For the second time, I attended an aikido seminar in Salamanca organized by the Kodokai Dojo. This time, they were celebrating their 25th anniversary.
Last year, during some down time, Almaraz Sensei shared with me how he became acquainted with the Aikido Center of Los Angeles. I was amazed to discover that someone from the beautiful historical town of Salamanca traveled all the way to Los Angeles to learn aikido after reading about Furuya sensei in a martial arts magazine.
Since the passing of Furuya Sensei, over 15 years ago, the bond between both dojos has grown stronger and they have build a beautiful bridge between both countries.
The 25th Anniversary Aikido seminar was well organized and it was a great success. Many students of Aikido, from the US and Spain, attended the three days seminar. Everyone trained hard and I was happy to reconnect and train with some friendly faces and enjoy some great meals.
I personally always enjoy attending seminars because Aikido is about connecting with people, making new friends, consolidating existing relationships and sharing the same passion. O’Sensei stated that Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to harmonize the world and make humanity one family. In the book:"La puissance des liens" (The power of Connections), published on October 26th, 2023, psychotherapists, researchers, philosophers share the importance of creating and maintening connections between human beings. It makes us stronger.
I would like to extend my gratitude to Almaraz sensei and his wife, Susana, for organizing this wonderful seminar.
