13-15 March – Vienna – Shimizu Makoto, 7.dan
These is only one way to start this post, exactly like the previous one for Jan Nevelius:
..wow.. WOW.. WOW.. WOW!!!!
One more “wow” since Shimizu, 清水, sensei is 7.dan but also because, even it was my first time at his seminars, I am so sure it will not be the last.. oh no! It has been a great Aikido weekend, the best continuation after the previous seminar with Jan, and one of the best in a very long time with a “new” (for me) sensei!
First of all I want to thank Margit for having convinced me to participate to this seminar in Vienna: I really like to practice at Meiyukai dojo in Vienna and meeting the people there, a lovely atmosphere that makes it easier to learn and improve. Among my favorite European dojos, even if I admit I haven’t visited so many. That is one of the reasons I really hope I will be able to grade to nidan there, with Endo sensei.
But this is future stuff..
Back to this weekend, what I especially appreciated of Shimizu sensei was his way of practicing almost every technique with all the people on the mats. Often he even showed the technique with alternating all the people as uke.
This seminar reminded in some ways to Frank Noel seminar at Vanadis dojo in Stockholm, Sweden. Another 7.dan sensei taking part to a not too large seminar, therefore able to practice with every participants and give essential feedback just from the contact, the feeling that these high ranked instructor can transmit. And, I must add, I am missing from many many seminars with Endo sensei, not being lucky enough to be chosen by him as uke.
For this reason, I think I will try next year to practice more with Shimizu sensei: he spends a whole week in Europe, traveling from Vienna (Meiyukai dojo) to Dornbirn, Otto’s dojo (Aikido Dojo Dornbirn) and next to Dortmund, Achim’s club (Aikido Dojo Dortmund). I admit that I felt sad I could not follow sensei, Margit and the other people already this year!
More technical about the seminar, we worked a lot with contact and control of the contact, without using force, without pushing (yes, I know, I got much to work on that!) or pulling.. Very good work with shomen uchi, 正面 打ち, and we went through the four ways to receive the attack (front or back hand, inside or outside), sort of Endo sensei material! I had a very challenging and satisfying practice with a Japanese close student of sensei, Fukumori-san (Funabashi Aikido Doyukai, 船橋合気道道友会), working on shomen uchi jiyu waza applying these four variations.
In fact, the presence of two close students of sensei, Fukumori-san and Saori-chan (little girl!! 
very nice Aikido!), made even more rich an already great seminar! I hope to see them again, maybe in Japan, my goal for next year! 
Another great “feature” of sensei was that in three days of practice he did not say almost any word: having the chance to make us feeling the technique, words become unnecessary, even if he can speak English!
