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Report of Vitaliy Podobaev about the seminar under the guidance of Jacques Payet Sensei
This post is also available in: Russian
“Dear Podoynikov A. san, first let me introduce myself. My name is Jacques Payet, a former uchideshi of late Shioda Gozo, and I am based in Kyoto Japan. Since September this year, Yasuhusa Shioda Kancho asked me to take over the organization of the IYF and help with the international affairs at the Honbu.”
From this letter 10.10.2009 our contacts with Yoshinkan Aikido Master of 7 Dan, Shihan of Hombu Dojo and simply very unusual man were started. And these contacts leaded us to the event, which will be in our hearts a long time – an Aikido Yoshinkan seminar under the guidance of a person, who is the legend of Aikido World for me, and communication with him is a good fortune, because the month before this letter I started to translate for our students from English to Russian an adaptation of tales and memories of Shioda Gozo Sensei from his own life – the very useful book “Aikido Shugyo. Harmony in Confrontation”.
Translation and correction of Russian edition were finished to the middle of December, the first edition in simple cover “Special for…” was prepared, and we had already known: the seminar would be!
To the time of seminar beginning almost all necessary problems were solved, and this fact gave a possibility to organize the event very harmoniously.
The seminar was decided to guide from the 20th to the 22d of February with four children and seven adult classes involved in. Unfortunately Payet Sensei didn’t be able to buy tickets for a longer time, but he intended to unbalance our Aikido ideology for this short period of time. And we should prepare to this. We should, and colleagues from Irkutsk, Angarsk, Ekaterinburg, members of Siberian Real Aikido and Novosibirsk Aikido Aikikai should with us.
Day one. The morning.
Not the morning! The night! Sensei’s flight arrive in 5-30, to reach the Airport “Tolmachevo” we must drive our cars about an hour. And 
also car’s heating to start it in our Siberian conditions– an half of hour. We should eat and take a cup of tea to feel good ourselves and wake up finally after the evening training class, in which all of us were nervous a lot.
Thus, firm and healthy dreams were about three hours, tea and bread and butter –after that I drove from parking and went to Andrey Sensei’s and our paparazzo Marina’s houses. After that we are waiting a second car, on which a student of Andrey Sensei, Pavel Savin, will convey Payet Sensei. His car is good and new (BMW X3), unlike of mine, good also, but old a little (Toyota Vista).
Andrey Sensei went to the Pavel’s car, Marina the paparazzo stayed with me. Outside was about -35 of cold at the time!
Next we went to the airport, joked along a way – it’s because of nervous state of ourselves. At this time our senior instructor Yuriy Poletaev was meeting a delegation from Irkutsk and Angarsk and was going to the airport just after that with the head of Irkutsk department of Shosetsu Kan Dojo Anastasia Konovalova.
I should say, that Payet Sensei already in virtual contacts said about troubles with arrival to Russia: there weren’t tickets, visa was doing a long time, and he had to fly by “comfortable” flight: Tokyo-Beijing-Moscow-Novosibirsk. This trip was about 24 hours. It wasn’t very pleasant I think.
The feature of this flight was that: the foreign guests passed the custom in Mocsow (three hours! I’d like to convey greetings the servants of it). It was comfortable for us: we arrived to airport to the flight time.
But flight is delayed a little, a flight from Saint-Petersburg arrived before ours. We can’t do anything and wait.
Passengers of our flight are going out eventually. Where is Sensei? Sharp-sighted paparazzo Marina saw not Russian hat among the crowd of passengers in 20 meters from us approximately: I’d like to have such vision!
Andrey-san and Pavel-san go first to Sensei. “Welcome to Russian Federation!” Next we go, rei to the Sensei, Andrey-san introduces us. Next we ought to do – wait for a baggage.
I love in foreign guests a dislike for obscure colors: over the transporter the case of bright red color is moved.
- Sensei? Is it your baggage?
- Yes, it’s mine.
- Very well, osu! (I grabbed it and hugged)
First photos on the out from the airport, and we are driving to the Hotel “Morozovo”, in which Payet Sensei will live three days. It’s a very kind place: the coast of Obsky Sea, a snow forest is around, comfort and politeness – inside.
We lodged Payet Sensei, checked the room, gave the seminar schedule and left him to rest.
