15 years ago almost to the day I saw my first
explosive expression of Aikido. It was produced from the man who was to become
my Sensei. I remember he had an open approach to teaching and demonstration;
"this is what I can teach you to do". Awesome ki (life energy) levels; "this is
how I can teach you to be". And he carried an extraordinary burden, the desire
to provide for others a means to what he had learnt by travelling the hard, hard
do (way) of Iwama Ryu Aikido.
During that evening 15 years ago I remember
feeling very excited; I had found a good teacher for my children. I was not so
excited when my daughter declared that she wouldn’t join unless I did. For her
sake I joined. For myself I assumed I’d never be able to do Aikido effectively,
not with the body-related issues I had - with my spine being the way it was. I
was only going to stay for 3 months, and then bow out and watch my children
grow. As it turned out, I couldn’t seem to leave. Sensei said, "persist" to all
of us, so I persisted. And there was always something new to learn, a deeper
understanding or appreciation to focus on.
I inhabit a body that is often
a painful temple to live in, so to find and touch upon the inner-grace that lies
within all movement, this enraptured me. To discern the power that can lie
within all shape, this intrigued me. To understand the intricacies of weaving
two such shapes, attack and defence, to create a third dynamic with an
accelerated and combined power far beyond the promise of its’ component parts,
this held me spellbound. So pain or no pain, I trained and trained, enraptured,
intrigued, spellbound. Well you know how beautiful Aikido is, or can be. And if
you don’t, keep training!
I am and remain one of life’s truly fortunate
people. I have been given the knowledge and understanding of persistence. I have
learned how to wield this powerful tool to my advantage in the past, far beyond
what I thought was my capacity, and will do so in my future. I believe that all
opportunities granted us are life’s gifts. Gifts used well become tools. Tools
enhance and create further opportunities. I was born with a congenital weakness
in the lumbar region of my spine. This has formed and reformed circumstances in
and throughout my life, and has provided me with challenges that would not have
existed otherwise. This weakness has made me strong. Has forced me into an
appreciation for the absolute beauty of life, in birth, in growth, in
rebirth.
Given the excellence of my teacher, the purity and
purposefulness of Aikido, and my ever-waking desire to be open and to learn,
given all this, I know the gods have granted me gifts of abundance. I have
attended several Misogi (purification through training - bush training camps),
training Intensives, and International Seminars, all thanks to my Sensei. I have
watched my Sensei stretch himself to develop the legacy left to him by his
Sensei. And I have endeavoured to stretch myself to help him. But I have been on
borrowed time with regards to Aikido training for many years - probably 15. My
constitution and physical health has begun to wane during the past few years,
and I find myself faced with a unique opportunity to harness those skills I have
developed, and to positively reform my approach to things, especially my
body.
I had been back at work after recovering from spinal surgery for
just two days, when one of our Shodans remarked that I looked fit and well
enough to be, well let’s just say that being out there on the mats doing Aikido
was definitely implied. Not that he meant that I should be, just that I looked
like I could be. This is because I have trained Aikido for a decade and a bit.
It is because I have trained as hard as I could without breaking. Aikido has
kept me alive and functioning at a level well above the physical capacity I
would have had otherwise. And that fitness wraps itself around my weak
constitution and the damage I was born with, and fortifies it.
What I
have written is not my whole Aikido story, it would take more pages than we have
room for here, but I hope it is enough that you may understand, and feel
encouraged for your own sake. I have done very well through effort, and this is
as it should be. My surgeon has instructed me not to return to training or
teaching, and this presents me with new challenges, new vantage points, and new
opportunities. As I watch you train, it makes me smile to think that many of
you, right now, are being offered such gifts as I have been given. Train hard
and learn.
Melbourne March 2004
ULLANA TWAHN JOINED FIELD AIKIDO February 1989
ULLANA’S KYU GRADES
& THE SPECIAL EVENTS SHE TRAINED.
AUTUMN INTENSIVE 15th &
16th April 1989 A 2-day training intensive.
5th Kyu GRADING 30th April
1989
MORNING TRAINING 6.30 am-7.25 am class, attended fortnightly during
1989-90 at the Kew Micro Dojo.
