aikido demonstration and you can view the detailed programme in PDF  form by following the link below:

http://www.aikikai.or.jp/eng/info/2013/enbue.pdf

The website for the Aikikai  Foundation in English is accessible by following the link below:

http://www.aikikai.or.jp/eng/index.htm

I take this opportunity to wish Moa Sempai a safe journey back home as she will be at the Kenyan coast next week then she will fly back to Sweden on June 6, and all the very best in all her endeavours.

She invited any one of us who is interested in an uchi deshi programme in her home dojo and I might find myself in Goteborg Sweden in the near future who knows.....

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MAY 28 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

It was one quiet Tuesday as I arrived at the JICC Conference Room to find it empty but that did not prevent me from warming up in preparation for the session ahead.
Since all of the senior members were not around I took over the two hour session and this is what we went through after one hour of warm up exercises including Mae Ukemi from Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza respectively:

From Ai Hanmi Katatedori:

-Ikkyo Omote.

-Nikyo Ura.

-Sankyo Omote(Shorter version).

From Katatedori:

-Shiho Nage Omote.

-Rokkyo.

-Then there was Kote Gaeshi Omote through a simulated knife attack(Chudan).

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MAY 24 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

AMAZING ONE MINUTE VIDEO BY AIKIDO MASTER THE LATE GOZO SHIODA SHIHAN

Friday, May 17, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

The Friday session was here once again and Moa Sempai was at it again taking us through a great two hour session and what stood out for me was the shiko dance which was the first time ever I have heard or even performed it.Apart from that,we went through Mae and Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari & Tachi Waza among other warm up exercises.

The session featured the following:

-Katatedori Tai no Henko movement.

-Morote Dori Kokyu Ho.

-Katatedori Uchi Kaiten & Soto Kaiten Nage respectively.

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

-Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

After the session Tony Sempai and I had a short discussion and we decided we shall talk it through with the rest of the senior members of Nairobi Aikikai concerning whether Aikido should begin having intakes twice a year since at the moment newcomers show up every Tuesday and Friday and we are always forced to do the basics every other time and this keeps on dragging us behind a good example is today's session as I almost forgot how to perform Soto Kaiten Nage since it has been a while since we last did it in any of the sessions.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MAY 21 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

The numbers of newcomers keeps on rising steadily although those that survive the Sankyo twists & Nikyo pain still remains the same.

Moa Sempai once again displayed her Aikido skills during the two hour session and below are the attacks/techniques she took us through:

-Basic Tai No Tenkan Ho movement.

-Tsuki Ikkyo Omote from Tachi Waza.

-Yokomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote from both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote from both Suwari Waza & Tachi Waza respectively.

The session ended with the familiar Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa aka Suwari Waza Kokyu Ho as well as Haishin Undo.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MAY 17 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, May 10, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Once again Nairobi Aikikai was privileged to host a guest this time being a Japanese nidan in Aikido by the name of MIZUYORI Tomoko-a sociologist by profession who was visiting from Japan.

Tony Sempai took us through the warm up session before Tomoko Sempai took us through the rest of the session.

Below are the techniques we reviewed all being executed from the Kata
tedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote.

-Irimi Nage Ura.

-Sumi Otoshi.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

The session ended with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa as well as Haishin Undo.

After the sweaty two hour session we headed to a police canteen located off Ngong Road where we downed some drinks as well as ugali & nyama choma.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MAY 14 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

I arrived just in time to find Jason Sempai and some newcomers warming up and I gladly joined in before the warm up session concluded with Mae and Ushiro Ukemi from Suwari Waza.

A good number of those that turned up for the session were novices thus Jason Sempai mainly concentrated on the basic moves as follows:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Omote .

-Tsuki Ikkyo Omote.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Omote.

The last 45 munites belonged to me and what I went through with my colleagues was as follows:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Sankyo Omote(Shorter version) and Nikyo Omote respectively.

-Katatedori Shiho Nage Omote.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MAY 10 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, May 3, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Naoki UOZAWA Sempai was once again incharge of the two hour session and it was more than thrilling featuring some of my most challenging techniques and by that this is what I mean:

-Katatedori Shiho Nage in both Omote & Ura respectively.

-Ryote Dori:

a)Tenchi Nage Omote.

b)Kote Gaeshi Omote.

c)Shiho Nage (Omote & Ura).

d)Ikkyo (Omote).

e)Juji Nage (aka Ude Kimenage).

