Sometimes you can’t avoid a physical confrontation. There are times when things happen that are beyond your control. But, if you pay attention and are aware of what’s going on around you there may be opportunities presented that will allow you to disfuse a potential problem. For example, if you pay attention to a person’s body language and listen to their tone of voice you can get clues as to their mood. Also, by listening to what a person is actually saying (really listen as opposed to just hearing them) you can pick up on a general feeling they may be experiencing. And, if you think before you speak or act you may be able to redirect a conversation away from a possible physical confrontation.

This nonphysical stuff is much harder to do than techniques. It requires real effort on your part to take in all the information you gather from the other person and then decide what to do with it. The thing that makes it really hard is the emotions that are involved. Either you or the other person are angry, frustrated, sad, anxious, scared and that makes it hard to think straight. You just want to react. This is when ki breathing comes in handy. By practicing deep controlled breathing on a regular basis you can create a habit that may help you in time of need like when you are emotionally stressed.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

A huge thank you also goes out to all the parents of the children. Without you their involvement would not have happened and I am so thankful. Thank you for caring and showing your support by encouraging them and bringing them to class consistently. I was so proud of them for getting up in front of all those people and I could see they were proud too. What a wonderful experience for them and thank you for allowing them to be a part of it.

We totally forgot to take a group picture, but here are a few pictures that I hope will give you an idea of how the evening looked. You can view all the available pictures on Aikido of Phoenix’s Facebook page or you can copy and paste the following links to access pictures taken by Chandler student Nick Shiopu. Nick has a camera that takes multiple focal plane pictures. Check out the links below to see them and you can play with the focus of foreground vs. background. If you have any pictures that you would like to share please send them my way. Thank you.

The following links will show you some more pictures.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Thanks again for making Aikido of Phoenix look so good!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

and proud as was I when they shared with me their stories.

My hope in teaching kids Aikido is that they never have to use the skills we practice; but through hard work, consistent training and thinking about what they learn they can give themselves an edge and, if necessary, be able to react effectively to an aggressor. You may remember the phrase “practice makes permanent” from a previous article. This is especially true if you train on a regular basis. You and your body get used to moving and reacting in certain ways and will naturally react in that way when the need arises. Remind yourselves of this when you are on the mat practicing.

I want you to talk with your parents about why you are taking Aikido. What do they want you to do if you’re bullied? Knowing what your parents think and what they want you to do will make it easier for you if the situation ever arises. Also discuss the expectations and rules of the school you attend. They may differ from what you and your parents believe. It’s important for you to know what your parents expect and that you have their support if there is ever a time when you feel threatened and need to defend yourself.

Be sincere in your training, have fun, and let’s hope you never have to use it.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

For those of you who have trained under Mastison Sensei you may remember his dynamic style and exceptional insights into the how and why techniques work. His knowledge and skill are exceptional and they help you understand Aikido in a way you may not have considered. It is always an enlightening experience to train with him and I urge you to attend this special event.

I know some of you have attended seminars recently and have gotten a lot out of those experiences. Seminars are a wonderful way to expand your knowledge base as well as your understanding of Aikido. Here’s a special chance to train with the person who founded Aikido of Phoenix and provided your instructors (John Sensei, Lucy Sensei, and myself) with guidance and example. We each were trained by him and although we continue to learn our foundation comes from his teachings. Now’s your chance to get a little bit of that yourself.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

I would like to challenge each of you to be “determined to learn” and put forth the energy necessary to learn whatever it is you’re learning at the moment. This is tough because the things you have to learn , let’s say, in school aren’t always that interesting. But here’s the thing to remember: “practice makes permanent” (remember that from last month‘s article?). When you are determined to do something your brain figures out a way to make it happen. If you do that with everything you try (even the things not so interesting) you begin to create a habit. It’s just something your brain gets used to doing and so you do it all the time. This will inevitably lead to success.