WINTER MISOGI 8th & 9th July 1989 A
2-weapons training camp - Howqua River
4th Kyu GRADING 18th October
1989
SPRING MISOGI 18th & 19th November 1989 A 2-weapons training
camp - Howqua River
SUMMER INTENSIVE 13th & 14th January 1990 A 2-day
training intensive.
AUTUMN MISOGI 24th & 25th March 1990 A 2-weapons
training camp - Howqua River
3rd Kyu GRADING 1st May 1990
WINTER
MISOGI 8th & 9th July 1990 A 2-weapons training camp – Shady Creek, Neerim
East
SPRING INTENSIVE 6th & 7th October 1990 A 2-day training
intensive.
2nd Kyu GRADING 7th October 1990
AUTUMN MISOGI 23rd
& 24th March 1991 A 2-weapons training camp – Howqua River
WINTER
MISOGI 24th & 25th August 1991 A 2-weapons training camp – Shady Creek,
Neerim East
1st Kyu GRADING 10th November 1991
GRAND OPENING 29th
August 1992 FITZROY DOJO GRAND OPENING
TEACHING
EXPERIENCE.
Helped to establish Juniors classes with Sensei at
Glendalough (St Kevins Junior School) Mid 1991--1992 Helped to establish
Juniors classes with Sensei at East Melbourne (pre-Fitzroy Dojo) Mid
1991--1992
Teacher training for Senior classes during February and March
1993. Taught all daytime classes at Fitzroy on the occasion of Sensei’s
absence during the years 1993 onwards. Taught evening classes on the occasion
of Sensei’s absence during the period April 1993 until February
2003.
Taught daytime classes twice weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays from
March 1997 to August 2000 Taught evening classes on Mondays at Fitzroy 1998
until February 2003 Taught evening classes on Mondays & Fridays at
Fitzroy 2000 until February 2003
DAN RANKS AIKI-KAI (Japan)
TAIJUTSU RANKS Aiki-Kai Shodan January 1993
IWAMA RYU (Japan) TAIJUTSU
RANKS Iwama Ryu Nidan October 1994 Iwama Ryu Sandan November
1998
IWAMA RYU (Australia) TAIJUTSU RANKS Iwama Ryu Taijutsu Sandan
November 1998
IWAMA RYU (Japan)) BUKI WAZA RANKS Iwama Ryu Ken-Jo
Shodan May 2001
IWAMA RYU (Australia) BUKI WAZA RANKS Iwama Ryu Ken-Jo
Nidan October 2003 Iwama Ryu Ken-Jo Sandan October
2003
INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS ULLANA TRAINED IN
Shonan Renmei
International Friendship Aikido Camp 1st – 4th April 1994 Canberra - ACT From
Field Aikido - Michael Field Sensei attended this seminar with selected Dan
ranks.
Shihan Tetsuro Nariyama (8th Dan) 18th & 19th July 1994
Melbourne, Australia Tomiki Aikido (seminal training opportunity). This
training opportunity was attended by Michael Field Sensei and selected Dan &
Kyu ranks from Field Aikido.
Morihiro Saito Sensei 14th – 17th April 1995
Sydney, Australia.
Saburo Takayasu Sensei 30th Sept – 1st October 1995
Melbourne, Australia.
Hitohiro Saito Sensei 8th – 10th June 1996
Melbourne, Australia.
Morihiro Saito Sensei 28th – 31st March 1997
Sydney, Australia.
Hitohiro Saito Sensei 6th – 8th June 1998 Melbourne,
Australia.
Ulf Evenas Sensei June 1999 Melbourne,
Australia.
Morihiro Saito Sensei 21st - 24th April 2000 Sydney,
Australia. Ulf Evenas Sensei (Joint Seminar)
Ulf Evenas Sensei 29th
March – 1st April 2002 Melbourne, Australia.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS
ULLANA ATTENDED BUT DID NOT TRAIN
Saburo Takayasu Sensei 4th – 5th
November 2000 Melbourne, Australia.
Ulf Evenas Sensei 9th – 11th June
2001 Melbourne, Australia.
Saburo Takayasu Sensei December 2001
Melbourne, Australia.
Nemoto Sensei, Ulf Evenas Sensei, Saburo Takayasu
Sensei, and Michael Field Sensei (Joint Seminar) Easter 2003 Melbourne,
Australia |
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Twahn Senpai in Action
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