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About Aikido Dojo Nippos
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The association 'Aikido Dojo Nippos' was founded in 2005 by Ferdinando
D'Agata, Tiziano Calabrese, Elisa Bennati, Costanza Dal Cin D'Agata and
Simona Rosso, Italian Aikidokas who moved to Crete during the same year
to practice Aikido in contact with nature. It is based in the village of
Nippos Apokoronoy in the Dojo-house where the group lives.
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Costanza, Simona and Elisa
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The Aikido classes take place at the dojo of Haniá and Rethymno.
The classes
are held by Teacher Ferdinando D'Agata black belt 6th Dan Aikikai, and by
his assistant Tiziano Calabrese black belt 4th Dan Aikikai.
In addition to the daily practice, the association organises Aikido
residential summer seminars, lodging for weekend training, outdoor Aikiken
and Aikijo training in incontaminated areas of the island.
Ki-No-Ren-Ma, Ho-Jo, Jodo, Overtone or Yoga of the sound
are also part of the group's personal training.
Ki-No-Ren-Ma
It is Sensei's Hiroshi Tada Shihan 9th Dan Aikikai Ki training, Didactical
Director and founder of Italian Aikikai. Part of this training method are
breathing and sixth sense exercises, meditation, visualisations, and Bokken
techniques executions.
Ho-Jo
This training method belongs to the ancient Japanese weapon school Jikishinkage
Ryu whose first study stage consist of four Katà carried out together
with a partner, using a specific kind of sword-stick which names this art. The
four forms, Katà in Japanese, are related to the four seasons according
to the classical eastern symbology, and each form is divided in 'Father Form'
and 'Son Form', roles in which partners alternate. These Katà are executed
using a particular energetic breathing technique called Aum - no - Kokyu.
Jodo
Shindo Muso Ryu school's The Way of the Stick. According to the traditional
Japanese didactical method, the Jodo training consist of two steps: basic singular
exercises called Kihon and subsequent couple training. Jodo's Katà
are executed with sword and stick. Core of this art is the developing and the
refining of the essential martial art's concepts, Ma - Ai and Ki - Me; right
distance and attention.
Overtone
This discipline consists of a series of exercises in which trainees give out
vocalic sounds in order to reactivate the seven Chakras (energetic centres
placed on human body vertical axis). This discipline compounds these sound emission
exercises together with breathing training, visualisations, and concentration on
shapes and colours.
The Dojo-house
The Dojo-house, where the association is hosted, is a traditional Cretan stones
farm-house on the top of 'Moyros' hill. Surrounded by olive-trees, fig-trees
and cypresses, a Dojo for daily practice, a biological kitchen-garden, and a
treshing-floor are within the property together with a big mulberry-tree where
underneath its shade you can enjoy an extraordinary view on sea, snowed mountains,
and cultivated fields between small woods of cypress. The time passes following
the metronome of sheeps' bells bleating at pasture, of little bird's twittering,
of Kiai exercise ...!
The village is in the island's north-western side, in the Province of Haniá,
between sea and mountains in area immersed in cypresses and olive-tree green. The
density of population is still very low in this province and population of Nippos
reaches hardly the number of 207 inhabitants. The 'Ghitones',
neighbours in Greek, are farmers and shepherds.
Notwithstanding its isolation, this area is very well connected to the main cities
with busses and has services such as bank, post offices, traditional restaurants,
grocery stores and the unfailing 'Kaphenion', the Greek Cafes, being four km far
from the 'Vrisses' crossroad between North and South, between the Aegean sea and the
Libic sea ...
The Teacher, Ferdinando D'Agata 6th Dan Aikikai
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The Teacher, Ferdinando D'Agata 6th Dan Aikikai
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In 1983 he started training Aikido in Torino, Italy.
In 1986 he obtained the black belt, 1st Dan, under consent of Sensei Hideki
Hosokawa, Shihan 7th Dan Aikikai.
In 1994 after he obtained the 3rd Dan under consent of Sensei Yoiji Fujimoto
Shihan 7th Dan Aikikai, started heading the Dojo 'Aikikai Torino'.
In 1999 he obtains the 4th Dan under consent of Sensei Yoiji Fujimoto and was elected
councillor of the national association 'Aikikai D'Italia'.
During these years he deepened and enriched his Aikido participating assiduously in
seminars of the Director and founder of Italian Aikikai, Sensei Hiroshi Tada Shihan
9th Dan, one among the more prestigious exponents of Aikido worldwide, directly
tought by founder O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, and participating in seminars of Senseis
Hosokawa and Fujimoto teachers from whom he grounded his didactics.
Since 2001 he has been following a Russian Aikido group in the city of
Kirov, invited by their teacher Sensei Svetlana Sretenskaya 3rd Dan
Aikikai.
In 2002 he was re-elected in the Italian Aikikai as vice-president.
In 2005 he moved to Crete together with a group of Italian aikidokas
with whom founded the association 'Aikido Dojo Nippos'.
In 2007 he obtained the 5th Dan during the summer seminar of Sensei
Hiroshi Tada.
On July 27, 2013, he was awarded 6th Dan by Sensei Hiroshi Tada.
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