We have about two hours to take a rest ourselves. I reached to the bed, set an alarm clock. Even my cat started to go on tiptoe. I closed my eyes and woke up from cell phone call: ”Who is that? Yes, we’ll meet in 11-20. Yes, you’ll fit in cars. I say you will! See you!” Look to the watch. Damn, I could sleep a 10 minutes more! Fear me!
Ok, I need a cup of tea. Take it (great thanks to my beloved wife), then a cold shower, and after that I am not angry already, all is ok!
Meet the children and their parents and we drive to the Dojo then.
Day one. Classes.
Before training classes instructors and heads of Dojos of Yoshinkan Aikido and Aikido introduce their selves to Sensei. Payet Sensei told more closely than in airport with Anastasia Konovalova (head of Irkutsk Department of Shosetsu Kan Dojo), members of Ekaterinburg Yoshinkan Dojo “Shinken”, met with Vitaliy Kornev (head of Aikikai club “Jikishinkai-Novosibirsk”) and Alexey Teryaev (head of Novosobirsk Real Aikido Federation).
Classes started then.
Our children sit in front of Shomen. Those, who participated in Kancho’s seminar last year look grandly to their comrad
es-beginners. But all of them are nervous: nobody knows, what the kind of man is Payet Sensei. But all changed, when he came to training hall.
A kind smile, taiso, Kihon dosa, call to assist everyone who wish – and Payet Sensei won hearts of our little Aikidokas. After that they didn’t be afraid him anymore.
During training we work through Kihon dosa, points of Ikkajo, to the end of class have to do Ikkajo Oyo waza – techniques non-stop.
Training class time flew away insensibly.
Then there was a short break time, during that time tatami was filled by adult students. Payet Sensei 
enters, training class time starts, we work through Kamae, and then… Then all students start to lose their mind from getting of Sensei information.
In one of conversations with Payet Sensei I said him smiling: “Sensei, every teacher says his students a word, which marks his method of teaching. Last year Shioda Kancho during training process told us: “Relax!” In this seminar we learned another English word: “Balance!”
In answer to this Payet Sensei laughed and nodded assent.
Indeed, he explained everything in the point of balance. And his explainations didn’t finish even if he dropped to the tatami some student. Master gave all of us a possibility to feel all power of Yoshinkan Aikido techniques stopping in every important point.
To the end of first day we worked through Tai no henko, Hiriki no yosei, Shumatsu dosa. On the base of Kihon dosa we worked through Sokumen iriminage, Shihonage in variations. I can’t remember 
everything. But every minute Payet Sensei told us: “Balance!”
After the trainings students’ eyes seemed to say: “I don’t want go home! More and more!”
In the evening there was a party with Sensei in wonderful Armenian café “Anait” which was in Novosibirsk 
Akademgorodok. During the party we importuned to Sensei with questions:
• How did he come to Japan?
• Was it difficult for him without language knowledge?
• What kind of man did he remember Shioda Gozo Sensei?
• About “Aikido Shugyo” of Shioda Kancho and it translation to English
• Does he remember some Robert Twigger – the author of the book “Angry Whyte Pijamas”?
• I can’t remember every question.
Approximately in the midnight we realized that Payet Sensei got tired after the flight, and he needed to take a rest, though he answered everyone with pleasure. The party gone to the end.
Day two.
This training day repeated first one. Little Aikidokas worked through Tai no henko rendzoku dosa and Tai no henko kaiten dosa, strived to
assist Sensei, tried Nikajo, and on the instructions of Payet Sensei connected Nikajo with Kotegaeshi.
Payet Sensei always return to Kihon dosa, explain all techniques in terms of basic movements.
Time of two classes had flown by like of one. At the entry adult students had been waiting their turn.
Adult classes started from Shumatsu dosa, and like in first day Payet Sensei didn’t stop on the external form, but on the essence of techniques. During the class I always run to Sensei and ask him to grab his arm – I try to understand the feelings, which accompany me in disbalance.
Then I go to my students: “Have you assist to Sensei? What are you waiting for? He will fly away the day after tomorrow!”
In the end of training day Sensei performed Jiu waza with instructor staff of Shosetsu Kan Dojo. When I looked from the outside it seemed to be that under attack he moved aside just a little. Let’s check it!
