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Cérémonie en hommage à TAMURA Shihan le 4 septembre 2010 à partir de 15h30 à BRAS.Les personnes qui se sont inscrites afin de participer à cet hommage peuvent trouver sur le site de l'Ecole Nationale d'Aïkido www.ena-aikido.com sous la rubrique "Comment y accéder" des informations utiles à leur venue.
* C’est avec une énorme tristesse que je vous annonce le décès de
Sugano Shihan,
survenu à New York le 30 août 2010. Après avoir marqué à jamais notre pratique de l’aïkido et notre vie, et après avoir relevé tant de défis à force de courage, Sensei a finalement franchi le pont qui se tient entre la terre et le ciel. Un hommage lui sera également rendu en Belgique.
concernant Seiichi Sugano: (1939, né au Japon) a commencé à étudier l’art de l’Aïkido à l’âge de 18 ans. Il débute rapidement une vie d’apprenti sous la tutelle directe du Fondateur de l’Aïkido, Ueshiba Morihei.Aujourd’hui, il est 8ème Dan (Niveau) et a le titre de Shihan (Maître parmi les Maîtres) au sein de l’Ueshiba International Aïkido Foundation au Japon. Pendant ces années d’études au Japon il a également étudié le Boudhisme Zen dans un Temple.En 1965, il est envoyé par le Fondateur en Australie pour créer la Fédération australienne d’Aïkido dont il est toujours le Président aujourd’hui. Il a étudié et est certifié en Acuponcture. Il a aussi été l’élève d’un Maître Zen Chinois et a été initié comme moine sous le nom de « EKAI ». Il a également vécu dans un monastère Tibétain en Himalaya.Treize ans plus tard, il est venu vivre en Belgique et enseigna l’Aïkido en Europe qui compte à l’heure actuelle beaucoup de ses adeptes.En 1988, il est parti s’établir à New York (où il réside encore à l’heure actuelle) et y poursuit l’enseignement de l’Aïkido. Il y étudie et pratique également l’escrime et a participé à d’innombrables compétitions du Championnat National et de la NAC.Au-delà de ses enseignements au niveau international, Sugano Shihan est encore un membre éminent du Superior Council de la Fédération Internationale d’Aïkido.
*Décès de Tamura sensei
vendredi soir 9 juillet 2010 vers 19h.
En ce moment le monde de l'aikidô est en deuil, un monstre sacré de l'aikidô vient de disparaître. Il s'agit de sensei Nobuyoshi Tamura, 8ème dan d'aikidô (ayant refusé le 9ème).
Le principal intérêt de la méthode d'Akuzawa senseï est qu'elle s'attaque à un travail de fond, au-delà de la technique. Une façon d'apprendre à utiliser son corps qui permet ensuite de réaliser plus efficacement les gestes des voies que l'on suit et dans lesquelles les méthodes de développement ont parfois été oubliées.
L'Aunkaï est une méthode de Bujutsu Tanren. Les exercices enseignés permettent de développer la conscience du corps, d'en construire l'armature, d'en développer le cœur, l'essence. Un travail vraiment exceptionnel… 25 et 26 mai 2010 de 19h30 à 22h00 Participation : 35€ le cours/60€ deux cours Ces stages sont ouverts à toutes disciplines et pour tous niveaux. Lieu: Dojo ACEPO Rue Metsys, 91 1030 Bruxelles
Kono Senseï Le dernier des Budokas
Yoshinori Kono est sans conteste le Budoka le plus célèbre du Japon.Capable d’améliorer les performances de sportifs de haut niveau ou le jeu de musiciens professionnels grâce à l’utilisation du corps selon les principes du Bujutsu, il est surtout un pratiquant d’exception excellant aussi bien dans le travail aux armes qu’à mains nues. Un enseignant à découvrir absolument… 23 juin de 19h30 à 22h00 Participation : 45€ Ces stages sont ouverts à toutes disciplines et pour tous niveaux. Lieu: Dojo ACEPO Rue Metsys, 91 1030 Bruxelles
Note ami
Farouk Benouali
dirigera un stage aikido-Bukiwasa
le 12ainsi que le 27-28 & 29 decembre à Lyon
Photo du stage aikido à Sfax avec Michel Benard sensei & Bruno Both
la famille aikido est en deuil: Jean-Yves LE VOURC'H est décèdé
Pour la première fois une equipe tunisienne participera officiellement au championnat du monde du kenpo à BOUKHARESTE la ROUMANIE du 26/10/2009 --31/10/2009 ,l'equipe est composée de nos amis du Shaolin Budo center la gazelle ainsi que nos amis du centre sportif du nord ( Bizerte ).
