Followers of the Japanese martial art of aikido will probably say there is no other place like a dojo.
As you enter, you leave behind the worries of the outside world to greet the peace of the traditional aikido studio. When daylight fills Glenn Leichman's cozy dojo on Turner Way East, you can feel the quiet energy wrap around you.
"Dojos are a bit like temples," said Leichman, 64, "beautiful and pristine."
He recalls first seeing aikido in Japan in 1979 and started learning it two years later. He now has a third-degree black belt.
Leichman followed his calling and began teaching in 1999 to pass on his knowledge. "It's a new experience every time," he said.
Since then, he has trained all over Europe, sometimes sleeping in the dojos he was visiting. He said aikido builds a strong sense of community among followers in different parts of the world.
A psychologist by trade, Leichman opened his Aikido Willapa Bay studio adjacent to his office at 1004 Turner Way E. in April 2006.
"I started it to follow the style of my teacher in Japan," he said.
Leichman usually walks to work from his home just a few blocks away, accompanied by his dog, Reba.
A PEACEFUL DEFENSE
The founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, once said that it's a martial art of love. Followers refer to Ueshiba as Osensei ("Great Teacher").
According to tradition, students take turns preparing flowers for the kamiza, a small alcove in the dojo with a portrait of Osensei. Leichman's student and spouse, Rolande Chesebro, 54, carefully arranges a collection of bright garden flowers from her own back yard.
Chesebro started aikido last September. "After all these years of having a husband who is an aikido fanatic," she said, "I decided I'd try."
Chesebro, who is a landscaper and spends much of her time bent over, said aikido helps her remain flexible. "I didn't think I could do it," she said, "but seeing that I could, I have been very excited about it."
Leichman said that what attracts him most in aikido is the sense of well-being it promotes. "Most martial arts are about aggression and fighting," he said. "Aikido is not about fighting at all."
He said aikido is more like yoga than the rest of the martial arts. It emphasizes energy flow and meditation much like yoga does. The warm-ups and partnered exercises also resemble yoga.
"It's about self-defense, but it's also about peace," Leichman said.
Aikido focuses on using the strength of the opponent against him or her and consists of a series of locks and throws. Many of the exercises teach a participant to fly through the air and fall without getting hurt, Leichman said.
"It looks a lot like dancing," he added with a smile.
THE RIGHT SPIRIT
Leichman said he tries to encourage both older people and teens to train with him.
"People think only young and fit people do it," Leichman said. "But you don't need to be youthful or strong; you just need to have the right spirit."
The right spirit, Leichman points out, is a big smile and an open heart.
Some of Leichman's students are of retirement age. "I'm very interested in older people coming," he said. His own age, Leichman said, probably makes it easier for older people to start.
Leichman said that one of the key things is to "pay attention to the feeling" and be present: "In today's world, everybody is in such a hurry that people rarely finish things." He said the art of aikido teaches you to be constantly present in your daily activities.
Leichman said it's comforting to come to his dojo during times of stress and be "guided into harmony through meditation." All of Leichman's five children have studied aikido, and two of his daughters teach yoga.
Leichman himself trains in his small dojo five days a week. The biggest class so far had eight people. The typical series takes place in the evening and lasts four weeks, at a cost of $50.
Leichman said he isn't trying to make money. "We are just trying to have fun and change people's consciousness," he said.
Students not only enjoy their training but also take it seriously. "The hardest thing," said student Karen Lewis, "is to be a beginner again." She said also there is something special in learning something from scratch as if you were a child again.
Leichman's classes are not for beginners alone. Robert Kierstev, who has a white belt, said he has studied aikido for four years and will probably continue to train for the rest of his life.
"It's a mystery you try to figure out," he said. "It's a never-ending puzzle."
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