8 Years of Participating in the Embukai with My Teacher Masatake Fujita Shihan

Attila Pivony Shidoin, 5th Dan Aikido Aikikai

8 Years of

Participating in the Embukai with My Teacher

Masatake Fujita Shihan 2014

To the memory of Masatake Fujita Sensei, Hombu Dojo Shihan, 8th Dan Aikido Aikikai

21.04.1937 – 28.05.2014

8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

8 Years of Participating in the Embukai with My Teacher Masatake Fujita Shihan 1st edition. – ZIGZABUR NORTH AMERICA, 2014. – 42 p.

E-ISBN 978-0-9912155-9-1

This book I dedicate to the unique person, my Master, Masatake Fujita Sensei, Hombu Dojo Shihan, 8th Dan Aikido Aikikai.

My trips around the world are very often connected with Aikido.

And Japan always was and is the special country for me.

This book is not intended to be a substitute for personal training sessions under the guidance of an instructor. The publisher and the author do not bear any responsibility for any physical injury or damage that may occur if the reader (readers) will follow the instructions contained in the book. Before attempting to perform the techniques described in this book you should consult with a qualified physician to determine whether your health condition corresponds to the requirements given here. It is also necessary to find a qualified and experienced instructor.

8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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CONTENTS

I.I. Acknowledgement II.About the author II. II About Aikido III. IV. Trips to Japan V.V. The Hombu Dojo VI. About the Embukai IV. VII. V. The future of Aikido VIII. IV. Conclusion V.

6 7 8 12 20 27 35 38

I.

Acknowledgement 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

page 6

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Oleksandr Kostyuk, the owner and founder of ZIGZABUR Publishing House, and Nancy Etokh, the editor, for inviting me to participate in this noble project.

All profits from the book’s selling will be given to Masatake Fujita Sensei’s family.

II.

About the author page 7

8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

Attila Pivony President of Hungarian Aikido Aikikai Association

1969 – was born in Budapest (Hungary).

1986 – started to learn martial arts.

The Aikido practice has been lasting for 28 years. During these years he was dealing regularly with several types of martial art styles.

1996 – received the Aikido trainer qualification.

2006 – received the title Shidoin, which was given to him by Masatake Fujita

Sensei. It was the unique event in Central Europe.

2013 – at the Kagamibiraki ceremony, the Hombu Dojo donated him the 5th Dan Aikido Aikikai. He founded Hungarian Aikikai Aikido Association twelve years ago. He has hundreds or rather thousands aikidokas who study under his guidance. He may claim that he taught 80 % of Budapest aikidoka community.

III.

About Aikido 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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I assume that there are people who do not know much about the spiritual aspect of Aikido and its nature. I consider it to be important before we go any further to find out what Aikido means.

Literally Aikido is “the way of intellectual energy� and this truly reflects its inner essence.

It is a special, unique martial art. Aikido does not attack and use force.

Aikido helps to create harmony between body and soul, ourselves and our partners, harmony with the motions of the Nature. A martial art

which aims to be healthy for the body, peaceful in mind, avoids conflicts with others and lets us become a single whole with the Nature. This is Aikido.

III.

About Aikido 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

When strength encounters with strength, we call it a fight, or a conflict. Aikido is not about the clash of strength – it is about the union of strength by which conflicts may be resolved. It aims to lead off the offender’s energy thus does not make the aggressor directly unfit to fight, like Karate, but it creates a position in which it is impossible to fight.

In Aikido there is no such a thing as enemy, there is no fight, and this fact fundamentally distinguishes Aikido from any other martial arts.

Aikido is an intellectual martial art. It bases its techniques on the laws of Nature, therefore they are not merely uniquely efficient, but easily feasible without any effort.

The harmony with Nature results in the gripping right implementations of the techniques along with harmonic motion. Motions moving on an imaginary orbit with continuously streaming motions seem soft but have steady control. Aikido is invicible although it doesn’t fight.

The basis of practice is the confidence for each other not prevailing over the other. That is why there are no

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competitions – the competitive spirit, based on the competition with others, would radically contradict with the philosophy of Aikido and O’Sensei’s teachings.

O’Sensei talked about peace and non-violence, never allowed rivalry.

The results of this intellectuality are the sense of Aikido lessons where everybody is treated equally in spite of age, gender or ranks.

I think and believe that if we take those words into consideration and think about it everybody will be able to understand the cleanness, openness of Aikido as a martial art.

Maybe that is why so many people sympathize and spread Aikido all over the world.

I find it important to respect this and share the knowledge with the next generation.

I believe that Masatake Fujita Sensei’s teaching, spiritual thinking will be passed on and acquainted with more people.