Tunisie : Michael Jackson dans nos salles de cinéma
«This is it», le tant attendu film documentaire sur Michael Jackson sera, mercredi 28 octobre, dans les salles de cinéma en première mondiale. Exceptionnellement, les fans tunisiens du King of Pop pourront regarder le film à peine 2 jours plus tard. Parce que «This is it» sera projeté en Tunisie dans 5 salles de cinéma, le vendredi 30 octobre. Ce documentaire sera projeté aux salles suivantes de la capitale : Hannibal d’El Manar, le Colisée au centre ville de Tunis et Alhambra à El Marsa. Ceci en ce qui concerne les salles de la ville de Tunis. Mais les régions ont aussi pris part aux droits de diffusion puisque le film défilera à partir de la même date au cinéma «Le Palace» à Sousse. A Sfax, c’est «l’Etoile» qui scintillera en projetant cette œuvre cinématographique tant attendue.
Ces informations nous ont été confiées par Quinta Distribution, société de l’incontournable producteur tunisien Tarak Ben Ammar. Rappelons que ce dernier, ami intime de Michael Jackson, était le manager du king of pop de 1996 à 1998. Il a même produit Michael dans une tournée mondiale de 52 concerts dont un mémorable show qui a eu lieu en Tunisie le 7 octobre 1996 au stade d’El Menzah. Inscrit dans le légendaire History World Tour, ce premier concert que Michael Jackson ait donné en Afrique a réuni 60 000 personnes et a marqué les mémoires de toute une génération. Selon Quinta Distribution, le film sera disponible aussi dans les centres culturels et les théâtres municipaux.
Des centaines de milliers de fans attendaient le retour de Michael Jackson sur scène pour «This is it» annoncée comme sa dernière tournée. , la star avait prévu 50 concerts à Londres, 1 150 000 sièges.25 juin 2009, la légende du pop nous a quitté et la tournée a été, bien évidemment, annulée. Peu de temps après, c’est un film qui a pris l’intitulé de la tournée.
Ce film documentaire réalisé par Kenny Ortega se veut un témoignage rare sur l'interprète en train de développer, créer et répéter pour ses concerts - tous complets - qui auraient dû se dérouler à l'O2 Arena de Londres. Chronique des mois d'avril à juin 2009, «This is it» est tiré de plus d'une centaine d'heures de séquences filmées en coulisses, présentant Michael Jackson répétant plusieurs de ses chansons pour le spectacle. En aout 2009, la Cour supérieure de Los Angeles a approuvé un accord entre AEG Live, le promoteur de la tournée This Is It, et Sony Pictures concernant la succession des droits d'auteur sur les séquences filmées en préparation de la tournée. L'accord permet à Sony Pictures d'éditer des centaines d'heures d'images moyennant un versement de 60 millions de dollars pour les droits cinématographiques. Il a été confirmé que les séquences qui seront sélectionnées seront en 3-D. De plus, le film comprendra une rétrospective de la carrière de Michael Jackson ainsi que des entretiens avec d'anciens amis de la star. La bande-original du film «This Is It», sortira en CD, le 26 octobre 2009. Au final, les producteurs du film permettront au public d’avoir un regard privilégié sur ce génie du show lorsqu'il mettait les dernières touches à son spectacle… désormais posthume.
d'après
www.Tekiano.com
compagne publicitaire pour notre salle dojo de la gazelle dans
le journal lapresse et le temps
La Troupe japonaise de danse et de musique traditionnelles
« Ryûjin» est en Tunisie
A l’occasion de la tenue de la 33ème Assemblée générale du Conseil international de la musique qui se tiendra à Tunis, du 15 au 22 octobre 2009, l’Ambassade du Japon organise, en collaboration avec le Comité culturel national, un spectacle musical, le lundi 19 octobre 2009 à 19 heures, à la Maison de la Culture Ibn Rachiq. Célèbre groupe de tambours, de danse et de musique traditionnels d’Okinawa, un petit archipel situé à l’extrême sud du Japon, « Ryujin », rendra visite en Tunisie à partir du 17 octobre 2009 avec ses cinq artistes renommés.
Aikido seminar in istanbul
with
Nebi vural sensei
31 october - 1 november 2009
Boğaziçi Üniversitesi
la nouvelle serie
Karma kula the Mysthic warrior
http://karmakula.ign.com/
Gamers Week à El Menzah
Une semaine de jeux vidéo, ambiance conviviale et des cadeaux. C’est ce que propose la communauté Tunisia Games du 16 au 23 Octobre prochain à El Menzah 1. Un village de tentes accueillera la manifestation et sera mise en place en face du stade d'El Menzah.
Durant cette semaine, les gamers pourront s’affronter dans plusieurs jeux : StreetFighter, WoW (World Of Warcraft), Need For Speed Shift, Guitar Hero, Dota, Counter Strike, Fifa 10. La compétition se déroulera chaque jour de 16 à 22h au courant de la semaine et de 10h du matin à minuit durant le weekend.
Les cadeaux qui attendent les gagnants vont de mini PC à des consoles de jeux en passant par des téléphones GSM et des cartes de recharges WoW.