It’s my turn; I attacked Sensei by Ekomen uchi, and the next moment flew away. Sprang up then, attacked again with understanding of that fact, that there wasn’t him in front of me. Where is he? Next moment I was turned off the floor, my legs flew up. It’s Iriminage, you must cuddle your head! Damn, I didn’t do it in time – and my arm and head bitted on tatami at once.
After Jiu waza I tried to understand, what Payet Sensei did. He did all he wanted, really. When I attacked I felt that Sensei disappeared in front of me. There was a flight then, and I fell down on tatami.
After the classes Payet Sensei according to Russian tradition was taken to the sauna for the maintaining of physical and mental health. And after that there were a real Russian fish-soup and, of course, questions about life way of Jacques Payet Sensei, about Senshusei course and ceremonies in Aiki shrine of Iwama, about impressions from Russia and Novosibirsk especially (I should recall that Payet Sensei was in Russia first time).
But, unfortunately, this pleasure party went to the end.
Day three.
This day I missed children class – I had to prepare our Budo-passports for Sensei’s sign. But, when I finished this work and returned to the 
training hall, I understood that had gone in time, because there was a weapon class. Jacques Payet Sensei explained all technical points and made emphasize every moment on importance of work with boken. He explained for us that we should sense boken like part of our own body, and understanding of this fact allows us do all Aikido techniques harmoniously.
The last training was dedicated to Kotegaeshi and the essence of this technique. The training was very hard: we didn’t want to recognize that these three days of the seminar flew away. Students had no restrained themselves and asked Sensei to show any nuances of Aikido techniques. Unfortunately, this class went to the end.
After that preparation for the Shodan test of our senior students had started. Yuriy Lebedev, Arkadiy Bryzgalov and Kirill Pavsky successfully passed it, and we’d like to send our compliments to them.
After that there were the embu of:
• Members of classic wrestling
• Alexey Teryaev (4 Dan of Aikido), Head of Siberian Center of Real Aikido and his students
• Vitaliy Kornev (2 Dan of Aikido), Head of Aikido Aikikai club “Jikishinkai Novosibirsk”
• Sergey Shipov (3 Dan Shotokan Karate-Do)
• The junior group of Shosetsu Kan Dojo – ukemi waza
• The medium group of Shosetsu Kan Dojo – Kihon waza, oyo waza and Kihon dosa Rendzoku Buki waza
• The Pride of Siberian Yoshinkan Aikido Federation – group of Aikigrandies “Aikido out of limits”
• Vitaliy Podobaev (2 Dan of Yoshinkan) – Shomen uchi jiu waza (uke – Vyacheslav Kuzmin)
• Yuriy Poletaev (3 Dan of Yoshinkan) – Ekomen uchi jiu waza (uke – Yuriy Lebedev)
• Andrey Podoynikov (4 Dan of Yoshinkan, Head of Shosetsu Kan) – Kaeshi waza, Katate mochi jiu waza, Futari Dori (ukes – Yuriy Poletaev and Vitaliy Podobaev)
• And, of course, Jacques Payet Sensei – Ogi (hidden principles of Aikido), Futari Dori Jiu waza (ukes – Andrey Podoynikov and Yuriy
Poletaev)
In the end of Master Embu there were the different forms of approval:
• Loud applause
• Delight screams
• Et al.
The official part of the seminar went to the end. There was the Sayonara party then.
Sayonara party.
On the party there were said a lot of good words, given a lot of good presents, performed a lot of good songs and melodies ad honorem of our guest and Teacher. And I’d like to say a great thanks Jacques Payet Sensei, who through all frontiers brought his books “Aikido Shugyo” with dedicatory inscription for us.
In response to this magnificent present I with inherent to me immodesty made to Sensei the gift – the Russian edition of “Aikido Shugyo” translated by me before the meeting with the Master – and after that we all asked Payet Sensei to arrive to Novosibirsk more often.
The last day in Novosibirsk.
Nevertheless, though we boasted, we felt the tiredness after the seminar.
We came to the Hotel, took away Sensei and went to airport. We had sat in café there and taken cups of coffee. The last fore-flight conversations, and after that Sensei said the phrase, we dreamt to hear:
- I promise, when I will arrive to Novosibirsk next time, I’ll try to give visa and tickets for a longer time.
Is it necessary to say, that it was the most pleasant for us in that morning?
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