• • • Writings from us! • • •

We ask the children who receive promotion to 6th kyu to share with us 'Why they like Aikido.' The following are the writings of Two Cranes Aikido's first green belt candidates.

Why I like aikido and what it helps me with.

-by Leah Perlmutter

Those are the two questions. What are the answers? Keep reading and you will find out.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to fly? I haven't because I know. I never have actually flown, but I have done a forward roll. That feels like flying, and I love it. If people ask me why I like Aikido I usually always say the same thing even though it is not the only reason. I answer: because you can defend yourself without hurting other people. This is true. I hate and may I repeat hate, hurting people. Also of course I hate getting hurt.

I don't exactly know how to explain the next reason I like Aikido. It is sort of the flow, being grounded and extending all mixed together. Like, for example, in Aidori Irimi-nage, when you make the big wave, that is what I am talking about. I also like helping people. Since I started Aikido I have made millions of new friends. When people need help I like to help them. Besides everything else, it's just plain fun.

I really like Aikido, but it also helps me with a few things. Having fire is the first one. I watched a video of my orange belt test. When I did shomen strikes my hand just flopped up and down. Now I can actually do the strike. It also helps me in school. In third grade I never used to raise my hand, and when I had to talk I would do it as soft as a mouse. Now I raise my hand more and speak louder.

I really enjoy Aikido and I am planning to keep going. I think I will keep doing it until I get a tenth degree black belt or more!

Why I like aikido and what it helps me with

-by Jonathan Stuber

I like Aikido because I gain energy and balance. When I went snowboarding for the first time it was not as hard because I had balance. Aikido is something that I can go and let all my worries off and just play and learn so much.

Aikido is something that I think all of us should do because it holds a power so great that it is kind of sad that people who don't respect it can't hold that power. But I still wish that everyone could hold that power. When we bow in and say those Japanese words, I always keep my head down a little bit longer because that is the way of showing respect to O'sensei. To me O'sensei is a great warrior and a great soldier. I really wish that I could have traveled with him. Now I feel so comfortable doing a high fall and I hope that I can get the time to train in some of the adult classes.

Aikido also helps me with my poetry that I write. When I am mad at someone or discouraged over something, I just think about Aikido and it all stops. Well I must end this one page report on the reason that I do Aikido.

Monkey Sensei

-By Fritz Amer

Once upon a time there was big trouble in the rainforest. Trouble, which starts with T, my friend. And T was the start of the big trouble. Tigers!

The tigers of the rainforest floor were eating their neighbors in the mid-layers, the monkeys. Needless to say, the monkeys were not a little upset by this unfriendly conduct. They felt, and rightly so I believe, that as sentient beings they had not been placed on earth to provide the tigers with monkeyfinger sandwiches for their tea parties. But, what to do! What to do! They talked and debated and chattered, incessantly. The forest rocked and clanged with their ferocious, fearful yammering.

Until one day, an outsider passed through and heard their story. He hunched down on a high branch and solemnly picked a few nits from his head, which in monkey body language is a precursor to wise counsel. "In my land there is talk of a legendary Aikido sensei. Perhaps, he could aid you for, though he is very old, his skill matches his years." All the monkeys were VERY excited! And if you've ever seen one excited monkey, then imagine what bedlam ensued as a whole band of monkeys began cheering, shaking branches, hooting and scratching their armpits for joy. The very next day a message was dispatched begging for his help.

The monkeys waited in great anticipation. And while they waited, they prepared. Well, they tried to prepare but the monkeys were such an argumentative bunch that nothing had been accomplished, even after 2 weeks. They were all agreed that this simian of renown should be received with great pomp. This was the first and last thing they DID agree on. Should they drum him into the forest or chant while hanging upside down? Should they serve guava and locusts or bananas and ants at the banquet to be held in honor of their great savior? Yet, while the monkeys bickered, the tigers continued to have monkeyburgers with their fries.

One evening the monkeys were quarreling about the placement of the orchids in the banqueting hall and things got out of hand. They began by a-yanking and a-pulling and ended by tearing the lovely flowers apart until a carpet of soft purple petals covered the floor. Then a chill ran up and down their spines, a silence oppressed their ears and every eye turned toward the doorway. There stood the source of the silence. There stood monkey sensei.

The monkeys stood, dumbstruck, as monkey sensei walkedá.no, strode into the hall. He bowed and said, "Let us train." This threw them into confusion and dismay.

Finally, the monkey president stepped forward and demanded, angrily, "What do you mean?! We haven't signed up for lessons! We sent for you to come and vanquish those devouring beasts! That's what we're paying you for!"

Monkey sensei bowed (sensei's do a lot of bowing) and replied, "The tigers are not your true enemies. Your enemy is inside yourselves. It is your fear. Face your demons and your adversaries will fall before you."

The monkeys liked hearing this none too well because, basically, sensei was saying that their problems were their own responsibility. He would help them but they'd have to handle eachand every furry problem themselves.

The disgruntled monkeys settled down to train. And train they did! day in and day out, all day long. They progressed quickly because monkeys are natural rollers and rolling is the hardest part of Aikido. They all were able to learn a great deal, but one surpassed all the others. And the day came when, monkey sensei took the little, brown-eyed girl monkey aside and said, "Though you are small and only 5 years old, the responsibility of dealing with the tigers falls upon you."

The little, brown-eyed girl monkey frowned, crossed her arms and said, "Why do I have to? It's not my job!"

Sensei smiled (as sensei's will), "Ahhh, but it is, my dear. Your skill is as great as my own and that makes us responsible for helping others to find the way of harmony. Help the tigers and you will help yourself."

The little, brown-eyed girl monkey stuck out her lower lip and stomped off to her pouting place. She pouted for 12 days and 12 nights. But she found that no matter how much she pouted and fumed and grumped and huffed she could not escape the truth of the sensei's words.

On the 13th day she stood up and went bravely to confront the tigers. The tigers were lolling and lazing, belching and burping down by the water hole. When they saw the little, brown-eyed girl monkey approaching them, a little tiger voice piped up, "Here comes dessert!"

The little, brown-eyed girl monkey stood confidently in the midst of the tigers and exclaimed, "Friends, you must no longer eat monkeys. No more monkeysfoot jelly, no more monkey, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, no more monkaroni and cheese."

I'll tell you! tigers won't stand for any kind of sass, so without a word of warning they attacked. Tigers are strong, fast and lithe, but the little, brown-eyed girl monkey was ready. She used every technique she had learned in the dojo: tail-tenkan, clawirimi and monkidori, to name a few.

The battle raged. It shook the leaves of the canopy above and the roots of the thousand-year old trees sunk deep into the earth. After many hours the little, brown-eyed girl monkey began to tire; it was past her naptime. But she knew she must persevere even if it meant missing her afternoon snack. So she centered her energy and calmed her spirit and continued tossing tigers right and left, until the tigers began to tire! Finally, most of them hung, panting for breath, in the branches of the trees like wet laundry. Only the two greatest, the toughest tigers were left.

They attacked her from either side! The little, brown-eyed girl monkey, in the most aiki fashion imaginable, stepped backward out of the way so that the tigers ran smack dab into each other, banged their heads and fell to the ground. Before they could regain their feet, she knelt and pinned them with whisker-nikio.

Thereafter, the tigers only had to be reminded once or twice a year to refrain from eating monkeys and the rainforest was a much more harmonious place.

-The end

© 1999 Fritz Amer