|
|
Shindo
Yoshiko Sensei and the Aikido Shindo Dojo
by Lisa Tomoleoni
September of 1984 marked the opening of Aikido Shindo Dojo in Tokyo, Japan, with Yoshiko Shindo Sensei, now Aikikai fifth dan, as the chief instructor.
Shindo is one of a small handful of women in Japan who are aikido instructors. She was born in Tokyo in 1947. At the age of 19 she began studying Nihon Buyo, traditional Japanese dance. At the age of 22 she began practicing kendo, in which she had had an interest since childhood. She went to the tai-ikukan, or sports center, near her house. The club there happened to practice keisatsu kendo, or police kendo, which is known for its ferociousness. Shindo Sensei is a small woman and, as she relates, was "A skinny little thing at the time. I went into the dojo, a bit intimidated because all the club members were yudansha--third dan and up, and they were all practicing very intensely. And there were no other women. I went up to the sensei, very timidly, and said, 'Uhhh, Sensei, I think I'd like to begin training in kendo, sir.' He replied 'Kendo training is very intense. Can you come every day?'"
Shindo Sensei replied "Yes." the sensei said, "It is not for the timid-hearted. You may get hit a few times, or many times. Is this OK?"
Shindo Sensei replied "Yes, I think so." And so she began her training. She reflects, "Sensei was right! I got hit many times, but liked the training. I learned things I later took with me to aikido practice, such as timing, and proper distance."
Shindo continued this practice and earned the rank of third dan. In 1972, at the suggestion of a friend, she began to practice aikido. Shindo sensei was attracted to aikido because of its emphasis on creating harmony, while still being a martial art. She was looking for a budo through which she could polish her spirit, and found this in aikido.
Shindo began her aikido training at the Edogawa Sports Center, a branch dojo of Aikikai Hombu Dojo. After a year she began studying at Hombu Dojo, where she had the opportunity to study with many instructors. Shindo sensei was influenced by many of them, but considers the primary influence to have come from Doshu Ueshiba Kisshomaru and the present Hombu Dojocho, Ueshiba Moriteru.
When she first began aikido, she trained with the intensity that she had developed in kendo, a very hard style. She enjoyed taking hard ukemi, breakfalls and the like, and throwing her partners hard in return. She recalls, "Sometimes I would stay after class and ask a sempai (senior student) to throw me 50 or 100 times. Sometimes all of these would be koshinage."
Many time during class the teacher would hover near her and her partner, hoping there would be no injuries. As time passed, Shindo sensei experienced some things in her life that caused her to change her feelings about practice. She noticed that some people were afraid to practice with her. This made her think about what she was doing. She realized that she had to be able to match all people; that the point of aikido was harmonizing with everyone, not just the people that liked breakfalls.
She began to develop a softer side in addition to her hard side, allowing herself to be at whatever point on the aikido continuum her partner happened to be at that time.
"This flexibility in my training gave me so many new things to study, in addition to widening the number of people I could train with. Aikido is about awaseru, or joining. You cannot force your partner to perform at a level he or she cannot perform at. It is not aikido to push someone farther than is possible. I learned more about becoming a teacher once I changed my practice style than I had up to that point. . . Now I train many different ways--hard, soft, in between. . .But I like hard training a lot!" Shindo says with a smile.
During the first few years of her aikido training, Shindo also continued her kendo training. A usual daily schedule consisted of morning aikido practice (6:30-7:30 a.m.), work (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), one or two hours of aikido training in the evening, immediately followed by an hour of kendo practice. After the evening aikido practice was finished, she would drive to the kendo dojo, still wearing her aikido keiko gi and hakama, as there was no time to change. Her aikido gi always had blue crossed lines on the back and blue sleeves from wearing the kendo equipment.
In addition to her martial training, Shindo is also a member of the World Peace Prayer Society. This group was founded by Masahisa Goi in Japan in 1955. The organization is dedicated to raising peace consciousness by spreading the affirmation "May Peace Prevail on Earth."
Goi sensei and O-sensei were very supportive of each other, as they believed their respective paths had the same goal. At the age of 22 Shindo became a deshi, or student, of Goi sensei. For seven years, she spent her days working alongside him, learning from him, and spending her evenings training in budo. The experiences she gained from this period have influenced her aikido tremendously. She believes the purpose of aikido training is not simply physical. Instead, the purpose is to polish ourselves spiritually.