Microsoft joue gros avec la sortie, jeudi, de Windows 7, son nouveau système d'exploitation. Une campagne de promotion titanesque est prévue, avec notamment une saga de neuf spots à la télévision dès le lancement, ainsi que 1 400 journées de démonstration à travers la France. En magasin, Microsoft a formé 5 000 conseillers pour donner un coup de pouce aux ventes de son nouveau système d'exploitation. À Paris, la marque a même ouvert un Windows Café, lieu éphémère d'information et d'échange sur Windows 7, mais attention : ce n'est pas un point de vente.
La 1ère Edition du Stage et du Concours des jeunes pianistes organisée par ATLAS (Association Tunisienne pour le Leadership, l'Auto développement et la Solidarité), le Laboratoire Afro-Asiatique d'Art et de Culture en partenariat avec l’Ambassade de Pologne en l'honneur du 200ème Anniversaire de la Naissance de Frédéric CHOPIN en 2010 s’est terminée en beauté, le Samedi 21 Novembre 2009 au Palais Ennejma Ezzahra à Sidi Bou Saïd.
C’est dans ce lieu magique qu’est la Maison duBaron d’Erlanger et en présence de nombreuses personnalités et bien sûr de leurs familles que chaque enfant a eut le privilège d’interpréter un morceau. Les jeunes ont aussi reçu leur attestation de stage et pour les participants au Concours, leur diplôme et leur prix (pour les premiers).
Les invités ont été accueillis par M. Mounir HINTATI, le maître des lieux, Directeur du Centre Ennejma Ezzahra - Centre des Musiques Arabes et Méditerranéennes (CMAM). Après les allocutions de M. Krysztof OLENDZKI (Ambassadeur de Pologne), de M. Mohamed ZIN ELAABIDINE (Représentant du Ministre de la Culture), de M. Ahmed CHOUBANI (Commissaire de la culture à Jendouba) et de M. Salah Brik El HANNECHI (Président d’ATLAS - Fondateur et Dir. du Festival ATLAS), Mme Fusun GURAY – REGAIEG (Dir. Artistique du Festival - Présidente du Jury du Concours) a présenté les enfants.
Enfin après une présentation des activités de l’Association ATLAS et un diaporama de photos du stage qui s’est déroulé du 1 au 9 Août 2009 à Beni Mtir, place à la musique avec au programme :
Selma BAROUNI (14 ans) - 1er prix ex aequo Niveau Moyen 2
VALSE op 64 n°2 (F. CHOPIN)
Miriam MBARAK (18 ans) - 1er prix ex aequo Niveau Moyen 2
FANTASIE-IMPROMPTU (F. CHOPIN)
Sélim MRAD (17 ans) - 3ème prix Niveau Moyen 2
VALSE op 64 n°1 (F. CHOPIN)
Slim SELLAIMI (23 ans) - 2ème prix Niveau Supérieur
PRELUDE op 3 n°2 (S. RACHMANINOV)
Syrine MELITTI (22 ans) - Niveau Supérieur
IMPROMPTU op 142 n°4 (F. SCHUBERT)
Stéphane SAITTA (18 ans) - 1er prix Niveau Excellence
BALLADE n°1 (F. CHOPIN) -ETUDE op 10 n°12 (F. CHOPIN)
Sans oublier les deux jeunes du Conservatoire de Jendouba qui ont fait le voyage pour jouer avec leurs amis du stage de Béni Mtir et se sont joints au programme :
- Souheil (17 ans)
- Azza Maaroufi (18 ans) – Sonate au Clair de Lune (L.V. BEETHOVEN)
Une belle soirée et en tous cas de merveilleux souvenir pour tous les enfants, leurs familles et leurs proches.
Merci encore aux PARTENAIRES & SPONSORS de la 1ère Edition :Ambassade de Pologne -Gouvernorat de Jendouba -Ville de Béni Mtir -Auberge de Jeunesse de Béni Mtir-Commissariat Régional à la Culture - ATLAS (Association Tunisienne pour le Leadership, l'Auto développement et la Solidarité)
Un grand merci aussi à : BANQUE DE L’HABITAT -AGIL - SONO MUSIC
RV pour la 2ème Edition du Stage et Concours pour les jeunes pianistes de 6 à 25 ans à Béni Mtir - Stage & Concours du 15 au 24 Juillet 2010
>> Stage du 15 au 22 Juillet 2010
- Participants : 50 jeunes maximum
- Lieu : Beni Mtir (village à 650 mètres d'altitude, à quelques kilomètres d'Aïn Draham).
- Hébergement : Auberge de Jeunesse de Béni Mtir (douches à chaque étage sur le palier, chambres non climatisées)
- Encadrement : 3 Professeurs de piano étrangers + 3 Assistants spécialisés
- 6 heures de cours de piano sont garanties
Programme Musical : par degré avec limites d'âge*
Programme d'Animation :
- Yoga méditation, Yoga zen : chaque matin sous la direction d'un spécialiste.
- Excursions et animations quotidiennes diverses
- Cours de piano gratuits pour les enfants de Béni Mtir prodigués par les élèves les plus expérimentés
Et nouveautés pour cette 2ème Editionavec la mise en place d’un chantier social (aide aux plus démunis) et d’ateliers au choix (théâtre, aïkido ou apprentissage à la réalisation de savons, eaux aromatiques et d'huiles essentielles à base de plantes de la région de Aïn Draham).
