General news
The MAA will represent Malaysia at the above Celebration and Country Demonstrations. A great exposure (one 9th Dan shihan and more than ten 7th Dan shihans) and a lot of fun is in store. This is a last call for more members to join the 4-member delegation. Please contact Dr Leong Sensei as soon as possible.
Tony Yap Sensei will be leading a 10-member delegation.
Those interested please get in touch with Tony or Dr Leong Sensei.
The MAA intends to publish a Newsletter twice a year, in the months of April and September. The Executive Committee has approved the appointment of Simon Pollock as the Editor. Invitations are open for members to join the Editorial Committee. Please write in to contact[@]aikido-maa[dot]com to volunteer your services. Members may also submit articles for the Newsletter at the same email address.
The Star – METRO
25th July 2007
Aikido seminar a MAA regular affair
By NG WEI LOON
Photos by NORAFIFI EHSAN
THE aikido exponents were rolling and tumbling all over the mats as they went through the drills over three days at the eighth Malaysian Aikido Seminar that concluded at the Pusat Komuniti Seri Petaling recently.
And none of them seemed to mind taking repeated falls on the cushioned surface.
They were perfecting their moves under the supervision of Malaysia Aikido Association (MAA) technical advisor Seiichi Sugano.
The seminar conducted by Sugano has always been a regular affair on the MAA’s annual calendar.
Sugano said exponents here were showing good progress in mastering the art over the years and the on-going programmes definitely attracted a bigger turnout and contributed to the development of aikido in Malaysia.
“Participants with proper basic skills went through many drills during the seminar. It is not good enough just to know how to perform the fast steps. It is important that they acquire a better understanding of the movements,” he added.
At the moment, the MAA have 12 centres and about 300 members on their database.
“The seminar is a special event for the top instructors nationwide to experience the comprehensive training system,” MAA honorary general secretary Dr Leong Kok Weng said.
This season, only one trainee went through the black belt grading test on the penultimate day of the seminar.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 exponents who passed their black belt grading last year were awarded their certificates.
The event drew more than 100 participants including foreigners from Australia, Belgium and China.
Beginner Stephanie Feng from China said attending the seminar was a graduation trip for her.
“I have just graduated with a degree from the Shanghai Normal University. I took up aikido with one of the MAA members when I was on my exchange programme stint in Britain in September last year,” said Feng, 23.
In addition, 13-year-old Alice Smith School student Dania Mah was the youngest in the pack.
“I had a great time executing the drills,” said Mah, who has been practising the art for two years.
Besides freehand self-defence manoeuvres, the participants also handled wooden weapons such as stick and those in the shape of knife and sword.
“This is my second outing here. We learned various techniques in an ideal atmosphere during the seminar.
“It is great that we are mingling with friendly locals. We also enjoyed the local food very much,” said Efisio Podda, 55, from Sydney, Australia.
July is a month of sweltering heat in Malaysia. It is a time when haze tends to appear no thanks to the perennial open burning in a neighbouring country and even within our own territory. In contrast, down south in Australia it is winter with freezing temperatures of 5 or less degrees.
Yet, one man has chosen to brave the extremes of climate to travel from Australia to tropical Kuala Lumpur to teach his students. This year would be his 8th trip, not to enjoy the sunny beaches or rest his eyes on the lush green jungles and highlands but to be on the mat, transmitting what he had learned from the Founder.
So I say to my students, please learn to appreciate this man for he is not an ordinary person. He had endured the tough life and hard training at Hombu during O’Sensei’s lifetime, serving his Teacher without any thoughts of financial reward or security. He followed his Teacher’s fleeting footsteps during his travels, carrying his belongings, finding a seat, buying food and drinks, preparing his tub of hot water and laying out his mattress. He had to stay alert in his sleep in case his Teacher gets up in the middle of the night to ease himself. Such was the life of a disciple (uchi-deshi) under the great Founder. The loyalty and attentiveness developed is something which our modern world is sadly lacking, shoved aside by selfish materialistic and social considerations.
