Penny Sensei: Hi, Kid Vision kids.

Uh-oh.

Something's not quite right.

That's much better.

Welcome to my Aikido dojo.

I am a sensei.

A sensei is a teacher, a mentor but even more, it is someone who is regarded highly for their knowledge and sharing of that knowledge.

I teach Aikido.

I am an Aikido sensei.

Welcome to my dojo.

This is Florida Aikikai.

Dojo is a place where people practice martial arts.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art.

It's a self-defense that uses throws, pins, and falling rather than kicking and punching.

The opponent ends up falling or pinned without harm done to either person.

Come, I see Peter Bernas, Sensei Peter here.

Let's find out more.

Hi, Sensei Peter.

Sensei Peter: Hi, Penny Sensei.

Penny Sensei: Hello, children.

Sensei Peter: Hi, Kid Vision kids.

Welcome to our dojo, Florida Aikikai.

We practice Aikido here.

A dojo is a big, matted area where you train self-defense arts.

It's made up here.

On the bottom, you'll see this green mat.

They're called tatami mats.

That's so when we practice, we can fall down and it's safe because they're made of rubber.

So it doesn't hurt us.

This in the front here is called the kamiza and it's the place of honor in the dojo.

We start and end all of our classes by bowing towards the kamiza.

We have a picture here of the founder of Aikido, O'Sensei, our great teacher, and next to that is calligraphy saying the words Aikido in Japanese.

The way of harmony.

Thank you for coming for the class today.

Penny Sensei: I'm very pleased to be here.

I think when we start Aikido or any martial art, the first thing we need to do is put on our gi.

When we train in Aikido, we wear an Aikido uniform, our gi.

So we have a gi top, gi bottom.

You have your obi, which is a belt.

And I have on a hakama.

In Aikido, once you get a black belt, you wear a hakama.

It's a clothing of respect.

It shows that you have achieved a black belt.

Wearing a black belt signifies that a student has achieved a high level of competency.

It takes years of training and testing for a person to obtain a black belt.

Hi, Shiny.

Would you like to learn how to tie a belt?

Great job, Shiny!

Let's try.

Sensei Peter: First thing you have to do is find the middle of the belt by putting the two ends together.

And all the way at the bottom here, that's the middle.

I'm going to put the middle right below my belly button, bring it around the back until I have two pieces out front.

Then, I cross one piece over.

Then, I go through the front and up through two pieces of the belt.

I pull it a little bit tight and then I just tie it like I would a shoelace.

Penny Sensei: We're all ready for class.

Let's do it.

When entering or leaving a dojo, when entering or leaving the mat, and at the beginning and end of a class, students and teachers bow to O'Sensei's photograph.

It is a sign of respect for the man that created Aikido and the space where it is practiced.

When we bow in, we all say please because we're asking someone to please teach us.

How do you say please in Japanese?

Speaker 3: [foreign language 00:04:27].

Penny Sensei: [foreign language 00:04:29].

Can you say [foreign language 00:04:31]?

Speaker 3: [foreign language 00:04:32].

Penny Sensei: Great.

That's a very good job.

Would you like to join our class?

Please do.

Remember, in Aikido, there's throws, and falling, and pins.

The first technique we're going to do is he's going to grab my shoulder.

What am I going to do?

As he's pulling, I'm going to step back.

My hand comes over the top and I'm using my body to turn in.

Put my hand down and out.

And this is called a pin.

Let's try that.

Everyone take your partner, please.

This is Helen Sensei, a fourth degree black belt.

Next technique.

This time, we're going to do a throw and a fall, a forward roll.

So he's grabbing my shoulders.

I'm going to move one shoulder up, one hand down on his elbows.

Tenkan and throw.

Remember, Aikido is all about timing, too.

When we're practicing, we're going slow.

I'm practicing.

Elbows are in control.

Tenkan out of the way.

Give him some place to throw.

See.

Rolling is really important when you're doing Aikido because it's part of our process.

When you do Aikido, you either fall on your belly, you fall on your back and get up, or you do a forward roll.

So, you make yourself a circle.

Who would like to demonstrate a forward roll, please?

Nice job.

Do that again, please.

So, you make yourself a circle so that it's easy to take the fall.

Otherwise, when you fall down, what would happen?

You'd get hurt.

In Aikido, it's all about harmonizing.

Someone's coming at you and I want them to harmonize with my energy and come down.

So, instead of fighting, and kicking, and punching, if I find myself in a situation, I'm moving.

I'm avoiding.

Leading and avoiding.

And that's what Aikido's all about.

So, let's line up, please.

I want to notice that everyone is sitting in seiza.

And seiza means that your knees are bent and you're sitting down this way.

We always sit in seiza at the beginning and the end of the class and when a teacher is demonstrating a technique.

Ready?

I also want to say that when we bow, we bow for respect.

I'm going to bow to you to show respect.

You're going to bow back to me and we're going to say thank you.

What is the Japanese word for thank you?

Speaker 4: Arigato.

Penny Sensei: Arigato.

Speaker 5: Arigato.

Penny Sensei: Can you say arigato?

Speaker 3: Arigato.

Penny Sensei: Good job.

Speaker 3: [crosstalk 00:08:20].

Penny Sensei: Arigato.

Thank you very much.

Now, each of you are going to turn and bow to your partner.

Speaker 7: Thank you so much for staying and teaching the Aikido class this morning.

It was awesome.

So, some of the things that we do at camp are things that people do in Japan because Aikido is a Japanese martial art.

Would you like to stay and try something with us today?

Penny Sensei: I'd love to.

Thank you for asking.

Speaker 7: Oh, yay.

Great.

So, we are going to do some paper folding.

What do you say in Japanese if you're going to do paper folding?

Speaker 3: Origami.

Speaker 7: Huh?

Speaker 3: Origami.

Speaker 7: Great.

Today, we are going to fold an animal.

We are going to fold a type of.

Speaker 3: [crosstalk 00:09:12].

Speaker 7: Bird.

What do you think it could be, Sullivan?

Sullivan: Swan.

Speaker 7: A swan.

Exactly.

Ready?

Does everybody have a piece of paper?

Speaker 3: Yes!

Speaker 7: All right, so we're going the start out.

Put your piece of paper on the floor and we're going to fold a triangle.

If you get finished with your folds and you see that your neighbor needs a little help, then show them what to do.

So, the very last fold, you take the swan by the beak, and you pull it up, and you bring it to life.

And you squish it right there and you have a swan.

And now, your swan can sail on the water.

Speaker 3: It should look like this.

Penny Sensei: We just did what art?

What did we do?

Speaker 3: Origami.

Speaker 7: Origami.

Penny Sensei: Origami.

Japanese paper folding.

Thank you so much, Helen Sensei.

And thank you, Peter Sensei.

It's been a lovely day at the dojo.

I want to thank all the children, too.

Can we bow to each other and say thank you?

Speaker 3: Yes.

[crosstalk 00:10:20].

Speaker 7: Arigato.

Penny Sensei: Arigato.

It's been a wonderful day.

Thank you so much.

Speaker 7: Sayonara.

Speaker 3: Sayonara.

Penny Sensei: Sayonara.