Concours : Pré-sélection le 23 Juillet 2010 - Concours le 24 Juillet 2010
Par degré avec limites d'âge (un morceau imposé et un morceau au choix dans une liste prédéfinie par les organisateurs*).
Objectifs : Soutenir l'intérêt grandissant parmi les jeunes tunisiens au piano et élargir les horizons de la musique en Tunisie
* Le programme détaillé et les œuvres par degré avec limites d'âge vous seront envoyés sur simple demande au 97 445 922 (seulement l'après-midi) ou par mail fusun.guray@hotmail.com
Pour en savoir plus : - Programme complet du concert du 21 Nov. 2009 et infos pour la 2ème Edition du Stage et du Concours des Jeunes pianistes en 2010 program_concert_erlanger_21nov2009.pdf,
- Stage & Concours de Piano - Pour les jeunes pianistes de 6 à 25 ans
- Chopin à Beni Mtir, en pleine forêt… - 1ère Edition du Stage et concours de piano pour les enfants de 6 à 25 ans
- ATLAS - Association Tunisienne pour le Leadership, l’Auto développement et la Solidarité -
Nuit des Arts Martiaux Traditionnels (NAMT)aura lieu le 14 novembre à l'Institut du Judo et réunira à nouveau un groupe de maîtres exceptionnels.3h de démonstrations avec les plus grands maîtres des arts martiaux et pour la première fois en démonstration Hino Akira, le fondateur du Hino Budo
Voici la liste des participants:
Hino Budo
Hino Akira
Shorinji Kempo
Hiroshi Aosaka 8°dan
Aïkibudo & Katori Shinto Ryû
Alain Floquet 8° et 7°dan
Shodokan "Tomiki" Aïkido
Tsuchiya Satoru 6°dan
Aïkido
Léo Tamaki 4°dan
Taï Ki Ken
Sawada Mitsuharu
Uechi Ryu Karaté
Yukinobu Shimabukuro 9°dan
Taï Chi, Hsing I et Pakua
Kunlin Zhang 7°dan
Kyokushin Karaté
Fabrice Fourment 3°dan
Aïkido et Iaïdo
Philippe Cocconi 5° et 4°dan
Stage ouvert à tous avec
Hino Akira sensei
Dimanche 8 Dojo Kikentai, 9h30 à 12h, 14h30 à 17h
Samedi 14 Dojo d'Herblay, 9h30 à 12h Dimanche 15 Dojo Kikentai, 9h30 à 12h, 14h30 à 17h Tarifs ½ journée 35 Journée 70 Préinscriptions -Dimanche 8: 50€ -Samedi 14 et dimanche 15: 75€ -Stage complet (totalité des Master Class et cours supplémentaires): 180€ Cours supplémentaires Attention, ces cours sont limités en nombre et réservés aux membres des dojos où ils ont lieu et aux participants des Master Class. Lundi 9 Dojo d'Herblay, 19h30 à 21h30 Mardi 10 Dojo Archereau, 20h30 à 22h30 Jeudi 12 Dojo d'Argenteuil, 19h15 à 21h15 Vendredi 13 Dojo d'Argenteuil, 19h à 21h Tarifs (par cours) 20€ Lieux Dojo d'Herblay Chemin de Chennevières 95220 Herblay
Dojo Kikentai 145 avenue Jean Jaurès 75019 Paris Dojo Archereau 61, 63 rue Archereau 75019 Paris Dojo d'Argenteuil Gymnase Paul Vaillant Couturier Rue Grégoire Collas 95100 Argenteuil Les préinscriptions peuvent d'ores et déjà être adressées par chèque à l'ordre de Shinbudokaï à Masamune, 44 rue des Cordellières, accompagnées de votre nom, prénom, adresse e-mail, discipline(s) pratiquée(s).
Photo du rassemblement de l'asociation sahelienne d'aikido
"Interview conducted by Guillaume Erard and Ivan Bel. Original versions are available in French, Italian and English on http://www.guillaumeerard.com"
I had been trying to conduct an interview with Christian Tissier Shihan (7th dan Aikikai, head of the French Aikido Federation FFAAA) for quite some time now. Eventually, thanks to his good will and his kindness, things became possible. There are very few interviews of him published in English so I thought that this would be a great way to introduce Sensei to the English-speaking Aikido practicioners.
After a very dynamic morning class, we went for a very pleasant lunch with Christian Tissier and some comity members of the AFA in a lovely brasserie in Brussels. There we had an informal talk and the two Shihan of the day (Christian Tissier had just awarded Dany Leclerre with this distinction on behalf of Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba that very morning) shared many colourful anecdotes about their many years of practice. We then headed back for the afternoon class and it is later in the afternoon that Ivan (my colleague from Aikidoka Magazine) and I met Sensei again in his changing room to finally ask him all the questions that we had prepared for so long. He pointed very intense blue eyes on us, giving us his complete attention for over an hour (almost forgetting heading back to catch his flight in the process…). He answered questions with great precision and a disarming honesty which made the interview all the more interesting and enjoyable. We mainly went through the specificities of his teaching as well as the general organisation and functioning of Aikido.
