20TH ANNIVERSARY OF IVANOVO AIKIDO DOJO

On the 18, 19 and May 20, a seminar was held commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Aikido Dojo of Ivanovo. The training taught by Hitohira Saito Soke, was well attended by 130 practitioners from 33 different dojos in Russia. Many practitioners did 4000 km and 6000 km to get to this seminar and to celebrate this occasion. From abroad also attended Shihan Alessandro Tittarelli from Italy and Mehmet Dogu shihan (with 4 more students), from Turkey. Our Soke arrived on Thursday afternoon by plane, an improvement of the 7 hours drive from Moscow which happened in the previous years.

On the morning of Friday Sensei and his entourage enjoyed a special massage and a spa bath. In afternoon they all visited the food market of the city and began training at 17:00.

There were 8 normal keikos and 2 special keiko. For the taijutsu practice sensei taught different techniques of morote dori, shomenuchi, and yokomenuchi ushiro waza. There were also practices of tankendori and tachidori.

For the practice of bukiwaza there were many outdoor workouts because the weather was fine. Suburi the aiki ken, ken awase and happogiri were practiced on this occasion. Saito Senei also taught the Aikijo suburi, the 31 kata and kumijo (only the first 3 for lack of time). In the first special keiko sensei taught kumitachi and kumitachi in henka. In the second special keiko Sensei taught the Kentaijo and the kentaijo no henka.

On Saturday afternoon, Sergey Botov organized a party to celebrate the visit of Sensei and the 20th anniversary of Ivanovo Aikido Club. The party started at 16:00 and ended at 22:00 and Sensei remained during the entire party. Sensei went to Moscow where he still had time to visit great food market, the “Belaya Dacha.”

Congratulations to the Takemusu Aiki Dento Iwama Ryu Ivanovo practitioners and especially to their Sensei Sergey Botov!