On Saturday and Sunday, a training course was held at our dojo led by the head of Sansuikai Germany, Sensei Jochen Maier from Rosenheim.
For me, this was my first encounter with him, and a very instructive one at that. Anyone who already knows Jochen Maier is aware that, alongside his expertise in aikido, he possesses a deep understanding of yoga teachings. In practice, this meant that breathing and mindfulness formed the cornerstones of his seminars.
Over the two days, we had a total of four training sessions, each of which we began and ended with breathing exercises. After a long break from practising Aikido, I was absolutely delighted to be doing the basic warm-up and breathing exercises again, especially the well-known rowing exercise, Fune Kogi Undo.
It wasn’t just hot outside this weekend. Honing the basic techniques and key movements of Aikido also left us glowing. It was therefore very pleasant, after the long training session, when we met up for a meal on Saturday evening at a nearby restaurant. Naturally, as is customary on such occasions, we chatted about God – pardon me – about Aikido and the world. Jochen Maier Sensei dedicated Sunday’s final training session specifically to Jo-Kata and Kumi-Jo, which are also an integral part of his seminars.
It’s just a shame there were so few of us. But let’s look ahead and make sure we take the time next year to learn Aikido from and with Jochen Maier.
English (UK)