Serving as Uchideshi
Dylan Shanahan
Five years ago filling out the paperwork to enter the JET
program (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) I wrote ‘nopreference’ in the section about my preference for placement areas inJapan. Besides the opportunity to live and work in Japan teaching
English, I wanted to practice aikido but I knew nearly nothing about
who taught where.
Hence, when I first arrived in Japan and was being driven to my new home in
Iruma with my new English department supervisor, how synchronistic -dare I say‘destiny’- it was that he told me he was a member of Kobayashi dojo. He asked me
about my interest in aikido that he had read from my application essay to the JET
program. After I got settled into my new apartment, new job, and new life in Japan;
he introduced me to Kobayashi dojo and took me to my first aikido practice in Japanon a Sunday at Tokorozawa dojo.
I couldn’t have been placed in a better location, wedged between Kobayashi
dojo to the east and hiking hills to the west (and a few minutes to Costco for thepriceless peanut butter and American cheese). I have been very fortunate to learn
aikido from a dojo so close to the roots of aikido, dojo members that have centuries
of combined training experience, and furthermore being able to be a part of
Kobayashi dojo’s wide embracing community. Living alone in a foreign country
with little Japanese language skills, made this an essential life-line into the inside ofJapanese culture and a much appreciated social network. I’d like to thank all thedojo members for teaching me everything from how to tie my training pants to thesubtle timings of kumi-tachi, and so many great memories in the dojo and of course at
the many year-end parties, year beginning parties, BBQs, hanami, Iwai camps,
Tsumagoi camps, birthdays, welcome parties, and farewell parties. In Kobayashi
dojo life’s a party, training hard and playing hard; Kampai!
There is a song by the famous folk singer, Bob Dylan (yes, my father is a bigfan), called “Gotta Serve Somebody” that describes we all inevitably serve somebody
or something in life. In aikido, with a philosophy as vast and mysterious as thedepths of space, what are we serving? Living the easy life in economicallydeveloped countries, like the USA or Japan, can leave me unsatisfied when I feel like
I am solely serving the interestsof propelling our capitalistic
society forward with myemployment and monetary
spending. That is why thegrading system at Kobayashi
dojo and preparing for my tests
over the years has been such a
helpful structured pursuit inJapan. I found much
fulfillment in reaching for new

goals, new levels of aikido proficiency, in the process of reaching and then receiving,
only to aspire to reach higher next time.
As a vigorous challenge, unique Japanese experience, and chance to give backto a dojo that has given me so much over the years; I’d been eyeing the Kobayashi
dojo live-in training program from the first time I learned about it four years ago.
Although, my work schedule and holidays never seemed to allow enough time for aproper uchideshi experience. It wasn’t until I finished my contract in the JET
program that I could finally take that next step into a challenge unknown, a simplified
life centered on aikido, and a chance to set aside other pursuits and distractions tofocus on my aikido training.
I grew up with a pretty conventional image of the Japanese martial arts frommovies like Karate Kid and various books I had read on budo. Even if my ideas ofthe live-in program where slightly over romanticized, in reality I’d guess it sharedsimilarities to what the Japanese teacher/student experience was like hundreds ofyears ago. Besides actually going back in time by cooking with wood and riding ahorse between Kodaira and Tokorozawa dojo, I did feel like I was living the dream(or maybe I was dreaming from lack of sleep). Like Daniel san sanding andpainting (“wax on, wax off”), there was also ‘uchideshi work’ in between cleaning
the dojo and training. The gas heaters and Wi-Fi at Tokorozawa dojo were muchappreciated upgrades. Surely, I don’t think that I missed out on any necessary
experience by making use of the advances in living standards, because one of thethings that struck me the most has probably been a constant throughout the history of
live-in students in Japan; learning about how to serve.
Even if the tasks were small, or at other times large, one uplifting part wassupporting such a global aikido community, and the group of teachers who run it. I
appreciated that the teachers of Kobayashi dojo allowed me to share in theresponsibility of the dojo. I felt a part of the dojo family and an integral part of theKobayashi aikido community. When I could get past my own tiredness or soremuscles, keeping that perspective was a source of motivation. The other regularenergizer was the practices, and fortunately there were plenty of those. I was really
only tired between practices. Kobayashi dojo practices were like riding a wave that
I could hop on and ride the genki atmosphere. Of course, with the quantity andconsistent training of the program, the insights and epiphanies into improving mytechnique and deepening my understanding of aikido added its own source ofstimulation and inspiration.
That process of refining my technique was nicely supported with plenty of timecleaning the dojo, and then back on the mats to clean my aikido again. Everybody
loves a clean dojo, and it doesn’t take much to feel a special quality in aikido
technique that has been polished over years of diligent training. The live-in
program was a clarifying experience that revealed the areas for improvement in myaikido technique, thanks to the support of the dojo instructors and senior practitioners.
The program also brought to my attention the ways in which I hold myself, in daily
life or on the tatami, that bring imbalance to my health, posture, and later affect myaikido. Through such repetition, a small lean off my center of mass made for a bigpain in my back. During the numerously innumerable hours of training I realizedhow far I have to go and how much I have to learn, especially with kokyuhou
technique. Ganbarimasu! I tried my best to be a sponge to the wealth of aikido
schooling the Kobayashi dojo teachers offered me. This program allowed me suchan immersion in aikido with consistent support that I’m looking forward to applying
to the program again someday.
I’m ‘probably’ not going to continue training as repeatedly as I did during mytime in the program and I ‘probably’ won’t clean as many toilets in my life now as I
did during ‘uchideshi life’, but one of the things that I intend to maintain is ‘uchideshi
mind’. During an explanation about what was expected of me on my weekly day
off, I was told I should still get up rather early to clean the dojo and sweep up outside.
That way I could maintain my ‘uchideshi mind’; not to mention the practicality ofreducing the shock returning to waking up before 5 am during most of the week.
For me, there was a very different mindset during the live-in training program. We
are always encouraged as uchideshi to be of service to the dojo, it’s teachers, and thedojo members. I found myself becoming increasingly aware of my surroundings
and mentally preparing for the next step. This level of self sacrifice was particularly
humbling and helpful in getting my ego out of the way of my training.
Kobayashi dojo has brought aikido a long way, throughout much of Japanand the world. I remember back to the 40th anniversary event seeming like a United
Nations summit. I aspire to be a part of the arts growth and the uchideshi program
was a vital education towards that goal. During the program I was able to get an
inside look at how to run a dojo; with dojo maintenance, training camps,demonstrations, grading events, etc. Kobayashi dojo teachers taught me a great dealand I am grateful for their kindness, encouragement, and guidance. Along withrunning a natural medicine clinic someday, I dream of offering aikido to my futurecommunity and sharing the warm welcoming atmosphere of Kobayashi dojo. Whenthe time is right to start a dojo in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., I hope to spreadthe word back in Japan that you all have a place to visit, practice aikido, and feelwelcome. Please give me a chance to return the favor.