I am, as always grateful beyond expression to my wife, Daisy, whom I met on the mat and who has always been an inspiration to me and very gracious in letting me devote lots of time to practice.

My Sensei, James Friedman, of course is the most directly responsible for what I have learned.  All of the teachers at the dojo have given lots of time and energy over the last 13 years while I stumbled my way to this point. To them I owe a great deal of thanks and debt, and plan to repay it by passing on what I have learned.

To our teacher from Japan, Kato Hiroshi Sensei, I feel great gratitude for his amazing skill, the example of practice he provides and his willingness to always push his own boundaries.

Lastly, to O’Sensei.  Eternal thanks for birthing this wonderful martial art.

Let em know what you think.  Cheers!

It’s no mystery that I love Aikido.  It’s a great passion of mine.  This weekend our dojo hosted Kato Hiroshi Sensei, our teacher from Japan.  He’s and 8th degree black belt and studied with the founder (O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba) starting in 1952.  Kato Sensei’s Aikido is nothing short of  magical.

We host Kato Sensei once, or twice a year as his first branch dojo.  I think I actually managed to learn a few things this time, which is not always the case.  Sometimes I am just there training and adding my energy to the event.  This time I had a couple of  “Ah-hah!” moments.  We will see in the next few weeks if that works out to having had any actual insights into Aikido.

This year we also did a demonstration at Notre Dame de Namur university, for the founding of Suginami SF’s first branch dojo.  The demo was well received, and there were a number of sign-ups on the day of.

On the mat I had a small epiphany concerning why I love Aikido.  In a nutshell – I don’t get it.  After 13 years of training I can honestly say I don’t get it.  I understand some of the principles, a good number of angles, the basics of technique and falling.  I am confident that “wearing” my Yondan (4th degree black belt) is justified.  But, still I don’t get it.  Every class I see something that puzzles me, something new, something to learn.  This is not a case of “return to beginner’s mind.”  Rather, it’s a case of “never left beginner’s mind!”  I am always learning in, and about, Aikido.

To me that is a very important point, and why it has kept me so engaged over the years.  That not knowing, not getting it, is what keeps me coming back for more, especially on the days when I am not really up to it.  In my thinking that is a key to a successful fitness path: Find something that keeps you engaged.

So, what do you do for fitness that keeps you in “beginner’s mind”?