Thanks!
Dear Aiki Extensions Supporter -Please consider posting this message on your dojo notice board or otherwise sharing with colleagues, along with your contact info. This message can also be found online at this link (http://www.aiki-extensions.org/newdecade.pdf ), if that is an easier way for you to share.------------------------------On behalf of Aiki Extensions, I would like to extend the greetings of the season - of the recent past: the festival of lights, of the winter solstice, and of the yuletide - and greetings of the immediate future: the birth of the next decade.--------------- Greetings, in particular, to all of you who believe aikido can help improve the world we share. Greetings to those who would rather imagine the world as it should be, and then work to realize that vision, or support those already on the front lines wielding the practical wisdom and strategic insight of aikido to make the world better than it was . . .Greetings to the heros already making a difference, and to all of those who just might have such a hero inside themselves ready to come out.° Heros like Paul Linden - who uses aiki-principles as an award-winning somatic educator for victims of abuse (http://www.being-in-movement.com/ )° Heros like Jamie Zimron begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting - who uses aikido as the foundation for peace efforts in Israel and the West Bank (http://www.aikidomideastpeace.info/ )° Heros like Bill Leicht begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting - who as coordinator of AE's Peace Dojos International weaves martial arts schools of many styles together to work more effectively for peace. (http://aikiext.org/Projects/Peace_Dojos ), who developed the original Bronx Peace Dojo and who helped found Peace Dojo Lua Branca in Columbia. (http://urbanvisions.us/)° Heros like Jose Bueno Marinho - who established an aikido program for kids in the favela slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil° Heros like Brandon WilliamsCraig - who wields aiki-principles in his work networking community-builders (http://bdwc.net)° Heros like Charles Colten begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting - who is implementing an aikido-in-the-schools curriculum for K-12 education (www.aikidointheschools.com)° Heros like Tekele Tesfaye - the first yudansha in Ethiopia, who runs a multi-ethnic aikido and circus arts program for kids in the villages and refugee centers, where they put on shows of acrobatics and aikido to draw attention prior to distributing AIDS education material. (http://www.aiki-extensions.org/projectsAwassa.asp )These people, and many other like them, are as close as most of us will get to a knight in shining armor. Each of these has embarked on their own quest, and they are all inspired by O Sensei's particular and powerful code of chivalry. Each is taking their understanding of aikido out of the dojo and into a non-traditional environment - an elementary classroom, a physical therapy clinic, an after-school program, a business consultancy, a psychology practice, a youth-violence prevention program, a recording studio, a police academy, etc.Your dojo probably has someone who belongs on this list - and Aiki Extensions would like to hear about it.Please email us about them (info@aiki-extensions.org), or give their information to any Aiki Extensions member (such as the one who posted this letter). We need to know about them because it is our mission to be the Round Table bringing all these aiki-knights together, providing them with support, and encouraging them to continue on their respective quests.If you would like to know more about earning your way onto a list like this - join as at www.Aiki-Extensions.org.If you want to help us continue to support all of this aiki-inspired activity - your tax-deductible contributions can be made online here:Yours,Robert Kent begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, PresidentAiki Extensions Inc.650.365.6432
Aiki Extensions is a nonprofit network of aikido practitioners who take aiki principles off the mat and into the world in areas like youth violence prevention, K-12 conflict-resolution curricula, business consulting, psychotherapy, and Israeli/Palestinian peace programs.
Labels: aiki, aikiextensions, honmen, professional
| posted by Brandon @ 5/10/2010 03:41:00 PM
Training in any martial art can be character building, teach one to deal more calmly with fear, and increase the chances that conflicts will be averted or end up less violently than in the hands of somebody who panics and either runs or escalates without thinking. Extending this beyond physical conflict, the principles shared by martial training and authentic relationship or good citizenship have been explored around the world through time, from ancient empires to contemporary nation-states. Believe it or not, this relationship is not obvious to everyone and needs to be made explicit in order to increase the number of people ready and able to work through conflict toward a best outcome for everyone involved, in short, to make peace.
Though martial arts can increase the capacity for peace-making they can also increase the tendency to respond with casual aggression to any and all conflict. They can also build in the habit of treating all conflict as a simple win-lose equation where rapid victory at any cost is the most highly valued approach. This depends on how a martial art is taught and practiced.
Making the peace-building qualities of martial training "explicit," in this case, means a series of clear (martial) choices -- hours, dollars, and attention must be devoted to the teachers, students, and practitioners who explicitly teach, learn, and practice even the most dynamic and physical of arts as though the highest value of the training involves changing the rules of conflict as a whole so that even the most difficult differences are an opportunity to learn while insisting that nobody loses their soul, heart, or life in the process. This defeats the cycle of violence in a way that uncomplicated Victory and Defeat cannot. The martial arts do this with physical conflict, with subtle undertones reaching into all areas of life as arts do, while the process arts facilitate this rule-changing processing of conflict while differences in groups are not actively being expressed as physical violence.
