25th Anniversary Dojo Kuubukan.

        The development of a Dojo as a whole, and when I say as a whole I mean both, the teaching process and the administration, always goes together with the growing and evolution of its members. If there is no development in all directions, there will not be progress at all. For this reason and after being brought up in the British Aikido Federation, I realized the dire necessity to establish some basis for the learning process. It is from this worry my book “Fundamental Items for Aikido Grades in the Dojo Kuubukan” came to light.

        It was the first stone to start building the structure, but not still happy about this, I came to the conclusion that the stones were not good enough to be built, but there must be something else for the stones to be put together, and this is what led me to my second book “Methodological Approach to Aikido Training”. So this is how the present time comes in the 25th Anniversary, with the whole building well structured and cemented.

        There is no doubt about the author of this work, but I also would like to thank the collaboration of present and past time students: this work could not have been written without them. Here again the binomial Sensei + students meet together; a Dojo cannot make any progress without them.

        The present time situates us as a humble Dojo, but well organized in the two fields mentioned above: The teaching process and the administration, with a clear and structured basis for those who are able to face the training of the Grades, with an appropriate method to be carried out and a good administrative structure to develop the project we actually are organizing.

        Every trainer has three fronts constantly opened if he wants to make progress. From my point of view these fronts are the following:

        1. To continue his/her personal training. We all know that if we are aware of this, although it implies just a flash of what our Art supposes, that will never finish.

        2. The teaching which is some important part to be very careful with, since we make some influence on some people’s life. This is the reason why the cultivation of values and principles is so relevant even when some unintentional errors are made, or just because of the inexperience.

        3. The Dojo administration, sometimes in the students’ charge, but where one is always connected with in a 20%.

        This present time also shows my third play publication about Aikido: “Planning Through Aikido Technical Notes”, which will come to light in short.

        In this present time the future projection I have planned comes firstly and inside the administrative structure because of the opening of filial Dojos, not only in the Canary Islands but also abroad. A Trainers School impulse (initiative) based on our methodology is found in these Dojos.

        Regarding to teaching, it is very important to increase the possibilities our Shugyos (Intensive Aikido Retreats) and the Misogis (Intensive Meditation) involve, since the three annual Seminars have been taking place for twenty-five years and they are completely integrated in our dynamic every year. The philosophy we are going to apply is the same that has brought us here: work, requirement, strictness and transparency.

        There is a Damocles’ sword for those who are exclusively dedicating to Aikido : the alternative for the development in the way, the process with the principles it implies, or let the Art become a commercial product and cover it up according to the present fashion trends for some customers to be worn. I wish I could be clear in my judgment: twenty-five more years as a practicing and teacher, to go on developing myself in the Aikido Art as a way, in spite of the hardness the day by day entails to survive.

         I would also like to request my sensei colleagues to write their experiences whatever they are, for our personal enrichment and also for them to allow us to get to know better and more, although the tradition points out that the senseis cannot neither write nor answer any letter. I think this should belong to the past, giving the opportunity this way to a richer communicative future based on the plays and facts each one could offer.

        I will go on insisting on the women’s role inside the Aikido world: the more they are integrated, especially during the teaching, the faster the Aikido Art will change, and I wish it was soon..

        Yours Faithfully.

        Ishana Pérez January 2008.