I wouldparticularlylike to thank Dany Leclerre Shihan, François Warlet and Paul Van Lierde from the Association Francophone d'Aïkido for their help and for their warm welcome in Belgium.
Guillaume Erard: Rather than going through your youth and years inJapanover again let us investigate your practice a little more. When one sees you perform an Aikido technique, the amplitude and the gracefulness of your motions strike first. Is aesthetic an important part of your research?
Christian Tissier:No, in Aikido, we are trying to reach the purity through gestures in spite of a physical constraint represented by our partner/adversary. As a consequence, as soon as this conflict is going to be resolved, keeping in mind a research towards precision, placement and economy, the motion will be closer to purity. If it is pure, then it is natural and therefore, it is beautiful. As you see, the aesthetic is not an aim in itself. Aikido is a martial discipline but it is also an art and as soon as we use the body in from this perspective, we must work on the purity of the gesture. Aesthetic is the final outcome of all this work.
Ivan Bel: When you practice, you seem totally relaxed. In fact, during the seminaryoujust gave, you showed that if we get blocked by uke, we can conserve this relaxed state by just changing to another movement.
C.T.:that is not exactly true. My conception of a martial art is that if there is a block, we should not say “I can’t do that, therefore I have to do something else”. Actually, I try to do the opposite, if there is a difficulty, I do not try to avoid it but instead, I try to find an appropriate solution by changing angle or posture but not technique. That is what I was trying to show you during the seminar, in particular on kotegaeshi. Quite often on this technique, we feel that we cannot go any further for a whole variety of reasons. As soon as we cannot go further, no point trying, it means that we came to the end of that action, however, another action has to start as a result and we should not try to escape the contact.
To answer your question about the relaxed state, one of the aims of Budo is the suppression of fears. Wanting to become stronger than everybody else has no meaning. We should just be working on trying to overcome our own apprehensions. This is why the educational system that we put in place during an Aikido class has as an objective to suppress situations of refusal, exclusion, and non-communication. The more we will suppress these fears, the more we will find easy to go towards the others but it does not mean at all that we will become invincible. In my opinion, a well mastered, purified technique will allow us to work on ourselves and trigger an easy way of communication through the movement. Relaxation arises from that.
G.E.:About communication, you put a particular emphasis on the relationship that must exist between Tori and Uke, where both must try their best to help the other improve. This is however often regarded as connivance.
C.T.:Seeing things like that show a very poor interpretation of this relationship. There can be no teaching system without codes. If we decide to plays tennis together, I will not turn up with a baseball bat, otherwise we will find very difficult to play together. Whatever the system, we will define codes. We wear white keikogi, this is a code; we practice on a tatami, this is also a code. Then we will decide to do katatedori from a static position, this is a code too, there is no action. We don’t push or pull; we let the partner perform his technique. We establish codes at the beginning and from these codes, we will organise the structure the technique.
Of course, at the beginning, there will probably be almost no sensation. For example, wewill talk about tenkan linked to the centre but in the beginning, we will just see a pivot and perhaps the idea of both partners looking in the same direction but no connection really. However, if you work with a Uke who is better than you, he will put you in a situation where you can understand what you are looking for.
At the end of the day, what interests me most is being able to practice with people whose codes are different from mine and to make it work nonetheless! That is precisely why I like to practice with people I don’t know, beginners, tall people, big people, karateka, judoka and so on. I like practicing with everybody because it shows that the technique can work without codes: this is the application of the technique. But before getting there, the learning process has to rely on codes.
There are of course some education systems that are totally different from mine. Some are very strict and precise but sometimes so stuck within their own codes that they can’t free themselves from it. That is a shame…
I.B.: We are often told that Aikido is based onto two great principles: irimi and tenkan. Seeing you, it seems that you emphasise more on the latest with big spiral motions. Is it a choice of yours or simply a way that fits with your body?
C.T.:Frankly, I have the feeling that I am practicing an aikido of irimi. The confusion might come from the fact that we do not have the same notion of irimi. Irimi is not about smacking the partner across the face each time he moves or leaves an opening. For me, irimi is about getting to the core of the movement. Ma sensitivity in terms of practice comes a lot from Kenjutsu (Kashima Shin Ryu) and this type of work is very direct. Then again, it depends of everybody’s definition of irimi and tenkan but I really think that physically and mentally, my Aikido is more irimi than it is tenkan.
Regarding the spiral, this is again an irimi motion. The spiral has a core; therefore, each time we will find the ideal position around which to turn, we will take up speed and get toward the centre. In the end, we will enter towards the partner. At that particular moment, we are totally irimi!
G.E.:You often say that Aikido is an education system based on a martial discipline. According to you, what do people develop through the practice of this discipline?
