Skidrow Dojo

  Locations of visitors to this page
be notified of website changes? subscribe
Riai Aikido Dojo

 

Aikido

Discovery

O'Sensei

Skidrow Dojo

Dictionary

Gallery

Books

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Skidrow Dojo

The Skidrow Dojo, which became Aikido Shin Bu Kan and now is Suginami Aikikai, is now located in the Multimedia Gulch neighborhood in the SOMA (South of MArket Street) area of San Francisco. The original location was just off 6th Street, in a rather rough and seedy part of town, hence the nickname. The tiny dojo couldn't handle the growing student population and the school was moved to a larger space on Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. Shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake the school was moved to Stillman Street.

When I visit the dojo, it's typically in the middle of a workday, while I'm consulting at nearby clients. I usually walk to the corner of 3rd and Stillman Streets and turn eastward, walking up the gentle grade towards the dojo entrance in the middle of the block.

Stillman Street

The ever-present rumble of cars and trucks comes from the Central Freeway, the raised highway that traverses parts of San Francisco. It's a bright, sunny day, but a strong cold breeze gives me goosebumps as I stroll to class.

Stillman Street Scene

Not many people traverse this stretch of sidewalk, it seems. People trying to find a spot to park their cars cruise by, park, and scurry off. Two bums greet me in slow motion, trapped in a gentle haze of some weapon in their arsenal of mood-altering pharmacopia. I see them most every day, with their shopping carts and loud friends. It's part of the neighborhood scene, both troubling and comforting to me.

It's not a long walk to the dojo, two or three minutes. I take the time en route to get into a state of mind that's both appropriate and effective for a martial arts workout. Take deep breaths. Notice the little things: the sound of the leaves being rustled by the breeze, the sensation of walking from sun to tree shade and back into sunlight again, the birds and butterflies, how my body feels as my feet hit the pavement and my hands swing, the feel of the gym bag with my gi poking out. Get ready to connect, physically and emotionally. Be here now, work will be waiting at the end of class.

Entrance

Meditation on the hoof is over; I'm here. As I approach the scarlet door I wonder if it'll be open yet, or where Ace or Jimmy got caught in traffic or can't find a parking spot. Some days we're locked out for a few minutes, or a quarter-hour, and we talk about our lives, our jobs, and how we're dealing with Aikido at the moment. My fellow classmates are a great comfort: helpful, light in ego, and non-competitiveness, all hallmarks of the way taught to our teachers by "O'Sensei".

Today I'm in luck, the door to 57b is open. I see Jimmy in the office loft and Ace, hakima donned, stretching on the mat. Another lunchtime, another workout, another fragment of sanity to collect for a rainy day.

I enter.

This page is part of the Aikido Web Ring. webring List all this webring's pages; visit another page; add your page to this webring.

Have you found errors nontrivial or marginal, factual, analytical and illogical, arithmetical, temporal, or even typographical? Please let me know; drop me email. Thanks!
 

What's New?  •  Search this Site  •  Website Map
Travel  •  Burning Man  •  San Francisco
Kilts! Kilts! Kilts!  •  Macintosh  •  Technology  •  CU-SeeMe
This page is copyrighted 1993-2008 by Lila, Isaac, Rose, and Mickey Sattler. All rights reserved.