Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

I'm curious what led people to do martial arts versus some other hobby, like golf, bowling or channel surfing. Any prior experience in the martial arts? How did you find Windsong Dojo?

I learned some wrestling in high school. And I was amazed that with even a basic knowledge of ground fighting a smaller opponent could defeat a larger opponent who didn't know anything.

Then, when I was teaching English, a Japanese student of mine was a 6th dan Aikido sensei. I went to a few of his classes. Whenever I saw him, a 5' 4", 65 year old man, just absolutely making a fool out of a 5' 10", in shape, 25 year old blackbelt. It seemed to take that idea of knowledge and practice overcoming speed and strength to a new level.

I didn't stay with it in Japan because I wasn't sure how long I was going to be there. But, when I knew I'd be here for a while, I started looking for Aikido schools. I luckily found Windsong, and I'm glad that I did.

Martial arts was something I had wanted to do since childhood. The only thing we had was karate at the YMCA. I owned a few Steven Seagal movies and noticed the mention of Aikido on the back of one of them.

I had driven by Windsong's location on I-40 & Meridian (same strip mall as H&H Gun Range for those unfamilar with it), and one day wrote the number down off the sign. I called and talked with Chuck Caldwell, the owner at the time and he invited me in to watch a class.

As I parked my car one Tuesday night in January 1993, I walked toward the dojo to a very loud and rhythmic sound. I was not sure what could be going on to make such a loud noise outside the building. Ukemi. I watched class that night, and the following night. I tried a class out the next night and signed up. Been here ever since.

I feel really lucky to have Windsong as my first martial arts home. There are a lot of schools out there, lots of "Rex Kwan Do" places & McDojo's selling ranks, but this is a genuine dojo in every sense of the word. A place to learn the way, each helping one another, much like a village or a tribe.

Honestly, I've been a Japanophile for a long time. My first introduction was Robotech in the early 80's, and that started a string of anime study to get a sense of the culture that created it and other series like Urusei Yatsura, Kimagure Orange Road, etc. I understood and admired their romanticism, subtlty and sincerity much more than I did domestic entertainment which, with very few exceptions seems to be obvious and gutteral. And yes, I'm a snob.

What I liked most about that was the idea of doing your absolute best. It's a common theme in manga and amime and is utterly absent in the domestic. Although that may be a bit of a generalization, domestic entertainment seems to be goal oriented even when applying that theme whereas in manga it is nonspecific and more about reaching your potential. In other words it's the contrast between an obligation to a system versus an obligation to the self.

Unfortunately, it seems that manga is now going the way of American comics. That's not entirely true. The seeds were always there, I just chose to ignore them. You can still find good manga, and you can still find good writing in the domestic, it's just that it's becoming more rare.

Nevertheless, I am athletic, and so it's not a stretch to see that concept applied in a physical way. Gambatte, or do your best, also means to find your limits and then surpass them. Or at least, it does to me. I think that a person's potential is the only thing they truly have. Everything else can be taken away.

As for why Aikido, the concept at its base is what I find enjoyable. In explanation, I watched a BBC program that really explained it for me. I think it was called, The Way of the Warrior, or something like that. Its presentation of Aikido was that the world is both beautiful and brutal. In that I agree. It's the balance of the two that I find inspiring, because it is balance that we study. Subtle patterns of give and take create a relationship. It is complete sincerity in action. Like a moving zen; selfless, formless, and existing only in that space/time. That is the explanation of peace to me. It is what the world is: it complies with reality, adheres to the laws of the universe, and the worlds we each live in (they are quite different in each specific) and applies that in an intimate non-structure. Maybe I'll be able to explain it better in a year or two.

