An inclusive community for exploring the Japanese martial art of aikido
Chicago Aikikai held its last round of kyu tests for 2024! Andrew Rathgeber tested for 4th kyu during morning class on Saturday, December 14. Then at our last Third Friday evening class of the year, tests were given for 6th kyu (Mike Buss, Dee Guerrier, Nathan Erickson), 5th (Ally Dignan), and 4th (Christian Boswell). Congratulations to all and enjoy a well-earned winter rest.
Winter is upon us. We will be taking a break for the holidays, and wanted to give everyone a heads up before the season overtakes us.
LAST THIRD FRIDAY AND KYU TESTS OF 2024!
Friday, December 20 will be our last Third Friday class of the year, and will include tests for 6th, 5th and 4th kyu. Please come for class, starting at 6:30 pm, followed as usual by a potluck social hour.
DONATION MATCH CHALLENGE
We have been generously offered an anonymous $500 donation as a match challenge to round out the year. Donations may be made by check, cash or PayPal payment to info@chicagoaikikai.org.
DOJO CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR’S
No class will be held from December 24 to 31. Everyone enjoy the break!
NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASS
Ed Reiff Sensei has generously offered to lead a first class to kick off the New Year from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
KAGAMI BIRAKI AT CHICAGO AIKIKAI
Chicago Aikikai will hold its annual Kagami Biraki to celebrate the New Year on Friday, January 17 as part of that month’s Third Friday class. Current and past Chicago Aikikai members are all invited, as well as friends and family. Starting at 6:30 pm, instruction will be led by Marsha Turner Sensei, and then rotated among other senior members/instructors. Potluck dinner will follow. Those unfamiliar with the Kagami Biraki tradition can read about our last event or this article here.
Andcheck out our new promo video as well!
On Sunday, November 10, Chicago Aikikai hosted a public workshop teaching the history, meaning and use of furoshiki (風呂敷).
Furoshiki literally means “bath” (furo) + “spread” (shiki); originating as cloth used by noble families and feudal lords to wrap their clothes when visiting public baths. This evolved into pieces of reusable fabric for wrapping gifts, carrying tools, packing lunches, and countless other things. While the term emerged during Japan’s Muromachi period (1136-1573), its usage dates all the way back to the Nara period (710-794), thus the custom has been around for over 1,300 years.
Chicago Aikikai member Satoko Ogura Bourdaghs, a native of Sendai in Japan and former Japanese language instructor at University of Chicago, led the workshop. Over tea and Japanese okashi (お菓子; sweets) she explained the history and use of furoshiki with a slideshow on her laptop. Afterward, participants were given the opportunity to practice wrapping furoshiki cloth around different objects and shapes (boxes, bottles, balls) to better understand its versatility, and take home their own furoshiki if they wished to do so.
While not directly tied to the practice of aikido, furoshiki does embody similar principles of economy and efficiency. Japan’s status as a geographically small country with limited natural resources has long influenced the development of practices and atittudes geared towards re-use and minimizing waste. The circular movements of aikido find an analogue in furoshiki as a tool that can be used and re-used countless times (furoshiki used for wrapping gifts is always returned, for example). Lack of resources is one of the reason Japanese clothing (including aikido dōgi and hakama) use only knots for wearing, not buttons or clasps, just like the combinations of folds and knots used to turn furoshiki into bags or wrapping.
The event was the first of its kind for Chicago Aikikai, and was also a fundraiser to help support the maintenance and upkeep of the dojo. Similar events are currently being planned for the future.
Our thanks to Satoko for leading this workshop, and all the preparation that went into it.
