CLASSES – TECHNIQUES – PROGRAMS

Aïkido

Ai : union, harmony ; Ki : vital breath, energy ; Do : way. Aïkido is the way of harmony with the universal energy. This martial art was developed in 1931, by Ueshiba Morihei with the creation of his first Dojo, where he taught his techniques and philosophy. From early youth, Ueshiba Morihei studied the techniques of Ju-jutsu, Ken-jutsu, the use of the Naginata and the stick fighting, following the tradition. Finding that these techniques were overly coloured by the warrior philosophy, he conceived a uniquely ‘defensive’ system. This combined a decisive attitude, a knowledge of anatomy and swift reflexes in the execution of defensive movements against one or more attackers. These techniques enabled one to nullify the force of an attack, not with strength but by a subtle use of evasive movements, bodyshifting which aimed to turn the force of an adversary back on himself. He was inspired by the old techniques of sword-fighting without, resorting to the weapon itself. Aïkido became an art of unarmed combat, to be used even against an armed opponent. In his Aïkido, he emphasized the importance of reaching aharmony between the breath and the body combined with nature. According to Ueshiba, only those who had fully materialized in themselves that intuitive perception of the harmony of everything in the universe, could enter that higher state which put them beyond fear, cowardice laziness and pride, and made them truly free. He wished that this Aïkido should become a school of self-perfection, based on knowledge of the body and the mind. For only a mind freed from material demands, possessed of perfect calm, was capable of anticipating the movements of an eventual adversary and reaching a permanent state of intuition and alertness. All the movements of Aïkido are aimed at teaching students to free themselves from psychological and muscular barriers, to help them to breathe in tune with their movements, and to enable them to feel alive and in total harmony with everything which surrounds them. If one breathes well, if his posture is natural then the body will obtain a perfect physical balance, centred on the focus of gravity of one’s entire being. He will be able to anticipate the attacking movements of an opponent, without making use of one’s own force, and throw him with great speed. The movements must be carried out smoothly with a circular movement. According to historians, Aïkido was teached to the Samurai during the Kamakura period. The Takeda family are the ones who perfected this method of combat and defined the important vital points to place an ennemy at one’s mercy. The range of Aïkido techniques is completed with the methods of  Atemi-waza, attacking the weak points on the ennemy’s body.

Bushi

This word means (Warrior. This was the name given to all the warriors that were in families with a warrior tradition. It distinguished them from the noble families. The Bushi class developed mainly in the provinces in the north of Japan where landowners had to defend themselves against Ainu. The Bushi fought among themselves for supremacy. The victorious Minamoto set up in 1185, a government from a military camp at Kamakura until 1868, when the emperor returned to direct power and established in Tokyo.

Bushi-dô

Way of the warrior. A code of honour and social behaviour that took shape in the 17^th century. This code of Bushi-dô demanded from the warrior, Bushi or Samuraï, a single-minded existence, contempt for death, loyalty to one’s lord, courage, politeness, sincerity of heart and self-control, above and beyond that demanded by martial arts. Nitobe Inazo defined seven virtues, which a Bushi much possess: a sense of justice and honesty, courage and contempt for death sympathy towards all people, politeness and respect for etiquette, absolute loyalty to one’s superiors and finally, a duty to defend the honour of one’s name and clan. Bushi-dô is a code of honour directing the Bushi to follow a severe etiquette and to devote their lives and spirits to one or several activities “beyond the level of an ordinary man. It is a way of being, of behaving towards one’s fellows and an absolute fidelity to a line of life, which demands the giving up of self when necessary. That implies respect for oneself and for others, whoever they may be, weak or strong, as well as perfect control of the mind, the impulses and passions in order to leave the spirit in harmony with the universe. The art of the warrior was regarded as a collection of fastidious rules of etiquette and behaviour. Bushi-dô was tailored for a dominant class whose ordinary members gave themselves free rein, producing an outburst of numerous abuses of power. The principal aim of the Bushi-dô code was to civilize the Bushi and make them follow a course of behaviour warlike and courteous.