If you value the peace-building qualities of the arts of conflict, then make this explicit. Become an active member of Aiki Extensions, get involved with Nonviolent Communications, Processwork, or Association Building Community. If you are looking for a dojo, ask out loud if the teaching is explicitly oriented toward peace-making and choose to support the teachers who not only know what this means but can clearly demonstrate their process arts skills off the mat. Celebrate them with posts to your blog, Twitter, and Facebook accounts and review them on Google Maps, Yelp, and other sites.
Make the connection explicit between your thirst for peace and honest conflict work. Ask for it. Talk it up. Use whatever means are at your disposal. Today. Please.
Labels: aiki, aikiextensions, conflict, processarts
| posted by Brandon @ 11/11/2009 01:00:00 PM
from: http://www.bujindesign.com/seminar_reviews/2009_07_article_1.html
AIKIDO & PSYCHOTHERAPY: The First Workshop
Contributed by Paul Rest, 2nd dan
On March 7th of this year, a day-long workshop was held at Kayla Feder's dojo in Berkeley, CA.� The purpose was twofold: First, to explore the intersection of these two disciplines, Aikido and Psychotherapy.� Second, to provide Continuing Education credits for those therapists attending who are licensed in the State of California.
The workshop was also a benefit for Aiki Extensions and the great work that organization is doing.� David Lukoff was the driving force behind the effort.� Participating with David were Beth Tabakin, Brandon Williams Craig, Jamal Granick, Patrick Faggianelli, Kayla Feder Sensei and myself.� The workshop began early Saturday morning with a review of dojo etiquette and an overview of the workshop. Kayla Sensei then bowed us in.� I gave a brief introduction about Aikido and O Sensei, directed to those present who were in the psychotherapy field and were being exposed to Aikido for the first time.
David then gave an introduction to the background on the writing and research that has been done to date on Aikido and Psychotherapy.� Referenced in his remarks was a paper he and Patrick had written in 2006 in The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (Vol. 38, No. 2) titled "Aikido and Psychotherapy: A Study of Psychotherapists Who Are Aikido Practitioners."� (This is available on David's web site: www.spiritualcompetency.com.)
David and Beth then gave an informative talk on Aikido as a practice of self-care for those in the helping professions.� Beth mentioned how some of the breathing and movement practices from Aikido have helped her clients who have worked with her in her private practice.
Then Jamal addressed the workshop on the topic of "Presence."� At various times during his presentation, he had the group do an exercise where, following his lead/movements, we all did a ki-ai together.� This was not just a "follow the leader" exercise but one where we all looked ahead with a relaxed gaze and "felt" more than "saw" Jamal's initiating the ki-ai.� From the first "ki-ai," which we all admitted sounded jagged, to one where it began to sound like we were beginning to link up to the last one where we all had the "presence" to "ki-ai" in unison, we all gained a deeper understanding of the power of presence.
We then took a break for a shared lunch.� As at most gatherings where Aikidoists are present, the pizzas disappeared quickly!� It was also a time where those presenting and those attending had an opportunity to informally talk and share.
After lunch, Patrick discussed his work as a licensed psychologist in the prison system and also his private practice.� Patrick related the experiences he had had with his dissertation interviewing therapists who had Aikido training.� During the interview process he conducted, often involving more than one session, Patrick related how his interviewees came to realize that they had either been using some of what they had learned in Aikido as a self-help/self-centering/self-healing tool in their practice(s) or were seeing how it could be used.
David and Beth next presented their insights into "Learned Optimism." Focusing on "learned optimism" as a core concept in "the evolving field of 'positive psychology'," various studies were discussed.� It was also brought to everyone's attention that Saotome Sensei has often remarked that an optimistic philosophy is not enough; you must also train the body.� We all did the two-step where we began by repeating to ourselves a "pessimistic self-statement."� Then, we did the same two-step with an "optimistic self-statement."� We all could see and feel the differences between "A" and "B."�
After a brief break, we all practiced a randori in small groups, learning to move with incoming energy/conflict by moving off the line and out of harm's way.� For the non-Aikidoists and non-martial artists present, this was a new and challenging way to move.� As we continued the practice, it became exciting and fun.� Before long, everyone had the flow of the randori and the mat began to look like an Aikido class.
I gave additional remarks about the growth and development of Low Impact Aikido followed by Brandon discussing, "Integration."� Brandon brought up the work Aiki Extensions is doing and his work with AE.� He also addressed his work in conflict facilitation and how his Aikido practice has informed this.� Speaking from his dual backgrounds in Mythology and Psychology, Brandon noted the how the two fields have intertwined in his own work along with his practice of Aikido.
David closed the workshop with a heartfelt thank-you to Kayla Sensei for the use of her dojo and the warm hospitality.� The workshop provided a great blend of the material that needed to be presented for the Continued Education certificates while allowing ample room for questions and discussions among those present.� It was agreed that another workshop be scheduled about the same time next year.
