A Second Message to My Aikido Students Upon the Two-Month Anniversary of My

Arrival at Vassar

November 9, 2003

As people say, time flies like an arrow. I have practiced aikido with you 30 times as of Saturday, Nov. 8th. I sometimes feel so happy when I see your distinct progress, and it is fun when I find a person doing a technique in just the same way that I move.

I hope that you do not always become my copy but, rather, become a great person, which is my goal. But imitation can be good because I believe that imitating your instructor's movement is important for your growth process. I do desire that you outstrip me during my stay here in Vassar, since, as some of you may have noticed, I have been trying to leave here everything I have acquired and learned in my aikido life. Time is limited, however. Please keep in mind a following maxim; "One of these days is none of these days”. Any questions you send me directly or by email will be gladly answered, though the response may take some time.

Soon we will have a demonstration at the Japanese Culture day. I figure (or think) that it will be a good chance to become aware of the aikido that you have recently acquired. That is, at such demonstrations some unlooked-for failures of techniques will happen, though we have done well at usual practice. So, participants can luckily find their purposes clearer than others through their unsuccessful experience. Once you find some mistakes, you should be pleased with it. Please do not forget, however, that your failure also means that you did not practice sufficiently before the demonstration.

In fact, only practice makes perfect, and practicing a technique even once improves your ability. After all, is not an entire practice session simply made up of many individual repetitions? So do not make light even of a single repetition at ordinary practice. It is only because of many years of tiny assiduous effort that our futures hold such promise. There are no rapid leaps in our lives, in other words. I hope that attending this demonstration and positively trying to show your recently acquired aikido as much as possible will be for you a way of knowing thyself.

Everyday during the fall, here at Vassar, many squirrels have been running about here and there with tails longer than their bodies fluttering. I am impressed with the symbiotic relationship that I see with no one hurting them, and beside that, with so many kind and honest students.

I always go to the library to work in the morning. The environment to study is wonderful with solemn and comfortable interior decorations for students and faculty. In addition, being in the debt of the Internet, I can work the same as at Waseda. I am still under obligation to guide the students of my seminar (The Intellectual Historical Study of Sports and Japanese Martial Arts) to complete their graduation theses, though sometimes this responsibility seems burdensome. I cordially appreciate Dr. Flynn and the other faculty members of Vassar College who allow me to stay here to teach aikido to nice students and to study my research subjects freely. Therefore, I strongly feel that I shall try to provide to the students both at Vassar and Waseda great advantages now or in near future.

The second Message to My Aikido Students Upon the two month

Vassar User

2003-11-11

Vassar College