Jason Sempai suggested that this coming Friday (May 10) after the Aikido session, we meet for a drink as we discuss on the way forward for Nairobi Aikikai given that a federation is already in place.....

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MAY 7 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Tuesday sessions are becoming more intense and this session in particular was breathtaking!

I found Jason Sempai and Moa Sempai warming up and I joined in and we capped up the warm up session with Mae and Ushiro Ukemi from Tachi Waza.

Moa Sempai took over the two hours and she focused mainly on using the hips which reminds me of the famous quote by the late Kungu Fu master Bruce Lee "put your hip into it".

Here is a rundown of the techniques that we went through:

-Ushiro Ryote Dori: Sankyo(Omote & Ura),Juji Garami and Kote Gaeshi respectively.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Koshinage(without the throwing part).

-Ryote Dori Kokyu Ho.

-Katatedori Kokyu Ho.

-The basics of Tai No Tenkan Ho.

-Morote Dori Kokyu Ho.

-Ryo Kata Dori Sankyo(Omote & Ura) from both Tachi Waza and Suwari Waza respectively.

-Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MAY 3 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Kenya Aikido Federation on facebook

I just came across the Kenya Aikido Federation facebook page over the weekend. I guess it was formed during Piotr BOROWSKI Sensei's recent tour of East Africa.
Here is their link:
http://www.facebook.com/Kenya.Aikido.Federation?fref=ts

Below is the front page caption of their recently drafted constitution:

Friday, April 26, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Usually the Friday session is my favourite for two main reasons:The first one is that I always get time to warm up before the session kicks off and the second reason is that it is usually fast paced and this particular one was no exception.Ben Sempai took us through warm up followed by Mae and Ushiro Ukemi including the dreaded Gyaku Ukemi.

BEN SEMPAI:

-Katatedori: Kokyu Nage(opening for Soto Kaiten Nage).

-Ushiro Ryo Kata Dori Kokyu Nage.

-Ryo Kata Dori Kokyu Nage.

MOA SEMPAI:

-Katatedori: Tai No Tenkan Ho.

-Kata Dori Nikyo Ura.

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo Ura (featuring a different version of unbalancing Uke).

We are really learning a lot of Aikido versions from our resident Swedish Aikidoka Moa who apparently was in Japan the past few months enriching her Aikido know how. 

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, APRIL 30 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

This was one unique session in that our own Swedish Aikidoka,Moa took us through the last quarter with some techniques up her sleeve or is it 'up her gi'......

Moa kicked off the two hour session with some warm up exercises before I took over for about ten minutes with some additional exercises then Jason Sempai took us through the following:

-Shomen Uchi Sankyo Omote,Kote Gaeshi and Irimi Nage(Omote & Ura) respectively.

-Tsuki Kote Gaeshi.

As mentioned earlier, Moa took us through the following:

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

-Morote Dori Kokyu Ho.

She wound up the two hour session with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, APRIL 26 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

***P.S.ACCORDING TO THE JAPAN EMBASSY CALENDAR, FRIDAY,MAY 3 WAS TO BE A HOLIDAY BUT YESTERDAY I CLARIFIED WITH MR.FUTAKI AND HE INFORMED ME THAT SINCE THE EMBASSY WAS CLOSED ON APRIL 9, THE HOLIDAY THAT WAS TO BE OBSERVED ON MAY 3 WAS ANNULLED THUS WE SHALL HAVE OUR USUAL AIKIDO SESSION ON THAT DAY.***

Friday, April 19, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

The two hour session was conducted by our Japanese colleague Naoki UOZAWA and he took us through a wonderful session that was equally sweaty despite the drizzle outside.

After warming up and some Mae and Ushiro Ukemi from both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively, Naoki Sempai took us through the following:

Katatedori stance

-Tai no Tenkan Ho.

-Shiho Nage Omote & Ura.

-Kokyu Nage version.

-Ude Kimenage.

-Kote Gaeshi.

Ryote Dori:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

Morote Dori:

-Ikkyo Omote.

Yokomen Uchi:

-Irimi Nage(breathtaking version!)

The session came to a close with Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa and Haishin Undo.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, APRIL 23 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

It was quite a while since I conducted an Aikido session the last time being around October last year before PAZAT Sensei arrived in Kenya and I was thrilled to get another opportunity of doing so.I arrived 20 minutes late due to the usual traffic chaos in Neighroby but I was glad to find Kevin Kohai taking the others through a warm up session.

