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By admin, October 8, 2011 1:11 pm

Did you know your Aikido training would be able to help you have a safe and happy Halloween? Well it can and if you think about it long enough I’m sure you can figure out how.

Aikido is all about being aware of what’s going on around you and blending with whatever comes your way. That’s exactly what you need to do when you are out and about on Halloween night. I’m sure your parents will review all the basic safety concerns for trick-or-treating but it won’t hurt to mention some of them again:

• Please make sure you’re able to see without anything blocking your view
• Don’t go by yourself or go wondering off on your own
• Wait until you get home and your candy is checked before eating any of it
• Carry a flashlight to light up any areas that are especially dark
• Keep your eyes open and be aware of who is out and about Watch out for traffic as you go back and forth across the streets

So, pay attention to your surroundings and the people you meet. Keep your head up and look people in the eyes even if you’re just passing them by. Let everyone know your paying attention and you know who and what’s around you.

I hope you have a wonderful time out with your friends and family.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, October 8, 2011 1:07 pm

As the years go by and I continue to train in Aikido I have come to realize that I am on a path that never ends. Deep down I guess I know that, but usually I find myself thinking I need to have all the answers; that I should know how to do every technique really well; that somehow I am the one who should know it all. Well…how arrogant is that? When I get stumped by a tough question or stumble over a technique I struggle between feeling bad and taking advantage of the situation and learning from it. At times I feel incompetent and not worthy to be an instructor. It’s very humbling to be constantly reminded that I don’t know everything and that achieving a certain rank does not make you anything special. When I get down on myself I read a little of O’Sensei’s teachings and I’m reminded that:

“ Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.”

“The Art of Peace is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor.”

“To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must: Calm the spirit and return to the source. Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire. Be ever-grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings.”

“,,,The only desire that should remain is the thirst for more and more training in the Way.”

Sensei means teacher, but more literally it means “one who has gone before”. I definitely don’t have all the answers and I’m becoming more comfortable with that, but I do have 23 years of experience and I can share what I’ve learned with those who are willing to listen and train.

So, thank you for being such great students and helping me continue to grow and learn. I hope that my personal insights can help you get the most out of your training as well as realize how useful your Aikido training can be for all areas of your life. Take the lessons you learn on the mat and think about how they can help you at home, work, social situations etc.

But remember you are always learning so don’t beat yourself up if you stumble once in awhile. Take it from me it’s better if you recognize it and then try to learn from it.

Good luck in your training. I hope you get what you need from it.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, September 8, 2011 12:58 pm

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new students at all three of our locations (Chandler, South Chandler, Mesa). It’s a pleasure to have you all join us on the mat and I hope you enjoy yourselves as you learn about Aikido. Questions are encouraged, so if you ever want to know something all you have to do is ask.

There is a lot to Aikido and you’re not expected to remember everything we talk about or do, but by paying attention and being an active participant in class you’ll get the most out of the time you spend on the mat.

Lately we’ve been discussing some of Aikido’s major principles or ideas that help define what Aikido is. I will list them here briefly but we will also continue discussing them in class. These principles are fundamental ideas that O’Sensei thought would help bring peace to our world. Imagine if each person would work on these principles in their own lives what a difference it could make. Everyone just trying to improve themselves. Training is an ongoing process and one that really never stops. Review of these principles as well as renewed efforts to work on them is one way to constantly improve. Take one idea and focus on it for awhile, then work on another, then another… It’s a great way to break down the big picture of Aikido into more managable parts.

Some of the major principles of Aikido:

• Aikido – the way of blending with energy
• Ki – energy that flows through all things
• Shodo-o-seisu – control the first move, paying attention Dochu-no-sei – calmness in action
• Masakatsu Agatsu – true victory is victory over oneself Chudo – the middle path, not too much, not too little Shugyo – improvement through hard work and sweat Zanshin – focused attention
• Irimi – enter without fear, just do it

Remember to always give your best effort. We don’t have much time on the mat so make it worth your effort! Here’s to another great month of training!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, September 8, 2011 12:56 pm

One of the things that is fundamental about Aikido is that it is more than a martial art useful in defending yourself. It provides great exercise, a chance to make friends, a way to deal with stressful situations possibly without physical contact, a way to help yourself be a better person, and a lifelong course of study.

As you progress through the ranks your breadth of understanding expands. Each time we revisit a technique or discuss a principle your understanding of it changes, rises to a new level. You then apply your new understanding to a familiar technique or principle and you learn something new or have a better understanding of it.

That’s why I encourage you to come to each class with an “empty cup”. Whatever is being taught there is something to be learned. When you say to yourself, “I’ve seen this before or I know what this is about” your mind is closed and very little will be gained. But, if you open your mind and allow yourself to “see” the technique as if for the first time then you have opened your mind to the possibility of growth and a new understanding. It’s hard to do and in the beginning it has to be a conscious effort, but the reward is a greater understanding.