All the present appointed Instructors in the National Technical and Teaching Committee in Malaysia have been training in Aikido for more than 15 years and teaching for at least 10 years. When Seiichi Sugano Shihan consented to be our Techical Advisor in 1997, he drew for us a PATH or direction in the study of Aikido. We seniors no longer have to scratch our heads on how to perform and understand some techniques – we just ask Sensei! We have now a systematic way of training! We were taught the tanto, ken and jo!
Learning from the Instructors is not the same as learning from Sugano Shihan. The Instructors just taught what they have been taught, combined with their past knowledge and experience, hoping to convey Shihan’s instructions to the grassroots. The students will have to be present in Sugano Shihan’s classes to learn from him. Somehow the ‘chi’ that emanates from him does not and cannot be passed on from the Instructors; it has to be ‘received’ directly from him (just as he had from O’Sensei previously).
The annual Malaysian Aikido Seminar, under the Instruction of Seiichi Sugano Shihan is the single most important event for members of the Association. Like a core Textbook, this year’s Seminar is Chapter 8 of the series which first started in 1998 when Sugano Sensei set step in Kuala Lumpur. Year by year, Sensei advances us a little in our understanding and the practice of his Aikido. Irregardless of whether the techniques taught are the same or new, there is always something fresh that we have not been aware of or done.
Lastly, I want to reassure all students that Sugano Shihan’s Seminar is not only for those who are already skilled. It is meant for the whole spectrum of students. It is an opportunity for him to assess the whole group and attend to any weak students. A beginner will get just as much opportunity to interact with Sensei as any yudansha. A chance to meet the ‘real’ Teacher will be an inspiration any student (beginner or senior) and you will find the pain, boredom and drudgery of daily practice melt away.
Dr Leong Kok Weng
Instructor
National Technical and Teaching Committee
As I drove towards the dojo, my heart sank when I saw the dark Cumulus clouds looming menacingly above and scattered raindrops pelted on the windscreen of my car. Despite fighting a flu which started last night, I had looked forward to an evening of fun and camaraderie.
My heart warmed somewhat after one of the helpers called to enquire about what to do first and casually remarking that there were many people in the dojo already. Many willing hands greeted me as I parked my car and all the plastic bags, containers, pots and a gas-stove were quickly brought up to the dojo 2 floors up a shop-office building.
There were fresh and eager faces, familiar ones and regular die-hards all crowding the relatively small office space which had been converted into our dojo a few years back.
Then, Tony arrived with Bernie Ho, our good friend from across the Causeway, who risked the wrath of his wife’s fury (for not attending a relative’s Wedding Dinner) to come and join us. Shortly after, Low Sensei strolled in with another old friend, Steve Ng Sensei from Melbourne who just happened to know that we have a gathering that night.
At 8.05pm, Ng Sensei started the warm up and took those present through the various aikido techniques that can be used in the event of a mid-level punch. Fortunately, everyone was able to get on the mats even though there was not much space to do falls.
Next Dr Leong used Air-Asia’s motto of “now everyone can fly” to show how one can safely progress to a break-fall by doing a proper basic front row. He also taught on how to get your body to blend with the direction that the nage is leading you. Next, it was ‘show-off’ time for Tony Sensei as he showed how katate tori grabs at different levels could be handled efficiently. Similarly, he demonstrated how yokomenuchi kokyu nage could be executed in 4 different directions. To cap a wonderful night, Low Sensei highlighted the importance of tai-sabaki (in this instance irimi-tenkan) and how it can be practiced to train good and instinctive responses to various forms of attacks.
The picture taking was fun too with students needing to make 4 rows in order for everyone to be seen. After that, it was time for some food and friendly chatter, catching up with friends from other dojos and the guests. It was not until the strings of Negara Ku were heard, indicating midnight that everyone cleared the dojo. What a good ending for an exciting 2006. As we welcome Year 2007, Low Sensei’s words echo in our ears “I want you to train and train; we want to be even better next year”.
Dr Leong Kok Weng
