L to R: front row- Lisa F., Marcella M., Judy W. Scott S., Bob M., Harold L.,
back row- Larry A., Phil D. Karl S., Anna K., Ann M., Dave L., Bobby S.

Summer Camp '07 was great, as they all are once you are there. Sensei was in rare form, picking the biggest ukes he could see and then calmly taking their balance and throwing them down on the mat. He graced us with several demonstrations of techniques against certain attacks. I am always struck in his demonstrations at not just his calm presence but his quiet dignity as he moves about the mat - never a missed footing, a wobble, or errant hand. An extra highlight of this camp was the increased number of students remaining on the mat after class or coming early to practice - particularly among the women. There was a decided effort to share understanding and ask questions and a real openness among senior practitioners to coach. Several seniors commented that the atmosphere on the mat this time was different -more open, more friendly, less emotionally charged - more 'aiki'.

And then, of course, there was testing…there was a decided effort to spread out testing throughout the camp. It meant that more attention could be given to each candidate and the system worked quite well. Our dojo was proud to have four testing candidates - David Laber, Bobby Stearns, Scott Stoner and Harold Leve. All four performed outstandingly well. David exhibited a confidence one doesn't often see in a first kyu test and he amazed everyone with his ability to keep turning and throwing ukes in his freestyle. Bobby's pleasure in testing for his black belt was evident throughout his test - he performed well, maintained his composure, and stood out as a shining example of how a new shodan should look. Our two new nidans, Scott and Harold, were just wonderful. They demonstrated their techniques handily and sailed through freestyle. Their boken katas looked great and both demonstrated a range of throws against boken attacks that made it clear that they came prepared. Sensei often forgets to have the test candidates announce where they are from. It's funny. It doesn't matter. Everyone knows when they watch our dojo members test that they are from Rochester. Inevitably one of the senior members sitting on the sidelines with me leans over during a test and says, "That guy (or gal) is from Rochester, isn't he?" Scott, Harold, Bobby, and Dave continued in this tradition. It was clear to everyone that they were from Rochester and we are proud that they are.

Kokikai Aikido founder and president, Shuji Maruyama Sensei, ushered the Rochester Dojo into a new era at this year's Summer Camp in Villanova, PA. The occasion was his promotion of Rochester's leaders and chief instructors, Judy Warner and Jim Lahue, to the rank of godan or fifth degree black belt.

That honor is probably the most significant personal achievement in Japanese-based martial arts after receiving a first degree black belt. In the rigorous Kokikai-ryu promotional system, it is the major milestone beyond final testing for the title of Sensei at the rank of third dan.

Consider, as a matter of perspective, that if getting a first degree black belt compares to entering college and promotion to third qualifies someone to teach, then reaching godan is like earning a PhD. While not official within our Kokikai organization, the title of Shihan often designates mastery at that level in Japan.

Yet, as much as their promotions represent important individual benchmarks for Sensei Judy and Jim, they also reflect an historic new watermark for the Rochester dojo, whose instructors had traditionally stepped into leadership roles while still relatively inexperienced 'pre-black belts'. They and the dojo grew together.

Jonathan Bannister Sensei was only wearing a blue belt when he relocated from Princeton, NJ, to attend R.I.T. and founded the Rochester dojo there in 1984. Carl Stevens Sensei was still wearing a brown belt under his hakama when he succeeded Jonathan in 1986.

Likewise, Judy and Jim earned their black belts after already having taken over as chief instructors when Carl and his wife, Esther, moved away in 1990 to train with Maruyama Sensei in Nagoya, Japan.

Today, not only are Judy and Jim highly respected among top Kokikai officials nationally, they themselves are now consulted by new instructors across the country and are able to provide their own Rochester students with some of the best expertise available in the U.S.A. on Aikido principles and techniques.

In celebration of their achievement, and our good fortune, we are pleased to present the following interviews in which Judy and Jim discuss their own motivations for training, changes in their personal and dojo goals and advice to those behind them on the path of discovery.

