Adam Doering
July 2009
Nationality: Canadian
Dojo: Miyazaki Aikido ClubMr. Doering stayed in Tokorozawa dojo as an uchideshi for a few
weeks. At the end of his stay, he challenged for 1st kyu test andsuccessfully passed.

Living Aikido: Lessons Learned as an Uchideshi
Adam Doering

Becoming an Uchideshi“Why are you here? I mean, why did you
decide to become an uchideshi?” curiously
inquired my new Aikido colleague on my firstthe day as a live‐in student. The dojo felt like asauna and I was worn out from a long day atravel, I stumbled around for an answer. “Tochallenge myself…I guess,” was my inadequate
and vague response.
The truth was I came to the Kobayashi
Dojo with few expectations. I met Hiroaki
Kobayashi sensei only a few times through mytraining with an affiliated dojo in Miyazaki
Prefecture. His exceptional technique andeasygoing personality inspired me to learn more
about the Kobayashi way of Aikido. I
consequently decided to attend the 44th Iwai Aikido Kobayashi Dojo AnnualCamp in the summer of 2008. It was there that I first witnessed theextraordinary Aikido community called Aikido Kobayashi Dojo.
Although brief, these encounters left a lasting impression. With mytwo‐year work contract in Japan soon coming to an end in August, I decided totake the rest of my vacation days to leave my tropical paradise of Southern
Japan and become an uchideshi in the heat of Tokyo.

Learning by Living It“Being an uchideshi is not a tourist experience; it is training tobe an Aikido professional. It is not an extended summer gasshuku; it islearning to become a part of the Aikido community and culture in whichyou’re training. It is neither mysterious nor exotic; it is hard work”.
Uchideshi Journal Day 7 ‐ July 18, 2009
Prior to leaving for Tokyo I had very little time to think about what being
an uchideshi meant, or what it really entailed besides rumors of a extremely
demanding training schedule, and from what I could gather from the otherlive-in student reports, an even more arduous cleaning regiment. Training andcleaning undeniably take up the majority of your time and energy, but these acts
alone do not define the uchideshi experience.
It quickly became obvious thatas a live‐in student I was not an
Aikido tourist. I had been in living
in Japan for a while and had
shamefully become accustom to being
treated with some sensitivity to myforeignness, or in other words, I
became familiar with being treatedwith unwarranted privilege simply
because I was not Japanese. This was not the case at Kobayashi dojo.
Everyone was treated equally regardless of ability, place of origin, or how long
you were staying. Essentially, there were only two things expected of me (1)train with intensity and enjoyment everyday and (2) make an effort to become aclose member of Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, even if only for a short time. Within
the first three days it became obvious that this experience was going to bedifficult not only physically, but also mentally. It was around the end of thefirst week that I began to better understand what it meant to live Aikido as anuchideshi.
Living Aikido meant that no matter how exhausted, hungry, hot, or hurt I
felt, I went to practice. At times it felt like I was sleepwalking through the earlymorning sessions, which I sometimes did during the 40‐minute train, bike andwalk commute that it took to get to the other dojos. But even in my haze I
always amazed at what I learned just by showing up. I gained a lot from eachstudent and teacher I practiced with. For example, Kobayashi shihan andKomine sensei’s classes clearly demonstrated that Aikido practice should
always be fun. Hiroaki sensei showed me the value of hard work and passion,
not just for Aikido, but also for anything in life. Ueno sensei, besides being avery kind man and good friend during my two weeks, taught me the how tomagically compact my extremely long legs to improve my suwariwaza.
Kasahara sensei revealed to me the secret of how to shrink my 195cm body into
Japanese size. Suzuki sensei showed me how all techniques are neither only
hard nor soft, but rather both at the same time. And at every practice Anita, myfellow uchideshi, embodied the power of optimism.
I discovered that simply getting to practice was the most difficult part,but I always felt much better afterwards. It is often said that the onlycompetition in Aikido is with one’s self. If my experience as an uchideshi hastaught me anything it’s that I have already won just by showing up every dayand persevering. This is a lesson
a will take with me no matter
where I end up practicing Aikido.
For me living Aikido alsomeant learning about aspects of
Aikido that extend beyond practiceand technique. A deshi’sknowledge is conveyed throughexperience, and perhaps more
importantly, observation. I foundthat my best tool for learning wasto constantly be aware and observe what was going on around me, not just atpractice, but also during cleaning, while eating breakfast, or taking the train withsensei after practice. After a short time I really started to notice and appreciate
the lifestyle, culture, and community that are ingrained in the Kobayashi
tradition.
The Aikido Kobayashi Dojo community has created a culture that isuniquely ‘Kobayashi’. The various dojos in Tokyo and surrounding area truly
represent one enormous extended family. It is remarkable to think that in only
two weeks I came to feel such a strong connection with the students and teachersof Aikido Kobayashi Dojo. Undoubtedly, what sets Kobayashi Dojos apart fromothers I have experienced is not only the quality of the teachers, but also theclose bond and community which unites such a diverse range of people from allover the world. From the moment I came to the dojo to the day I left, I always

felt welcomed as a part of the Kobayashi Aikido family. From this experience
I have realized that enjoying practice, making friends, and working together tomake life more enjoyable is the essence of Aikido practice.

Life after Uchideshi
Reflecting honestly upon why I decided to become an uchideshi, I canonly speculate that it was because I wanted to test my commitment to Aikido. I
was at a stage in my Aikido practice where I was questioning whether I would
continue once I moved countries and dojos for the 4th time in 7 years. Anyone
who has changed dojos knows how difficult a process this can be. The twoweeks I spent as an Aikido Kobayashi live‐in student has revived my Aikido
spirit. The friends and connections I have made from all over the world
through Kobayashi Aikido are far too interesting and important to me to quit.
Moreover, through this experience I have learned to embrace andappreciate the unknown. I now think of Aikido as a question with no answers.
I discovered that once I got over trying to find ‘the answers’ I could enjoy
practice more. I began to recognize that no one can give me direct solutions tomy problems; I have to learn what I can, adapt, and discover my own way. Ican never completely ‘know’ Aikido and for that reason that I will always striveto understand it and continue to practice.
I did not expect to learn as muchas I did in only two weeks, both about
Aikido and life in general. My family
and I will move to New Zealand in a few
days where there is no Kobayashi Aikido.
However, the lessons I have learned
during my time as an uchideshi willtravel with me and so will a part of theKobayashi tradition. For this I am truly
grateful and forever indebted to theKobayashi family, and to every student
and teacher I met during my two‐weekstay as an uchideshi.
Thank you all very much.