Below is what we went through during the two hour session (after going through Mae and Ushiro Ukemi in both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza) all techniques being executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura respectively.

-Nikyo Omote in both the long and short versions.

-Sankyo Omote.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

-Ryote Dori Kiri Otoshi.

NEXT SESSION: FRIDAY, APRIL 19 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, April 12, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Ben Sempai was in charge of the two hours and after a good warm up session, we went through the below mentioned attacks/techniques:

From the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo, Nikyo and Sankyo all in both Omote and Ura versions respectively.

From the Katatedori stance:

-Kokyu Nage whereby Uke comes charging at Tori at full speed then Tori steps aside and guides Uke down ending up with Mae Ukemi.

From Ryo Katadori:

-Kokyu Nage.

Lastly, there was a Shomen Uchi attack then Tori was to perform various techniques such as Irimi Nage Omote or Ura.

 NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, APRIL 16 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Apologies

Hi everyone.
I know we were meant to go for drinks yesterday after class at Shebeen in Upper Hill.
Dennis texted me after 9.00pm asking me what happened.
I was working out of town and wasn't able to make it to class.
I apologise and hope to see you in class on Tuesday.
Thankyou November for wishing us well.

Friday, April 5, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

It was a unique session in the sense that Sensei gave Jason Sempai the go ahead to take over the first hour and it was as exciting as usual.

FIRST HOUR(JASON SEMPAI)

All techniques below were executed from the Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote.

-Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Shiho Nage Ura.

SECOND HOUR(PAZAT SENSEI)

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo (Omote & Ura) from both Suwari Waza and Tachi Waza respectively.

-Shomen Uchi Kote Gaeshi.

Tuesday, April 9 having being declared a public holiday, I guess we will not have the Tuesday Aikido session though I was not able to confirm it with Mr. Futaki of the JICC.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, APRIL 12 AT THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

It was raining outside but that did not dampen my Aikido spirit.Furthermore,I had strained my back during the Easter break but still that too did not hamper me from attending the Aikido session.It reminds me of Lothar Matthaus, one of Germany's best soccer players ever who played in the 1986 World Cup final despite suffering from a broken arm.

PAZAT Sensei was in the dojo and he took us through the below mentioned attacks/techniques:

Katatedori:

-Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Irimi Nage Ura.

-Kote Gaeshi Omote.

-Kiri Otoshi.

Yokomen Uchi:

-Shiho Nage Ura.

-Ude Kimenage.

-Kokyu Nage.

-Kote Gaeshi.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, APRIL 5 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

On Wrocław Aikikai

I know that this is in Polish, but just to let you know that we're still kicking. Miss you, guys ;-) Happy Easter!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Jason Sempai was the Aikido General during the two hour session and he took us through the following attacks/techniques:

Katatedori:

-Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Irimi Nage.

-Kote Gaeshi Ura.

Yokomen Uchi:

-Ikkyo Ura.

-Shiho Nage Omote & Ura.

-Ude Kimenage.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT FRIDAY, MARCH 29 BEING GOOD FRIDAY, THERE WILL BE NO AIKIDO SESSION***

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, APRIL 2 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Havana,22/3/2013

After the sweaty,fast paced session with Sensei Pazat,we headed to Havana to celebrate.
Dennis represented Joseph and Kevin who couldn't make it.

It was fun,as usual and for the first time ever,we were 4 ladies.We danced,Naoki dazzled us with his salsa moves, the food was great,drinks and conversation flowed.

Sensei agreed to have a once a month weapons class,but will wait for him to confirm this,could hav been the Tusker talking;)

Friday, March 22, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

Matthieu PAZAT Sensei was in charge of the two hour session and after a warm up session courtesy of Naoki Sempai,we went through the following techniques all executed from the Katatedori stance:

-Ikkyo Omote and Ura.

-Nikyo Omote and Ura.

-Kokyu nage.

-Ude Kimenage.

-Shiho Nage Ura.

Before the end of the session,Sensei presented certificates to those who passed their Gokyu grading namely:Dennis,Kevin and Joseph.Congratulations to the successful Aikidoka!

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MARCH 26 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Before I go any further,I take this valuable opportunity to congratulate Tony Sempai for attaining the much coveted 1st dan black belt in Goju-Ryu Karate.Though he had attained it some time back,it was not until yesterday that I came to learn of it.Good work Tony!