You can think of your efforts to learn as opportunities to create lifelong skills (kind of like practicing for a sport or music) and this may help you plow through the less interesting tasks or the more difficult endeavors. So when you have a particularly ridiculous assignment or one that is really hard tell yourself that you’re building skills that will help you for the rest of your life. It may not make the task easier but maybe it’ll give it more purpose.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

Questions about testing are common when someone first starts training and John does an excellent job of explaining our philosophy in regards to this. I especially like the story about the boy who wants so much to be the best. He’s so consumed with attaining his goal that he’s not as focused on his training and this will in fact impede his progress. And this is where I see Lucy’s article steps in. A student of Aikido can not hope to make much progress without first creating a solid foundation on which to build, that is understanding the principles behind as well as being able to execute the aiki taisos and how they relate to techniques. Only when you are focused in the here and now and you have a good understanding of the basics can your training advance your abilities. With this kind of attitude and approach to training progress will inevitably be made. Testing will be a natural byproduct of your hard work not something you try to achieve.

True students of Aikido train to improve themselves, not to attain rank. I know our Western culture puts a lot of emphasis on keeping your “eye on the prize” to help you reach a goal and I’m not saying you shouldn’t set goals. But, carefully consider how being concerned about that affects your training. Everyone wants to succeed and one of the ways we measure our individual success is through testing. It’s an outward indication of our efforts. Just don’t let it consume your purpose for training.

Train hard, focus on the basics, look for connections between aiki taiso and techniques, breathe deeply, extend ki, and enjoy the process.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

This is a good time to remind everyone to put forth your best effort in all that you do. Remember that whatever you do on a consistent basis is what you are going to do when it counts. I’d like you to change the phrase “practice makes perfect” to “practice makes permanent”. This phrase can be applied to everything you do from sports, music, handwriting, to how you treat others, or what kind of friend you are.

Think about consistency as you begin this new year and resolve to put forth your best effort all the time. Make the most of your time with whatever it is you’re doing (Aikido, music, sports, homework, etc.) and you’ll make progress because you are focused and determined.

I hope 2012 is a wonderful year for you and if you give your best effort you can be assured that it really will be!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

Some things to remember:

• If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.
• If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
• If you don’t step forward, you’ll always be in the same place.

Happy New Year!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

During this holiday season look for ways you can help others. You can help by doing something nice or helpful; being extra courteous by letting others go first or ahead of you; sharing what you have with others or letting someone have something of yours; buying a gift for a charity drive; giving food to a food bank. The list is endless. Be creative. Brainstorm with your family to come up with some unique ways to help others this holiday season. When we help others we often times realize just how fortunate and blessed we are ourselves.

I wish you each a very special time with family and friends this holiday season. I’ll see you in 2012 for another great year of training!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

Aikido training is really just conditioning your body and mind to react to various stimuli. If you do anything long enough it becomes a habit. When you train you’re teaching yourself how to move, blend and redirect energy. The importance of good, solid kihon (basic) technique and aiki taiso (exercises you do by yourself) becomes obvious when the speed of attack increases or during a randori (multiple attackers at the same time). When you don’t have time to think you rely on your body to react instinctively and that’s when you find out how solid your fundamental motions are.

Patience is paramount in Aikido training. You just can’t create lifelong habits quickly. Even after studying for years you’ll find a new connection or make a discovery that is new to you. Your training has so many layers of understanding and levels of proficiency it really is a lifelong journey. Just when you think you have a technique down and understand it something happens that makes it ineffective and you have to “go back to the basics” in order to figure it out.

I bring these ideas up to encourage you to practice the aiki taiso you are familiar with during our break. You can also use the Student Manual as a reference for the ones with which you’re not as familiar. You can also walk through techniques focusing on your motions and extending ki throughout your body. It is this kind of training that helps you create habits that will help your learning. Give yourself the advantage of knowing how to move by practicing the aiki taiso or reviewing techniques done in class even if it’s only in your mind.

It’s been another wonderful year for Aikido of Phoenix and I thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Count your blessings this holiday seasons and know that I count each of you among my mine. I look forward to training with you in 2012 and hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Teresa Mastison Sensei