My story is not really unlike Kyle's. I was always interested in martial arts, but I didn't have a lot of options growing up (or at least, I wasn't aware of many). My older brother Paul started studying Shotokan karate from a guy who had studied it in the military while stationed in the Pacific (not Japan or Okinawa, but one of those islands out there). He just taught anyone who wanted to learn anywhere he could find a place to hold class. I tried it for a while starting at about 13 and got to maybe green belt. I knew I liked the idea of martial arts, but the punching and kicking thing just didn't feel right for me. (I even participated in one tournament as a white belt. Got 3rd in competition and 3rd in kata, but I don't think there were many more competitors than that!)

I thought I'd prefer a "softer" style and decided to hold off on martial arts study until I could find something more my style. I had some old "Black Belt" magazines of my brother's that I would leaf through every once in a while, dreaming about studying again someday. It wasn't until I was about to turn 20 that this girl I knew told me she was taking Aikido classes (this was at the old dojo on I-40). I'd heard about Aikido, that it was a "soft" style (meaning no kicking and punching, lighter, etc.) so I thought I'd give it a shot. I went with my friend one night in May of 1994 just to try out a class. My friend sort of disappeared shortly afterwards, but I was hooked.

After doing Aikido a while, I started Jyodo and Judo. I was in college then, and had a lot of time and no responsibilities, so I racked up a lot of classes! Over the years, though, I took several "leaves of absence" for various reasons, which stunted my progress somewhat, but I've always come back. Don't know what I'd do without it though. I hope to keep doing it until I'm old a gray!

I have always been interested in martial arts as well since I was a kid. I got into judo with a guy who lived down the street from me when I was 12. He was a Nidan I believe. He was teaching neighborhood kids in his yard and basement when it rained. I was only able to study with him for 8 months and then we moved away. Didn't get back into martial arts until my junior year in HS. We now lived in a suburban/country sort of area and a friend of mine down the streets dad knew my step-dad from working at Ford. We found out that there was an Isshin Ryu Karate class being taught at the UAW so we both decided to go. He was a bit older than me and 2 years ahead of me in HS...so I tagged along with him for a ride. That lasted a year when he graduated and went in the Marines..and I didn't pursue it further. In between we were also fortunate enough to have a guy down the road that learned Tae Kwon Do when he was in the military and stationed there during Vietnam. He taught us a bit for a few months as well...and it sorta fizziled out. It was the non-competetive TKD...not the crap you see today.

Didn't get into martial arts again till I turned 30. Thought I'd be cool and go do some BJJ over at Lavato's school. That lasted a year. I gave it up due to constant injuries. I had my shoulder dislocated and pulled a groin muscle. Not too mention all the bruises.

Then I went to Tampa for a month while I was in the Air Force. We were there to do Counter-Drug Interdiction sorties. I was having some problems in my life. I was constantly angry and need some sort of outlet. I saw a book about Aikido Spirituallity at Barnes and Noble, picked it up...read it and although the majority of the book was over my head. I thought the idea of peace from chaos was interesting. We went to Curraco after being in Tampa. That's an Island just off of Venezuela. I was there for 5 days...suppose to be there for another month....this was 11 Sept 2000. We had to cut our trip there short due to obvious reasons. Drug interdiction was put on the side for National Security. I got back here to OK....looked around and found Nick's dojo. Been here ever since. Will be a great loss for me when I move away. Hopefully, I'll find a way to come back often and continue to train.

John

watched kung fu when i was a kid --wanted to be a warrior monk like Kwai Chang Caine-- became deeply interested in Musashi's Book of Five Rings and the Tao te Ching at about 14 (these both steered me toward zen, taoism, and martial arts) --- practiced competitive heavy weapons fighting in the SCA for 5 years ( from 13-18) but became disillusioned with the violent ethic and injuries-- while recovering from mononuclosis, I read a short description of aikido in a Psychology Today magazine and liked Ueshiba's philosophy-- a buddy of mine and i happened to drive by the old old old dojo on 16th and Indiana and I had to stop and see it first hand -- watching the 17 kata the first night, it was love a first sight-- i could tell this was the real deal and i had to do it-- that was spring 1982-- been doin it ever since