| Anita Wilson a long time student and
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| | was asked to take the first class of
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| assistant to Sensei Henry Ellis was very
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| | approximately 50 dan grades from various
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| fortunate as a child to meet many of the
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| | martial arts. Sensei had me demonstrate
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| most important martial arts masters who
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| | 100 press-ups on the backs of my wrists
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| would visit her father in London as he is
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| | with fingers pointing both inwards and
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| one of the UK's leading dealers and
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| | outwards. When I had finished and was in
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| experts in Japanese arms and armour.
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| | the raised position Sensei sat on my back
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|
| |
| | (he did not warn me of this) and carried
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| Women In The Martial Artsby Anita Wilson
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| | on with his lecture. Sensei suggested
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| 1st Lady Assistant to Sensei Henry Ellis
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| | that those who wanted to should try this
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| Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
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| | exercise. It was amazing to see all these
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| I was born in West London in 1963, my
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| | black belts struggling. Later I had a
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| father was very involved in the martial
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| | little crowd around me wanting to inspect
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| arts and a dan grade in Karate he was
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| | my wrists, I explained that this exercise
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| also a dealer in ancient Japanese arms
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| | is standard for both seniors and juniors
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| and armour, although my father has an
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| | in our schools.
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| antiques shop in London's Bond Street, my
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| | I was now feeling a little more confident
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| home was more like a samurai warriors
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| | when Sensei pointed out that there were
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| dressing room, with original suits of
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| | six young dan grades who had arrived late
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| Japanese armour complete with very
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| | and were respectfully waiting for
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| frighting face masks that would frighten
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| | permission to come onto the mat. Sensei
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| the life out of my friends when ever they
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| | asked me to show them what we had been
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| came to visit, there were also very many
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| | teaching so far, they were all wearing
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| valuable swords yari and naginata spears.
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| | black gi's and when I approached and
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| The Masters
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| | invited them on the mat, they scowled as
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| My father would travel around the world
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| | if to say "hey, we have not traveled all
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| searching for the best quality weapons,
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| | the way from London to be taught by a
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| what intrigued me the most as a child was
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| | women" as I showed the first technique
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| all these strange visitors that would
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| | "nikkyo" a wrist locking action, the
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| come to my home, the famous Otani family
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| | first guy tried to resist me, I applied
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| were regular visitors with Sensei Matsuro
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| | the technique as shown to me so many
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| Otani 7th dan Judo the UK National Coach,
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| | times by Sensei and almost put him
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| Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, Tomio Otani Sensei
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| | through the mat. I thought he would be
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| the UK National Coach for Kendo, his
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| | upset with me, but as he got up he asked
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| visitors were like the who's who of
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| | "How did you do that?". He then wanted me
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| martial arts, as recently as two weeks
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| | to do the technique on all the others,
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| ago I was pleased to meet with Sensei
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| | now I had their attention and they were a
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| Kazuo Chiba 8th dan when he came to see
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| | great bunch of guy's. I really enjoyed
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| my father.
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| | teaching them. At the end of the seminar,
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| Introduction to Aikido
| |
| | as we were leaving the hall to head for
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| As a child I did a little Karate with my
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| | the car park, these six guy's were
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| father but nothing serious until 1992
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| | waiting in a line and bowed to me
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| when I went to the local Aikido dojo in
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| | simultaneously with a smile and said to
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| Bracknell, Berkshire, UK. All those years
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| | Sensei Ellis " You have a strong lady
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| with my father and his Japanese weapons
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| | assistant there ,sensei" Sensei replied "
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| must have had a latent but profound
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| | That is why she is my assistant". That
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| effect on me, as I watched Sensei Ellis
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| | was my first seminar and one that I will
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| teaching his Positive Style of
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| | never forget.
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| Traditional Aikido I knew there and then
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| | I have been involved in many other
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| that this was the martial art for me.
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| | seminars with my Sensei and they were
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| The Hard Training Begins
| |
| | always good, but I was never so overawed
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| When I started Aikido I made a point of
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| | as I was at my first one, or so I
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| training with the men and they treated me
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| | thought. Then Sensei Ellis asked if I
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| as one of them. With regular practice I
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| | would like to visit New Mexico in the USA
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| progressed. I had now developed the hard
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| | for a seminar. The seminar was to be held
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| training bug and started courses in
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| | in Alamogordo NM, where Sensei's USA
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| physical training and amateur weight
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| | representative in the US lives and works
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| lifting, after a few years of hard work I
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| | at the Space Museum. Sensei visits New
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| became a fully qualified fitness
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| | Mexico every year and we have another
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| instructor-personal trainer and amateur
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| | Ellis dan grade in Texas, Al Montemar. I
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| weight lifting coach, the high light of
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| | had always wanted to visit the US and
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| all this effort was when Sensei Ellis
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| | jumped at the opportunity. We made the
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| promoted me to assistant coach of the
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| | trip into a vacation for friends and
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| Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
| |
| | family. We taught members of the USAF and
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| (ESTA) two years later he promoted me to
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| | German Air Force at Holloman AFB, which
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| first lady assistant to himself, there
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| | included a guided tour of the base and
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| had never ever been a lady assistant in
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| | various fighter aircraft, including the
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| all the long history of the ESTA, Sensei
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| | Stealth bomber. Sensei Rogers is an
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| put me on a three month trial and 8 year
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| | instructor who teaches students from the
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| on I am still here.
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| | USAF, Highway Patrol, police and some
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| In 1994 I received my coaching
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| | members of the United States Marshals.
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| certificate from the British Aikido Board
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| | While in the US, I also visited the Grand
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| (BAB) which is the governing body for
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| | Canyon and Phoenix. I intend to move to
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| Aikido in the UK. Once I became assistant
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| | Phoenix to live within the next two to
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| to Sensei Ellis I became involved in
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| | three years. Sensei Ellis has a book on
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| assisting in teaching both men and women
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| | aikido coming out next spring in the US
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| and also helping with the children's
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| | titled "Positive Aikido" which I am
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| classes.
| |
| | pleased to be featured in, Sensei Rogers
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| The First Seminar
| |
| | is a journalist by profession and has
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| Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to
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| | worked on this book for the past two
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| take part in a very large and important
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| | years and it will be published in the US.
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| seminar in Liverpool in the North of
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| | There are several publishers interested
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| England, Sensei Ellis is not one of those
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| | in the book so we are all very excited
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| teachers who has a pet uke follow him
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| | about this latest project. I hope to be
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| around to fly all over the mat at a touch
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| | visiting the US again next year and I
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| or a glance, he prefers to try to involve
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| | hope to be there for the launching of the
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| all the students who attend his seminars
| |
| | book.
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| if possible, knowing this I felt very
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| | For the martial artists out there I would
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| privileged but nervous when Sensei told
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| | like to add one more comment about the
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| me there would be about 700 students from
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| | proposed book. Where as most Aikido books
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| various martial arts, I think the phrase
| |
| | spend a great deal of time harmonizing
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| "Being thrown in at the deep end" is
| |
| | with the planets and the universe, there
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| applicable here.
| |
| | will be none of that in this book, Sensei
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| On arrival at the venue I was amazed to
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| | always tells students to come out of the
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| see so many students from so many
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| | clouds and get back on the tatami because
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| countries,
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| | "This is where it all happens" and he
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| UK-France-Germany-Italy-India-Austria are
| |
| | also often says " leave the dancing to
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| just some that I can recall. Sensei Ellis
| |
| | Fred Astair" (who is Fred Astair?).
|
