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By admin, March 15, 2010 5:28 pm

A Sempai is a student who acts as a liaison between the Sensei and the students. It is a student who understands the functions and protocols of the dojo and helps the Sensei teach others how things work in the dojo . We are not Japanese, but we strive to run our dojos in a traditional manner. This means our dojos are not democracies. There is a strict hierarchy to the structure of a dojo. The Kancho is the founder and head of a school. The Chief Instructor is in charge of the school’s instructors as well as running the school. The Sensei at each dojo is in charge of that particular dojo and the Sempai assists the Sensei.

A Sempai is a leader in the dojo because they have demonstrated leadership skills and have enough experience to know what is expected of students. Their main job is to help students learn dojo etiquette and to follow proper protocol of the dojo. They also occasionally hold meetings to review and/or explain things that need to be addressed. The Senseis that teach for Aikido of Phoenix are friendly, open and approachable people, but if there is ever a time when they are not available or if you are unsure if it’s appropriate to ask the Sensei, the Sempai is the person to ask. Lucy, John and myself encourage students to ask questions and we love to discuss Aikido with anyone willing to listen, but generally, if it’s related to the function or business of the dojo the Sempai is the person to go to. A dojo may have a Dojo Cho as well, who is the business manager. The Dojo Cho handles things like registration issues, orders and anything else related to the business of the dojo. If there is no Dojo Cho the Sempai will often take on those responsibilities as well, although it is not expected. The Sensei is always available to help the dojo run smoothly and to answer any questions. But, in the traditional dojo the roles of Sempai and Dojo Cho were created to help run the dojo which allowed the Sensei to soley focus on teaching.

I would like to take this opportunity to formally announce that Jim Magda has been selected to be the Sempai for the Mesa dojo. Jim has been training with Aikido of Phoenix for almost a year and was just recently promoted to the rank of Gokyu (blue belt).

For your information, following is the hierarchy of Aikido of Phoenix:

• Kancho – Fred Mastison Sensei (retired 9-09)
• Chief Instructor; Children’s Instructor – Teresa Mastison Sensei
• Instructor for Chandler – John Scanlin Sensei
• Instructor for S. Chandler – Lucy Mailloux Sensei
• Instructor for Mesa – Teresa Mastison Sensei
• Sempai for Chandler – Daniel Horn
• Sempai for S. Chandler – Thor Mailloux
• Sempai for Mesa – Jim Magda
• Dojo Cho for Chandler and Mesa – Teresa Mastison Sensei
• Dojo Cho for S. Chandler – Amanda Redington

I hope this helps you understand to some degree how our dojo is structured. I know it always helps me to have background information and that was my intent with this article. If you have any questions feel free to ask me.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, March 15, 2010 5:20 pm

(Cue “Mission Impossible” them music)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to practice using your peripheral vision, act on any information you gather from your eyes, ears, nose or sense of ki, and to be persistent in discovering the source.

So, what does this mean? It means as you go about your daily business pay attention to what you see, hear, smell and sense. If you see something move out of the corner of your eye (peripheral vision) turn to see what it is. If you hear something, find the source of what is making the noise. If you smell something that you don’t recognize search for what is creating it. If you sense something out of the ordinary don’t dismiss it, find out what is causing it and don‘t stop until you discover what it is. If you can’t determine the source just by looking, tell an adult and let them help you. By paying attention and locating the sources of what you see, hear, smell or sense it gives you the advantage of extra time. For example, you’re walking down your neighborhood street when you hear a dog barking wildly. You turn to see where the dog is and notice that he is behind a fence, but jumping up and down aggressively and getting close to jumping over the fence. Because you noticed this you increase your speed in order to get home before the dog gets over the fence. Had you not noticed the dog’s aggressive behavior and how close he was to jumping the fence, you may not have walked any faster. This could have been quite a surprise if the dog got over the fence and came after you. This is just a made up example, but I hope you can see the usefulness of paying attention. What kind of examples can you come up with, real or made up, where paying attention to your surroundings would give you extra time to react and/or avoid a dangerous situation?

Now, here’s an important point for all kids concerning finding the source of what you see, hear, smell or sense. DO NOT GO LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE BY YOURSELF! If you notice something out of the ordinary you might be able to just turn your head and see what it is, but if you can’t identify it immediately tell an adult and let them locate the source. This is especially true if the noise, smell or whatever is outside or in another part of the house. You can be an invaluable help in alerting your parents when you notice something that is not normal. Don’t dismiss those “weird” feelings. Be persistent (don’t give up) in identifying the source or having someone else find the source. Even if it turns out to be nothing, you have to practice paying attention to your senses and it is ALWAYS better to be safe rather than sorry.