From Judy Warner Sensei:

Q.) Do you have any prior Martial Arts experience?

A) No.

Q) When, where and why did you begin Aikido training?

A.) 21 years ago at RIT as it was shifting from an organization catering to students to one with a community focus. I started because I had participated in a week-long aikido-based program with Tom Crum and realized I would be working with him. I thought it would be helpful to learn aikido. And, the more I read about the art, the more I could see it's value in daily life.

Q.) How has this training affected your life, if at all?

A.) Basically it shaped the rest of my life. Within a year, I chose to leave a college teaching job and work with Tom Crum full-time, which I continue to do until this day. A relatively short time (from an aikido perspective) after I began studying, my aikido instructor, Carl Stevens, decided to move to Nagoya, Japan and handed over responsibility for the dojo to Jim Lahue and myself. Needless to say, the number of hours required to help a dojo grow is endless and being responsible for a dojo means you can no longer just think of your personal practice needs but must make decisions based upon the greater good. The last thing I ever expected out of this life was to be a co-leader of a martial arts dojo. But, the philosophy at the heart of aikido along with my work with Tom Crum best expresses my purpose in life and so I said 'yes' both to working with Tom and to creating an environment in Rochester where students could be introduced to this wonderful art. Personally, my aikido practice and work with Tom have supported me in growing into the person I am today and allowed me to move forward with my out-reach work in hospice, India, therapy dog visits and with Aiki Extensions. My training in aikido principles supported my husband and me in raising our children and helped our children in becoming the two adults that we respect and love today.

Q.) Have your own Aikido training goals changed and/or does achieving godan rank carry any special significance for you?

A) My personal training goals are the same as when I began - to attempt each time I am on the mat to improve a little, to catch one-point more and more. Re the godan rank - receiving the rank reminds me of a Zen story: before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water: after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. From an organization perspective, it is a good acknowledgment of our dojo and allows our dojo to continue to be a model for others in Kokikai and have input into the organization's growth.

Q.) Have your goals for the dojo changed since becoming co-leader?

A.) Seems like I have been co-leader forever - I had relatively very little practice time when I was not a co-leader so it is difficult for me to remember the luxury of 'just' being a student. Early on it was important to get us into a good practice space, to build a base of students, to bring in good guest instructors as we were all relatively inexperienced, to expand class offerings and to create a kid's program. As more of our students reached black belt level, a goal for me was to be sure they would be prepared to instruct and lead - I did this by stepping back and giving them space to teach within my classes (I wonder if anyone has noticed all these years that I rarely intervene when a black belt is working with a junior student unless I have something really important to contribute or feel some redirection is needed.) Now as I turn 60 in a few months, a definite personal goal is that the dojo be able to go on without me as some day all these years are going to catch up with me.

Q.) Any advice for students seeking to follow your path.

A.) If you wish to excel in this art, live a life of integrity and balance. Don't get caught up in personalities, as there are many in aikido. Stay focused upon the basic principles underlying our art and they will support you on and off the mat in living a full and joyful life.

- Judy Warner

From Jim Lahue Sensei:

Q.) Do you have any prior Martial Arts experience?

A.) I do have some previous martial arts experience. When I was in 7th or 8th grade, I took Judo for a little while at the Canandaigua YMCA. I only did that for somewhat less than a year. We were expected to go to a local Judo tournament. When I went I was actually supposed to participate, I think I was scared to death! So I stopped practicing soon after that.

When I was in college, I participated in a Karate club on campus. I actually went there with the girl that I later married, my wife, Jeannine. I still remember practicing Karate with her in her dorm room. We were working on the "grab and attack" we had just learned in the class. But she went a little too far and actually hit me in the chin! She and I later took a class called "Zen and the Martial Arts" from the head instructor of the style, Hidy Ochiai, a pretty famous guy in the area and a kata champion.

