Weekend of aikido -- part one

I took a drive up to Woodstock. My main intention was to practice at Harvey Konigsberg-sensei's dojo. Harvey teaches once a week at the New York Aikikai, but at a time that is very difficult for me to make. In a year-and-a-half, I've only been able to attend a handful of his classes.

But they left a deep impression on me. I like everything about Harvey's aikido and his way of teaching it. He just has a sort of flow and ability to melt away that really defies description. So I took the opportunity with my time off from work to spend the day at his dojo, Woodstock Aikido.

Harvey has built, what is described on his Website as, "A Beautiful Traditional Dojo in a Unique Rural Setting." This is, in fact, the art of understatement. The photo above barely does justice to the craftsmanship and spirit that the place contains. I felt as if I was stepping into another world. When I saw it and took it all in, I couldn't help thinking Ōsensei would feel quite happy and comfortable in such a dojo.

Harvey is an artist. His paintings can be seen in many dojo and I'm sure many other places. There is no question that his artistic nature contributes to the design of his dojo and his aikido. I feel very fortunate to know him and to be able to learn from him.