Now, go about your business and pay attention!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, February 18, 2010 10:11 pm

“The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”

-a quote by O’Sensei from the Art of Peace

What more is there to say? Except that this little book (which could fit into your pocket) is full of the thoughts and sayings of O’Sensei. It is truly worth a read and one you’ll find draws you back again and again. When you look at your training in Aikido from this perspective, then there is no doubt what you must do. Train every day, train everywhere, and train in everything you do. You must constantly strive to improve yourself no matter what it is. Every day make a difference no matter how small the task or effort.

Simply put, train hard and always do your best. Good luck in everything you do!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, February 18, 2010 10:07 pm

Ki (energy) is the cornerstone of Aikido. But, how do you practice ki? Following are some fun and simple ways you can practice extending your ki or becoming sensitive to the ki around you:

Mentally extend your energy (ki) towards someone who‘s not looking at you. As you extend your energy just engulf (surround) them with your energy and see if they fidget or turn to look at you. Your energy being directed at them may cause them to feel something. Try this with your pets too and see if they react. This also works in reverse. Have you ever felt like someone was watching you and when you looked around someone was? Start paying attention to how you feel around others.

Another way to practice extending your ki is to make eye contact and to verbally greet people. It can have a dramatic affect on the people you meet. Even if you are just passing by, look at them and say “hello”. Your “hello” or smile you give can change their day. Once their day has been affected by your warm greeting and smile, they are more likely to be in a better mood, which then affects how they interact with others. Eye contact does amazing things too. Look at people in the eyes when you are talking to them or just saying hi and watch their response. If you smile at the same time you usually get an even bigger response. It doesn’t cost anything and it makes people feel special to be looked at and smiled at. In these cases, I like to think of my energy as a warm ray of sunshine (even though I usually think of my energy as water) that is going to make this person feel warm and cozy.

Practice extending your energy everywhere you go – at school, on the playground, at the store, with your family and pets, with your teachers. Also, watch how other people greet each other or what they do when they pass by someone. When you’re standing in the checkout lane, watch how the other people interact with the clerk or the other people in line. Once again, people watching can provide a lot of entertainment as well as training opportunities. Have fun!

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, January 10, 2010 7:30 pm

Here’s a fun and interesting way to practice Aikido outside the dojo. Paying attention to what’s around you can help keep you safe, but it can also help you find your car. The next time you go to the store with your parents take notice of where they park the car. You can do this with or without your parents’ knowledge (if you do this without them knowing and they need help finding the car you’ll come across as if you possess superpowers:). Look for landmarks to help you remember where the car is. Remember not to choose other cars as a landmark because they may move and not be there when you return. Good landmarks would be trees, light poles, signs on poles, where you parked compared to the store’s entrance or anything else that doesn’t move. Then, when you come out of the store be the first one to find the car… or be there ready to come to the rescue if your mom or  dad need help finding the car. One more thing about parking lots. As you are walking in a parking lot watch the taillights of parked cars. If you see white lights that means the car is in reverse and may be moving backwards. Keep an eye on the driver and be prepared to stop as they may not see you.

This will sound silly, but have fun in the parking lots! Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention.

Teresa Mastison Sensei

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By admin, November 1, 2009 11:41 am

There are many ways to help yourself improve in Aikido. Keeping a notebook or journal is one way that I’ve found helpful over the years. Later in this newsletter, I talk in more detail about what a notebook or journal might look like, but for now I’d like to share what I put inside my journal. I’m the kind of person who needs to write things down in order to remember it, so a journal-type notebook makes sense for me. Yours can take whatever form you want it to.

As a student, I recorded what techniques we did in class and usually included my own pictures and phrases that would help me remember what was done. Stick figures work great for this. I’d also wrote down questions I had when I was reviewing my notes or practicing on my own, especially when preparing for a test. I wrote the answers next to the questions so I could review them when needed. My notebook was also the place I kept all Aikido related papers (test criteria, handouts from Sensei, etc.).

As an instructor, my journal became a lesson plan book and a notebook in which I record my plans, goals, ideas for teaching as well as ideas for the dojo. I record things I need to do, questions I have (I still record the answers next to the questions), notes on student progress or something the students need to work on. I  also write notes from books I read or ideas I have on my own and want to share with students. Sometimes I just write about what’s important to me concerning Aikido ideas just to get the ideas out of my head and down on paper. There are many ways to utilize a notebook or journal that will help you grow and understand Aikido.

If you want to get more out of your Aikido training, think about starting a notebook or journal. Make it work for you and use it often. I would be happy to help you at any time. Remember that this is YOUR journal/notebook, spelling doesn’t count:) Whatever form or method you find that works for you, I wish you the best in your Aikido training on and off the mat.

Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for all your hard work and training this year. You are the reason Aikido of Phoenix is such a special dojo. Enjoy your break and we’ll see you in the new year!

Teresa Mastison Sensei