I kicked off the two hour session with some warm up exercises including my favourite technique-the crab walk before Jason Sempai and Naoki Sempai took us through the remainder of the session.

FIRST HOUR AND PART OF THE SECOND HOUR(Jason Sempai)

Kata Dori:

-Ikkyo(Omote & Ura).

-Nikyo(Omote & Ura).

-Sankyo(Omote).

-Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura).

REMAINDER OF SECOND HOUR(Naoki Sempai)

-Shomen Uchi Irimi Nage(Omote & Ura).

-Shomen Uchi Irimi Nage from Suwari Waza.

-Kokyu Ho Kokyu Dosa.

-Haishin Undo.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MARCH 22 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, March 15, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

I was really looking forward to this session since the last Friday session was two weeks back and the session was made even brighter when Tony Sempai strod in the 'dojo' donning a new gi which was bright white and shiny!

Before the session began,Ben Sempai and Douglas Kohai engaed in Jo sansho One part one & two for about ten minutes or so then Ben Sempai took us through warm up exercises and Ukemi before we embarked on the below mentioned techniques:

-Kata Dori Nikyo Omote-'Version two'.

-Kata Gatame through Ikkyo Omote.

-Katate Dori Kokyu Nage(the opening being similar to the one for Soto Kaiten Nage).

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Sankyo and Yonkyo respectively both techniques being executed from both Omote and Ura.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MARCH 19 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Boy was I glad to be back on the 'tatami' and the session did not disappoint as it was fast paced and breathtaking.

Jason Sempai took us through the following techniques all being executed from the Ai Hanmi Katatedori stance:

FIRST HOUR

-Ikkyo Omote & Ura.

-Kote Gaeshi Ura(Omote for advanced students).

-Shiho Nage Omote & Ura.

SECOND HOUR(Request hour)

-Nikyo Omote(Ura for advanced students).

-Sankyo Omote.

-Rokkyo.

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

-Kata Gatame through Ikkyo Omote.

Jason Sempai informed me that he attended one of Piotr BOROWSKI Sensei's sessions at the NYS Institute and it was quite an experience for him.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, MARCH 15 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

On politics

Me deepest compassion for all my Kenyan friends for the outcome of the election. Let's hope it will not as bad as we all fear.

Updates

i)The next class will be on Tuesday,March 12th.

ii)Sensei Pazat conducted exams on Tuesday,congratulations Joseph,Dennis and Kevin who passed,all 5 Kyu.

iii)We will be heading to Havana,Westlands on Friday,March 22nd after class for a social evening.

Thankyou Sammy for updating this blog regularly

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

C'était le jour J pour Kévin, Dennis et Joseph but before that,Sensei took us through the paces in the following attacks/techniques:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori: Ikkyo(Omote & Ura),Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Irimi Nage(Ura) respectively.

-Katatedori: Kokyu Nage(two versions),Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Tenchi Nage respectively.

-Shomen Uchi: Ikkyo(Omote & Ura),Irimi Nage(Ura) and Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) respectively.

The rest of the session was allocated for the grading exam and it was Joseph first on the 'chopping block' then Kevin and lastly Dennis.

Félicitations à Kévin, Dennis et Joseph for having successfully graded and passed their Gokyu tests at least now the number of graded students has increased.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, MARCH 12 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Friday, February 22, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

It was one fast paced session and Sensei took us through the below mentioned attacks & techniques:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori:Ikkyo(Omote & Ura),Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Irimi Nage(Omote) respectively.

-Katatedori:Sokumen Irimi Nage,Tenchi Nage,Kokyu Nage,Ude Kimenage and Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) respectively.

-Shomen Uchi:Ikkyo(Omote & Ura),Shiho Nage(Omote & Ura) and Irimi Nage respectively.

Tuesday(February 26) is grading day and all the very best to Dennis,Joseph and hopefully Kevin(I hope your shoulder injury has healed).They shall all be grading for Gokyu.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

**AIKIDO CLASSES ON HOLD**

As indicated earlier in the previous blog,Aikido classes have been put on hold as from March 1 to March 8 to resume on March 12.

For more information kindly click on the Japan embassy link below.

http://www.ke.emb-japan.go.jp/Martial%20Arts%20Classes.html

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Nairobi Aikikai is attracting enthusiasts from the world over and the latest addition is a gentleman from Greece,another one from Spain as well as a Swedish lady who joined us last Friday....well it seems we are heading towards the best direction.

