Sensei Fujita’s seminar in 2006.

Between 30th June and 2th July 2006, Fujita Masatake shihan (8th dan Aikikai, Hombu, Japan) held a three-day seminar in Hungary. The seminar was attended by a good number of members of the Aikido Foundation (Aikido Alapitvany, in Hungarian).

Sensei’s visits are always looked forward as, apart from being the International Technical Advisor of the Foundation, his enormous knowledge keeps us amazed every time he comes. He taught us a lot this time as well, starting from the very basics (which is always emphasised by Fujita sensei as without proper foundations, there is nothing to build upon).

The most amazing experience was, though, when Sensei practiced with us. What you have seen already from a spectator’s view now you can experience at first hand, face to face. Watching and participating is like heaven and earth, they are so much different. When watching, only one of our senses, vision, is active (hearing and smelling too, but they are not so important here). We can only process what we see and, thus, we create a picture about what might be happening there. However, when we receive ukemi from Sensei all of our body receives a huge amount of information. The experience is so stunning there are no right words to properly reflect what can be felt. It is often written about O’Sensei that when he executed a technique his uke(s) (attackers) almost got transfered to another dimension. Well, we can feel similar feelings, too. Aikido involves a terrific amont and number of types of energy. We are most grateful to Fujita Sensei for showing these to us.

The seminars went as usual: There were trainings on Friday evening, Saturday morning and evening, Sunday morning, and at the end there were dan gradings.