I just returned from spending a week in Minnesota visiting the Minnesota Aiki Shuren Dojo. In early April I attended their annual Spring Aikido Seminar with a long term Aikido colleague. This seminar, for many years, was an annual event for the two of us. Mark Larson Sensei (6th Dan), the Minnesota Aiki Shuren Dojo dojo-cho, taught. As always, the seminar was absolutely worth the trip! The seminar was very well attended, with Aikidoka from all over the world showing up.
Mark Larson Sensei studied with Morihiro Saito Sensei, at the Iwama dojo, for the last nine years of Saito Sensei’s life, and every one of his seminars that I’ve attended has been absolutely insightful! I consider myself lucky to have access to so many direct students of Saito Sensei.
We started off the weekend on Thursday, attending regular class at the Seminar location. Guest instructors taught on Thursday night, and we worked on basics like Tai No Henka and Morote-Dori Kokyu-Ho with a little Suwariwaza Ikkyo thrown in.
Saturday and Sunday, Larson Sensei taught both weapons and taijutsu. We focused on aiki-ken this year and worked our way though the 1st, 2nd and 3rd kumitachi (and henka!). We also spent a bit of time, by request, working on kaitennage. I was actually a little sore on Monday when we hopped back home.
This has been a good seminar year, so far. We’re looking forward to the Aikido of Arlington 30th Anniversary and Tai Sai in about a week!