III.

About Aikido 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

page 10

The physical effects on me are: I regain my flexibility due to the daily training stretching; rolling and “walking on knees” help and improve my physical condition; I strengthened a lot and became more brave, although I grew up in the aggressive and fighting world.

The intellectual effects are: I became more balanced and confident; I became more pitiful and tolerant; my attitude towards others has changed; I’ve seen the world in another way and this view has repressed the aggression in me.

III.

About Aikido 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

I enjoyed trainings. I can say that the fast development of me was due to my diligence, perseverance and determination.

I visited and took part a lot of training camps which were hold in foreign countries. Remembering back, I guess I visited nearly every camp that was possible at that time. I’ve learnt martial arts and I am still learning them from many Masters throughout the world. I maintain a very good relationship with neigbouring countries’ organizations. Just as

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Masatake Fujita Sensei said, Aikido is a big family where cooperation is very important. We have to help and understand each other as far as our ability allows us.

I think Aikido can be started at any age from 5 to 70. It is very important to lay the foundations with proper, regular exercises program for children’s future health and physical condition and Aikido is the most suitable for this. My kids exercise regularly from the age of 3 with short pauses.

“We can practise Aikido through a life,” said Masatake Fujita-Sensei, “not physically primarily, rather mentally.”

The world changes around us, bringing new things every day and not just favourable ones. People who practise Aikido can easily adapt to changes. The intellenctual seeking for our way is sorely important and

practice helps us. The world of Aikido is rather colorful and complex one, from which we can benefit a lot.

Everyone walks his own way – but the good Master will help us to light up the flashlights for orientation.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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My trips around the world are very often connected with Aikido. I have visited many countries as a tourist.

And Japan always was and is the special country for me. It is like my second home.

Travelling directly from Hungary to Japan is impossible, we have to board another plane at an airport of a Central-European country. The trip takes 24 hours with transit till I arrive to Narita International Airport

that is also known as Tokyo Narita Airport, which is the primary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. The first thing that strikes my eye is the technical development.

It is well-known that Japan is one of leading countries in technology. Getting out of the airport is not as easy as it may seem because customs officers quiz you thoroughly about the reasons of your visit to Japan.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

When I first arrived to Shinjuku, the downtown, skyscrapers immediately caught my eye.

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IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

In my case they became very positive after they had learnt that I had arrived to Japan because of Aikido and the Hombu Dojo had invited me as a Master. I proved it with my personalized invitation letter and then everything went smoothly and they helped me with a friendly smile on their faces.

Travelling from the Narita International Airport to Tokyo takes approximately an hour and a half. When I first arrived to Shinjuku, the downtown,

page 14 skyscrapers immediately caught my eyes. They were amazing. The next shocking thing for me was the density of people; 10 million people live in Tokyo (Hungary has a total of 10 million population) and everyone is hurrying to work or to school.

Usually I arrived in the early morning and reached Shinjuku at 8 a.m.

Concerning transport, it is 2 subway stops from Wakamatsu-cho, where the Hombu Dojo is located.

The subway and every other type of transport are sensational compared to the ones in Budapest. They are puncutal, clear, beautiful and practically shaped. And of course, many of them have no drivers at all.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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Tokyo subway system seems tricky for the first sight but if we observe it carefully it is logically established and connected with each other.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

It’s noteworthy that every college, university, high school as a rule practise Aikido, Kendo or Judo.

To some degree everyone tries and

page 16 practises martial art just like in western countries baseball, basketball and football are taught though baseball is popular in Japan too.

Sumo is extremely popular and has an old tradition and high prestige. The TV broadcasts Sumo competitions every day, the champs have high respect and big fan base.

Of course O’Sensei’s martial art does not lag behind in authority, especially

because O’Sensei was a good friend of the imperial family.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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Good advice: if you arrive to the airport, make sure you have a friendly and “likeable� appearance, otherwise the customs officer will set you aside to examine you. Japan fears the illegal immigrants and that’s understandable.

However, a letter of recommendation from Japanese is certainly something that is good.

A cultural behaviour is of much importance. Arrogant and superficial people are not welcomed. It is advisable to ask for information first from someone who is already familiar with local customs, traditions and rules.

A word or even a gesture can be critical.

Patience and humanity are the keystones.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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Do not think you can reach everything in one or two weeks. We must always keep in mind that martial art means spiritual training before the physical one.

Who doesn’t approach this truth can fail.

Since I do such a trip every year, it’s like I’m living the second life there.

IV.

Trips to Japan 8 Years of Participating in the Embukai

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I managed to get to learn Tokyo traffic system so well that often the Japanese asked me for direction.