C.T.:Well,that is very variable according to the individual but if we speak of Aikido in terms of education system, we must not forget the martial frame. This martial aspect has specifically been chosen. We could have chosen painting, sculpture, Zen are many other things. What sometimes pushes people towards martial arts is a taste for fighting or confrontation. In a martial discipline, there are intrinsic notions of constraint and sanction. Our education system which aim is to make us progress as human beings will rely on this martial context. Each mistake should be sanctioned, either by the teacher or by the impossibility to perform the technique but because we are on the mat, we get a new chance to start over. We must take advantage of this new chance, not to repeat the same mistake but to resume a motion in which that particular error is erased.
Idon’t agree with people who say that to progress is to do better. For me, progression means making less and less mistakes, perfecting our movements and not presenting any opening. The essence of Budo is the absence of openings, waki ga nai, which means never leaving an opening, either through our actions or our words. In one of my books, I had copied the following citation from an etiquette school called Ogasawara. On the main gate of this school is written: “When you are correctly seated in the ideal position, even the rudest person cannot disturb you”.
It is our behaviour that allows us not to leave any opening. The martial education offers what I call “constants of the Way” which will be attitude, management of distance and vision. These three constants work together. It is not very difficult to put into practice, we can already say that this is martial arts but nothing happens yet: we are not into the motion. In order to get into the motion, we will have to summon another natural principle, the technique. Why is it a natural principle? Because since the beginnings, people have tried to develop techniques in order to perform tasks more easily and efficiently. The notion of technique cannot disregard the other natural notions. This is therefore just something that adds itself up. A well performed technique creates an economy of movement and energy. The principle of economy is also natural. This is what we should try to reach.
On top of all that, you can add principles such as communication, research of purity etc. I really think that there are some Aikido principles that have not yet been discovered but that are nonetheless natural and that we will have to add to our education system in order to enrich it.
I.B.: About natural principles, we often hear about Ki, the energy flow. You don’t speak much about it though…
C.T.:No I don’t. The reason is that it is a very confusing notion. I have seen quite a bit in Aikido, I have met quite a few Senseis and I must say that the ones who speak of it the most are often the ones who have the poorest technique. Of course, this is not true for everybody but Ki is not tangible. Ki is within us. There is Ki everywhere, either we know how to use it or we don’t. The fundamental issue with Ki is its flow. In terms of Aikido vocabulary, we have Ki and Kokyu, which is the vehicle for Ki. The translation of Kokyu is “breathing” but to be more accurate, in reality, Kokyu is the exchange between the two.
The bottom line is that if you practice with your stiff shoulders up to your ears, the Ki won’t flow, any acupuncture practitioner will tell you. As a consequence, until the technique is perfect, there will be no Ki, no natural flow. To me, people who really have Ki don’t feel it because everything happens naturally within them.
We could of course develop exercises such as the ones proposed by Qigongin order to specifically work on breathing. We could also specifically work on flexibility or other things but to what end? I consider Aikido as a whole system that as been well thought. It is therefore useless to concentrate on only one aspect of the art, in particular if it is to the expense of practice time. If we have to specifically work on flexibility, we can go to a specialist, same for breathing but we should not mix everything up.
To get back to the Ki I prefer not to say too much about it as I think the discoursesabout this topic are often very misleading.
I.B.: Your choice is therefore to focus solely on the technique.
C.T:That is right because the technique will unlock the body! Once you have unlocked your body and removed all fears, the gesture will be fluid and this will allow more kokyu. If you add an intention to this kokyu, the Ki will naturally occur.
G.E.:Everyone knows you had a very strong bond with Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei;however, you developed a style that is very different from his, in appearance at least.
C.T.:In fact, there are two masters who had a great influence on my practice. The second Doshu (Kisshomaru Ueshiba) was an important model to me, in particular for the basic techniques. I also owe a lot to Yamaguchi Sensei technically of course but also for many other things such as freedom, applications and rigour. Him and I, we had a sort of father-son relationship to such extend that at the end of his life, he wanted to buy a house on the south coast of France in order to be living closer from me.
Toanswer your question, I don’t know whether I do things like him or not, this is not mypurpose as a teacher. In fact, he did not want us to be the slaves of his technique and he would probably not have been happy if I had become his clone. I mostly integrated the principles he transmitted to me.
G.E.:We sometimes hear about a pre and post war Aikido dichotomy. If at all, you have been one of the main actors for the evolution of Aikido inFranceand abroad. In your opinion, what has changed in Aikido?
C.T.:I find this question rather amusing because when I returned fromJapan, people said that what I was doing was different. The thing is that I was just back from seven years spent at the Aikikai. From my perspective, it is the people who stayed inFrancethat were doing something different. I was only repeating what I had learnt at the Hombu Dojo, I did not invent the techniques. Moreover, I had been recognised by my peers at the age of 24, close student of the Doshu and much attached to Yamaguchi Sensei so I really don’t think that I have been the actor of a change in the practice of Aikido. One should not mistake what one thinks Aikido is and what is really being practiced at the Aikikai.
