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I was now feeling a little more confident when Sensei pointed out that there were six young dan grades who had arrived late and were respectfully waiting for permission to come onto
mat. Sensei asked me to show them what we had been teaching so far, they were all wearing black gi's and when I approached and invited them on mat, they scowled as if to say "hey, we have not traveled all way from London to be taught by a women" as I showed first technique "nikkyo" a wrist locking action, first guy tried to resist me, I applied technique as shown to me so many times by Sensei and almost put him through mat. I thought he would be upset with me, but as he got up he asked "How did you do that?". He then wanted me to do technique on all others, now I had their attention and they were a great bunch of guy's. I really enjoyed teaching them. At end of seminar, as we were leaving hall to head for car park, these six guy's were waiting in a line and bowed to me simultaneously with a smile and said to Sensei Ellis " You have a strong lady assistant there ,sensei" Sensei replied " That is why she is my assistant". That was my first seminar and one that I will never forget.
I have been involved in many other seminars with my Sensei and they were always good, but I was never so overawed as I was at my first one, or so I thought. Then Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to visit New Mexico in USA for a seminar. The seminar was to be held in Alamogordo NM, where Sensei's USA representative in US lives and works at Space Museum. Sensei visits New Mexico every year and we have another Ellis dan grade in Texas, Al Montemar. I had always wanted to visit US and jumped at opportunity. We made trip into a vacation for friends and family. We taught members of USAF and German Air Force at Holloman AFB, which included a guided tour of base and various fighter aircraft, including Stealth bomber. Sensei Rogers is an instructor who teaches students from USAF, Highway Patrol, police and some members of United States Marshals.
While in US, I also visited Grand Canyon and Phoenix. I intend to move to Phoenix to live within next two to three years. Sensei Ellis has a book on aikido coming out next spring in US titled "Positive Aikido" which I am pleased to be featured in, Sensei Rogers is a journalist by profession and has worked on this book for past two years and it will be published in US. There are several publishers interested in book so we are all very excited about this latest project. I hope to be visiting US again next year and I hope to be there for launch of book.which was released in December 2004 by www.Trafford.com
For martial artists out there I would like to add one more comment about book. Where as most Aikido books spend a great deal of time harmonizing with planets and universe, there will be none of that in this book, Sensei always tells students to come out of clouds and get back on tatami because "This is where it all happens" and he also often says " leave dancing to Fred Astair" (who is Fred Astair?).
Anita Wilson Assistant to Sensei Ellis
Anita Wilson a student of Henry Ellis for the past 15 years. grew up involved in the Martial Arts meeting many of the great teachers as a child through her fathers dealing in ancient Japanese arts and armour.
