Just click on the question. The answer will appear
below...
Who is the Sensei (teacher)?
Bruce
Affsprung Sensei began training in 1991 in
southern California while he was a member of the
U.S. Coast Guard at Small Boat Station San Diego.
A few months later he watched his first shodan
(first degree black belt) test and he knew he
wanted to learn to move as gracefully as he saw
the black belts moving and he wanted to learn the
mysteries of the seemingly effortless throws and
techniques that he saw demonstrated that night.
For the next two and a half years, Bruce was deployed on a Coast Guard Cutter on the California coast. From San Francisco to San Diego, wherever his cutter pulled into port he sought out an aikido dojo to train in. In 1994 he was transferred to the San Francisco Marine Safety Office where he immediately began training with Pat Hendricks Sensei at Aikido of San Leandro (ASL) in Iwama-style aikido. At ASL, he feels he received some of the best training to be found anywhere in the world. He trained at ASL until he retired from the Coast Guard in 2004 after twenty years of service. In 2005 he moved to Salem, Oregon and began Aikido of Salem. He still returns to San Leandro regularly for Hendricks Sensei’s instruction and has been an uchi deshi (live-in student at the dojo) many times.
While Saito Sensei was still alive Bruce went to Japan and trained for three weeks [Not very long!] at the Iwama dojo where O’Sensei had lived, trained, and built the Aiki Shrine in the last decades of his life.
Bruce owes very much over the years to countless generous teachers, sempai (senior students), and mentors, but of special influence are Bruce’s sempai at Aikido of San Leandro and now Chief Instructor at Hikari Dojo in California, Louis Jumonville-5th Dan.
From the very first years of Bruce’s training, Frank Doran Shihan-7th Dan has been an important influence and role model and continues to be to this day.
Affsprung Sensei was promoted to 4th Dan by Hendricks Sensei in 2009.
Click for picture and more...
For the next two and a half years, Bruce was deployed on a Coast Guard Cutter on the California coast. From San Francisco to San Diego, wherever his cutter pulled into port he sought out an aikido dojo to train in. In 1994 he was transferred to the San Francisco Marine Safety Office where he immediately began training with Pat Hendricks Sensei at Aikido of San Leandro (ASL) in Iwama-style aikido. At ASL, he feels he received some of the best training to be found anywhere in the world. He trained at ASL until he retired from the Coast Guard in 2004 after twenty years of service. In 2005 he moved to Salem, Oregon and began Aikido of Salem. He still returns to San Leandro regularly for Hendricks Sensei’s instruction and has been an uchi deshi (live-in student at the dojo) many times.
While Saito Sensei was still alive Bruce went to Japan and trained for three weeks [Not very long!] at the Iwama dojo where O’Sensei had lived, trained, and built the Aiki Shrine in the last decades of his life.
Bruce owes very much over the years to countless generous teachers, sempai (senior students), and mentors, but of special influence are Bruce’s sempai at Aikido of San Leandro and now Chief Instructor at Hikari Dojo in California, Louis Jumonville-5th Dan.
From the very first years of Bruce’s training, Frank Doran Shihan-7th Dan has been an important influence and role model and continues to be to this day.
Affsprung Sensei was promoted to 4th Dan by Hendricks Sensei in 2009.
Click for picture and more...
What is Iwama style Aikido?
Don’t
let the term throw you (no pun intended). Iwama
style has the same repertoire of techniques that
any other “style” of aikido does:
ikyo,
nikyo, sankyo, iriminage, shihonage
and
so on…All aikido is passed from O-Sensei to his
students to the present generation; in our case
from O-Sensei to Saito Sensei to Pat Hendricks
Sensei and to her students. The reason it is
called Iwama style is because that is the small
town where Saito Sensei trained with O-Sensei and
continued to live and teach after O-Sensei’s
death. Saito Sensei’s son Hitohiro Sensei
continues to teach in Iwama now that his father
has passed away.
Saito Sensei often liked to say that he taught O-Sensei’s basics and he did. Iwama style, however, is also a very well developed system of training that includes the most advanced of techniques and an extensive jo and boken (short staff and wooden sword) system that is drawn directly from Saito Sensei’s training with O-Sensei.
For more on our lineage click here…
Saito Sensei often liked to say that he taught O-Sensei’s basics and he did. Iwama style, however, is also a very well developed system of training that includes the most advanced of techniques and an extensive jo and boken (short staff and wooden sword) system that is drawn directly from Saito Sensei’s training with O-Sensei.
For more on our lineage click here…
How do I get started?
You
can begin at any time in any class. All classes
are multi-level training so you will be given
instruction that matches your level of
experience.
Wear sweats or a gi (martial arts uniform), and be prepared to pay dues and sign a waiver.
We also regularly offer a Beginner’s class through the Chemeketa Education Program during the school’s fall, winter, and spring terms---you can find out about it in the their catalog. The classes are five weeks long and are offered twice a term. The Beginner’s class focuses on basic footwork, techniques, and ukemi (falling safely). The class is held on Wednesday’s at 6:30 to 8:00 pm.
