To be at Nippon Kan as an uchideshi again after 2 years made me so happy. With the invitation of Homma Sensei to come to Nippon Kan and practice was another important step for the development my Aikido.

This time was a little different. We were 10 uchideshi staying at Dojo. I heard from some others before that everything is different when there is more than one uchideshi. We together realized how important is communicating, sharing, helping each other and the most important was to liaise. And we arranged special 60th birthday ceremony (kanreki celebrate) for Homma Sensei, this was awesome experience.

At my first years in Aikido my Sensei once told me that "we are a big family". At that time I couldn't understand what he was implying. But with the passing time and more sharing I understood what he meant. Thanks to Nippon Kan I now have ten brothers and a sister (Rose was not staying at the Dojo). Now I have brothers and sister walking the same path with me. I'm very sure that one day I will meet again with them, the ones who share the same feelings with me.

The things we shared were not only among the uchideshi. I sincerely appreciate our trainers and friends who spend their time cooking and bringing their marvelous meals to Dojo for us. I will never forget different and wonderful foods I have tasted..

The Homeless Dinner, an event of help and support, which was organized with the pioneership of Homma Sensei was my second experience. To prepare and serve to food to the ones who need them was a different kind of happiness. In fact if you look from a different perspective Aikido is like a meal and we are the people who needed. The Marathon meal that Homma Sensei organized was unbelievable. In the seminars in Turkey Homma Sensei always says " the real meal is your Sensei's meal, today you just tasted from a different cousin.". I believe that to understand and live Aikido better we need to taste different flavours.

I thank Homma Sensei for his invitation for Marathon and his special birthday ceremony that I appreciated very much. And my Sensei Ali Uludag who always supports me in my long path, both as a Sensei and a father.

Banu Alisverisci

Turkiye Aikikai Aikido、
Torii Dojo