Shindo believes in hard, strong practice, but not as an end unto itself. Rather it is the vehicle through which we can better ourselves. She maintains that it is important to teach aikido students that aikido is a path for self-development, not for defeating or breaking down other people, physically or spiritually. Of course, correct technique is also important. The practice of proper technique with the proper attitude, that of training for self-development rather than defeating others, will result in improvement of many kinds, physical and spiritual.
Shindo sensei says "Aikido is about where you are in the world, and exchanging energy with your partner. It's not about only developing your body. When I teach I try to impart this idea to my students, to make them see the larger meaning of aikido, and to do more than achieve an aerobic workout. I want my students to think about why they are on the mat. I want them to take something home with them after class besides where to put your left foot at this point in ikkyo omote."
In 1984 Shindo Sensei opened Aikido Shindo Dojo. Her goal in creating the dojo was to have a place to teach others, and practice herself, these ideas of polishing the spirit. Her dojo has children's and adult classes, for both men and women. She doesn't consider Shindo Dojo to be "her dojo."
"This dojo is all of the members' dojo. I built it for my students. Without their energy and assistance, this dojo would not be in existence today. I also built it for O-sensei and Goi sensei, out of respect for them and what they have offered to the world. This dojo is a place where we respect those ideals and work towards embodying them. I always feel as if they are both watching over me. This is why I have both of their pictures on the tokonoma, out of my respect and love for them and what they believed in."
In addition to teaching at her own dojo, Shindo likes to travel, and will often give seminars at dojo in other countries, such as America, Saipan, Australia, and Taiwan, to name a few. Any dojo interested in scheduling a seminar can contact Shindo Dojo, through the information listed below.
Aikido Shindo Dojo also has an uchideshi, or live-in student program. Shindo sensei realized that many people have the desire to visit Japan and train in aikido, but it is difficult due to many variables such as housing and obtaining a visa. Shindo would like to make this opportunity available to people, and also to help bring the aikido world closer together. With this in mind, Aikido Shindo Dojo has created the uchideshi program.
Members of this program will live alongside Shindo, learning from her in aikido practice and daily life, as they gain the skills necessary in becoming an aikido instructor. Program participants will also have the opportunity to study Japanese language and culture, and to gain the experience of living in another country for a time. Those interested in learning more about Yoshiko Shindo Sensei or Aikido Shindo Dojo can contact: Aikido Shindo Dojo Higashisuna 2-3-2, Koto-ku, Tokyo 136, Japan telephone: 813-3645-5847, fax: 813-5690-4821, email: shindo@gol.com.
More on the Uchideshi Program of Aikido Shindo Dojo
Aikido Shindo Dojo, an Aikikai-affiliated dojo in Tokyo, now has an uchideshi program available for men and women. Yoshiko Shindo sensei, Aikikai fifth dan, has decided that there is a need to provide foreign aikido students with the opportunity to experience life as an uchideshi (live-in student) in Japan. She recognizes that often people want such an experience in Japan, but there are many difficulties, such as obtaining a visa, finding a dojo, finding a sponsor, finding affordable housing, and many other hardships.
With this in mind, Shindo sensei has created the uchideshi program. Shindo Dojo will provide support of many sorts to the people who come to train, including visa assistance and Japanese language classes. In addition to the uchideshi program, Aikido Shindo Dojo also has living space available for people wishing to visit Japan for a short while to train, but who do not want the commitment that goes with joining the uchideshi program.
One advantage Shindo Dojo can provide for foreigners who do not yet speak Japanese is that aikido classes are taught in both Japanese and English, according to necessity.
Shindo comments, "I think it's wonderful that people from other countries want to come to Japan and train and experience another way of life. I know that the high cost of living in Japan, especially Tokyo, makes it difficult. Also, I realize it is difficult to obtain a visa without assistance from a Japanese person or organization. I want to make Japan more accessible to people who truly wish to experience it. . . I believe everyone is of one family, especially those of us who share aikido, and I wish to help everyone grow together and share experiences."
People interested in this program can contact Shindo Dojo through the information below. Lisa Tomoleoni, Shindo Dojo, Higashisuna 2-3-2 Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 136 Fax: 81-3-5690-4821, email: shindo@gol.com