Sensei Viorel Lungu, 4th dan aikikai, founder and teacher at Fudoshin Dojo hosted a seminar in a dojo he is the technical supervisor in Iasi, Romania on the 27th and 28th of February. A team comprised of his students Aris Neos, Nagia Chantzara, Lito Perivolaraki and Daniela Dorcu travelled with him to the seminar and practiced with some of his older students in Iasi and also other aikidoka. Following are a few words from the team, expressing their thoughts on the experience. Check here below the respective video footage!

Find here below a few words from the team, expressing their thoughts on this unique experience.

Aris: “At first, the chance to travel to Romania for Sensei’s seminar was a chance for me to practice and learn from many new and different people, all sharing a great love and passion for aikido. How little did I know…

I cannot thank everyone enough for all the great moments in and out of the dojo, the awesome conversations we’ve had and the experiences we’ve shared all this weekend!

As for leaving on Monday, I will sum it up in this one sentence: It was hard to leave, because I felt like I was leaving my home and life-long friends behind…

Pana data viitoare…”

Lito: “It was such an immense honor and pleasure to be able to travel all the way to Romania and train with our own teacher, but in such different surroundings and with new people. Everyone we met was so kind and warm. I think I speak for all of us when I say we truly felt welcome. 

Training with everyone there was very instructive, and also very interesting and fun. I feel that aikido unites people who’ve never met before and makes them quite comfortable with each other, and this was definitely the case here.

I hope we’ll have the chance to go back and train together again.”

Nagia: “The fact that we were invited to travel together with our Sensei and participate in a Seminar conducted by him was in the first place a unique challenge and a great honor.

Since the moment we arrived in Iasi people with smiles on their faces and a warm welcome was already there for us.

The hospitality and the sincere kindness and willingness of the people we met to offer everything they had for us and to make us feel like home was an experience which cannot be forgotten.

The seminar itself and the chance to be part of such intense yet joyful two days of training with our Sensei and all of his students was a pleasure beyond belief! The fundamentals and all the behavior of the students there was only another proof that when the knowledge and ethics shared by the teacher are honest and kind the true meaning of aikido flourishes.

It was one unique weekend including everything, great time, training, having the chance to see a sneak peak of the culture and customs of Romania, even to be part of traditional Japanese tea ceremony!

Once again it was an honor and we can’t thank enough our Sensei and all the great people we were so lucky to meet and to share great memories with. Thank you.

Until we meet again!

La revedere!