AOSB IN SOLIDARITY AND GENEROSITY
In the Dojo Volume 2 Issue 6
By Josh Paul Sensei, AOSB head instructor
Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba
Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba, known as O'Sensei, proclaimed aikido to be a way to reconcile the world and to make it one family. All humans cannot be one family if a group is oppressed or prevented from the ability to thrive.
This current movement endeavors to obtain justice in a world made unjust by systemic racism, at the same time building and nurturing a community in their restorative struggle.
Aikido of South Brooklyn stands with those striving to reconcile this world. We stand in solidarity with people everywhere who protest police brutality and abuse, racism, inequality, and injustice. The practical address of power inequity and the peaceful resolution of conflict are the very matters that we are primarily engaged with in our practice.
The “do” in our name means path, and we welcome all people interested in the path of peace.
Hate has no place here. Black Lives Matter.
To affirm our commitment to social justice, we are asking our community to help raise money for Black Lives Matter. AOSB will match all donations up to $500! That means your $25 contribution is worth $50. Our goal is donate at least $1,000 to BLM. Click the button below to make your contribution. All donations are sent directly to BLM.
COVID-19 STATUS UPDATE: PHASE 1 STARTS; AOSB WAITS
Ira, spoon in hand, awaiting ice cream at Farmacy.
On Monday, June 8, 2020, exactly 100 days after the first case of COVID-19 was identified in NYC, and 12 weeks after all non-essential businesses were ordered to close, NYC entered Phase 1 of the state’s strategic reopening. In Phase 1, construction, manufacturing, wholesale businesses, and retail for pick-up reopened with some restrictions. Every two weeks health officials will review the metrics, and determine if the city can progress to the next phase of reopening. If Phases 1-3 go according to plan, and there are no major virus resurgences, no unforeseen complications, and we truly proceed in 2-week intervals, the city could enter Phase 4 in mid-July. Phase 4 businesses include arts, entertainment, and recreational businesses, and education. That is, it includes Aikido of South Brooklyn. By our calculations, we could reopen the week of July 20, 2020.
In the meantime, new signs of life have returned to the neighborhood. Retail businesses are reopening in various ways, and there was a line over the weekend at Farmacy, the local ice cream shop, where Ira learned an important life lesson: waiting for ice cream is hard.
Live aikido classes via Zoom.
Waiting for aikido is hard, too. We are now offering semi-weekly adult and youth classes via Zoom, and private aikido and yoga sessions are available (also via Zoom). Our 8-class Introduction to Aikido is still on the schedule and we still intend to host special events and workshops. The upside to waiting and reopening in Phase 4 is that there are likely to be few restrictions placed on if, when, and how to practice. The downside, of course, is that we have to wait. And waiting is hard.