Aiki Biking for Peace - 2010
August 24th to September 26th
To celebrate my 50th birthday this year I decided to take a time off for a special journey doing things that I really love: to contact people by doing aikido, to move by cycling and to capture images by doing drawings. Three different practices carrying a more appreciative approach for life. When I knew about the International Aiki Peace Week I thought that it would be fantastic if I could connect my personal project with something bigger to inspire people for peace and harmony.
Looking at the map of the International Aiki Peace Week website I noticed that some Aiki-Extensions members in Europe had already joined the event. Paul Linden introduced me to Bertram Wohak who invited me to visit Munique and to finish the aiki-biking journey during the IAPW. It was really nice to define the whole route from the arrival point. Friends in Brazil suggested me to start the trip in Amsterdam, famous city for its inspiring culture of cyclism. Hearing other suggestions from a Couchsurfing friend and studying the map of dojos in IAPW I decided to follow the river Rheine from Holand to Germany visiting some AE members mostly in Cologne, Bonn, Berlin, Schweinfurt, Schorndorf, Tübingen and Munique.
Willem, Ben, Dineke and Geertje Wessels, Kurial, Thomas Christaller and Sabine, Dirk Kropp and Iris, Rosmarie, Christina Barandun and Helmann, Judith Elze, Rita Böhm, Andrea, Thomas and Maira, Winfried Wagner and Edith, Günter, Hanna and Alexandra, Barbara, Ali Nasseri, Silvia and Sara and finally Bertram Wohak and Marion were people that I met during this Aiki biking journey. Lovely people on the road offering a place to stay, breakfast and meals, warm shower and mainly offering time and care. People from whom I learnt a lot about harmony, compassion and cooperation, the heart of Aikido.
I really don't care about self-defense, fighting or physical performance when thinking about Aikido. Aikido is all about connection told me years ago Don Levine, the founder of Aiki-Extensions. Indeed. I care about connections of harmony and I could feel it visiting different Dojos in Germany and even off the mat when asking for directions or sharing a table in a cafeteria. This way being an Aiki-Pilgrim, I could confirm my thoughts that it’s easier to feel deeply connected when doing aikido, cycling or drawing. Now I look forward to continue the project Aiki Biking as a peaceful way to build new bridges of harmony in my country and overseas.
Love and gratitude
Jose Bueno
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