Jû-jutsu

« Science of softness », techniques of combat elaborated by the Bushi in Japan, so that the disarmed warriors could defend themselves against enemies who were still armed. This art developed from the ancient techniques of  Yawara. Over the centuries, various schools of jû-jutsu improved the primitive techniques and combined them with movements and countering grips taken from Chinese methods of combat. These techniques were used by the peasants of Okinawa. Numerous schools created by the Samuraï spread their techniques throughout the country. The essential principle of  jû-jutsu is to conquer the enemy with any and all means, minimal force. The followers must : – Be able to judge the force of an opponent’s attack and use it against him before it takes effect. – Be able to bring an opponent off balance. – Know how to immobilize an opponent by holding him on the ground, by twisting and bending his limbs etc. In reality, jû-jutsu aimed to annihilate the enemy and render him powerless. We used all kinds of dangerous, often fatal techniques. Jû-jutsu spread among the rest of the populace and became an offensive technique that was mainly used by bandits, from which stems it’s bad reputation. This technique was teached to the armed forces and the police because it gave them some advantage in the close combat. Jû-jutsu is now considered a real fighting technique. However, it is from the ancient schools of  jû-jutsu that almost all the techniques used in martial arts flow.

Ken-dô

Way of the sword, a martial art of using the sword, formerly called Ken-jutsu. Ken-jutsu was prohibited in 1876, when the Samurai were forbidden to carry swords, but was transformed into a martial sport for physical and mental training of the young. The art continued to flourish and grow in Japan, where it is practiced by men and women alike. The aim of Kendo training is to mould the mind and the body, to cultivate a steady and firm attitude, to work with perseverance in order to progress in Kendo through true and rigorous training. Kendo is one of the foremost and most respected of Japanese disciplines, because it is based on the classical art of the sword. The techniques are based on blows delivered with speed and precision using a bamboo Shinai instead of a live blade. The combatants wear special armour which includes a mask with a steel grill and shoulder flaps, a rigid breastplate of lacquered bamboo, firmly padded gloves, protectors for the abdomen and the lower abdomen. Under the armour, the Kendoka  wear a jacket and a Hakama that reaches the ankles to conceal from the movements of the feet during the combat. Training and contests usually take place in a room with a smooth floor ; contestants are barefoot. The fighting usually lasts for five minutes, but the referee may order a three-minute extension when no score has been made. The winner is the one who has either scored two points ( Ippon ) during the five-minute period or a single point during the extension. For one of the contestants to score a point, he must attack cleanly, using the body, the Shinai and energy expressed with a Kiai all at the same time. Only certain points on the body give scoring results :  – the head (Men) – the forearms (Kote) – the trunk (Do) – the throat (Tsuki. A blow may be struck and counted as a scoring blow on a contestant who has dropped his Shinai or fallen. The blows must be clean and accurate. For a blow to be counted as a scoring blow, the contestant delivering it must call out at the same time as he strikes the name of that part of the opponent’s body which is the target. In 1928, the Japanese Federation of Kendo was created. Until 1955, the sport was virtually confined to Japan. A few years later, Kendo gained a high reputation internationally and was practiced in numerous countries.

Ko-budô

Ko-budô means literally “ancient martial art. The archipelago of the Ryu-Kyu was occupied many times by Chinese and Japanese people. The warriors were pretty equipped to go to battle. But the biggest part of the population was living of fishing and agriculture. The only way of defence that they had, other than feet and fists (natural weapons but useless against a sword or an arrow) was the material that they used everyday of their life. Many defence techniques were starting to appear and be teached, particularly after the Japanese invasion of the 17^th century. For example, the Sai (the only weapon authorized for Okinawa’s policeman’s) breaks the blade of the Samuraï’s sword. Ko-budô was practiced from generation to generation, until today were it represents a big and rich culture.  Created from ancestral material and the will of survivor, Ko-budô is an integral part of the cultural and martial heritage of Okinawa. All the techniques that were developed with these weapons were tested in battles. In fact, the people that used these weapons had only one thing in mind: Defending their goods, their life or their honour.