When I arrived inJapan, I was a second Dan from Mutsuro Nakazono Sensei and I had been to all the summer courses of Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei so I thought I had a pretty good level. Once I got to the Hombu Dojo, as I saw the Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba, I really wondered what he was doing. It was very different and all my certainties had to be challenged and corrected. I fact, I have to say that at first, I did not like what I saw when I met the Doshu, I thought he was stumbling. Of course I was wrong; I only knew what I was used to. These discrepancies between what we think we know and what is; are what leads us to think that there was an evolution.
There is however one sort of evolution going on, it is the evolution of a teacher during his lifetime. I remember Miyamoto Sensei, at the time, inJapan; he only practiced to destroy his partner. Nobody except the group I was in wanted to train with him. Nowadays, he is a charming man who takes care of his Ukes on the mat but of course, he is 60 now. He changed, as does everybody. What I mean is that when we are 20 years old, we must behave as a 20 years old on the mat too but we must also accept that we change in practice, status and age of course.
To finish, of course Aikido, as any other discipline, had an evolution. If we compare the Ukes of the beginnings with people today, the difference is significant. It is easy to explain because the Ukes from the beginnings were judoka. Today, practitioners move more freely, more spontaneously, faster so of course, the technique is not the same as in the beginning. I will try to explain to you what I mean. When I was a kid, when even a mediocre karateka was delivering a mawashi geri to the face of the opponent, it left us in admiration. Nowadays, kids are so used to video games and movies that they are used to see a guy doing six turns around himself before even kicking. Youngsters are therefore harder to impress, they live within a fantasy about martial arts that does not fit reality anymore. The imagination as changed as well as the conception of the techniques and their applications. This is normal and Aikido changes following this principle.
We cannot say thatAikido is fixed; it changes constantly, thanks goodness for that, otherwise, if students don’t become better than their teachers, in 50 years, there won’t be any Aikido anymore! What do not change are the principles.
I.B.: About the fantasies with which kids who play video games deal with, do you feel that there is a gap with the new generations in terms of attitudes and values?
C.T.:Frankly, I don’t know. Maybe this is the case but I think that young people whocome to Aikido understand well the difference. To start with, they accept a whole lot of rules that they would not necessarily accept at home or elsewhere. Then, the respect etiquette, community life and come to train regularly. Maybe we seem to them like dinosaurs but what is most important is the behaviour that we have ourselves and the example we give them. If, as teachers, we are able to detect a dedicated or talented kid, they are also able to make out if you are a model, if you have the natural authority or if you are just an old fart. In my opinion, the key to success is to be able to deliver messages to young people without having to act as youngsters ourselves.
We have to be honest and direct, that is all. In terms of practice, it is wrong to believe that kids are not willing to make efforts and sacrifices. A kid who practices seriously tektonik or break dancing we deliveras much effort as the one practicing Aikido. Both are just as difficult!
I.B.: Now, let’s talk a little bit about politics. You just awarded on of thevery rare Shihan titles given to non-Japanese to your friend Dany Leclerre (7th Dan fromBelgium). You were the very first non-Japanese to receive this distinction, does it bring back memories?
C.T.:Well, the truth is that for me, things were not so simple. When I was a 6th Dan, nothing was formalised, I was sometimes receiving letters, either from the Aikikai or from Endo Sensei where they referred to me as “Tissier Shihan” but it was not clear since this title was not being officially awarded at the times. After a while, a polemic started to appear, originating from and article published in Aikido Today magazine (American magazine edited by Susan Perry between 1983 and 2005, stopping after 100 issues) where Mitsugi Saotome Sensei and other Shihan were giving their opinion on the subject. From that, the Aikikai decided to make things clear by officially awarding the title.
The title of Shihan is either awarded to a country or to an individual. Today, we awarded it toBelgiumthrough Dany Leclerre, kind of a thank you gesture for all what he did for Aikido but also to make sure that everybody knows that he is the one in charge of the transmission of Aikido in this country. It doesn’t mean that he will be able to grade people around the world though. Others can do it however, each case is different. It is still a bit of a complicated business alright...
G.E.:As far as we know, there are only about 15 non-Japanese Shihan that have officially been awarded by the Aikikai, it is very little. Are the Japanese still quite protectionists?
C.T.:Indeed this is very few. Of course they are doing protectionism, towards the Aikikai in the first place. Everybody knows that you have to wait for some time between Dan grades. This rule applies for the whole world except for the Japanese uchi-deshi [live in students] of the Hombu Dojo… These guys are from the house so as soon as they travel abroad, they quickly get promoted. Anyway, that is part of the game, and we know who is who so there is no real surprise with this system. Everybody knows what everyone is worth. They also know themselves what to expect from non-Japanese masters.
I.B.:With the general level of skills increasing, will there be a time when we don’t needJapananymore?
