Two Unique Months as an Uchideshi
Silja Kervinen
Before leaving for two months to Kobayashi dojo I waswarned by various people and in various occasions of the toughtime awaiting me there as an uchideshi. However I had mademy mind to go and see myself what was awaiting me. Besides I
was curious to find out whether the warnings had any base inreality or whether they were hearsay and rumours that had on
their way had grown out of proportion.
After the two months I can say that being an uchideshi is indeed tough attimes with tightly scheduled, disciplined training and cleaning and therein
between little time for oneself. But although toughness is the most well knownside of being an uchidshi, it is only one side of it. The other side is thatuchideshis welcomed as members of the dojo community and at the best oftimes almost as members of family. I was invited to share meals with my senseis
and their families, to participate with them in tea seremonies and calligraphyclasses and to visit with them onsens, Japanese baths, which turned out to be themost pleasant places to spend time outside the tatami.
What I was most impressed by both at thedojo as well as in Japan in general is the incredible
kindness and helpfullness of the people. In
comparison to many Western societes, wherepeople have grown up to think of what they can dofor themselves, in the Japanese society people arebrought up to think of what they can do for others.
Staying in Japan without knowing more that acouple of dozens words of Japanese makes many things more complicated thanthey would otherwise be. Yet every time I was in need of any help I could counton finding someone, either a friend or any passer-by, to offer me all the help me
I needed and often even more help than I would have needed or expected.
What was the most unique part of being an uchideshi is that it gave aninside view to the dojo community as well as to some extent to the Japanesesociety in general. Such a view from the inside of the community and the society
would otherwise have remained beyond the reach of a foreigner, but when
within reach, it teaches a lot not only about
where I am but also about where I come fromand where I am going back to.
In the end I want to thank Aikido
Kobayashi Dojo and Musubi Fund for making
it possible for me to stay for the two months as
an uchideshi in Kobayashi Dojo. I would liketo thank Kobayashi sensei and Hiroaki sensei

for taking me as their student as well as theirwives Yasuko-san and Miyako-san for theirwarmth and kindness and for welcoming me
to share their family meals. I would also liketo thank Yamawaki-sensei and his wife
Haruyo-san as well as Igarashi-sensei and hiswife Machiko-san for welcoming me to stayat their dojos and share their family meals.
Warm thanks belong also to the fellow
uchideshi collegue Dylan as well as two of the dojo members, Hiromi-san andKyoko-san, for being there always when I needed someone to give a hand or tolean on.
Finally and most importantly I want to thank all the members ofKobayashi Dojo, all my training mates. What I liked most at Kobayshi dojo is
the positive attitude, the good humour and the energy all of you put into yourtraining and in doing so together make the good atmosphere that there is to train.