Shintaïdo

The shintaïdo was created in 1968 by a team of high level united around Master Aoki Hiroyuki. This discipline aims the harmonious development of body, will and mind with movements used in martial arts. In the words of the founder himself, shintaïdo must have the same value as the works of music, painting and literature. This cultural movement is more artistic than scientific because he increases the expression of each individual. Aoki Hiroyuki was an expert in different martial arts, especially in karate. He knew a lot about human development and the medical techniques of Chinese people. With the help of many experts, he wanted to create a new way that rebuilds harmoniously the different elements of life and to answer the needs of people living in modern societies. After a period of intensive searching, that lasted many years, the basic techniques were considered. During the thirty next years, Master Aoki Hiroyuki concentrated to build a practice system to put these techniques so that everyone can use them. More than sixty years old, him and his team are still today, fully dynamic creators that will never stop to increase and diversify the practice of shintaïdo. The teaching is based on natural gestures and expressions that are used in different places, depending on each mind. He considered his techniques to be used in every day’s life.

Buns of steel

We suggest a few different activities adapted to your needs, your plans and your potential. In fact, day after day, you will regain the shape, you will be fit and your physical aspect will change. Hips and thighs are the place where the muscles are not very firm and where there’s a lot of fat, especially for women because of the female hormones. Men can have that too but the difference is that it stays on the sides. There is a lot of exercises easy to do, that are particularly for those who the muscles of their lower body are not firm enough. These exercises are designed specifically to burn fat, build long, slender muscles and tone target areas (abs, buns, thighs) in just minutes a day. The training techniques allows the body to engage all the core muscles, while moving in patterns that are natural and easy-to-do for people of all ages and all fitness levels. If you want all-over body conditioning, this is the workout for you! This class combines strength and endurance. Maximize your body’s performance by doing a challenging workout for all levels!

Salsa

Hola Salseras y Salseros,
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Breathing meditation

The concept of Ki is one of the most important in Japanese philosophy. It directly concern’s everyone’s daily life, since it is nothing less than the vital energy of that life. As the concept of Ki is found at the root of all Japanese activities, it is also found at the root of all martial arts. It is the original energy, fundamental and creative. It is also the active attention, concentration and mental force that is in every human being. Using the Ki is primordial to get results in different situations, especially in martial arts. Uniting the Ki is synonymous of concentration of the energy and a physical and psychological force of the individual. In fact, this type of meditation is based to concentrate on the breathing by using the vital energy that is inside. This brings us to talk about the Ki-ai. The Ki-ai means to regroup the energy. By pushing this sound, the Ki will be released very easily. The Ki-ai enables a person carrying out a violent movement to release from his mind any thoughts other than purified energy. This shout cannot be loud unless the student has dominated certain breathing exercises. The Ki-ai is often used in resuscitation techniques to release the vibrations of a person who has been strangled or in shock. Since, we are talking about energy, let’s talk about the Chi-kung. This technique call’s upon the internal energy and was practiced by the Chinese, where adepts claim to be able, with this method, to cure certain illness, like cancers. This meditation is very good because it helps the individual to control his breath and to release his energy to purify it of all negative thoughts. 

Shinto meditation

This is the name of the ancestral religion of Japan, as distinct from the Buddhist religion. Shinto is a form of Shamanism with no central, major divinity, in which each person venerates the gods belonging to his personal home and land. The divinities of Shinto are innumerable. In fact, every tree, every stone, every dead person may become a superior mind. We do not worship them but they are in holy places which are consecrated to it so that they will look favorably on the wishes of the devotees. The clergy who look after these holy places are elected by the villagers. The emperor himself is the chief priest of Shinto. All the Japanese people belong to Shinto, although they may follow other religions. Shinto has no philosophy, nor any moral to propose. The ceremonies are evocations based on mythology of the spirit’s life. Life is celebrated in all it’s forms, with music and sacred drama.

Meditation

To meditate, you have to be able to have control on your body and your spirit. Even if seems extraordinary, silence is in each one of us, each second of our life. But to reach that point, it takes time, energy and love. Meditation helps to get rid of all the negatives thoughs in our life. The real work is to get the harmony of the body, the spirit and the mind. Meditation is not a way to think, but to be. When we meditate, the concience is completly turned around in another dimension or world. It accomplishes the work to bring the spirit to a relaxed level, silence and concentration. To meditate, the body has to be relaxed and the spirit alert to be able to reach the center of the heart. That takes discipline and courage to take us far and far every day. Meditation is necessary for every active life and is the answer of every human life.