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Studying Japanese Culture
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Budo in all its forms is a very special and inseparable part
of Japanese culture. There are many sayings in Japanese that
allude to the martial heritage of this proud and beautiful
country. For instance, one way to say “give up” is “Kabuto
wo nugu.” This means to take off one’s helmet. This is of
course a reference to the Samurai helmet that was taken off
as a sign of defeat in battle. This is just one example of
how the martial traditions permeate Japanese culture.
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Mito Kobuntei |
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I am a life-long student of the Japanese language and
culture, and I wish to share my interests with my students.
I find that very many people wishing to study martial arts
also have a keen interest in Japanese culture. This is
especially so in Aikido.
I was lucky to have had such a good master in Saito Sensei,
who taught me so many things from his rich cultural
heritage. Chance had it that I met my wife, Midoriko, on my
first trip to the Iwama Dojo. She hails from the same area
as Saito Sensei, Ibaraki-ken (prefecture).
Sensei said many times that she was so much help to him - in
explaining difficult concepts to me when my language skills
were lacking, cooking for him when he came to teach in
Denmark, and in so many other ways. She is also very much a
help to me, in teaching me even more about her country and
its customs. She helps me in offering different cultural
courses; sharing her knowledge and talents with my students.
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