Today's Schedule:

5:15-6:15pm Aikido Fundamentals. Bill Allen

6:30-7:30pm Aikido. Mark Ty

Eric Russell from Washington, DC, will be in practice tonight. it is his last practice before returning home. Please come for practice.

Seminar Impressions:

I hope that all of the participants of Isoyama Sensei's Seminar learned a great deal and enjoyed themselves. Isoyama Sensei focused on many points of practice which he observed were lacking among the students and I was always impressed with his keen observation and insight into what to teach. Of course, an experienced teacher immediately sees what needs to instructed and focuses on these points. During the seminar, he spent a greatly deal of time to explain the proper etiquette and manners which all Aikido students must know. And I was surprised, for the first time, to see that he went into so much detail into very fine points of proper conduct which are almost never covered in a seminar or regular classes. There were some points which even modern Japanese today in Japan are not very aware of. For this, I was very grateful to Isoyama Sensei to present such rare lessons.

Whenever I attend such seminars, I always come away very sad and with the usual regrets. I always see my students as techically advanced and in good shape for any intensity of training but there is always a lacking in proper conduct and attitude and I come away envious and jealous of other teachers who have such devoted and respectful students. I suppose that skill and knowledge breed a kind of arrogance and vanity among our own students and I continually blame myself for this. I must always come face to face with my own glaring incompetence.

I have to chase after students for three days for not paying their seminar fees. This is most embarrassing for me and takes time and attention away from my duties to Isoyama Sensei and efforts to help make the seminar a success. I ask my own students for something and it turns into World War III, my students cannot do anything unless the attention is focused on themselves. Beginning students complaining because the seminar did not meet their expectations. Among my students, is so much "me, me, me." I have who cannot even respond normally to me but just look at my blankly. I proudly introduced two of my senior students to Isoyama Sensei and they could only look at him blankly without saying anything. . . . not even a proper greetings. Later, on two occasions, Isoyama Sensei pointed out the proper way to reply because of this . . . . Although I am not the host and not feeling well, I was still trying to do my best towards the success of the seminar by helping Isoyama Sensei in areas which were overlooked, yet, not one of my students ever came by to see what I was doing or made an effort to help me, except for one, most senior student. No one came to learn from me what I was doing. Luckily, a little praise from Isoyama Sensei made me so happy. All my students were on the other saide of the mat away from me to practice with the black belts and this is good and recommended, but a proper student would never be far from his teacher's side. As I was trying to be close to Isoyama Sensei to make sure he was comfortable and his needs could be met right away. Not one of my own students observed this or followed my example. My students can arrogantly criticize this and that about others, but never bother to observe their own conduct and failings and try to correct them. Does this vanity and arrogance come from me as your teacher?

I was so embarrassed and ashamed for this. I feel my students are all good students but when did everyone become so self-centered and over confident? Of course, I blame my own incompetence and lacking in talent.

I had a wonderful experience over the last three days with Isoyama Sensei whom I consider one of the most important teachers and guides in my life at this point. Only one students knows of the troubles I went to to prepare for this. Regretably, this experience was only marred by the presence of my students. . . . . .