Well, I could begin with a resumé of the seminar in Rio de Janeiro. A seminar dedicated to support the community of Rio de Janeiro.

Gaku Homma Sensei with his high generosity gave us so many presents. The pleasure of the seminar, the power of regrouping Aikido, the gift of compassion, the sense of community with a strong desire to share with others. Through AHAN, the seminar fees and a donation from Sensei gave us the opportunity to buy food complement for the next 7 months to an orphanage “Obra do Berco in Rio de Janeiro”

But I would like to say a little more.

Gaku Homma Sensei once again is in the center of my life. Did he leave from this center? I don’t think so. How can one remove action from life?

This begun some time ago, I still remember the first time I arrived in Denver to practice Aikido while travelling in the US.

From there begun a story. A story that change a life. A story coming from the deep inside, sometime not knowing if the story is still there. Then there is no story anymore, just knowledge. The knowledge of the action, enjoying the present. When such a strong power is around you, when the spirit of the warrior is with you, why hesitating?

Everywhere I have been around the world, Gaku Homma Sensei was there. In all the continents, I went to practice Aikido with nothing to prove, only practicing and keeping my eyes and my heart open. Homma Sensei gave me this strength, making me feel comfortable when I practice, enjoying being on the mat, enjoying learning from others. This because Homma Sensei gives compassion. Then comes a sort of vision, a way of living when respect becomes natural. We meet persons that will be friends forever. As my friend, my brother Thomas Tien is in my life. Thomas knows, we do not talk, we do. Thomas knew about the importance of the Rio seminar, he did not hesitated, he came, flying from the US to Brazil on 9/11...

Thank you Thomas.



Homma Sensei asked me by the past to organize some seminars, in different places. All of them so intense, so reach of life, so full of peace. We did two seminars in Houston, and every time it was just some spiral of events with true compassion and love. True respect of others through perfect Aikido. Every time challenging, but every time in the same strong and powerful direction.

I arrived a little bit more than 2 years ago in Rio. The first year, last year, some friends and I did a seminar in Rio de Janeiro. At the same time, with out knowing, Gaku Homma Sensei was doing a seminar in Sao Paolo. We arranged to see him while he was passing by Rio.

We showed Homma Sensei the place we did our seminar, and like always, with a lot of enthusiasm, Homma Sensei asked us to set a date for him for the following year.

That’s how this seminar, this year was planned.

When you prepare something extraordinary, like a seminar with Gaku Homma Sensei, a lot of events happen. From every where. It is a constant stage of awareness. The Seminar begins there.

In Rio de Janeiro, it was the first time we tried to have al Aikidokas together. The goal of the seminar was to raise some funds for an association taking care of children via the AHAN structure. After some research, we founded an orphanage, “Obra do Berco”. (see related article ).

We didn’t know didn’t have a clue of how many people would show up, not a clue of course of what Gaku Homma Sensei will do.

Our only goal was to have everything ready for the children and the seminar. I didn’t have any doubts that this event will bring intensity and happiness, I knew that, Thomas knew that, others here in Rio didn’t. I could see trough the questions asked that the tension was rising. Every time, I had to release it with some comfort, “Don’t worry”, “Remember the goal, the children”,…


And the suddenly it happened, the time changed, no more seconds, no more minutes, just the same time with no measurement, always there, always in something. Besides Emily Sensei and Debra that I knew, Charles Sensei and Rudy arrived with Gaku Homma Sensei. Also Homma Sensei’s sisters.
The seminar begun, people arrived, friends of friends, Aikidokas from all over. They heard about the seminar, they saw some flyers, they just came.

It was interesting to imagine all these persons we didn’t know planning to be at the seminar. Persons that wanted to practice, persons that came to help AHAN, what a great movement of people.

The seminar by itself was reach of emotions, sensations.

All the happy faces, so many positive comments from all, so many smiles.

The technique always inside Aikido, origins of empty hands techniques with Bokken and Jo.

The Dance was there too, the music. Harmony with time, feelings, others, yourself. Freedom of expression, freedom of learning, freedom of doing. This is the gift, this is the message. How can with evolve without Freedom? Gaku Homma Sensei gives you the freedom to trust yourself. What can we ask for more? Gaku Homma Sensei opens the door of confidence. From there everything is possible.
Art is like that, no barrier. Only touching limits all the time.