Neither of these martial arts really stuck with me, though. In both, I imagined the thrill of getting a black belt one day but I didn't enjoy the actual practice that much. It was very different with Aikido, where I just got excited about learning something new each day.

Q.) When, where and why did you begin Aikido training?

A.) I started just about 20 years ago, right around the time of Halloween Camp in 1987. I had become interested because I had read of Aikido in a book while I was in the library with Jeannine. As I read about it, I thought, "That's it! That's the martial art I've been looking for!" I had always heard that there was a martial art that involved relaxation, calmness and using your attacker's energy. But I just didn't know what it was called.

I bought some books on it, but I thought that I would never be able to really learn it I didn't think there were any schools locally. I thought, "Maybe I can convince my brother to move to Japan and study it, and then come back and teach me!" But then, I ran into Judy at a Tom Crum seminar, and learned there was a place to take Aikido in Rochester.

I was so excited to start learning. I arrived at my first class a little late, and walked right out on the mat to begin practicing! Carl Stevens, the instructor at the time, was a little startled to have a student so enthusiastically (and somewhat rudely) join in his class! He took me to the side and talked to me a little about the class, and soon, I was practicing with them. It was so great to really be learning Aikido!

Q.) How has this training affected your life, if at all?

A.) It is so hard to sum up what Aikido has done for me. Someone once said that Aikido is like breathing. That's really true for me. It's like oxygen that I need to survive. I really needed a way to calm down, to feel more comfortable with other people and myself. I am fairly certain that I needed Aikido far more than most people, having been an extremely nervous and shy child. It has opened up so many possibilities to me, by simply helping me to be more comfortable in this world.

Q.) Have your own Aikido training goals changed and/or does achieving godan rank carry any special significance for you?

A.) It is great to achieve this rank, because that means Maruyama Sensei believes I have made progress. That's the real pleasure in the rank for me, knowing that Sensei feels I am doing a good job. The rank doesn't change much, though! I once read a great Zen saying: "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." It's the same thing with a new rank: After godan, you still keep coming to the dojo, you still keep working on techniques that challenge or fascinate you, you still keep looking for minimum effort and maximum effect. And I still get a huge kick out of Aikido, almost every single time I'm in the dojo.

My goals for my practice have been pretty consistent for a number of years: Find the best feeling. Do the best job you can sharing this feeling with others.

Q.) Have your goals for the dojo changed since becoming co-leader?

A.) I think running a dojo is a little bit like living your life: There are things you do. But the things you actually achieve may be somewhat unknown to you. So I just try to do a good job teaching every day. If I feel I haven't taught a very good class, I really beat up on myself for that! I want everyone to leave class feeling stimulated and improved, feeling more calm, relaxed and happy than when they came. I feel that's my responsibility. If I can do that fairly well, then I think bigger goals will be accomplished. People's lives will get better in some way, though I may not really be aware of the exact ways that happens.

Q.) Any advice for students seeking to follow your path.

A.) Feel free to follow me, if you want. But you know, if you look way up ahead on the path, far in front of me, there's someone else who's really leading the way. Keep your eye on him! Because, believe it or not, after 50 years or so of walking on this path, he still seems to be picking up his pace.

- Jim Lahue

Mind Body Games & Breathing - Organized by Judy Warner , Thurs. Oct. 4 at 7:00 pm, for more details see bulletin board or ask Judy.

Kicking Seminar - Organized by Anna Ka and Rob Jacob, come learn about kicking, Sat. October 6 at 11:00 am.

Black Belt Class - Sat. Oct. 13 at 11:00 am

Halloween Seminar with Leon Brooks Sensei - Sat. October 20 and Sun. October 21, see bulletin board for more details and registration forms.

24th Annual Kokikai Winter Camp - Fri. March 7 - Sun. March 9, 2008, Lawrenceville, NJ, watch the bulletin board for more details.

The purpose of conflict is harmony.
~ Terry Dobson