For those wishing to receive more information please contact David Lukoff or myself and we'll do our best to provide you with the material requested or answer your questions.
Paul Rest lives in Sonoma County, CA.� He trains at Two Rock Aikido (http://www.tworockaikido.com) under Richard Strozzi-Heckler, 6th dan.� He has written numerous articles about Low Impact Aikido ("Aikido for Everyone") and on other Aikido topics.� He can be reached at paulrest@paulrest.com or at poetry@sonic.net.�
Labels: AiBerk, aiki, Aikido, aikiextensions, demo, professional
| posted by Brandon @ 7/10/2009 08:19:00 PM
While walking Francisco the Dog today, I waited at a light as a suit explained to his lunch companion that "nobody is buying anything right now unless it saves them money." "Too true," thought I. And then it hit me. That's the whole pitch right there for paying NOW for an Aiki Extensions administration. All it needs is clear and compelling evidence to explain it to people who don't look at our history and financial records on a daily basis, in other words, everybody but me. Here we go.
Creating and sustaining projects from which vulnerable people benefit costs an ad hoc network more money (not to mention the strain on good will and donor exhaustion) than the same projects would with a professional administration. Straight up. Let the current attempts to establish a dedicated office fail and you pay way more going forward.
Sorry to expose "industry secrets" but the cycle goes something like this:
- define/realize a need (Ação Harmonia Brasil, Awassa Peace Dojo, soon Warriors for Peace Philippines and Lua Branca in Colombia, Peace Dojos International, etc.)
- ramp up #1: grab and begin training volunteers, start scrounging for cash, make promises to the potential recipient's and your network, begin learning how to work together with a different team in this particular context, etc.
- create an event or other discrete target towards which the amassed energy may be unleashed in an attempt at establishing a prototype for change
- ramp up #2: drive toward the target, building momentum as the time gets shorter, energy gets more focused, and the exposure of the need gets more widely visible and sexier
- reach the no-turning-back point and commit the reserves, if there were any
- realize it will cost more than anyone had projected and redouble fundraising with an emergency edge
- produce the event that is the intervention at the target area
- change the lives of those closest to the area such that they benefit and their expectations are lifted to hope for a new level of support
- document it as well as you can given the limited resources
- realize the financial and relational shortfalls as the energy ebbs and the clear target falls into history, spending more energy than anyone knew was even available
- "Wow. Imagine what would have been possible if we'd started planning earlier or had more money."
- discover that different decisions-makers in every camp supporting the process have different needs toward which they will continue to push despite the new complexities the change has created
- struggle with each other using less wisdom than is available
- attempt to retain a tiny reserve of personal energy by getting distance from as many conflicts as possible and smoothing over differences to be able to call the project alive and have a hope of fundraising Next Time.
- collapse and attempt to recover
- grant funds going directly to your dojo to pay for scholarships to bring in new students who otherwise couldn't train but without you charging them nothing and calling it a scholarship
- the chance for you and your students to practice and teach aikido for peace all over the world
- umbrella grants directly through your group to projects you know your area needs to help the kids there have a stronger chance of making it to adulthood sane
- a lasting core of qualified organizers and well managed, educated volunteers
- reliable cash sources from which we ask small, regular contributions to begin new projects
- kept promises to potential recipient's of support - for the long term
- institutional memory of how to work together in particular contexts
- dedicated online infrastructure that is ready 24x7 to help you communicate and collaborate
- discrete targets and replicable curricula and prototypes for peaceful change
- long-view momentum and continual public exposure for your favorite local and international projects
- reserves to commit, without selling panic in response to emergencies
- changed lives that benefit from lifted expectations, new levels of support, that continue for generations
- visible documentation of your work in a community of support that speaks your language and can and will tell others and back you up
- practicing what we preach internally and with decisions-makers in every camp supporting our process, so that responding well to naturally different needs is trained into our staff, membership, and work at every level
- responsible preparation to meet new complexities, especially arising from the change we create, almost as though we are martial artists
- establishing maai with any conflict that arises, honoring differences, and calling a project alive only when it continues giving good gifts to everyone involved
- celebration, rest, and natural recovery, training across organizational affiliations and political borders, and a global Community the like of which few have ever seen before.
- regular, well maintained books showing a consistent cash flow to back-up the assumption that the service providing organization will survive
- involved (fund raising and contributing) Board with the necessary relationships and expertise
- engaged constituency (in our case an involved membership)
- projects that impact people in need all the while documenting a beneficial difference in a way that almost anybody can understand
- Blow off the work and put your resources elsewhere
- Perpetuate the ad hoc feel and the fight-or-flight cycle of exhaustion
- Help pay the rest of the bill for a real administration with your membership dollars before the money keeping the offer on the table is gone (December 15, 2008)
Labels: aikiextensions, appeal, fundraising, nonprofit
| posted by Brandon @ 10/07/2008 03:26:00 PM