In Painting, the master can see all the beauty of any masterpiece, in Sculpture the forms are always seen as a search for harmony between volume and mass, in Aikido the form and the power are always seen at the end as an esthetic movement that show harmony and peace. It is a Sculptural Dance.
From All the participants in the seminar practicing or not, We Thank You Homma Sensei.

Here after are 3 articles written from the the owners of three Dojo we practiced after the seminar, the following week.

1. Tada Ima in the countryside:

This place is one of the magic places you can find a Dojo. Out of nowhere. A small trial, arriving to a small property in the middle of the “Mata Atlantica” (Typical tropical forest near the Ocean, before the “Sierras” (first mountains West of Rio de Janeiro). Orchids, Cocoa plants, Parrots, and an open Dojo on the back of the property, attached to it. A peaceful place.

Claide, owner of the place wrote this:
“Well, sometime it is difficult to describe emotions!

Emotion should be felt, not explained. And this was what happened with Sensei’s visit in our Tad Ima Dojo. A great emotion. I never ever had been so close to a Shihan, but I could see the differences in the attitude and purposes. The simplicity dealing with people, the happiness in participating in everything, enjoying, and including the Aikido kanji written inversely in the Dojo pavement.
I think Sensei understood the intention of harmony when I decided to build this Dojo myself. It was incredible to see the changes from time to time during the building , and then when the Dojo was clean, organized and the Tatami on the ground, in the middle of the forest, that was something.

I think Sensei was happy experiencing the different flavors from some tropical fruits. Sensei Homma left us with a bit of his immense knowledge.

After his visit, Sensei wrote a short text in Japanese that touched us to our deep and sincere attention.
“ What you have to do, do it now, do not ask anybody if it is write or wrong, just follow your heart. Do not allow any negativity from others to take you away from your objectives, do not wait, do not hesitate, just do. If you have a good heart, nothing will deceive you. Tada Ima.”

The name of our Dojo is “ Tada Ima’, “Just Now”, we will remind it.

Sensei, Thank you very much for your visit, words and energy.

We are proud and honored.

The presence of Debra, Emily, Thomas, Charles and Rudy will be forever in our hearts.

We hope to meet with you again.”

2. Okaeri Dojo:
The name of this Dojo was given by Gaku Homma Sensei.

This is a place in the countryside, at the begining of a small village, where Aikido is now the only activity for children. It was so impressive to see the relationship of the parents-children-parents changing. The mutual respect growing. Behind the Dojo that Marcos and Bernadete built in their property, is a large garden where all kind of exotic fruits and vegetable grow. A lot of work has been done there. It is also an open place for children to play in a safe place and learn about nature.

Bernadet and Marco wrote this:
The presence of Gaku Homma Sensei in our Dojo was like a dream coming through. Even if Luc Leoni Sensei was always saying that Homma Sensei was going to come, we had some apprehension, for us it was too far from our reality.

We can still feel the positive energy left in Gande Ruy (Today Okaeri Dojo). The name chosen by Homma Sensei is very significant and really express what we feel. The people that practice or visit Okaeri Dojo feel so comfortable as they were always been there. The children always come to watch, play or practice and are so happy to have a place like that. Every time they are the first to ask for a class.

The seminar in Forte Sao Joao was an unforgettable event. All the people that we met after the seminar were still into it and remembering Homma Sensei remarkable strength.

3. Bujutsu Dojo, Downtown Rio:
This Dojo is located downtown Rio de Janeiro. Small streets, a lot of small vendors during the day, you can practically find whatever you are looking for. At night, a strange atmosphere where it looks like every body is looking at you to see what they can get from you. We arrived in this place, around 7:00 p.m., the place was filled with a strong energy. Awareness was the only way to be able to walk. We stick together and arrived in front of a small door. “Like a Kung Fu movie” said Sensei smiling. We went to the second floor, everybody was ready, excited and curious also. Another amazing class, full of surprises. Sensei concentrated the teaching on close attacks. The Dojo was small, so the training was powerful.

Here is what Marcio Fontes, the owner of the Dojo wrote:
“ We would like to thank Gaku Homma Sensei for his presence in our Dojo last Wednesday (Sept/19th) and on the name of my students we would like to express that we were honored and happy with the seminar and the special class in our humble place. I am sure that your presence (Sensei’s presence)in our Dojo showed something special to the development of our Aikido and also, an example of human kind, showing that we can do so much more than only training.

Sensei, your presence was not only remarkable on the high level of techniques, but as well as by your humanitarian action you have done here in Rio and around the world.

Congratulation Homma Sensei”