Mustard Sensei Visits The Sendokan

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to join us training with and learning from Mustard sensei.

I have had many many comments, 1st hand from students at the Sendokan and through e-mail and phone from others who attended, thanking us for inviting Mustard sensei. Everyone had a great time and we were all inspired to keep training hard in order to improve.

There were a number of students who were absolutely floored by the things Mustard Sensei was demonstrating. (myself included) Jaws were literally hitting the floor as Mustard Sensei Demonstrated the importance of a strong Kamae - Sensei stood in Kamae while 5 of the biggest and strongest participants pushed - as hard as they could!! - Mustard sensei stood there while this was happening and causally explained why this was important and how we could all work towards this!!!

I trained under Mustard sensei in Japan for the first 2.5 years I was there, and have trained with him as often as I could ever since. I was absolutely astounded by the things he is able to do. Many of us took his uke - all of us came up with a bemused, confused, appreciative, shocked look on our faces - HOW did he do that?? was what everyone was asking.

The power generated - no muscle - is incredible! When I look ahead in my aikido journey I hope to be able to do the things Mustard sensei is doing - someday. The real epiphany for me was that Mustard sensei repeatedly stated that he was training hard - to try and get better - wow - I'd better do some extra work on my uke - Here is someone that has mastered so much - can do things very few other people in the aikido world can do - but he is working to get better. That is the model that I want to follow and that I hope my students and everyone who attended picked up on.

We had representatives from so many dojo at the seminar -it was great to see and train with many old friends again and I met some new Aikidoka who hopefully will become regulars.

In our Monday class at the sendokan I over heard some of the students who attended excitedly talking about Mustard sensei and the seminar and trying to do all the things we practiced in the 12 hours of training we had with him over the weekend. They we trying to demonstrate and explain what Mustard sensei had done to a couple of the students who did not attend - it is a difficult thing to do ("If it was easy we'd all be 8th dan" - Mustard sensei)
The comment that kept coming out is - "YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!"

I hope the word is getting out - If Mustard sensei is at a dojo near you - go to see him. If not ask your sensei to invite him!

We are hoping to have Mustard sensei back in the spring. We just can't get enough of him.

Thank you Mustard sensei for all your hard work - sharing your aikido with us. A truly inspiring weekend of training.

OSU!!

Nic Mills -5th Dan - Chief Instructor, Sendokan Dojo (September 2006)