Back to the day's activities, Jason Sempai took us through the following techniques:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Irimi Nage(Omote & Ura),Rokkyo and Kote Gaeshi(Omote & Ura) respectively.

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

-Katatedori Sokumen Irimi Nage.

-Kubishime through Katatedori Sokumen Irimi Nage.

There is a possibility of Aikido sessions being put on hold due to the forthcoming general elections in Kenya but more details will be available soon on the blog and on the Japan embassy website....

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, February 15, 2013 session at the JICC main hall

It was good to see Naoki Sempai once again and this time we were able to benefit from his speciality;Ushiro Ryote Dori techniques.

After warming up courtesy of Douglas Kohai, Ben Sempai took us through the following techniques before handing over to Naoki Sempai:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori Ikkyo(Omote & Ura) and Irimi Nage respectively.

Naoki took over the rest of the session and this is what he had in store for us:

-Ushiro Ryote Dori:Shiho Nage(Omote) and Kokyu Ho respectively.

-Hanmi Handachi Shiho Nage.

We topped up the two hours with the famous back stretch Haishin Undo.

A word of advice for those joining Aikido:Kindly relax during the sessions and avoid tensing up too much.I almost broke a lady's elbow while doing Haishin Undo as she was so tensed up she ended up sliding and landing on her elbow.

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

For me this was one fantastic session for two main reasons: The first one is because PAZAT Sensei was in charge of the two hours.Secondly, the AC was on thus, there was minimal sweating considering the heat wave that is ongoing in Nairobi.

Sensei took us through the following techniques:

FIRST HOUR (Focusing on extending Uke):

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

-Ryote Dori Ikkyo Omote.

-Ryote Dori Shiho Nage Omote.

SECOND HOUR:

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Ikkyo Omote.

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Kokyu Nage (two versions).

-Ushiro Ryote Dori Shiho Nage Omote.

Once again Sensei would like to have a look at the certificates and Birankai passports for all those who have graded in the past therefore kindly hand in your documents if you have not yet done so.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 @ THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Friday, February 8, 2012 session at the JICC main hall

This Friday's session was mostly dedicated to Kata Dori and after sweating it out doing warm up exercises and Ukemi, Ben Sempai took us through the following techniques:

-Kata Dori: Sumi Otoshi, Ikkyo(Omote & Ura), Nikyo(Ura) and Shiho Nage respectively.

-Ryo Kata Dori Kata Gatame.

-Ryote Dori Tenchi Nage.

The session was quite packed more than usual but as I had noted earlier,most of the newcomers seem to be intrigued by Aikido but after a session or two,they 'vanish with no trace'.....

NEXT SESSION:TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 @ THE JICC CONFERENCE ROOM.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 session at the JICC Conference Room

Jason Sempai was at it again taking us through the paces and although he had an injured left toe,he still gave it his all.

It was a 'full house' with a good number of new comers and the following is what we went through:

FIRST HOUR:

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori:Ikkyo(Omote,Ura),Nikyo(shorter version and Ura) respectively.

-Katatedori Ikkyo(Omote,Ura).

SECOND HOUR:

-Shomen Uchi:Ikkyo(Omote),Kote Gaeshi & Shiho Nage(Omote,Ura) respectively.

-Yokomen Uchi:Ikkyo,Shiho Nage(Omote) & Kote Gaeshi respectively.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8 AT THE JICC MAIN HALL.

Takumakai Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu documentary 大東流合気柔術 ドキュメンタリー

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 session at the JICC conference room

It was cloudy and dull outside but the weather did not dampen my Aikido mood and I arrived earlier than most Tuesdays since I was not busy on this particular Tuesday and that meant having ample time to warm up before the clock struck 17:00 Hrs.

There was a new face once again but I realised most of them are showing up for Aikido since the next Karate intake is some months away so I guess we will experience a large number of 'one timers' in the days to come.

Jason Sempai was in full 'Hakama' and he did not disappoint.We went through the following attacks/techniques:

FIRST HOUR

-Ai Hanmi Katatedori:Ikkyo,Nikyo and Sankyo all from Omote respectively.

SECOND HOUR(Request hour)

-Katatedori Sumi Otoshi.

-Shomen Uchi Ikkyo Ura.

-Ryotetori Tenchi Nage.

We are in the process of forming an association and Jason handed me a draft copy of the constitution which I hope everyone will go through then we shall make our own recommendations and publish the final draft which I really hope will be very soon.

