Here We Go Again ...Shizuo Imaizumi Shihan in Las Vegas
May 17 - 20, 2001

Contributed by Kevin Lam and Kaizen*

My seminar travels had led me to the Sin City; Las Vegas, Nevada, this time without Kaizen, my usual cohort in seminar adventures. When I stepped off of the plane in Las Vegas I immediately realized that I was in the gambling capital of America, with every turn there were loud bells and flashing lights tempting me to dump my loose change into a slot machine. After I picked up my luggage and stepped out of the airport to catch a cab to my hotel I was hit by the blaring sun in the 95-degree temperature. My first thought was, "I hope the dojo has air conditioning."

The seminar was held at the UNLV Aikido club at the McDermott Physical Education Complex on the UNLV campus. This will be the same location where Stanley Pranin of Aikido Journal will be holding the 5th Friendship Demonstration and Aiki Expo in May 2002. One of the fun advantages of having a seminar in Las Vegas is that there is a ton of entertainment to experience when you're not on the mat and if you're lucky you could even win some money before heading home.

This seminar was particularly exciting for me. When I lived in New York I had trained with Imaizumi Shihan for many years. Attending a seminar with my old teacher brought back the familiar ways that have been ingrained in me through the endless hours of hard training in the extreme cold of New York City winters and the muggiest heat of its summers. It also gave me the opportunity to catch up with a half a dozen of my old friends from the Shin-Budo Kai dojo who came out to take the opportunity to train with others from the other side of the country, as well as to hit the casinos and nightlife of Las Vegas.

As a background and a short history on Imaizumi Shihan, I took an excerpt from the Shin-Budo Kai web page. Imaizumi Shihan, Nanadan (7th Dan), began his Aikido career in April of 1959 while a student at Waseda University in Tokyo. Waseda University was a fifteen-minute walk from the Aikikai Hombu dojo, and on May 1st, Imaizumi Shihan saw an Aikido demonstration by Morihei Ueshiba. In 1965, with a rank of Sandan, Imaizumi Shihan became a shidoin, an apprentice to the teaching staff, at the Honbu dojo and his career as a professional Aikido instructor began. During this period he frequently took ukemi for O'Sensei during the early morning Aikido classes when O'Sensei would demonstrate and teach. Imaizumi Shihan was an instructor at the Aikikai Hombu dojo until 1974 when he joined Koichi Tohei Sensei in his new organization, the Ki-no-Kenkyukai, (Ki Society; Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido). In July 1975, Imaizumi Shihan went to New York City to found the New York Ki Society and assume the role of Chief Instructor for the Eastern Region and the United States. In September of 1987, he resigned from the Ki Society and in October of 1988 he founded the Shin-Budo Kai. He continues to teach at the New York Shin-Budo Kai in Manhattan. For more information on Imaizumi Shihan or Shin-Budo Kai you can visit http://shinbudokai.org

There were quite a few higher-ranking students from many different styles of Aikido at this seminar that allowed for an energetic weekend. Everyone had a good time training together on the mat whether they were Shin-Budo Kai, ASU, Aikikai, Ki Society, or from some other organization. It was really great to see an eclectic Aikido group come together and enjoy training with each other. This seems to be yet another good example of the benefits that can come from stepping outside of stylistic and organizational borders, by coming together to simply train as fellow martial artists.

Imaizumi Shihan had a different approach to the seminar than most seminars I have attended. He created both a rhythm and a pattern through a series of numerous techniques. Since there was such a diverse Aikido crowd in attendance he wasn't particularly concerned with the small differences in style in which a technique was executed, as long as it was done correctly and it was well understood. He often demonstrated the same technique two or three different ways. In this way every one concentrated on the technique and not the particulars of the style. In the first hour of class he had us work on over twenty different techniques. The pace of the seminar was such that it created a opportunity for not only observing techniques by an experienced Sensei, but also an intensive pace that turned the seminar into a shugyo that tested the conditioning of all those in attendance. As the weekend progressed and we did more and more techniques, I had noticed that there was a bigger picture that was drawn for us. Although there are a plethora of techniques in our arsenal they all have the basic thread of connection, timing, and fluidity. Just like the fibers in a rope that give each knot their strength and functional ability. Connection, timing, and fluidity are what allow any technique to ultimately succeed and release their potential for power. The techniques are merely the means that show us these basic concepts. This is not a new concept to a lot of us, but if you are not told what you are supposed to be working on when training at a seminar, you can get lost in the details of the techniques at hand.

After one of the short water breaks during Thursday evening's class, Imaizumi Shihan announced that we should grab our bokken. After training so vigorously for an hour, it was a welcomed breather, but an enticing switch. He decided to show us Tachi Suji Happo Kiri. When doing Tachi Suji Happo Kiri you stand in shizen tai, natural stance, and make cuts in the eight directions in front of you. The cuts included:

• Kiri Oroshi & Kiri Age, straight downward and upward cuts
• Migi Kesa Kiri & Naname Kiri Age, right angled cuts downward and upward,
• Hidari Kesa Kiri & Naname Kiri Age, left angled cuts downward and upward
• Migi & Hidari Do Harai, right & left horizontal cuts

Typically when Imaizumi Shihan demonstrated a technique, he would show it two or three times without much commentary, often only pointing out one aspect of the technique. Even though I had seen and experienced him do the same techniques hundreds of times before, I was able to pick up something new that I had not gotten in the last hundred iterations, even though it was always there. Like when dealing with a new rope made up of several intricate layers. You may not at first realize what makes up the inside of the rope. Through continuous use of the rope the outer fibers soften and even wear away, exposing the inner threads of the rope. It is only after tying knots hundreds of times that you will begin to see the true source of the strength inside the rope.

On Saturday afternoon, Imaizumi Shihan taught a set of Jo Taiso. Taiso are exercises that you do on your own that help you better understand different techniques. Each Jo Taiso concentrated on a particular skill, such as Tsuki Waza, Men Uchi Waza, Hasso Kaeshi Waza, and Nagashi Waza.

He continued with the weapons class by having his senior students demonstrate Jo 22 Kata 1 through 4. The first two kata are the same as those taught by Tohei Sensei, the last two Imaizumi Shihan had formed in the last few years.

By the end of the seminar we had done more than a hundred techniques and drank many cases of bottled water and Gatorade. The entire seminar was an experience in misogi. We cleansed ourselves through vigorous training and focused concentration.

For those unfamiliar with the UNLV Aikido Club, classes are held at the McDermott Center on campus. Jim Noriega Sensei is the chief instructor of the UNLV Aikido club and is affiliated with the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba.

A special thanks to Alex Loglia, a member of the UNLV Aikido Club and a transferred student from the New York Shin-Budo Kai dojo, for inviting Imaizumi Shihan out to Las Vegas.

The opinions and views shared in this article are solely those of the authors. None of the statements are the views of Bu Jin Design, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba, UNLV Aikido Club, Shin-Budo Kai, Shizuo Imaizumi Sensei, or Jim Noriega Sensei. Any mistakes or misinterpretations are the sole responsibility of the authors.

To learn more about Imaizumi sensei and the New York Shin Budo Kai, please visit http://www.shinbudokai.org.