lihue

Behind the Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Lihue, Kauai, is the dojo for the Lihui Aiki Kai. I showed up without a dogi and after a short conversation was offered a clean used one for that night’s training. The class, attended by eight mudansha at all levels of experience, was taught by the daisempai and focused on clean aikikai-style aikido, including kokyunage and shihonage. I began by working with another black belt who gave me considerable resistance in a friendly but martial way, and who I found out later was the sensei. After we threw each other around a bit, I had a chance to work with everyone else and we all enjoyed our practice — sewating profusely in the balmy island night. A few days later I was back for the sensei’s class, and enjoyed it even more, feeling at home and accepted. We retured to the parking lot after class for cold refreshments and conversation. Driving back to the Kiahuna in the balmy darkness, reggae playing in the rental car, I felt like I wanted to move there for retirement.

Their morotedori kokyunage had an interesting entry: pushing ever so slightly into uke’s grip to feel connection and then abruptly backing off to drop the elbow into the empty space created. I tried sevel other versions that I know and it was clear by the resistance they weren’t buying it. Nor was too much pressure or moving into uke accepted either. What they wanted was a slight push to connect followed by a release that enabled the entry. Worked.

My shihonage also exposed the ol’ hand behind the head weakness, much as I try to avoid it. The sensei’s approach was simply to slide forward under the arm before turning, thus getting on the other side without having the pivot directly on the head as in Birankai style. It seemed so classical, reminding me of Mission Rebels and Turk Street, that I was amazed I had forgotten that simple move.

Finally, although the approach was generally traditional, their kokyudosa was unlike any I had seen, and I found it difficult if not impractical. The initial movement was sideways and up on the toes, then forward with arms projected. I was told not to lean forward, but to keep my back straight, and it felt slightly off balance against uke’s projection. The quick movement of going up on the toes while moving laterally (especially with knees somewhat close together as I observed in some) seemed also easily imballanced. I tried repeating their kokyudosa for a couple of people on the mat in Alameda and couldn’t do it well enough to be convincing. With any luck I’ll be back to that pleasant dojo on the garden isle to practice again soon.

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