Dear all,
Please mark your calendars for the events below:
Thursday March 11, Aaron Sensei will be coming from Burlington to lead a special bokken class from 6-7:30pm. Please try and be there. A $10 donation would be welcomed.
In the weeks leading up to Aaron Sensei’s class, we will be practicing with bokken. If you are able, feel free to order your own wooden sword. A good website is Aikidobokken.com or for beautiful versions bujindesign.com. Bujin has lovely versions for $100 or aikidobokken.com has some reasonable options for under $40. You want to get a hardwood bokken if you can. The red ones with “veneer” tend to shatter in practice… White oak or hickory are much better. We have several in the dojo for folks to use. If anyone has extra, please feel free to bring them to class beginning on Monday February 22 when we will start adding bokken exercises to the beginning of class.
Wednesday March 31, 12noon-1pm. Linda White and I will be leading a discussion entitled: “Takin’ It Like A Man: Troubling Gender in a Japanese Martial Art.” Middllebury College Campus, Chellis House, behind Old Chapel. Linda will be talking about her experience training in Japan with a male sensei and I will talk about learning from an American woman sensei in the US. All are welcome. BYO.
Thursday, April 1, 7:30pm at Mr. John Filan’s house. If you are able, I would like to gather us all together after training to talk about the upcoming seminar with Kimberly and Dan Sensei the weekend of April 9-11. John has kindly opened his house. In the post training analysis tradition, it is BYO for food and beverages.
FYI and per previous email: The focus and schedule for the April 9-11 weekend is
Women in The Martial Arts: How Gender Matters.
The experience of women martial arts teachers and their students provides a unique framework in which to examine the complex challenges of cracking gender stereotypes. In particular, women instructors have had to negotiate the rich tension between being stewards of an ancient, albeit male dominated, practice while simultaneously challenging attitudes that have served to limit both women’s and men’s opportunities to understand the deep teachings of these arts. This two-day event will consist of a series of presentations, demonstrations, open classes and facilitated discussions regarding the unique experience of women martial arts instructors and their students.
This event is co-sponsored by the Education Studies Program, Japanese Department, Program in Women and Gender Studies and the Middlebury College Aikido Club.
SCHEDULE
Friday April 9
12noon-1pm: Roundtable discussion about Aikido, Culture & Gender: Yuki Yoshida, Holly Weir and Greg Selover. Middlebury College Campus. Exact location TBA.
4:30-5:45pm: Kimberly Sensei demo and discussion: “Willows bend, but they do not break: On being a female chief instructor.”
6-7:45pm: Open training class led by Kimberly Sensei. All welcome.
Saturday April 10
10:30-12:30: Open Class led by Kimberly Sensei. All welcome. Discussion of Aikido Principles and Philosophy
2:30-5:00pm: Class led by Kimberly Sensei, Shodan Demonstration. Dojo members only.
6pmish onward Potluck at Sarah and Adam’s house.
Sunday April 11
Morning: Sleep. R&R.
Afternoon: 2-5pm. Aikibojitsu with Dan Macabee Sense. Blue Heron members only. Middlebury Municipal Gymnasium.
COSTS: Full weekend: $100. Friday only: $25. Saturday only: $75. Sunday only: $50.
Thank you all. See you on the mat.
Jonathan Sensei.