NEXT SESSION:FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 AT THE JICC MAIN HALL.

TOP TEN TIPS FOR BEING A GOOD UKE

Anyone that trains in any martial art knows there are you people you really enjoy training with and there are probably peoplle that you don’t enjoy training with as much. How about you? Do people enjoy training with you? Or do they dodge you to train with someone else? Here for your enjoyment are my top 10 tips on being a good uke:

#10 Practice good hygiene
It seems like common sense but we’ve trained with guys that have long nails (which can cut other students) or other guys that smelled like they haven’t showered in days. The dojo is a special place. Make sure your nails are short, make sure you took a shower recently, and if you smoke *please* wash your hands before touching others!

#9 Keep your gear in good condition
We’ve ripped a few gis in the dojo. Some of them were our own and some were our training partners. That’s why I always recommend a woven gi (Judo style) rather than a Karate style gi. Woven cotten just holds up to the rigors of training so much more. As for weapons, at any time you notice a crack stop training with your jo or bokken (solo kata is ok). Making weapon to weapon contact with a cracked jo/ken can cause it to come apart which could cause injury to a classmate. There’s not much gear that an aikidoka needs. Keep it in top shape.

#8 Be sensitive to atemi
Some guys use a lot of atemi (strikes) some don’t use any.We’ve seen guys get punched in the face just because they weren’t expecting an atemi. Don’t be that guy. Don’t assume, your partner won’t strike given the opportunity. Aikido training is a martial art and as martial artists we must always be prepared for the unknown.

#7 When striking, stay on target
I’m not sure why some people do this. I think it’s a case of trying to be nice. Sometimes when striking, even though I’m standing still, the strike will go to the side and miss me. If you’re going to strike like that, why do I have to even move! I appreciate kindness, but this is not the place for that. If you are striking, stay on target and punch like you are going to go right through me. Strike yokomen like you’re going to take my head off. Believe it or not, it actually makes it easier to do the technique properly when you are striking  in the right place.

#6 Attack strongly
We are training to deal with an attack so shouldn’t the attack be as close to reality as we can? A weak strike doesn’t motivate nage to move off the line quickly. Also, nage doesn’t feel much mental pressure from a weak attack. Training hard means training sincerely.

#5 Gauge the strength of your attack by the experience of nage
While a strong attack is good, hurting nage is not. There will be some people that you can strike as hard as you want with. They will smile at the challenge to deal with the intensity that you create. When it’s their turn, they will strike back hard and you will have a good workout. There will be others that due to their age, lack of experience, or their disposition, that will not be able to handle such strong attacks. Maybe they will in time, but for now, strike and grab with less intensity. Provide as much as they can handle and not more. We’re training to grow and improve but not to get hurt.

#4 Have intention in your attacks
How many times have you had someone grab and become a wet noodle? Or maybe you’ve had someone strike yokomen and then plant their feet. In aikido, we learn how to blend with incoming energy. If your attacks have no intention, if your attacks start and then stop, then you’re not giving your partner anything to work with. It’s much more fun (and realistic) to strike like you expect to hit nage. And grabbing like you expect to move nage.

#3 Stay in balance when striking
While having intention is great, sometimes people get carried away and act like a bull at a bull fight. They strike and run right past you. If all I need to do is to step off the line and you fall down, then there’s no reason for me to do a technique. It’s a tricky balance to find. Strike honestly but don’t fall down at the slightest touch…

#2 Use resistance as a training tool – not a frustration tool
Resistance is something to play with carefully in aikido. Too much resistance and it becomes a grappling match. Too little and it becomes dancing. If you always stop your partner’s movement (especially if they are lower rank than you) it can become very frustrating. If nage is making the same mistakes over and over than sure, resisting their “wrong” movement is appropriate. Then you can teach them how to move properly. If you are just resisting their movement every time then you aren’t helping them learn.

#1 Make sure your ukemi is good
If your ukemi is not good then you will always be nervous about taking the falls and this will hinder the movement. Aikido becomes a lot more fun when you can move and fly through the air without worrying about getting hurt on impact. Of all the techniques taught in an aikido class, ukemi is probably the most likely to be used outside of the dojo. Ukemi should be developed to the point where it becomes instinctual. At higher levels of training oftentimes you have no idea where or how you will be thrown. If your ukemi is good it won’t matter because you’ll be able to blend and take a safe fall from whatever throw comes.

Ref:twistingwrists.com-All Aikido, All the time.