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The
City of IWAMA has a connection with O-SENSEI and the history
of AIKI. |
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There, O-SENSEI built a AIKI-DOJO and the AIKI-JINJA (THE
TEMPLE OF AIKI), dedicated to the "DIETIES" (Gods/Spirits)
protectors of our ART. |
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In
the bucolic scenery of that small City, O-SENSEI developed
much of the bases of our Art. |
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MORIHIRO
SAITO SENSEI studied and together with his family, served
O-SENSEI UESHIBA for many years. |
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After
the passing of the FOUNDER, the SAITO FAMILY continued the
work of preservation of the AIKI-DOJO an of the AIKI-JINJA,
becoming, for this work, the GUARDIAN of these shrines of
our Art.
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MORIHIRO
SAITO SENSEI used to say that the UCHIDESHIS, AIKIDOKAS who
have lived, studied and worked with him in IWAMA, have also
had an important role in the physical and spiritual maintenance
of these historical landmarks of our Art. |
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Images
and text bellow from the book "Aikido & the City
of Iwama" written by Carlos Nogueira.
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| Iwama
is for me a very special place, the city has particular
qualities which can be seen and felt through its areas of
intense green and its bucolic calmness. |
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| At
the base of the mountain of Iwama (the Atago-san) many shrines
can be found. |
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| From
there carrying my JO and BOKEN, I hiked and trained many times
through the woods and at the top of that mountain, finding
in the process frequent moments of true meditation and tranquility. |
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| Not
only the geographic characteristics of that city make it
special, the people of Iwama who have been receiving all
of us, Aikidokas, whenever we get there are also a part
of this scenario. When I am at Iwama, I am invaded by a
feeling of comfort, as we feel whenever we arrive at home. |
| From
my experience at Iwama, the city and its people are reminders
of our human qualities of solidarity, respect and courtesy,
that little by little seems to be more and more suppressed
in the nature of many of us. |
| Families,
as the Akiyama's, Orozco’s and Yamashita's with which
I had the privilege of having a closer contact, are to me
alive examples of these human qualities, which are fundamental
for our evolution. I
am sure that each uchideshi must carry in his heart at least
one name of a person or family which was hospitable and
solidary, making him or her feel at home, so far from their
own. |
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| The
population growth is an undeniable fact in the globe, it gradually
arrives to all places, and of course, the same is happening
to Iwama. |
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fact is little by little changing the appearance and the atmosphere
of that City, as well as the Dojo itself. |
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However, many Dojo’s stories stay, and the uchideshis,
the living in students and who tell these stories, are like
guardians, trying to delay the inevitable advance of the changes.
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| Many
incursions I made into the land, woods and hills of IWAMA,
finding in the solitude great comfort and an incredible emotional
contentment. |
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of my bolder incursions used to happen on Sundays. |
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Sundays
were especial in this aspect because not having a night
class, I could just keep on going on my exploration through
the IWAMA area, and sometimes, the nearby cities without
having to be clocking myself to avoid being late for class.
At those days, if I did not go to the woods to train, I
use to use a bicycle and go to and through the most varied
ways I could follow, just going on forward. |
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The
roads in that country side are very good, a bit narrow for
automobiles, but perfect for bikes. |
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I
remember of a Sunday at the beginning of summer, that soon
after the morning class, I changed my clothes and went on
my run through the country side.
The weather that day was a bit muggy, with high humidity
factor and some clouds hovering about in the skies promising
refreshing showers. After few hours on the road, feeling
the blood pulsing into my legs muscles and having my body
covered by transpiration, I came upon a short cut leading
into a mountain, as usual, I turned on that direction entering
the path. |
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Getting
to the base of the mountain, I put the bike over my shoulder
and started going up and across the woods. Few minutes of
walking and I already found my self involved by the foliage
and inebriated by the aroma of the green, while up and beyong
eyesight, the sound of the thunders announced the rain,
from which the first drops, in short intervals, were already
touching my body and all the surroundings... |
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Drop
by drop the rain thickened while at the same time, a kind
of mantle covered the skies, dimming the light of the day,
creating moving shadows and lowering the temperature of
the air. As
the rain dropped filling in the spaces and refreshing my
soul, a whitish steam caused by the lowering of the temperature
floated over my skin, over the ground and over all the surrounding
vegetation, like a single aura, unifying the whole existence. |
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I
do not know if it was because the fatigue or the sudden
temperature change, but I got a little bit inebriated, a
bit dizzy, and as in a double take, or in a “déjà-vu”,
I was there and at the same time, it was as if I were observing
what was happening from out side of my body, floating in
a void where the time is forever, without beginning or end.
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I
felt there a moment of pure happiness crossing my spirit. |
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(Carlos
Nogueira) |
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