Being All You Can Be
by Judy Warner

There was a very special moment at our Winter Camp with Maruyama Sensei. As Maruyama presented black belt certificates for recent promotions, he announced a sandan rank for Steve Ridley.

Steve is a very special member of our dojo. If you joined in the past nineteen months, your main contact with him may be the photo of him on our bulletin board. He has been unable to be in the dojo since a stroke at the end of September 2003 left him totally paralyzed, unable to speak, and only able to communicate by eye movement. Before then Steve was the person who was always quietly present doing whatever was needed. He was one of our instructors.

Last summer Steve's doctors told me that he needed to be in a wheelchair several days a week to strengthen his lungs. Now Steve had admitted to me (through eye movements in response to questions and a bit of a smile) that he was being fussy about getting in the wheelchair as he preferred the bed and if he fussed, he got put back in bed. Hmmm, what to do? So, as his instructor, I informed him that this was something he was going to have to work on, as it was important for his health. In fact, I told him, working up to being in the wheelchair several days a week for a few hours was his sandan test. Steve acknowledged the challenge. By the end of the summer, he was in his wheelchair as requested.

Of course, this meant I now had to deal with the fact that I had created a unique sandan test and needed to explain to our Sensei why a man who could not move should be promoted to third degree black belt. It was actually a very easy task. I wrote Maruyama explaining what I had done and saying that if it was true that Kokikai is truly about being all that you are capable of being, that Steve had faced the harshest of tests, dealt with it, and was living his life to the fullest possible and so should be promoted. No contest. Sensei agreed and hence the sandan certificate for Steve.

Steve's sandan is a wonderful acknowledgement for him. He is living everyday to the fullest. His caregivers agree he is alive because he chooses to be so. I am in awe of the acceptance of his state that he has cultivated over time and continued ability to laugh and enjoy our visits. I often tell him that I hope he appreciates how powerful he has become. A number of our dojo members have altered their lives so they can visit him once or twice a week. He teaches us and inspires us by his presence, encouraging each of us to live our own lives more fully. He is present daily for many of us in our thoughts. If you hold Steve in your heart, it feels very incongruent to complain about any injuries, personal problems, or bad days. Steve has given all of us a little lesson in perspective.

Steve's sandan is a gift not only for him but for all of us. It is another opportunity to pause and reflect on our blessings, on how precious our own mobility is, our ability to walk about and enjoy a sunny day, to return a hug, to be able to speak with friends and family, to express our thoughts - in short, to not take the obvious in our lives for granted.

Finally, the awarding of Steve's sandan by our Sensei is a gift for our entire Kokikai organization. We study a martial art and at times might think our art is about techniques because we learn many of them. This sandan award is a gentle reminder that Kokikai is using the study of a martial art to achieve Kokikai's bigger purpose of fostering our individual growth. And, it is that growth that is acknowledged in our promotions.

So, thank you Steve for once again teaching us and reminding us of how special you are, how special our dojo is, and how special our art is.

Winter Camp Testing
by Jim Lahue

Testing is always an exciting event. But when it happens at camp, that excitement is amplified. There are some 250 people watching, the very best uke attacking. And, of course, all of this happens under Sensei's highly observant eye.

With all of these added elements, you might think the stress would have a deleterious effect on people's performance. But that has never been the case with those testing from Rochester-and the testing at this year's Winter Camp was no exception.

The first people Rochester had testing were our 2nd Kyu candidates: Len Butler, Nataliya Minkovska, and Rosemary Pleninger. Their preparation for this event was very clear. All three performed well in their technique demonstrations, and then in freestyle against three attackers.

Steve Perino and Tim Quinlan both tested for 1st kyu-the last rank prior to black belt. You could see the difference that the year since their last tests had made. Steve and Tim both demonstrated a very calm demeanor and a great level of comfort with technique. Both did a great job in their freestyles against four uke, impressing onlookers with how long they lasted before getting caught by more than one attacker.

Scott Stoner reached an important landmark in his Aikido training-testing for Shodan, the first black belt rank. Scott has been working particularly hard this past year, both in refining his Aikido and in recovering from knee surgery. All of his work was clearly in evidence as he tested for this important rank. Scott's test showed the effects of five years of quiet, persistent effort. His form and aplomb-both in his technique demonstration and in his freestyle against five attackers-made all observers from Rochester very proud.

Rochester's tests were culminated with two tests for Nidan, or second degree black belt. Anthony Cherico and Dave Salin both tested for this rank. The span of time between first and second degree black belt is a minimum of two years. And with both Anthony and Dave, you could see what wonderful things can happen in this span of time. Dave has developed and unflappable sense of calmness that seems to pervade everything he does. And Anthony's attention to detail has elevated his technique to a very impressive level. As a result, both did a terrific job on their tests-certainly one of the high points of Winter Camp for all students from Rochester.

Congratulation to everyone who tested at Winter Camp. All of Kokikai-and especially, all of us in the Rochester dojo-are very proud of you!

General Dojo Clean-up - Saturday, April 9 at 11:00 am, see Paul Gardner for more details
Video Night - Monday, April 25 8:45 pm
Black Belt Forum - Thursday, April 28, 8:00 pm
Summer Camp - July 14-17, Villa Nova, PA, watch the bulletin board for more details