Wear sweats or a gi (martial arts uniform), and be prepared to pay dues and sign a waiver.
We also regularly offer a Beginner’s class through the Chemeketa Education Program during the school’s fall, winter, and spring terms---you can find out about it in the their catalog. The classes are five weeks long and are offered twice a term. The Beginner’s class focuses on basic footwork, techniques, and ukemi (falling safely). The class is held on Wednesday’s at 6:30 to 8:00 pm.
What if there's no Chemeketa class right now?
Come
anyway and registered directly with the dojo! Our
classes are small right now and you will get lots
of attention.
Aikido of Salem schedule and rates
Chemeketa Community Education Catalog (aikido is under "martial arts").
Aikido of Salem schedule and rates
Chemeketa Community Education Catalog (aikido is under "martial arts").
Do you have children’s classes?
Sorry,
no. We hope someday we might be able to offer
classes for children but we do not offer them at
this time.
Can my child train in the adult class?
Some
children are physically and emotionally mature
enough to train in the adult classes. They have
to be able to stay focused for an hour and a half
and follow detailed instructions. We welcome
children or teens who are capable of meeting the
requirements. The parents have to sign a
permission slip/waiver.
Can I learn to defend myself with Aikido?
Yes,
but remember aikido is a martial
art.
Aikido is a commitment to a “do”
or a
path not just a system of techniques. Martial
arts strive to express self defense at the
highest possible level and are journeys of self
discovery. Some of the techniques in aikido take
years to learn to do
proficiently.
You do not have to practice an “art” to defend yourself. A good self defense class [you will have to shop around] can teach you some effective, easy to learn, techniques that will help you feel safer as you go about your day.
However, nothing can take the place of intensive and regular practice that requires you to actually experience physical interaction with other students on a weekly basis. Training makes a difference and as a bonus it is fun and will make you feel better!
You do not have to practice an “art” to defend yourself. A good self defense class [you will have to shop around] can teach you some effective, easy to learn, techniques that will help you feel safer as you go about your day.
However, nothing can take the place of intensive and regular practice that requires you to actually experience physical interaction with other students on a weekly basis. Training makes a difference and as a bonus it is fun and will make you feel better!
Do I have to be athletic to do aikido?
All
types of people: large and small, fit and less
fit, and sometimes people who have disabilities
can and do train in aikido. Although aikido can
by physically demanding at times (running,
falling, and tumbling) you do not have to be an
athlete and you have the ability to regulate the
amount you exert yourself: you may go slower, you
may decide not to take a fall, or you may sit out
a technique.
You should check with your doctor or a physician before you begin a new physical activity.
Bottom line: Aikido can help you get into shape and develop the athlete within.
You should check with your doctor or a physician before you begin a new physical activity.
Bottom line: Aikido can help you get into shape and develop the athlete within.
I have heard that aikido is a good art for woman and smaller people, is that true?
That
is often said to be the case. It is probably true
that aikido, as martial arts go, is attractive to
woman and smaller people (we are all smaller than
somebody) because strength and force are not
required. Aikido uses the opponents force to
unbalance and redirect their attack. The yin and
yang qualities of aikido help us to balance our
energies appropriately for the situation. We do
not have “matches” or competition in
aikido.
How long will it take me to get a black belt in aikido?
It
takes three to five years of consistent training
to get the rank of shodan
(first
degree black belt) with the average being about
four years. That means training three or more
times a week. It is a pretty big commitment but
it is worth it in the long run!
Why don’t you have your own studio?
The
Sensei of Aikido of Salem has trained in some
beautiful dojos that have large clean mat areas,
a Shomen with scrolls and a picture of O-Sensei,
weapons racks, dressing rooms, even a kitchen and
rooms for live in students! All of that is nice
but does not make a dojo.
What does make a dojo is the spirit the sensei and students bring to their training.
Aikido of Salem is dedicated to offering high quality instruction at affordable rates. A studio has many expenses: overhead, utilities, advertising, to name a few. The business side of running a dojo and paying bills can be a distraction from what is really important---training.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have a clean, safe, and friendly environment in which to practice our art.
What does make a dojo is the spirit the sensei and students bring to their training.
Aikido of Salem is dedicated to offering high quality instruction at affordable rates. A studio has many expenses: overhead, utilities, advertising, to name a few. The business side of running a dojo and paying bills can be a distraction from what is really important---training.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have a clean, safe, and friendly environment in which to practice our art.
What if I train in a different “style” of aikido?
Great!
We appreciate all forms of aikido.
Should I still come and train?
Yes!
Provided that you want to learn what is taught at
Aikido of Salem. We are dedicated to practicing
in the tradition of our teachers. Our dojo is
much too small to entertain personal styles or
preferences and still be true to our roots.
Besides it is simply proper etiquette and good
manners to do the techniques (to the best of your
ability) as they are shown by the sensei in any
dojo, anywhere.
Aikido of Salem sounds good but I wish it were in a regular dojo with more students and more classes.
So do
we! If you come and train we may yet realize our
dream of having our own space and lots of
classes. Until then we have a time, a place, and
a good group of students to share our practice,
and after all----that is all you really need.