On the weekend of October 25th and 26th, an Aikido seminar led by Hélène Doué was held in Pietrasanta, organized by Nardi Rocco of the ASD Fujiyama Pietrasanta.

To briefly introduce her:

Hélène began practicing Aikido at the age of 9, under the guidance of Christian Tissier Shihan, whom she continues to follow after more than 35 years. Today, she holds 6th Dan (UFA) and Aikikai Tokyo, and is a member of the National Technical College of the FFAAA, as well as the Regional Federal Delegate for Normandy. For many years, she has taught courses at her club “Aikido en Seine” in Paris and at various other dojos.

Hélène also teaches students at the University of Paris as part of the APSA (Sports, Physical, and Artistic Activities) program.
She also teaches adolescents with autism at a specialized medical-educational institute. She has participated in numerous interviews and written articles on Aikido.

 

The background described above represents what Hélène brought to the seminar, without getting bogged down in technical descriptions or other details: precision and technique, aspects supported by kindness and genuineness.

The preparation, not only technical but also expository, especially for those unfamiliar with the style of practice that distinguishes some French practitioners, made the workshop enjoyable and accessible to all participants, both in terms of bokken and taijutsu.

A good number of us from the Pistoia dojo participated, some for a day, others for the entire weekend, thanks in part to a student who allowed us to stay overnight at her summer home in Versilia (to whom we thank once again in this article).

Hélène is a familiar figure to us; some of us had already met her at Master Tissier’s seminars in Roquebrune or when we traveled to Paris for “Aikido” reasons, and it was extremely pleasant for us in every way to have the opportunity to participate in one of her seminars so close to home.

An opportunity we didn’t miss, indeed.

 

Moving on to a more descriptive and technical aspect:

The seminar focused on basic work on Ikkyo and Kokyu Nage, primarily, then moved on to some throws, like Kaiten Nage, and the same techniques from multiple forms. Going beyond the basics, it moved on to more complex versions, not so much in terms of “steps” as in terms of intensity of intention and application of the intensity of the action.

Speaking of  sword, specifically an approach to the 5th Kata of the 1st Series, “Kurai Dachi”:

After the typical 1st Series opening, in mu kamae, uketachi attacks with shomen uchi, shitachi responds with kurai dachi, deflecting his partner’s ken. This is followed by a kesa giri, after which uketachi moves away. Both now reposition in waki no kamae, leading uketachi to attack shitachi again with shomen uchi, who exits laterally and concludes with a shomen uchi response.

The kata described filled an hour, not so much because of its difficulty, but because of Hélène’s request: to practice with a sincere attitude and intense intention in the execution of every meticulous action.

The members of the Aikido Banzai ASD group unanimously agreed that the training course with Hélène was extremely enjoyable and provided a valuable learning opportunity.

The members of the Aikido Banzai ASD group unanimously agreed that the workshop with Hélène was extremely enjoyable and an amazing training opportunity.

Thanks a lot Hélène! See you soon!

 

Here are some (more) photos by Flora Pinzauti from the event: