Aikikai Foudation Kagami Biraki 2021 (Reiwa jaar 3)

Vertaling naar Engels door Honbu Dôjô zelf

New Year Greeting by Aikido Dôshu Moriteru Ueshiba

“Happy New Year everyone,

Last year the world continued to be at the mercy of the novel corona virus, but I’m very happy to be able to welcome the new year in this way.

Today is the Aikido Honbu Dôjô’s kagami biraki ceremony. Last year about 1000 people gathered for the kagami biraki ceremony. Unfortunately this year that cannot be the case.

However all parts of the ceremony including the hônô enbu and the conferral of diploma’s are being streamed around the world so that we are able to have more people view the ceremony.

As we begin the new year in this way we must look forward and think deeply in order to make the new year a better year, a year full of hope. For that purpose let us keep moving forward, strongly supporting one another through the bonds nurtured by the spirit of respecting one another, cultivated through the practice of aikido.”

Woordenlijst:
reiwa 令和: huidige jaartelling in Japan 2019-…
hônô 奉納: votiefoffer (= geschenk als dank of smeekbede aan god/goden)
enbu 演武: krijgskunstdemonstratie 
kagami biraki 鏡開き: letterlijk: “het openen van de spiegel” verwijst zowel naar een ceremonie in het begin van het nieuwe jaar (11 januari) waarbij een rijstdeegbal wordt gesneden maar ook naar het openbreken van een sakevat bij speciale gelegenheden

Greeting by Honbu shihan Hiroshi Tada

“Everyone, happy new year!

I hope you all welcomed the new year with the decision to devotedly practice aikido.

Last year, when the novel corona virus suddenly started to spread, with it spread confusion that continues even now. For that reason dôjô’s were closed and the problem of schools and other public facilities’ usage restrictions happened around us.

In these types of times, I think many people were puzzled regarding how they can continue training. Ofcourse, while taking the proper precautions against the spread of infection, both physical and mental health must be maintained.

Moreover consistent dedication to the improvement of your aikido practice is necessary. This is the same across all disciplines of art. To improve there needs to be harmony between your practice and your everyday life. Here I use the word gei-jutsu: art. But in the Edo period gei-jutsu referred to the bushi sword art kenjutsu. After that, in the Meiji period, it came under the category of art or arte in the European languages and here we are today.

Aikido, made of techniques based on the high level kenjutsu of the bushi, is a splendid artistic path.

To move forward along this path without stopping, practice at home is essential. Under any situation it can be accomplished. That is, from ki no renma, the cultivation of spirit originating from kokyû hô to the basics of footwork and the sequences of techniques, to creating your own impressions. All these things can be done.

The founder of aikido, Ueshiba Morihei sensei, said that “Aiki wa misogi de aru”: Aiki is misogi. Misogi is a word deeply rooted in Japan’s natural features. But to understand it from the world’s perspective, I think it can also be called a meditation practice. In other words aikido is both an art and a meditative practice. This assimilation of the art and the meditative practice is an important piece of Japan’s traditional culture. In order to do such meaningful aikido personal practice is indispensable.

Here I would like to recite one of Ueshiba Morihei sensei’s dôka:
Be sincere and apply yourself with sincerity
Realise the essential truth that the visible and the invisible are one
Be sincere and apply yourself with sincerity
Realise the essential truth that the visible and the invisible are one
With that, this year, let us together with Ueshiba Moriteru Dôshu at the center in good health continue our practice.”

Woordenlijst:
gei-jutsu 芸術: “art”
edo period  江戸時代: periode in Japanse geschiedenis  1603-1868
bushi 武士: krijger, samoerai
kenjutsu 剣術: zwaardvechten
meiji period 明治時代: periode in Japanse geschiedenis 1868-1912
ki no renma 気の錬磨: “the cultivation of spirit originating from kokyû hô”
aiki wa misogi de aru 合気は禊である。: “aiki is misogi”
misogi 禊: “Misogi is a word deeply rooted in Japan’s natural features. But to understand it from the world’s perspective, I think it can also be called a meditation practice.”
dôka 道歌: “weg”+”gedicht”, gedicht over de beoefening van een “dô” in dit geval aikido

Namens alle leden van de ASB met trots: Jan en Robin behaalden hun 5de Dan van Hombu Dojo te Tokyo, Japan