This same “empty cup” approach can be applied to your training partner. Every partner has something to offer you as you practice a technique. That is why it is vital to train with as many different people as possible. There was a time early on in my training when I preferred to work with only a handful of other students. They were “easier” to work with, were good ukemists and everything seemed to go smoother when I partnered with them. However, I did myself a great disservice by gravitating towards those people and, I believe, stunted my growth because I avoided working with the others. When a technique is difficult or you get frustrated because it’s not working as well with this partner than it did with another that is a time when learning has the greatest opportunity of happening. You really have to think about why something isn’t happening or why your uke is reacting in a certain way. It forces you to evaluate what you are doing. Embrace those times and know that you’ll be better because of your time and effort.

Take this “empty cup” philosophy with you in all that you do. There is always something to be learned from every experience. Only when you tell yourself there isn’t will your time be wasted.

“Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.” – O’Sensei

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, September 7, 2011 10:12 pm

Newsletter – September, 2011

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By admin, August 10, 2011 1:15 am

A huge “thank you” for everyone’s efforts in helping us raise money for the Mat Fund these past few months. We now have 10 new mats at the Chandler dojo! They look great and feel great too!

Our fundraising efforts continue…since the last newsletter the water sales alone have brought in another $57. Thanks to all who buy water and an extra thank you to all who put in a little extra when they purchase a bottle or two. With the water sales and the purchase of 10 of the old mats our Mat Fund is now at $584! If you’d like to donate water for us to sell please let Teresa Sensei know.

We have 15 mats left to replace so we will be coming up with other events in the near future to help the Mat Fund continue to grow. I am open to suggestions for ways to do this as well as help in executing the idea. See Teresa for any ideas you may have. If you are one of the people who put your name on the list to buy some of the old mats, consider paying for them now as opposed to waiting until we order again. Paying for them now will help increase the Mat Fund and we’ll be able to order sooner rather than later. Think about it and let Teresa Sensei know if you’d like to pay for your mats in the near future.

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By admin, August 10, 2011 1:14 am

There will be NO CLASSES on Mon., Sept. 5 as the Red Mountain Center will be closed for Labor Day.

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By admin, August 10, 2011 1:13 am

There will be NO CLASS on Mon., Sept. 5 as the center will be closed for Labor Day.

There will be NO CLASS on Sat., Sept. 10 as we will be attending the Aikido Fall Camp seminar in Prescott. We will meet at Sensei’s house for breakfast then carpool up to Prescott. See Sensei for more details.

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By admin, August 10, 2011 1:12 am

There will be NO CLASSES on Tues., Aug. 30 or Wed., Aug. 31 at the Chandler dojo. The Chandler Community Center will be doing it’s annual stripping and refinishing of all the floors. We are lucky because August has 5 weeks this year, so we’ll still get in 4 weeks of training. The city actually considered our schedule when planning for this so if you get a chance let the front desk people know how much you appreciate their thoughtfulness.

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By admin, August 10, 2011 1:10 am

Ah…another school year is upon us. I know that’s not very exciting for everyone, but it is a wonderful opportunity for you to train. I hope you take advantage of what an ordinary day of school can present in the way of Aikido training.

Remember that Aikido means “the way of blending with energy”. Not all energy will come in the way of physical attacks. And blending doesn’t always mean to literally step off the line of attack. Here liesin the many opportunities you’ll have to practice Aikido.

During any given day you’ll have mutiple opportunities to “blend” with energies of all sorts. There won’t be many times you’ll actually have to defend yourself in school, but there will be plenty of times you’ll have to “blend” with energies that aren’t physical. It may come in the form of a teacher’s bad mood, someone teasing you, a big pile of homework, or a day where nothing seems to be going right for you. Regardless of the situation you have to remember one thing…you are only in control of yourself. How you react or what you decide to do in that situation is the only thing you can control and that is hard to do. But, with practice and a conscious effort you can improve and get better at handling tough situations. Talk about these times with your parents. Together you can come up with ways to “blend”.

I’d like you to practice extending your ki (energy) as you go about your days at school. Projecting positive energy outward can have a dramatic effort on those around you. You can turn someone’s day around just by smiling at them or helping them in a time of need. This is especially true if they are habitually grumpy or mean. Go out of your way to be friendly to someone who is routinely rude, mean etc. This can eventually soften them to a point that at least they’re nicer to you and who knows maybe they’ll be nicer to everyone else as well.

It’s hard to be the first one to say “hello” or smile, but it can make a big difference in someone‘s day, even if you don’t see it. It’s hard not to smile when someone smiles at you or to say something in return when a person says “hello”, but it’s worth the effort and it’s my challenge to you as you begin this new school year. Make it your mission to be kind and helpful, to do your best on everything you do and to be there for others when you see a need.

Even if you’re not aware of it, others are constantly watching you. Be sure that what they’re seeing is a good example and you’ll be spreading positive energy without much effort and that will help make the world a better place.

Have a great school year and I’ll see you on the mats!

Teresa Mastison Sensei