C.T.:Yes, we now can do withoutJapanas much asJapancould do without us. However, I think it is very important not to underestimate the interaction that exists between the two. For example,Japancould not really do without us in terms of diffusion of Aikido with for example our national organisations and the international federation that give them credibility beyond of their own frontiers. It is also important to realise that a Sensei inJapanis only known within his dojo and the ones of his students. Don’t think that these guys teach seminars with 300 people, far from it. They have to come toEuropeto see that happen. For q young teacher in his fifties, coming toEuropeis a huge gain in credibility for him. On the technical level, we are as competent inEuropeand in theUSto teach Aikido but I think it is always interesting to go back to the origins because the teaching is different. What the Japanese lack is the systematic analysis of Aikido. Thankfully, not everybody is like that but in general, pedagogy is not their one of their strength! If you ask why a technique is like this or like that, they will just answer you “because it is”. This is the kind of typical answers you get inJapan. As a consequence, an 8th Dan Sensei fromJapanwould probably fail the Brevet d’Etat [French teaching qualification] here. I have often discussed about this with Seishiro Endo Sensei. Even though he is my Sempai, he sometimes asked me if such and such technique existed in the Ura version. Our pragmatic logic and our sense of analysis allowed us to deconstruct very early on the techniques and to classify them. We bring a lot to the Japanese on that respect.
On the opposite, we don’t have the same culture and we don’t have the same way to deal with problems. The Japanese often allow you to question yourself on very subtle notions and this is a great way to progress. Japanese will make you doubt because it obliges you to reconsider what you know.
To sum up, yes, we could do withoutJapanbut both would lose a lot.
G.E.:Let’s talk now about the FFAAA (French Aikido Federation]. People don’t really know what your position in this organisation is. Some people often call you the boss of the federation. What exactly is your role?
C.T.:To be absolutely clear, I am at the origin of the FFAAA. I even chose its name. Without me, it would not exist. That being said, I did not really intend to create it and I am not that proud of it either. It happened mainly because of the circumstances at the time. At that time, Aikido was part of the Judo federation [FFJDA].I had a meeting at my house with Tamura Sensei and as we were eating, he asked me: “If we leave the FFJDA, would you follow me?” At the beginning, I was all for it but I soon realised that it was in fact a political manoeuvre with some very disputable positions. Eventually, I did not follow the movement but it was not to be against anybody. It is just the way that it happened that disturbed me. I think the separation from the FFJDA was a mistake. We had many advantages to be with them in terms of installations and we would have had ourindependence eventually, like the Karate with the FFKAMA [French Karate federation] or later, the Taekwondo with the FFKAMA. We would just have had to grow with serenity to take our independence naturally. After the separation, I ended up more or less on my own. The young teachers around me such as Philippe Gouttard were only 2nd or 3rd Dan. We really were a federation of children (laughs). That was in 1982, and even though I was a bit better off technically, I was only 31. A few people who did not like the way it was done either stayed with me like Paul Muller or Louis Clériot amongst others. We then called Jacques Abel and we structured the federation. Pierre Guichard, who was the national technical director of the Judo and the successor of Courtine, came to ask me if I wanted to become national technical director for Aikido. This was quite a huge offer, it was a ministerial appointment. Out of respect for the other people who stayed with me, I decided not to take it, perhaps I was wrong.
I am the head of the federation only because almost all of the regional technical directors except 7 or 8 are from my dojo. I am therefore the leader but only because of this fact. I have never wanted to claim an official status. In fact, some people are blaming me for this because as a consequence, there is no real hierarchy within the federation. That is just the way it is, perhaps it will change one day. This system doesn’t disturb me at all. My true role is to represent the federation on the international level. I have no official post on that either however. Oh yes, sorry I have one, I am a member of the technical college but I never go (laughs). I am probably seen as some sort of a renegade, not very easy to handle.
I.B.: That is really surprising to hear that from you!
C.T.:But that is the truth! If I really wanted to take the power it would be very simple, I would just have to go to the direction of the FFAAA and ask to become the boss or else I leave. This would of course create a big problem.
G.E.:Let us finish by the traditional question; do you have a message for the readers?
C.T.:In fact I do. We just talked about the two federations. In my opinion, it is a real shame that there are two federations in France, in particular two federations that do not get along very well. However, we should consider ourselves lucky, there are only two! In some countries, there are 7 or 8. I will go soon toIsraeland I have been told that here were 27 different groups over there for a very small amount of practitioners. As you see, it could be a lot worse.
I would like things to be very clear, I have always had the greatest respect for Tamura Sensei and I think he knows it. He is a great master who fully deserves the recognition he has. In the future, would like more connections between the groups. Even if the techniques and the conception of the grading are different, we must remember that we are all doing Aikido and that we share the sameprinciples. We must learn to get along.
Personally, I sometimes feel closer to some people from the FFAB [the other French federation of Aikido] than from my own. For the moment, thingsare as they are and we do our best to run the dual headed system. If I was running the FFAAA, I would probably run things a bit differently but I don’t plan to do it in a near future. We must therefore show some good will in order to make communication easier and allow practitioners to appreciate each other.
A.M.: Thank you very much Sensei, enjoy your flight and see you soon onthe mat.
